How Much Does It Cost to Develop an iOS App In 2025?

iOS apps have been a prevalent choice among businesses focusing on a tech-savvy user base, offering enhanced security and streamlined user experience. A recent report from Apple states that there are nearly 2 million apps in the app store. If you’ve decided to invest in a mobile app business with iOS as an ideal platform to reach your target audience, the next step is to work on the iOS app development cost estimation.

The mobile app development market has been saturated, confusing stakeholders and investors about investing in the app they aim to build. Meanwhile, the Internet might also lead you to a pile of cost estimations, and options to evaluate pricing, making it even more difficult to determine the average cost to develop an iPhone app.

Landing on the iOS app development cost has many factors to consider, such as the app complexity, app size, development process involved, customisations, features, categories, and many other hidden costs involved. This blog answers the most awaited question: “How much does it cost to develop an iOS app in 2025?”. Let’s read further to figure this out.

Let’s look at a formula to calculate the cost of developing an iOS app. This formula lets you estimate the average iOS app budget, concerning the core factors involved in making the major share of the total app development cost.

Total iOS app development cost = hours for UI/UX development + application platform +  
(developer's rate per hour * development time taken)

This cost calculation formula for iOS applications helps you determine the minimum expense to build your app. There are also certain crucial factors to clear out the confusion and let you estimate the iOS app development cost precisely.  

Let’s discuss the key factors that must be considered while determining the overall iOS application development cost.  

App Size 

iOS app size directly impacts the costs involved in building the app. Large-sized apps with more content and features demand higher development time and resources, costing more. Whereas,  smaller mobile apps are cost-effective and have limited functionalities. By effectively balancing the functionalities based on the best coding practices, you can optimise the app size, and minimise expenses for your application.

Small app development:     
-2-4 months to develop    
Cost: Begins from $10,000+ ( can go up to $50,000 or above).

Medium app development:    
-4-8 months to develop     
Cost: Begins from $50,000+ (can go up to $100,000 or more).

Complex app development     
-8+ months to develop    
Cost: Begins from $100,000+ (can go significantly higher).

Note: The cost represented here isn’t a fixed figure. The final cost can be impacted based on security requirements, custom needs, ongoing maintenance and support, etc.

App Complexity

The app's complexity holds a core influence on determining the development costs. Usually, the basic applications are less expensive since they emphasise essential features of app development. However, applications with mid to complex features consume more resources and time, increasing the overall Apple app development costs. A clear analysis of the complexity levels helps a developer/stakeholder plan the app development budget more effectively.

Basic iOS app features:

• Basic user authentication functionality. 
• Simple and intuitive UI with limited features. 
• Limited or no third-party integrations. 
• No real-time data sync or complex backend logic. 
• Basic features for app functionality to perform simple tasks. 
• Integration with a basic database to store and retrieve user-specified information.  
• Push notification support for alerts and updates.

Medium iOS app features:

• Advanced user authentication; for example, biometric or social media login.  
• Custom-designed UI elements to scale user experience 
• Additional functionality like in-app messaging, search functionality and payment processing.  
• Advanced database integration to manage complex data relationships and large datasets.  
• Integration with analytics tools to monitor app performance and user behaviour.

Complex iOS app features:

• Advanced user authentication techniques like multi-factor authentication, role-based access control and user management.  
• High-performance optimisation for speed and efficiency.  
• Complex UI designs with gestures, animations, and interactive elements.  
• Sophisticated functionality with advanced features like real-time collaboration, machine learning and augmented reality.  
• Complex backend system integration or API integration to execute business logic and data sync capabilities.  
• Advanced security with encryption, secure data storage, and compliance with industry standards.     
   

Note: The cost represented is approx. figure and can change based on customisations or market changes.

App Category 

The cost of iOS app development can also differ based on the app category. Every app category has its level of functionality, complexity and user experience needs. For example, apps with advanced features such as ecommerce or gaming costs are high due to aspects like design, testing, development, etc. Whereas, utility apps usually have simpler functionalities and result in lower development costs.

Also, factors like compliance, third-party integrations, and expertise can contribute to the total iPhone app development costs for various categories.    
 

Note: iOS development time for each category can vary since the customisation, project complexity, and scope are required to determine the exact time the app needs to take shape. 

App Design

App design contributes highly to the overall development cost. The common design requirements include custom animation, user interfaces, graphics, and many other factors requiring additional time and resources for appropriate execution.  

Meanwhile, it might need multiple screen resolutions and sizes to maintain compatibility across iOS devices. It is essential to adhere to Apple’s design guidelines and integrate interactive elements that add to the overall app design costs. Incorporating user feedback and performing iterative design iterations can also increase costs.

Development Team Size

The size of the development team is another factor that decides the iOS app development cost. The bigger team usually implies an increase in costs due to the need for more resources to coordinate. Factors such as timeline and app complexity also impact team size. While the small-sized team could save costs, it could slow down development. However, a large team can expedite the process while being cost-effective.

Finding the optimal balance is the way to manage costs effectively. You would need an iOS Developer, a UI/UX designer, a QA engineer, a Business Analyst, a Project Manager and other experts in the team for an ideal app development process. The hourly rate based on the position can vary based on the iOS app development agency you choose to work with.  

Developer Location 

The location of developers can also impact the cost of building an iOS app. Rates can differ based on region due to aspects such as talent availability, labour costs, etc. Also, the proximity of the team to the client is a factor, local teams could be expensive but with better collaboration. Whereas offshore and nearshore solutions save money they demand great communication.  

Native Vs. Cross Platform 

iOS app development costs are usually lower for cross-platform than native platforms. Cross-platform apps, however, usually come with less access to platform-specific features, limited user experience, and performance concerns. On the contrary, native iOS app development costs are usually on the higher side. But, it comes with an improved security level, reduced maintenance and high scalability.

Cost breakdown:

Native iOS applications: $15,000-$250,000+  
Cross Platform applications: $15,000-$150,000+

Note: The cost represented is approx. figure and can change based on customisations or market changes.

API Integrations 

This is one of the most essential factors that drive an iOS mobile app to seamlessly bind with other data vendors or other organisations to automate various app features. These include: 

Payment API Integration

Third-Party Integrations

Here is a usual cost breakdown analysis of some well-known third-party API integrations for iOS app development 
 

App Testing

This is a crucial part of the iOS app development that ensures the app meets quality standards. It involves analysing various aspects of app development such as device compatibility, UI, functionality, security, performance, etc. It involves using specialised tools and techniques to detect and fix potential issues, ensuring a high user experience. Let’s take a look at the different types of testing.

• UX Testing 
• Functional Testing 
• Performance Testing  
• Security Testing 
• Platform & Device Testing

The cost factors could vary based on the type of testing and the hours spent on the task. To know more about the costs involved in iOS app testing, you can get a quote from the iOS app testing company.

App Maintenance & Updates

Some elements contribute to the iOS app development costs post-launch, like app maintenance and support costs. You need to expect expenses for the constant changes and updates that ensure the app’s compatibility with the latest updates. Also, troubleshooting bugs is another concern that adds to the iOS app development costs. Maintaining an app free of bugs/errors is not a free task and it needs continuous attention. Constant updates in the iOS app design are another aspect to consider that adds to the maintenance costs.

While the above-mentioned factors of iOS app development are crucial to be considered, it is also important to note that certain costs might go unnoticed. Here is a  compiled list of these hidden costs involved:

• App store costs: costs specific to publishing and distributing the iOS app on the app store. This also includes the in-app purchase costs. 
• Data storage costs: Costs related to storing application-related data on servers or other storage. 
• CDN expenses: Charges to use CDN (Content Delivery Networks) to improve app performance and load times. 
• Annual iOS updates: Costs incurred for app updates to stay compatible with the modern iOS versions and features. 
• Monitoring and maintenance costs: Ongoing costs to track the application’s performance, bug fixes and security measures. 
• Mid-project changes: Additional expenses that arise due to the modifications of design, features, or scope during development.

Now that you have learnt about each factor contributing to the total iOS app development price including the hidden costs you should expect. It is important to choose the right iOS app development company that can offer you reliable and budget-specific iOS app development solutions to ensure the app meets your expectations, and lets you save on costs while maintaining quality. Webandcrafts (WAC) is a leading iPhone app development company with expertise in building top-notch iOS applications offering seamless performance and quality at its best. Our team of iOS app experts ensure that your applications follow a futuristic approach.  As the most trusted iPhone app development services provider, WAC has been helping multiple clients in various niches to build incredible success rates across the global market with custom iOS app development solutions. Why wait any further? Discuss with our iOS app development experts and get started.