Pick your platforms, app type and features. You get a 2026 price range, a timeline and what the same app costs with a US agency, a US freelancer or with me.
I've built and shipped apps through more than 70 releases, and the calculator works the way I put together a first quote: size the app, then price it for whoever builds it.
- Start from the app type. Each type has a base for its core screens, a simple backend, testing and store launch. A marketplace starts at about twice the size of a simple utility, because it serves two kinds of user.
- Add each feature. Admin panels, chat, AI and video add the most. Push notifications and ratings add the least.
- Adjust for platforms and design. Both iPhone and Android from one Flutter or React Native codebase adds about 25 percent, not double. A web app on top adds about 60 percent. Premium design adds about 20 percent.
- Price it for the builder. US agencies, US freelancers and Eastern European teams are priced at their typical 2026 hourly rates. My column is my own fixed-price level. The range allows 10 percent either way, because details change once we talk.
| Who builds it | Pricing | Typical pace |
|---|---|---|
| US agency | $130 – $180 an hour | A team, working in parallel |
| US freelancer | $90 – $140 an hour | One developer |
| Eastern Europe team | $50 – $75 an hour | A team, working in parallel |
| Siddhesh (me) | Fixed project price | One developer |
Treat the result as a realistic range, not a quote. A real quote needs a short call about your users, your must-haves and what can wait for version two. That usually cuts the cost, because most first versions try to do too much.
The quickest way to bring the number down: launch on both platforms from one cross-platform codebase, start with clean, simple design, and leave chat, offline mode and AI for a later release unless they're the core of the app.
For the full reasoning behind these numbers, read app development cost in the USA and UK, app development cost in India, app developer hourly rates and what AI adds to an app's cost.
For a simple iPhone and Android app with login and push notifications, US agencies typically charge $17,000 to $27,000 and US freelancers $11,500 to $21,000. A marketplace with payments, chat and an admin panel runs $50,000 to $86,000 with a US agency. Working with me, the same apps cost about $1,000 to $2,000 and $3,000 to $6,000.
A booking app for iPhone and Android with accounts, payments, push notifications and an admin panel costs about $36,000 to $61,000 with a US agency and $2,000 to $4,000 with me, and takes around 10 to 12 weeks.
It gives a realistic range based on how big real projects turn out and current 2026 rates, with 10 percent allowed either way. A fixed quote needs a short call about your users and must-have features.
Cross-platform frameworks like Flutter and React Native let one codebase run on both. That usually adds about 25 percent over a single platform, instead of doubling the work.
Admin panels, AI features, in-app chat, video and offline mode add the most. Two-sided marketplaces and finance apps also start from a higher base than simple or booking apps.
A simple app takes about 5 to 6 weeks with one senior developer, and a marketplace with payments, chat and an admin panel about 3 to 4 months. An agency team can be a little faster, but costs far more per week.
Want a fixed price instead of a range? Tell me about your app and I'll reply within one working day.