Pricing guide
What a mobile app really costs, from MVP to mature product
From first MVP to a product with thousands of users — indicative ranges from €6,000 and, crucially, the costs after launch.
How much does a mobile app cost? The answer most buyers find inconvenient is that it depends far less on the number of screens than on what happens behind them. An app that merely displays information is a different product from one with user accounts, payments, push notifications and real-time sync — even when the two look similar on a phone. Working with a Romanian development team, the indicative 2026 ranges are these: a mobile MVP lands between €6,000 and €18,000 — the floor when a backend already exists, the ceiling when it is built as part of the project; a business application with roles, payments and integrations between €18,000 and €50,000; and an installable web app (PWA) covers part of the same ground from €3,500. VAT is not included in any of these figures. At Northdan a mobile project starts, indicatively, from €6,000 — the floor of the MVP band, for one main flow of 8–12 screens built on a backend that already exists. Spending does not stop at launch either: the Apple Developer Program is 99 USD per membership year, Google Play developer registration is a one-time 25 USD, infrastructure runs €20–100 per month for small apps, and maintenance is budgeted at 15–20% of the build cost per year.
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Key takeaways
Mobile MVP, one main flow: €6,000–18,000
One main flow, 8–12 screens, simple authentication, a single integration and publication in both stores. At €6,000 the backend already exists; towards €18,000 it is built too. Not included: in-app payments, offline mode with sync, and a full admin panel. The same band appears in our Android and iOS price guides.
Business application: €18,000–50,000
At least two user roles, payments, 2–4 integrations with company systems, more than 25 screens and an admin panel. Not included: content and translations, data migration from the old system, launch campaigns. Our iOS guide takes the ceiling to €55,000.
Cheaper alternative: PWA from €3,500
A web app added to the phone home screen straight from the browser runs €3,500–12,000, and a simple web application €5,000–15,000. What you give up: notification reliability, full hardware access, and presence in the app stores.
Our indicative price: from €6,000
The same figure as our mobile app service page, VAT not included. Included: discovery, design, the main flow, real-device testing and publication in both stores. Not included: your developer accounts, third-party service licences and content.
After launch, year one
Apple Developer Program 99 USD per membership year, Google Play registration 25 USD one-time, infrastructure €20–100 per month, maintenance 15–20% per year. From 31 August 2026 Google Play requires new apps and updates to target Android 16 (API 36).
Maintenance: 15–20% per year
Compatibility with each new iOS and Android release, fixes and small improvements — the true cost of keeping an app alive. On a €12,000 MVP that is €1,800 a year, before infrastructure.
Frequently asked questions
Can I cut the cost by launching only on Android first?
With cross-platform technologies like Flutter, the saving would be small — both platforms compile from the same codebase. Real budget reduction comes from cutting non-essential features out of the MVP, not from dropping a platform.
Why is the backend such a large share of the price?
Because that is where the real logic lives: accounts, data, security, notifications, integrations. The screens are the tip of the iceberg — the server is the unseen part that makes the application actually work.
What happens if I skip maintenance after launch?
The app keeps working for a while, then degrades: errors appear on new OS versions, the app stores demand mandatory updates, and recovering after a two-year pause often costs as much as a partial rewrite.
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Let’s talk about your project
Message us on WhatsApp or send an email — you talk directly to a developer.
office@northdan.com · +40 752 070 247