How much does it cost to build
an app in the UK? (2026)
Short answer: A simple app starts from £8,000–£15,000. A business-grade product with backend and integrations costs £20,000–£60,000. Complex platforms start from £60,000. These are 2026 UK market rates — not London agency rates, not offshore quotes.
Web app development costs (2026)
| Complexity | Typical Cost | Timeline | What's included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple / MVP | £10,000–£20,000 | 8–12 weeks | User auth, 3–6 core screens, basic backend API, cloud deployment |
| Business / SaaS | £25,000–£60,000 | 14–20 weeks | Multi-role auth, dashboards, payment integration, REST API, admin panel, 2+ integrations |
| Marketplace / Platform | £60,000–£120,000 | 24–36 weeks | Multi-sided marketplace, payments with escrow/splits, notifications, search, analytics, scalable infra |
| Enterprise | £100,000+ | 6–12 months | ERP/CRM integration, complex workflow automation, large-scale data processing, SSO, compliance |
Mobile app development costs (2026)
| Complexity | Cross-Platform (React Native / Flutter) | Native iOS + Android | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple / MVP | £12,000–£22,000 | £16,000–£30,000 | 8–14 weeks |
| Business app | £22,000–£45,000 | £35,000–£70,000 | 14–22 weeks |
| Complex (payments, offline, maps) | £40,000–£70,000 | £60,000–£120,000 | 20–36 weeks |
* Cross-platform means one codebase deploying to both iOS and Android simultaneously. Native means fully separate codebases for each platform.
What makes an app more expensive?
High-cost features
- Real-time features (live chat, live data, collaborative editing)
- Complex payment flows — subscriptions, escrow, splits, refunds
- Offline sync with conflict resolution
- Maps, geolocation, routing
- Video or audio processing
- AI/ML model integration
- Multiple user roles with complex permissions
- Third-party integrations (Stripe, Twilio, Salesforce, etc.)
Low-cost signals (a simpler project)
- Single user role (no admin vs customer logic)
- CRUD operations only (Create, Read, Update, Delete)
- Simple content display — no complex interactions
- No payment processing
- Single platform (web-only or iOS-only)
- No offline requirements
- Familiar tech stack (React + Node + PostgreSQL)
- Users are on desktop, reducing mobile UX complexity
Who are you hiring and what do they cost?
| Provider type | Typical day rate (UK) | Pros | Risks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior UK freelancer | £250–£400/day | Low hourly cost | Scope creep, no project management, slower velocity |
| Senior UK freelancer | £500–£800/day | High skill level, direct accountability | Single point of failure, hard to cover all skills |
| London / UK agency | £700–£1,500/day blended | Full team, PM included, process, QA | Premium pricing, overhead, sometimes over-staffed |
| European / international agency | £350–£700/day blended | Full team, competitive rates, often senior talent | Time zone, communication overhead (varies by team) |
Common questions about app costs
Can I get an app built for £2,000–£5,000?
This typically falls below the minimum viable budget for a quality product. At £2,000–£5,000, you're likely looking at a template customisation, a very basic CRUD app, or offshore freelance work with significant quality risk. A real business application requires design, development, QA and deployment — rarely under £8,000.
Do app development prices in the UK include VAT?
UK agencies and registered businesses charge 20% VAT on top of quoted prices. At Mantar Tech, we are UK-registered and our quotes include a clear breakdown. VAT is recoverable for VAT-registered businesses.
What about maintenance costs after launch?
Budget 15–25% of build cost per year for maintenance — this covers infrastructure costs, dependency updates, OS compatibility (mobile), bug fixes and small improvements. A well-architected app on managed cloud (AWS/GCP/Firebase) typically costs £50–£500/month in infrastructure depending on traffic.
Is a fixed-price or hourly contract better?
Fixed-price is almost always better for the client when requirements are reasonably defined — you know your maximum cost upfront. Hourly/time-and-materials suits ongoing development after V1 launch or when requirements are genuinely unclear. We offer both models depending on project phase.
Continue planning your project
MVP Development Guide
What should be in an MVP? How to scope it down without breaking the core value proposition.
Read guide →Web App vs Mobile App
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