Cost Guide · India · 2025
How Much Does Mobile App Development Cost in India?
A mobile app in India costs ₹3 lakh for something simple and focused, and ₹30 lakh or more for a feature-heavy platform with live features, payments and several user types. Before you spend on a native app, though, ask whether you need one. For a lot of business use cases, a well-built progressive web app (PWA) or mobile-friendly web app does the same job for much less money. We say this to clients often.
Bottom line
Most business apps in India cost ₹5L–₹20L for a good cross-platform build. Below ₹3L you're getting something very basic or templated. Going fully native on iOS and Android roughly doubles the cost of cross-platform.
What you get at each price point
₹3L – ₹6L
Simple App (1–3 core screens)
3–5 screens around one core workflow
User login / authentication
Basic data display and entry
Push notifications
Cross-platform (iOS + Android via React Native or Flutter)
No payments, no real-time features
Example
Attendance tracking for a 20-person team. A simple product catalogue. A basic appointment booking app.
Most common
₹6L – ₹15L
Mid-Complexity App
Multiple screens and user flows
User roles (customer, admin, staff)
Payment integration (Razorpay / Stripe)
Targeted push notifications
Backend API and database
Third-party integrations (maps, SMS, WhatsApp)
Some offline capability
Example
A last-mile delivery app with separate driver and customer sides. A field service app. A customer app for a retail or restaurant chain.
₹15L – ₹35L+
Complex / Platform App
Real-time features (live tracking, chat, live updates)
Several user types, each with its own experience
Heavy business logic and automated workflows
Built to handle large user volumes
Advanced features like video, AR or biometrics
Deep integrations with several external systems
Example
A two-sided marketplace, think Urban Company or Dunzo at SME scale. A telemedicine platform. A logistics platform with live vehicle tracking.
What drives the cost up or down
Native vs cross-platform
Native means separate Swift and Kotlin codebases, and roughly double the cost. React Native or Flutter share about 80% of the code. For most business apps, cross-platform gets you the same result at half the price.
Backend complexity
The app is just what users see. The backend (API, database, business logic, auth) is often 50–60% of the work. A simple app on a complex backend can cost as much as a complex app on a simple one.
Real-time features
Live tracking, chat and instant order updates need different plumbing, like WebSockets and push infrastructure. Making them reliable is much harder than making them work in a demo.
Payment integration
Razorpay or Stripe takes 1–2 weeks, depending on what you need. Subscriptions, split payments and refunds are each their own flow.
Offline functionality
Field service and remote inventory apps often need to work without signal. That means local storage and sync logic, which isn't trivial.
App store submission
Google Play is easy. Apple reviews are stricter and can add 1–2 weeks. Developer accounts cost money too: Apple ₹8,000/year, Google ₹2,000 one-time.
What's typically included — and what isn't
Included
UX design and interactive prototype
Frontend app development (iOS + Android via cross-platform)
Backend API development
Database design
User authentication system
Push notification setup
QA testing on real devices
App store submission support
30-day post-launch support
Full source code and IP transfer
Not included (watch for these in quotes)
Apple Developer account (₹8,000/year) and Google Play account (₹2,000 one-time)
Server / hosting costs (₹2,000–₹20,000/month depending on scale)
Third-party API costs (maps, SMS, payment gateway fees)
App store optimisation (ASO) and user acquisition
Ongoing feature development after launch
Red flags in a quote
Under ₹1L for a 'mobile app'. Usually it's a website wrapped in an app shell
No one talks about the backend, which is half the project
The team only builds for Android, or only for iOS
No design phase. Apps built without proper UX get uninstalled fast
No mention of testing on real phones
Mobile App cost — common questions
Do I need a native app or will a web app work?
For internal tools, booking, dashboards and catalogues, a mobile-friendly web app or PWA usually does the job at 40–60% of what a native app costs. No app store, instant updates, one codebase. Native is worth paying for when you need the phone's hardware (camera, biometrics, Bluetooth), background processing, or a properly offline-first app.
React Native vs Flutter — which is better for India?
Both are mature. React Native is more common among Indian studios, so it's easier to hire for, and if your website is in React you can share some code. Flutter tends to run a bit better on cheaper Android phones, which matters in India. Either is fine. What matters more is which one your team has actually shipped with.
How long does mobile app development take?
A simple app takes 8–14 weeks. Mid-complexity, 14–24 weeks. A complex platform, 6–12 months. That includes design, build, testing and store submission. A common mistake is ignoring the backend. If it's complex, the backend sets the timeline, not the app.
What happens to the app if Android or iOS updates their OS?
Sometimes an OS update breaks something. That's a normal, ongoing cost of having an app. A responsible studio gives you the source code and quotes maintenance as a separate retainer. Leave an app untouched for a couple of years and it will start to fall apart.
Can you build both the app and the website?
Yes, and it helps to have one team do both. You get one backend, one design system, and nobody translating between two vendors. We can scope it as a single engagement.
Get an actual number
Tell us what you're building and we'll give you a written estimate.
Not a ballpark. Not a range. A written estimate with a fixed price, timeline, and what's included — before you commit to anything.
Written fixed-price estimate — no surprises
We respond within 1 business day
Free 30-minute scoping call, no commitment
NDA available before any details shared
Full IP transfer on delivery
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