The market of applications, especially mobile apps, has significantly increased over the years. With re and more people looking to promote, market and make their products more readily available, they have looked at the concept of mobile app development and have since benefitted from it. While we all use applications for communication, games, business,  sports and other similar spheres, being able to create these applications is core business for some.

In this post, we will consider how much it costs to actually build an application in Nigeria. We will also consider the core factors that affect how much app development goes for.

How Much Does It Cost to Build an Application in Nigeria?

Generally, it is not easy to determine how much building an application will go for as there are many factors involved in determining this. Apart from the fact that the amount app developers charge vary, the price is largely dependent on the kind of app you are looking to develop and some other factors. With this in mind, it is essential to note that the estimate that would be stated below largely depends on many factors and vary largely depending on what you are looking to build.

As it stands, building an application costs between N40, 000 for a very simple mobile application by a starting app developer or a sole developer and up to N300, 000 for a more sophisticated application by a top agency. In fact, some charge as much as over N500, 000 depending on the criticality and complexity of the application you are looking to build.

It should be noted that the estimate as highlighted above only serve as a basic orientation to understand the potential cost you might incur when looking to develop an application. Every application is different, it is like asking about the cost of a house – it is actually quite difficult to know the precise price without specifications. Moreover, the estimation is based on the basic time and effort necessary to technically build the desired app.

Factors that Affect the Cost of Building an App

Type of Application

This is one of the most important factors that affect how much you will eventually spend on the app you are looking to build. In fact, this factor has more effect than most other factors to be discussed. There are different types of apps and they vary greatly. Ask yourself what type of application are you looking to build and for what purpose.

The various types of apps include Gaming App, business app, an app for e-commerce, entertainment, lifestyle, social and so many other types. These have been divided into various classes as well. They include native apps, database-driven applications, hybrid apps and so on. Generally, mobile applications are the cheapest to design. Apart from the cost of design, building a standard mobile app is not as expensive as a more sophisticated standard application. This is the first and, largely, the most important fact that determines the cost of building an app.

Platforms

This is another factor that affects the cost of building an app. Here, you need to look at the platform the app will be working on. You might need to do and in some cases, spend more, if you are launching your app on iOS platform. Other platforms can be Windows (which is almost core for laptop-oriented applications), Android (which is a popular option for mobile apps).

Users

The login mode and whether the application will be integrated with other applications. For corporate applications, you might be looking to incorporate the application into the ERP system. Also, you might need to spend more if you want a better security system, including two-factor authentication, depending on the criticality and complexity of the application.

Who Can Help Develop Your App Idea?

It is one thing to have an idea about the app you want to build, it is another thing to get it done. When it comes to building an app, there are two basic options – using a mobile app development company or hiring a freelance developer. Both options come with their advantages and disadvantages. Let us now take a look at some of their pros and cons.

Benefits of hiring an app agency:

• There is a special confidence you get when you employ the service of a well-known and established agency to build your application. You get all your services in one company. This means you wouldn’t need to go through the pain of looking for programmers, designers and in some cases, tasters, separately.
• You are also confident that you are getting top-notch service. If you are not satisfied with what you have, you can always go back over and over.

Disadvantage of hiring app development agencies

There is only one factor that might not go well with you here – and that is the price. Usually, app development agencies are significantly more expensive than freelance developers. While they are still widely seen as the best option, there is a big question as regards how much they charge their clients.

Unlike app development agencies, freelance app developers are largely affordable and easily accessible. Good freelance app developers still may build top-class apps better than developer agencies do. They sometimes even deliver on time and some are very dynamic and reliable.

Cons of hiring freelancers

• The problem is actually getting a freelance developer that can actually deliver what you need. With a lot of freelancers out there today, it is difficult to be sure which is good and which isn’t.
• In some cases, you might need to get a programmer separately, same as designers and testers, which is one stress app agency eases you of.