Cost of Android App Development in 2022: A Complete Overview

When individuals develop an Android app, the first thing that comes to mind is the cost. The cost factor determines whether one should invest in Android app development or not.

However, there are no fixed or set rules that can determine the cost of Android app development. As a result, individuals need to consider different factors when choosing the total amount of money required during the development process.

The following analysis provides individuals with an overview of the costs associated with Android app development. So, read on to discover more.

Let’s start our discussion with a glimpse of the Android market:

Android Statistics:

Android holds a commanding market share worldwide, accounting for 71% of smartphone usage in Q1 2021. Android’s market share has decreased in recent years as consumers received Apple’s iPhone 11 and 12.

• Android has a wide range of customers from low to high-end devices, and it is reported that there will be 2 billion Android phones shipped in 2020, and in coming years, it can reach over 3 billion.

7 Factors That Drive Up The Cost of App Development For Android

How much does it cost to make an Android app? While this question may seem straightforward, several factors drive up the average cost of android app development and make this an imperfect question to ask. This list will discuss some of the main factors that affect your Android app development cost and recommendations on mitigating these costs if necessary.

1.) Android Application Development Location

The location where you are hiring the app developers affects the cost of app development. It is because of time zones and cultural differences.

Many countries, such as India, China, Russia, Israel, and others, have many well-known Android app developers and charge less for their work. Countries in Asia have a lower average hourly rate, whereas the cost of development in countries like the U.S. and Canada is higher.

According to a Deloitte survey, 59 percent of organizations globally outsource to India. The intriguing facts about India as an outsourcing destination validate the possibility for web development firms to send work to India. Therefore, hire a dedicated Android app developer in India for better output and cost-effective solutions.

Furthermore, as discussed earlier, India is not the only country where outsourcing software development projects are prevalent. Other countries are also famous for outsourcing services, but why? Have a look!

This factor also relates to the language used – it’s much more likely that a software developer located in Asia will use English as a second language than would be true if they were located somewhere else. Ideally, you’ll want your developers to be as close as possible to you, so there are fewer communication barriers between them and yourself.

2.) Technology Stack Decided For Development

The first crucial thing to consider while choosing a technology stack is knowing your target audience’s preference. Incorrect technology stack may lead to significant time, cost, and performance issues that cannot be recovered quickly.

Many companies have the in-house technologies that they want the app developed on. While this provides maximum control of the effort, it can also make an already challenging development process even more complicated, particularly when multiple platforms are involved (i.e., iOS, Android, etc.).

Android app development requires a wide range of technologies and specializations. It is necessary to understand the impact on your project before finalizing the technology stack for developing an android app.

The chosen technology stack should provide the best user experience and meet the business requirements. Also, keep in mind the technology you choose will affect the cost of the development process.

For example, suppose you want the app to be developed in open source technologies like Android studio. In that case, the development cost is likely to be lower than if you want it developed in native technologies like Xamarin or PhoneGap.

3.) The Complexity of An App

When developing apps for mobile devices, complexity is king. The more complex your app, or what’s known as app functionality, affects development costs on many levels. Complexity relates to how often a specific action happens in your app and how it works in different scenarios.

For example, if you’ve developed a messaging app, you want to build security features and ways of communicating with friends without spamming them with messages 24/7.

Complexity can also include other factors such as layout requirements and graphics incorporated into multiple versions of your app. You need a larger development team to handle the increased load with more complexity.

In short, app features directly impact the cost of their development.

4.) Size of Development Team

As with any software project, one of the significant costs drivers is developer time. The more time you need to develop, test, and deploy an app, the more people are required on your team.

As mentioned above, complexity affects the number of resources needed to complete the project. The same applies here; while these resources come in many forms (i.e., front-end developers, back-end developers), they all fall into the category of developers.

Development teams can range from one person doing everything to many people working on different project components. It’s all about levels of separation between developers and their code.

If you want work completed quickly, it’s essential to have more members on your team, with each playing a specific role in development. A large team also drives up the cost.

5.) Type and Category of App

Many factors contribute to the cost of developing an Android app, with the type and category of an app being essential. A basic information or utility app is far less complex and therefore far less expensive than an app in a highly competitive category like gaming or dating.

Likewise, games and other interactive apps can require more testing time with features like animations, extensive social media integration, voice controls, or chatbots. A higher price point doesn’t necessarily equate to better quality either—many cheap apps get high ratings because they execute well on their single function.

In some cases, companies will even offer two versions of their apps: one for high-end devices and one for low-end devices that requires fewer resources and consequently cost less to develop.

6.) Android App Animation and Design

Since its inception, design and animation have been a part of the Android experience. Design, in particular, is a massive factor for many developers when deciding to build for Android.

With such a diverse set of screen sizes, resolutions, and densities, having custom designs can be an essential differentiator—or it can be costly if you don’t optimize them properly.

The design of your app becomes more intricate when animations are included. Both small and large companies typically develop custom designs, which can ultimately drive up the cost of development.

7.) Android App Testing

Another factor that impacts cost is the amount of testing you will need during an app’s development cycle. More tests mean more people are required on your team to run them, driving up costs.

Testing isn’t just about finding bugs or glitches. It also means having enough time to test the user interface and ensure it works smoothly across all Android devices.

It’s also common to test for different network connections and locations your app could use. Network conditions can influence the user interface, which means more time is needed during testing to ensure functionality doesn’t degrade with poor connections.

With a large number of tests comes the need for a larger team. All these different types of testing require a broad range of knowledge, which can also drive up costs.

Finally, the essential consideration is app development time. In addition to these aspects, app development time is significant in overall cost. The more time it takes to develop, the more resources are required, and the greater your spending will be.

Conclusion

Each of the factors in this blog contributes to the overall cost of developing and deploying an Android app. Considering each factor can help you avoid unpleasant surprises with app development.

Remember, creating an app can take time. That’s why it’s always better to start by recruiting your team and then developing the application. This guarantees that everyone on your team understands what they’re responsible for and when they need to do it. Therefore, knowing this ahead of time will help you avoid delays in getting your Android app developed quickly.

So, don’t rush into it. Do your research before building your Android app; by understanding the cost involved in the development process. You can also hire the best Android app development company in India to get the most profitable results.