How much does it cost to build an app in 2026?
Pick what your first version needs and get a real range in thirty seconds. Two tracks: our team builds it, or you build it yourself with AI tools.
What are you building?
What does version one need?
Pick only what the first version needs. Everything else can ship to a live product later.
Who builds it?
Five things move the price.
Features in version one
Every feature is screens, data, and edge cases. The cheapest feature is the one that waits for version two.
Platforms
One codebase can cover iOS and Android. Listing on both stores adds review work, not a second build.
Integrations
Payments, calendars, CRMs, and point of sale systems each add a day or two of wiring and testing.
Design
If you have a brand, we use it. If not, a clean brand pass is part of the build and is priced into the range.
Who builds it
An AI-native team ships an MVP in about a week. Doing it yourself costs hours instead of dollars. Traditional teams quote in months, and the industry ranges below reflect that.
What builds cost with our team.
| Build | Typical range | MVP timeline | After launch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile app, iOS and Android | $2,500 to $10,000 | About 7 days, then over the air updates | Optional plan, $249 to $497 a month |
| Website or web app | $750 to $3,500 | About 5 days | Optional plan, $249 to $497 a month |
| AI agent, chat or phone | $1,500 to $6,000 | About 5 days | Optional plan, $249 to $497 a month |
Ranges are starting points from real builds. The fixed number arrives in writing the day after your call.
For comparison, industry guides for traditional teams
Published estimates from other studios and platforms, so you can see the whole market before you decide.
- Bubble, How much does it cost to create an app in 2026
Traditional custom builds quoted at $10,000 to $50,000 for basic apps and $50,000 to $150,000 for medium complexity.
- SoftTeco, MVP development cost
A basic MVP quoted at $15,000 to $40,000 with a traditional team.
- Syndicode, what an AI app will actually cost
AI powered apps quoted at $10,000 to $30,000 for a simple interface and basic features.
What it takes with AI tools.
You describe a feature, AI writes the code, you test it on your phone. The cash costs are small. The work is knowing the order of operations, and that is what the playbook is.
Get the Build and Launch Playbook- Apple Developer Program$99 per year
- Google Play developer account$25 once
- AI coding assistant$20 to $200 per month
- Supabase for the backendfree tier for most MVPs
- Expo EAS for builds and over the air updatesfree tier to $19 per month
- Netlify or Vercel for a websitefree tier to $19 per month
How much does it cost to build an app for a small business in 2026?
With an AI-native team, a mobile app MVP typically lands between $2,500 and $10,000 depending on features and platforms. A website or web app typically lands between $750 and $3,500. Industry guides for traditional teams quote $15,000 to $150,000 for the same scope. The calculator above gives you a range for your exact feature list.
How much does it cost to build an app with AI tools like Claude Code or ChatGPT?
If you build it yourself, the cash cost is small: an AI coding plan at $20 to $200 a month, $99 a year for Apple, $25 once for Google Play, and free tiers for the backend and hosting. The real cost is your hours. The calculator estimates them for your feature list, and the Build and Launch Playbook is the system for doing it.
Why is the range so much lower than other estimates online?
Three reasons. We scope the smallest version that solves the problem first, we build with AI-native tooling on a modern stack, and there are no handoffs between departments. The number you get on the scope call is fixed, so the range here is a starting point, not a bill.
What is included in the price?
Scope, design, build, store submission or hosting setup, and launch. You own the accounts and the code. Ongoing updates and new features are an optional monthly plan, typically $249 to $497 a month.
How long does it take?
The standard build is one week: discovery call on day one and a written scope that evening, a preview link that updates daily, your review on day six, live or submitted on day seven. Larger scopes take longer, and we say so on the scope call. A working version is always in your hands within the first week.
Is it better to build an MVP or the full app first?
The MVP. Ship the smallest version people will actually use, then add features to a live product based on what they do. For mobile apps, most updates after the first store review ship over the air without another review cycle.
Want the fixed number?
One call. A written scope, fixed price and ship date the next day.