If you've Googled "app development cost UK," you've probably found a lot of articles that dance around the answer. Here's one that won't. These are real price ranges based on what UK studios and freelancers actually charge in 2026, not theoretical numbers pulled from thin air.
The Short Answer
A simple MVP app costs £15,000 to £40,000. A medium-complexity app costs £40,000 to £90,000. A complex, feature-rich app costs £100,000 to £250,000 or more. Everything depends on what you're building, which platforms you need, and who you hire to build it.
| Project Type | Cost Range | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Proof of Concept | £5k–£15k | 2–4 weeks |
| Web-First MVP | £15k–£33k | 6–12 weeks |
| Simple iOS App | £18k–£40k | 2–4 months |
| Cross-Platform App | £33k–£67k | 3–5 months |
| Medium Complexity | £40k–£90k | 4–6 months |
| Complex App | £100k–£250k+ | 6–12 months |
Now let's break that down properly.
Proof of Concept: £5,000 – £15,000
A proof of concept isn't a real app — it's a working demonstration that your idea is technically feasible. Think clickable prototypes, a single core workflow, and enough functionality to show investors or stakeholders that the concept has legs. Timelines are usually two to four weeks.
This is money well spent if you're not sure whether your idea is buildable within a reasonable budget. It's far cheaper to discover technical blockers at this stage than halfway through a full build.
Web-First MVP: £15,000 – £33,000
If your app doesn't strictly need to be on someone's phone, start with web. A web-based MVP built with a modern framework like Next.js or React can be delivered in six to twelve weeks and gives you a working product that runs on any device with a browser.
Web MVPs are faster to build, cheaper to maintain, and dramatically easier to iterate on. You can push updates instantly without waiting for App Store review. For most early-stage products, this is the smartest starting point.
Simple iOS App MVP: £18,000 – £40,000
A native iOS app with three to five core screens, user authentication, basic data storage, and perhaps one integration (payments, maps, or push notifications). Built in Swift and SwiftUI, delivered in two to four months.
At this level, you're getting a focused app that does one thing well. Think a booking tool, a simple marketplace, or a tracking app. No admin panels, no complex backend logic, no bells and whistles.
Cross-Platform App: £33,000 – £67,000
If you need both iOS and Android from day one, cross-platform frameworks like Flutter or React Native let you build for both from a single codebase. It's not half the cost of building two native apps, but it's significantly less — typically 30 to 40% cheaper than building separately.
The trade-off is performance. For most apps, cross-platform is perfectly fine. For apps that rely heavily on device hardware — cameras, sensors, complex animations — native development often produces a noticeably better experience. Timeline is usually three to five months.
Medium Complexity App: £40,000 – £90,000
This is where most serious business apps land. You're looking at ten to twenty screens, a custom backend with an API, user roles and permissions, third-party integrations (payment processors, CRMs, analytics), an admin dashboard, and proper testing. Development takes four to six months.
Examples: a marketplace with buyer and seller flows, a SaaS product with subscription billing, a logistics app with real-time tracking, or a health app with data visualisation.
Complex App: £100,000 – £250,000+
Large-scale apps with advanced features: real-time data processing, machine learning, complex multi-user workflows, enterprise integrations, regulatory compliance (fintech, healthtech), and multiple platforms. Six to twelve months of development, often with a dedicated team.
If you're in this bracket, you already know it. These are products, not projects.
What Drives the Cost
Complexity. More screens, more features, more integrations, more logic — more money. This is the single biggest factor.
Platform choice. A web app is cheapest. A single native app (iOS or Android) costs more. Both platforms cost the most, though cross-platform frameworks narrow the gap.
Design quality. A basic functional UI is included in most quotes. A polished, brand-specific design with custom animations, micro-interactions, and a thoughtful user experience adds 20 to 40% to the design phase.
Integrations. Connecting to payment processors, mapping services, third-party APIs, or existing business systems adds complexity and cost. Some integrations are straightforward; others are nightmares. Your developer should be honest about which is which.
Backend complexity. A simple app that stores data and retrieves it is cheap. An app that processes data in real time, handles complex business logic, or needs to scale to thousands of concurrent users requires more sophisticated — and more expensive — architecture.
UK Developer Rates in 2026
Hourly rates vary enormously depending on experience and context. Junior developers typically charge £25 to £50 per hour. Mid-level developers sit around £50 to £80. Senior developers and specialists range from £80 to £150. Agencies charge £75 to £200 or more per hour, reflecting their overhead and the breadth of their team.
| Level | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|
| Junior Developer | £25–£50 |
| Mid-Level Developer | £50–£80 |
| Senior / Specialist | £80–£150 |
| Agency | £75–£200+ |
Be cautious with hourly billing. It means the more problems that arise, the more you pay — and the developer has no financial incentive to be efficient. Fixed pricing, where the scope and cost are agreed upfront, removes that misalignment.
Don't Forget Maintenance
Your app doesn't stop costing money when it launches. Budget 10 to 20% of the original build cost per year for maintenance — bug fixes, OS updates, security patches, server costs, and minor feature updates. A £50,000 app will cost £5,000 to £10,000 per year to keep running properly.
Skipping maintenance is how you end up with an app that breaks every time Apple releases a new iOS version.
Honest Advice
Start with web if you can. A web app is faster, cheaper, and easier to iterate on — go native only when you've validated demand.
Start with web if you can. Unless your product genuinely needs native device features — camera access, GPS tracking, health data, offline functionality — a web app is faster, cheaper, and easier to iterate on. You can always go native later once you've validated demand.
Don't build for both platforms on day one. Pick the platform where your users are. In the UK, that's usually iOS first. Validate there, then expand.
Get a fixed price. Hourly estimates that say "200 to 400 hours" are meaningless. Push for a fixed scope and a fixed cost. If a developer can't give you that, they haven't thought through the build properly.
What We Charge
At McInery, we build native iOS apps (Swift/SwiftUI) and web applications. Fixed-scope projects start from £15,000, and we quote a firm price before any work begins. If you're at the earlier stages and need clarity on what to build, our Strategy Sprint (£5,000) gives you a detailed scope, budget, and timeline in two weeks.