Building a mobile app in India in 2026 typically costs between ₹3 lakh and ₹15 lakh for a first version that works on both iOS and Android, and takes two to four months. Simple apps can cost less; apps with marketplaces, live tracking or connected hardware can cost a good deal more.
This guide explains what puts an app at each end of that range, what you will keep paying after launch, and how to spend less without building something you will have to throw away.
Typical costs at a glance
| Type of app | Examples | Typical cost in India | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installable web app (PWA) | Booking, catalogue, customer portal | ₹1.5L–4L | 4–6 weeks |
| Simple app | One type of user, sign-up, a core feature, admin panel | ₹3L–6L | 6–10 weeks |
| App with payments and roles | Customers and staff, UPI or card payments, notifications | ₹6L–12L | 10–14 weeks |
| Marketplace or on-demand | Two sides (buyers and sellers, riders and drivers), maps, live status | ₹12L–25L+ | 14 weeks and up |
| App connected to hardware | Bluetooth devices, sensors, IoT dashboards | ₹10L+ | 12 weeks and up |
These ranges assume a small, experienced team in India. Freelancers can be cheaper; large agencies often charge two to three times more for similar scope.
Do you need two apps?
Not any more. Modern cross-platform tools such as React Native let one codebase produce both the iOS and the Android app, with only device-specific parts written separately. For most business apps, that means you get both platforms for roughly 1.2–1.4 times the cost of one, not double.
Fully separate native apps still make sense for heavy graphics, complex camera or audio work, or when you already have separate iOS and Android teams.
What drives the cost
User types and screens
Every kind of user, such as customer, vendor, delivery partner or admin, brings its own screens, permissions and testing. The number of user types is the biggest single factor in an app's price.
The backend
The part users never see is often half the work: the server, database, admin panel and the rules for who can see and change what. Managed services for sign-in, databases, file storage and notifications cut this cost substantially.
Phone features
Push notifications, the camera, location, maps, offline mode, Bluetooth and OTP sign-in each add work. Bluetooth hardware is the most demanding, because the app, the device firmware and the protocol between them all have to agree and be tested together. We wrote about how we handle that in building a secure Bluetooth protocol for EV battery packs.
Payments
UPI, cards and wallets through a gateway like Razorpay are straightforward. Refunds, payouts to vendors, subscriptions and invoices with GST are where the time goes.
Design
A clean interface built from a proven component library is affordable and looks professional. Custom illustration and complex animation add cost without helping you learn whether the idea works.
Costs after launch
- Apple Developer Program: US$99 a year to publish on the App Store.
- Google Play: a one-time US$25 registration fee.
- Servers and services: often a few thousand rupees a month for an early app, growing with users.
- SMS for OTP sign-in: charged per message, which adds up as you grow.
- Updates: iOS and Android change every year, and apps need updating to keep working and stay in the stores. Budget for ongoing maintenance, typically ₹5k–10k a month for a small app, or 15–20% of the build cost a year.
How to keep the cost down
- Start with the one job. Write down the single most important thing a user must be able to do, and build that first.
- Consider a web app first. If customers use you occasionally, an installable web app can be built faster and cheaper and doesn't need store approval. Move to store apps once people use it every week.
- Cut user types for version one. The admin side can often be a simple internal page or even a spreadsheet at first.
- Use managed services for sign-in, storage, payments and notifications instead of building them.
- Fix scope, ship weekly. Agree on the screens and flows up front, and expect working builds you can install on your phone every week.
What we charge
Our app MVP sprints build iOS and Android from one codebase, plus the backend and admin panel, typically for ₹3 lakh to ₹8 lakh over six to ten weeks. Everything, from the code to the developer accounts, is set up in your company's name. See our mobile app development page and apps we've built like KnowyourMechanic.
For the bigger picture on scoping a first version, read how much it costs to build an MVP in India. Or tell us about your app and we'll reply with a scope, price and timeline within a day.
