How much does it cost to develop a mobile app in the UK?

In the UK, mobile app development usually costs between £5,000 and £50,000. A simple no-code app can cost as little as £2,000, and enterprise apps can pass £100,000. Most startup MVP apps land between £5,000 and £15,000 at market rates.

So how much does app development cost for your idea? It depends on your features, the platforms you build for, the design, the backend behind the app and who builds it. This guide breaks down each one with typical UK figures, realistic budgets and the ongoing costs most founders forget.

UK market price ranges for mobile apps

These are typical prices across UK freelancers and development companies. They're not Exline Labs prices.

What we charge at Exline Labs

A focused mobile MVP starts from £10,000. That includes user research, UX and interface design, development for iOS and Android, testing and launch, by one in-house team. Larger apps, with several user roles, payments and an admin dashboard, are quoted after a free consultation. You get a fixed, milestone-based proposal before any work starts.

What affects mobile app development cost?

1. Features. Each feature adds time. A login screen is cheap. Real-time chat, bookings or location tracking cost more.
2. Platforms. Cross-platform frameworks such as Flutter and React Native build iOS and Android from one codebase, which costs less than two separate native apps in Swift and Kotlin.
3. Design. Custom animations, a brand-led interface and detailed interactions add design and build time.
4. Backend. Cloud sync, APIs, AI features and admin dashboards all add cost behind the screens.
5. Who builds it. No-code tools are cheapest, freelancers sit in the middle, and a development company costs more but gives you a full team, a process and testing.

Realistic app budgets

These are market ranges, not Exline Labs prices. Every project we take on gets its own fixed, milestone-based proposal.

How long does it take to build an app?

A focused MVP app takes 1 to 6 weeks, depending on how complex it is. A fuller app with more features takes longer, and your proposal confirms the timeline before work starts. App store review adds a few days before launch.

How to keep your app on budget

• Separate must-have features from nice-to-haves, and build only the must-haves first.
• Launch an MVP, test it with real users, then scale.
• Use a cross-platform framework unless you need deep native features. Our guide to native vs hybrid app development helps you decide.
• Work with a sprint-based development team, so you see working software at the end of every sprint.

If your app is a first version, read more about MVP development costs.

Ongoing app maintenance costs

Budget 15 to 25% of the original build cost each year. That covers bug fixes, updates for new iOS and Android versions, app store requirements and small improvements. Add hosting for the backend. We can host it for you: the apps we host run on UK servers, with backups and monitoring. If you'd rather run it on your own AWS, Azure or other cloud account, we'll set it up and deploy it there.

Build your app with Exline Labs

We design and build iOS and Android apps for UK startups and SMEs, from MVP to full product. Explore our mobile app development services.