How much does it cost to build an app in the UK?

The short answer

In the UK in 2026, a custom app costs anywhere from about £2,950 to well over £100,000. That range is useless on its own, so here is how it actually breaks down. A focused first version from a small studio typically lands between £2,950 and £10,000. A mid-size agency will quote £20,000 to £60,000 for a similar scope. Large agencies with account managers and multi-person teams start around £50,000 and go up from there. Offshore development shops quote lower headline numbers but the total cost after rework, communication overhead and missing features usually climbs back toward the mid-range.

Why the same app gets such different quotes

The app is rarely the expensive part; the people and process around it are. A big agency quote pays for a project manager, a designer, two or three developers, QA, and the office they sit in. That is not a con — some projects genuinely need that machinery — but most first apps for small and medium businesses do not. When one experienced developer designs and builds the whole thing, you remove most of the overhead without removing any of the software. That is the entire reason a founder-led studio can price a proper native app at £2,950 while an agency prices the same brief at £25,000.

What actually drives the price up

Four things move the number more than anything else. Features: a six-screen app with one core job is a small build; add user accounts, payments, bookings and a backend and you have roughly doubled it. Platforms: building for iOS and Android at the same time nearly doubles the work, which is why most sensible first versions launch on one platform and add the second once the idea is proven. Integrations: connecting to an existing CRM, booking system or payment provider adds days, not hours. And design: a bespoke design from your brand costs more than a template, but it is also the difference between an app your customers keep and one they delete.

What the pricing pages leave out

Three costs sit outside the build quote. Apple charges £79 a year for a developer account. Any app with accounts or data needs hosting, usually £10 to £50 a month early on. And every app needs maintenance — iOS updates land annually, bugs surface, and users expect improvements. Budget roughly 15–20% of the build cost per year, or a fixed monthly care plan. Whoever you choose, ask what happens after launch before you sign.

Agency vs freelancer vs app builder

App builders (the £30-a-month template tools) are the cheapest entry, but you rent the app forever, it looks like everyone else's, and you cannot leave with your code. Freelancers are cheap and can be excellent, but you are betting on one person's availability and there is often no design, no App Store handling and no support once they move on. Agencies give you process and headcount at a price that only makes sense above £20,000. A founder-led studio sits in between: one accountable person, design and App Store submission included, fixed pricing, and source code you own. For most UK businesses building a first app, that middle option is where the value is.

How to budget sensibly

Decide the one job your app must do brilliantly, and launch that. Our Silver package is exactly this: up to six screens, designed, built and live on the App Store from £2,950, paid 50% to start and 50% when the app is submitted to the App Store. Add accounts, payments and a backend later once real users have told you what they want. The cheapest app is the one you do not have to rebuild.