Mobile apps
How Much Does It Cost to Build a Mobile App?
Realistic mobile app cost ranges in Slovenia, what drives the price, ongoing app store and maintenance costs, and how to get a fixed quote.
- Author:
- Tim Blažič
- Published:
- Updated:
- 8 min read
- 8 min read
- Slovensko
- SL →
According to public Slovenian sources, a simple mobile app starts at a few thousand euros (estimates sit around €6,000, or from roughly €8,000 upwards). An app with user accounts, a backend and integrations costs roughly €8,000 to €25,000. Booking systems, marketplaces and apps with payments and more demanding integrations often exceed €30,000 (checked on 2 November 2026). On top of the build, budget for Apple's annual membership (US$99), Google Play's one-time registration fee (US$25), backend hosting and regular maintenance.
Why the range is so wide
A "mobile app" can be a five-screen catalogue or a system that connects customers, providers, payments and an admin panel. Both appear in the store as an icon, but the amount of work behind them is very different.
Most of the cost is usually not in the screens users see. It sits in the logic behind them: who can sign in, where data is stored, what happens when a payment fails, who edits the content and how the app behaves on a weak signal.
Indicative prices by app type
The ranges below are summarised from public Slovenian sources. They are not a price list, but a way to understand what kind of project you are discussing. Most sources do not state whether VAT is included.
| App type | What it usually includes | Indicative range |
|---|---|---|
| Simple information or companion app | a few screens, content display, contact, perhaps notifications, no accounts | a few thousand €; public estimates around €6,000 or from ~€8,000 |
| App with accounts and a backend | sign-up, profiles, user data, admin panel, external integrations | roughly €8,000–25,000 |
| Booking, marketplace or payments app | several user types, calendars, payments, notifications, reports | often over €30,000; very complex ones ~€50,000 and more |
Based on providers' price lists and offers, Omisli.si also reports an average hourly rate of €77.50 and a range of €62.20–96.40 per hour (data updated 16 October 2025). Bepet uses €60 per hour in its calculation and estimates a simple app at 100–130 hours, a medium-complexity app at 500–850 hours and a very complex one at more than 900 hours.
What drives the cost most
Number of screens and flows
The number of flows matters more than the number of screens: sign-up, booking, cancellation, forgotten password, profile editing. Every flow also has error, empty and loading states that need to be designed and tested.
Backend
As soon as an app stores user data, it needs a server, a database, authentication and backups. This is often the largest single part of the project, even though users never see it.
Admin panel
Someone has to edit content, confirm bookings or review orders. Without an admin panel, every change means a call to the developer. A web-based admin panel is therefore often a separate piece of work.
Payments
Online payments through a provider such as Stripe require handling successful, failed and refunded payments, invoices and keeping the booking status in sync. Store rules also decide how people pay: under Apple's guidelines, physical goods and services consumed outside the app must be paid for with methods other than in-app purchase. Digital content, on the other hand, generally goes through Apple's in-app purchase with a commission, which is 15% under the Small Business Program.
Integrations
Connecting to an existing business system, accounting software, calendar or CRM is rarely "just an API". The time goes into understanding the data, the edge cases and the limits of the external system.
Offline mode
If the app has to work in the field without a signal, it needs local storage and synchronisation once the connection returns. Resolving data conflicts is one of the more expensive parts of mobile development.
Push notifications
Basic notifications are not demanding. Targeted ones (a reminder the day before an appointment, a message when a status changes) need server-side logic, user settings and testing on both platforms.
Design
A custom visual language, animations and accessibility take more time than standard components. It is often a justified cost, but it has to be planned.
React Native (Expo) or native
Separate native development means two codebases, one for iOS and one for Android. React Native lets both platforms share most of the code, which usually reduces the amount of work and simplifies coordinated releases. It does not remove testing on both platforms, separate store submissions or occasional platform-specific adjustments.
When each option makes sense is covered in more detail in React Native or native mobile app. For most business apps, where sign-in, lists, forms and bookings dominate, a shared codebase is a practical choice.
Ongoing costs after launch
The build is not the last cost. Budget at least for:
- Apple Developer Program: US$99 per year (in local currency where available);
- Google Play: a one-time registration fee of US$25;
- backend and database hosting: depends on the number of users and the amount of data;
- build and update services: Expo EAS has a free plan, with paid plans from US$19 per month;
- third-party services: email and SMS delivery, maps, payment provider fees;
- maintenance: library updates, bug fixes, adjustments for new operating system versions.
All store and service prices were checked on 2 November 2026.
Maintenance is not optional. From 31 August 2026, for example, Google Play requires new apps and updates to target Android 16 (API level 36). An app that is not updated eventually becomes unavailable to new users on newer devices. New iOS versions can also require changes to existing code.
Store submission takes time
Apple and Google both review an app before it goes live. You need descriptions, screenshots, privacy declarations and often a test account for the reviewers. A rejection because of a missing detail is not unusual and means another round.
On Google Play, personal developer accounts created after 13 November 2023 must run a closed test with at least 12 testers who stay opted in for 14 consecutive days before publishing. For a business it therefore makes sense to register as an organisation and include this time in the plan.
How to get a fixed quote
A fixed price is possible once the scope is clear enough. The quickest way to get there:
- Describe the main users and what each of them does in the app.
- List the key flows from first launch to a completed goal.
- Separate the essential from the nice-to-have. The first version should solve the main problem; the rest goes on a list for later.
- Name the existing systems the app has to connect to.
- Say who will edit the content and what they need in the admin panel.
This approach leads to an MVP that can be estimated precisely. What belongs in a first version is explained in What belongs in a SaaS MVP; the same principles apply to mobile apps.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a price without a specification?
You can get a range, but not a reliable fixed price. For a fixed quote, a developer needs at least a list of users, main flows and integrations.
Is an iOS-only or Android-only app cheaper?
With separate native development, usually yes, because you build one codebase instead of two. With React Native the difference is smaller, since most of the code is shared, but testing and publishing on the second platform remain.
How long does it take to build?
It depends on the scope. For a realistic plan, add time for design, testing on devices and store review to the development time.
Do I have to pay for monthly maintenance?
For an app with a backend, we recommend a maintenance agreement. Without updates, an app eventually stops meeting store requirements and new operating system versions.
Why do quotes for the "same" app differ so much?
Because they often do not describe the same app. Compare whether each quote includes the backend, admin panel, design, testing, publishing in both stores and maintenance.
Building a mobile app with STRUO
We build mobile apps with React Native (Expo) for iOS and Android from a shared codebase, together with the backend and admin panel when the project needs them. We do not publish a price list, because the price depends on the scope. After a free consultation, we prepare a fixed quote for the agreed scope.
More about the service is on the mobile apps page. If you would like an estimate for your idea, get in touch through the contact form.
Sources
- Apple, Enrollment – Apple Developer Program, accessed 2 November 2026.
- Apple, App Store Small Business Program, accessed 2 November 2026.
- Apple, App Review Guidelines, 3.1.3(e), accessed 2 November 2026.
- Google, Register for a Google Play developer account, accessed 2 November 2026.
- Google, Testing requirements for new personal developer accounts, accessed 2 November 2026.
- Android Developers, Meet Google Play's target API level requirement, accessed 2 November 2026.
- Expo, Pricing, accessed 2 November 2026.
- Omisli.si, Cena izdelave mobilnih aplikacij (in Slovenian), updated 16 October 2025, accessed 2 November 2026.
- Tritim, Izdelava mobilnih aplikacij (in Slovenian), accessed 2 November 2026.
- Bepet, Izdelava mobilne aplikacije od starta do cilja (in Slovenian), accessed 2 November 2026.
