The $100,000 Question Every Entrepreneur Asks
"How much does it cost to build an app?"
It's usually the first question entrepreneurs ask—and the answer they get is often frustratingly vague: "It depends."
But you need real numbers to make business decisions. Should you bootstrap? Raise funding? Start with an MVP? Hire developers or use no-code?
This guide gives you concrete numbers, real examples, and a framework to calculate your actual app development costs for 2025.
Table of Contents
- Traditional Development Costs (Agencies, Developers, Freelancers)
- No-Code Development Costs (Complete Breakdown)
- Hidden Costs Most Guides Don't Mention
- Cost by App Type and Complexity
- Regional Cost Differences (US, EU, LATAM, Asia)
- ROI Calculator and Break-Even Analysis
- How to Reduce Costs Without Sacrificing Quality
Reading time: 18 minutes
Value: Make informed decision potentially saving $50,000-100,000
Part 1: Traditional App Development Costs
Option 1: Hiring a Development Agency
US/Western Europe Agencies:
Simple App (3-5 screens, basic features):
- Cost: 80,000
- Timeline: 3-4 months
- Includes: Design, development, basic testing, deployment
Medium Complexity App (10-15 screens, database, user accounts):
- Cost: 150,000
- Timeline: 4-6 months
- Includes: Full design, development, testing, iOS + Android
Complex App (20+ screens, advanced features, integrations):
- Cost: 300,000+
- Timeline: 6-12 months
- Includes: Enterprise-grade development, extensive testing, documentation
What's included:
- ✅ Project management
- ✅ UI/UX design
- ✅ iOS and Android development
- ✅ Backend and database
- ✅ Testing and QA
- ✅ App store submission
- ✅ 30-90 day warranty period
What's NOT included:
- ❌ Ongoing maintenance ($10,000-30,000/year)
- ❌ Feature updates (billed hourly)
- ❌ Marketing and user acquisition
- ❌ Server hosting (separate fees)
Eastern Europe Agencies:
- 30-50% lower than US/Western Europe
- Simple: 50,000
- Medium: 100,000
- Complex: 200,000
Asia Agencies (India, Philippines):
- 50-70% lower than US
- Simple: 35,000
- Medium: 75,000
- Complex: 150,000
Trade-offs with cheaper regions:
- ⚠️ Communication challenges (time zones, language)
- ⚠️ Project management overhead
- ⚠️ Variable quality control
- ⚠️ IP protection concerns
Option 2: Hiring Full-Time Developers
US Market Salaries (2024):
Junior Developer:
- Salary: 100,000/year
- Benefits: ~30% = 130,000 total
- Capability: Can build simple apps, needs guidance
Mid-Level Developer:
- Salary: 150,000/year
- Benefits: 195,000 total
- Capability: Can independently build medium complexity apps
Senior Developer:
- Salary: 200,000+/year
- Benefits: 260,000 total
- Capability: Can architect complex systems, lead team
For a Complete App, You Need:
- 1-2 Frontend developers (mobile: iOS + Android)
- 1 Backend developer
- 1 Designer (can be contract)
- 1 Project manager (part-time at start)
Team cost: 600,000/year
Timeline: 3-9 months (depending on app complexity)
European Market (Germany, UK, France):
- Similar to US or slightly lower
- Junior: €50,000 - €70,000
- Mid: €70,000 - €110,000
- Senior: €90,000 - €140,000
Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina):
- Significantly lower than US/EU
- Junior: 35,000/year
- Mid: 60,000/year
- Senior: 90,000/year
Remote hiring globally: Many companies now hire remotely to reduce costs while maintaining quality.
Option 3: Hiring Freelance Developers
Platform: Upwork, Freelancer, Toptal
Hourly Rates by Region:
US/Western Europe:
- Junior: 100/hour
- Mid-level: 150/hour
- Senior: 250/hour
Eastern Europe:
- Junior: 50/hour
- Mid-level: 100/hour
- Senior: 150/hour
Asia/LATAM:
- Junior: 30/hour
- Mid-level: 60/hour
- Senior: 100/hour
Project-Based Pricing:
Simple App:
- 30,000
- Timeline: 1-3 months
Medium Complexity:
- 80,000
- Timeline: 2-5 months
Complex App:
- 200,000
- Timeline: 4-10 months
Pros of freelancers:
- ✅ Lower cost than agencies
- ✅ Direct communication
- ✅ Flexible scaling (hire/end as needed)
Cons:
- ❌ Quality varies dramatically
- ❌ Reliability issues (freelancers disappear)
- ❌ No team structure or backup
- ❌ You manage the project
Part 2: No-Code Development Costs
No-Code Platform Costs (Monthly/Annual)
AppStruct:
- Free: $0 (1 app, web publishing)
- Starter: 540/year
- Professional: 900/year
- Enterprise: Custom pricing (on-demand)
What's included:
- ✅ Visual app builder
- ✅ PostgreSQL database (unlimited records on paid plans)
- ✅ Hosting and SSL
- ✅ iOS/Android/Web publishing
- ✅ All integrations (Stripe, Supabase, REST APIs)
- ✅ Updates and maintenance
Bubble:
- Free: $0 (limited)
- Starter: $32/month
- Growth: $134/month
- Team: $399/month
Additional costs: Plugins (29+/month)
Adalo:
- Starter: Free (50 records limit)
- Pro: $65/month (10,000 records)
- Business: $250/month (50,000 records)
Webflow:
- Basic: $14/month (websites only, not full apps)
- CMS: $23/month
- Business: $39/month
- E-commerce: $42-235/month
Building Costs (Your Time or Hired No-Code Developer)
DIY (Your Time):
- Cost: $0 (just platform subscription)
- Time investment: 40-200 hours depending on complexity
- Learning curve: 10-20 hours
- Total: Platform fee only
Hiring No-Code Developer:
Hourly Rates:
- US/EU: $50-150/hour
- Global: $25-75/hour
Project-Based:
- Simple app: 5,000
- Medium: 15,000
- Complex: 40,000
Still 70-90% cheaper than traditional development.
Complete No-Code Cost Breakdown
Year 1 (Building + Launching Simple-Medium App):
Minimum Budget (DIY):
- AppStruct: $540/year (Starter)
- Domain: $12/year
- App Store fees: 99 + Android $25)
- Total: $676
Moderate Budget (DIY with some help):
- AppStruct: $900/year (Professional)
- Domain: $15/year
- App Store fees: $124
- Designer for icon/screenshots: $200
- Marketing budget: $500-1,000
- Total: $1,739-2,239
Higher Budget (Hire No-Code Developer):
- AppStruct: $900/year
- No-code developer: $5,000-15,000
- Domain and stores: $139
- Professional design: $500-1,000
- Marketing: $2,000-5,000
- Total: $8,539-22,039
Compare to traditional development: $40,000-150,000+
Savings: 85-98%
Part 3: Cost by App Type
E-Commerce Mobile App
Features:
- Product catalog
- Shopping cart
- Checkout and payments
- Order tracking
- Customer accounts
- Push notifications
Traditional Development:
- Cost: 150,000
- Timeline: 4-7 months
- Team: Frontend (2), Backend (1), Designer (1), PM (1)
No-Code (AppStruct):
- Platform: $900/year
- Your time: 3-6 weeks
- Or hire developer: $8,000-15,000
- Total: $900-15,900
Savings: $60,000-135,000 (85-95%)
SaaS Application
Features:
- User authentication
- Team management
- Subscription billing
- Dashboard and analytics
- Role-based permissions
- API access
Traditional Development:
- Cost: 250,000
- Timeline: 6-12 months
- Team: Full stack developers (2-3), Designer, DevOps
No-Code (AppStruct):
- Platform: $900/year
- Build time: 4-8 weeks
- Or hire: $10,000-25,000
- Total: $900-25,900
Savings: $75,000-225,000 (90-97%)
Marketplace Platform
Features:
- Seller and buyer accounts
- Product/service listings
- Search and filters
- Messaging system
- Reviews and ratings
- Commission payments
Traditional Development:
- Cost: 350,000
- Timeline: 8-14 months
- Team: Frontend (2), Backend (2), Designer, PM, QA
No-Code (AppStruct):
- Platform: $900/year
- Build time: 6-10 weeks
- Or hire: $15,000-35,000
- Total: $900-35,900
Savings: $115,000-315,000 (90-97%)
Booking/Scheduling App
Features:
- Calendar availability
- Appointment booking
- Email/SMS confirmations
- Customer management
- Payment processing
- Recurring appointments
Traditional Development:
- Cost: 100,000
- Timeline: 3-5 months
No-Code (AppStruct):
- Platform: $540/year
- Build time: 1-3 weeks
- Or hire: $3,000-8,000
- Total: $540-8,540
Savings: $42,000-92,000 (85-94%)
Social Network/Community App
Features:
- User profiles
- Post creation and feeds
- Comments and likes
- Direct messaging
- Groups/communities
- Content moderation
Traditional Development:
- Cost: 200,000
- Timeline: 6-10 months
No-Code (AppStruct):
- Platform: $900/year
- Build time: 4-8 weeks
- Or hire: $10,000-20,000
- Total: $900-20,900
Savings: $80,000-180,000 (90-95%)
Part 4: Hidden Costs Most Guides Don't Mention
Ongoing Costs After Launch
Traditional Development:
Maintenance (Annual):
- Bug fixes: $5,000-15,000
- Security updates: $3,000-8,000
- OS compatibility: $5,000-10,000
- Server hosting: $500-5,000
- Total: $13,500-38,000/year
Feature Updates:
- New features: $100-250/hour
- Small update: $2,000-5,000
- Major update: $10,000-30,000
No-Code (AppStruct):
Maintenance (Annual):
- Platform subscription: $540-900
- Bug fixes: $0 (you fix yourself instantly)
- Updates: $0 (platform updates automatically)
- Hosting: $0 (included)
- Total: $540-900/year
Feature Updates:
- Add features yourself: $0 (your time)
- Or hire no-code dev: $500-3,000 per feature
Ongoing savings: $10,000-35,000/year
Scaling Costs
Traditional Development:
As you grow from 1,000 to 10,000 users:
- Server costs increase: 3,000/month
- Database optimization needed: $5,000-15,000
- Performance improvements: $10,000-25,000
- Additional developers: $120,000/year each
No-Code (AppStruct):
Same growth:
- Platform costs: Same ($540-900/year)
- Optimization: Included
- Scaling: Automatic
- No additional developers needed
Infrastructure scales automatically without price increases.
Hidden Opportunity Costs
Time to Market:
Traditional development: 6 months
- 6 months of lost revenue
- Competitors may launch first
- Market conditions may change
- Customers waiting (or finding alternatives)
No-code development: 1 month
- Generate revenue 5 months earlier
- First-mover advantage in niche
- Adapt to market faster
- Immediate customer feedback
Example calculation:
If your app generates 25,000 additional revenue. This alone exceeds many no-code development costs!
Marketing and Customer Acquisition
Regardless of how you build:
- Customer acquisition: $1,000-10,000/month
- App Store Optimization: $500-2,000/month
- Content marketing: $1,000-5,000/month
- Paid advertising: $2,000-20,000/month
Budget accordingly: Many founders spend all money on development, none on marketing—then wonder why nobody uses their app.
Smart allocation:
- Development: 30-40% of budget
- Marketing: 40-50% of budget
- Operations: 10-20% of budget
Part 5: Cost Breakdown by Region
United States Market
Traditional Development:
- Agency: $75,000-250,000
- Full-time team: $300,000-600,000/year
- Freelancers: $30,000-120,000
No-Code (AppStruct):
- DIY: $900/year
- Hire help: $5,000-15,000
- Savings: 95-99%
US-specific considerations:
- Higher salaries but also higher customer LTV
- Competitive market requires professional quality
- Customers expect iOS app (iPhone dominant)
- GDPR less critical (unless serving EU)
European Market
Traditional Development:
- EU agencies: €50,000-200,000 ($55,000-220,000)
- In-house team: €200,000-500,000/year
- Eastern Europe outsourcing: €30,000-100,000
No-Code (AppStruct):
- Same as US: $900/year
- EU-based hosting (GDPR compliant)
- Multi-language support easy
EU-specific considerations:
- GDPR compliance mandatory (AppStruct includes)
- Multi-language often required
- VAT handling in pricing
- Various payment methods by country
Latin America Market
Traditional Development:
- Local agencies: $20,000-80,000
- In-house team: $60,000-200,000/year
- Freelancers: $10,000-40,000
No-Code (AppStruct):
- Same cost: $540-900/year
- Even bigger relative savings
LATAM-specific considerations:
- Banking access challenges (Telegram Stars helps)
- Mobile-first market (smartphone dominant)
- Portuguese for Brazil, Spanish for rest
- Lower customer LTV but huge market size
LATAM opportunity: No-code is perfect because:
- Limited access to developer talent in some regions
- Cost savings even more impactful
- Can compete with international players
- Faster iteration = competitive advantage
Brazil Specifically
Why Brazil is ideal for no-code:
- 215 million population (huge market)
- Growing tech adoption
- Developer shortage
- No-code democratizes opportunity
Cost advantage:
- Traditional app: R20,000-80,000)
- No-code: R900) - 95%+ savings
- Can bootstrap without investment
Part 6: The Real Cost Calculator
Calculate Your App Development Cost
Step 1: Determine Complexity
Count your:
- Number of screens: ___
- Number of user roles: ___
- External integrations needed: ___
- Special features (payments, real-time, video, etc.): ___
Complexity Score:
- 0-10 points = Simple
- 11-25 points = Medium
- 26+ points = Complex
Scoring:
- Screens: 1 point each
- User roles: 3 points each
- Integrations: 3 points each
- Special features: 5 points each
Step 2: Traditional Development Estimate
| Complexity | US Agency | EU Agency | Freelancer | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | $40-80K | $30-60K | $15-35K | 2-4 months |
| Medium | $80-150K | $60-120K | $35-75K | 4-7 months |
| Complex | $150-300K | $120-240K | $75-150K | 6-12 months |
Step 3: No-Code Estimate
| Complexity | Platform Cost | DIY Time | Hire Developer | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | $540/year | 2-4 weeks | $2-5K | $540-5,540 |
| Medium | $900/year | 4-8 weeks | $8-15K | $900-15,900 |
| Complex | $900/year | 8-16 weeks | $15-35K | $900-35,900 |
Step 4: Calculate Your Savings
Traditional cost: $______
No-code cost: $______
Savings: $______
Percentage saved: ____%
Example:
Medium complexity app in US:
Traditional: $100,000
No-code: $900
Savings: $99,100
Percentage: 99.1%
Part 7: ROI Analysis and Break-Even
When Does No-Code Make Financial Sense?
Almost always—but let's do the math.
Scenario 1: Consumer Mobile App (Free + Ads)
Revenue Model: Ad-supported free app
Assumptions:
- $5 per 1,000 ad impressions (CPM)
- Average user sees 20 ads/month
- Need 10,000 active users for $1,000/month revenue
Traditional Development:
- Cost: $80,000
- Break-even: 1,000/month = 80 months (6.7 years!)
No-Code:
- Cost: $900
- Break-even: 1,000/month = 0.9 months (< 1 month!)
Conclusion: Ad-supported apps MUST use no-code (or have massive VC funding).
Scenario 2: SaaS Product ($50/month subscription)
Revenue Model: $50/month per customer
Target: 100 paying customers = $5,000/month MRR
Traditional Development:
- Cost: $120,000
- Monthly revenue at 100 customers: $5,000
- Break-even: 24 months
- Need to raise funding to survive
No-Code:
- Cost: $900
- Monthly revenue at 100 customers: $5,000
- Break-even: 0.18 months (instant!)
- Can bootstrap profitably
Conclusion: SaaS founders should default to no-code unless very specific technical requirements.
Scenario 3: E-Commerce App
Revenue Model: 20% margin on $50 average order
Margin per order: $10
Need for $5,000/month: 500 orders/month
Traditional Development:
- Cost: $100,000
- Break-even: 10,000 orders (20 months at 500 orders/month)
- Must have funding or existing revenue
No-Code:
- Cost: $900
- Break-even: 90 orders (< 1 month!)
- Can launch and test market cheaply
Conclusion: Test concept with no-code, scale with funding if successful.
Part 8: Hidden Costs Nobody Tells You About
1. Technical Debt (Traditional Development)
What is it: Shortcuts taken during development that require fixing later.
Cost:
- Year 1: Usually manageable
- Year 2: $10,000-30,000 to refactor
- Year 3: $30,000-100,000 to overhaul
- Year 4: Complete rebuild needed ($100,000+)
With no-code: Platform handles technical updates. No technical debt accumulation.
2. Developer Dependency
Traditional development creates dependency:
- Developer leaves → $20,000-40,000 to onboard replacement
- Need changes → Wait for developer availability
- Bug fixes → Can't do yourself
- Knowledge transfer → Expensive and risky
With no-code:
- You control your app
- Make changes immediately
- No developer dependency
- Documentation built-in
3. Changing Requirements
Reality: Your requirements will change based on user feedback.
Traditional development:
- Each change: $500-5,000
- Scope changes delay launch
- "Change request" fees add up
- Harder to pivot direction
No-code:
- Changes: Free (you do it)
- Instant updates
- Easy to pivot
- A/B test quickly
Example: 10 medium changes post-launch
- Traditional: $10,000-50,000 additional
- No-code: $0
4. Platform/Store Fees
Don't forget:
- iOS App Store: $99/year (required to publish)
- Google Play: $25 one-time
- Payment processing: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (Stripe)
- In-app purchases: 30% to Apple/Google (first year, 15% after)
These apply whether traditional or no-code.
5. Opportunity Cost of Time
Your time has value:
If you're a founder/business owner:
- Your time worth: $50-200/hour
- 200 hours building app = $10,000-40,000 opportunity cost
Consider:
- DIY no-code: Learn valuable skill, full control
- Hire no-code dev: Focus on business, faster delivery
- Traditional devs: Most expensive, least control
There's no "free" option—time is money.
Part 9: How to Reduce Costs Without Sacrificing Quality
Strategy 1: MVP First, Features Later
Don't build everything at once.
Phase 1 (Launch): Core 3-5 features only
- Cost: Minimal
- Timeline: 2-4 weeks
- Purpose: Validate market
Phase 2 (If Successful): Add next 5 features
- Cost: Incremental
- Timeline: 1-2 weeks per feature
- Purpose: Improve retention
Phase 3 (When Profitable): Advanced features
- Cost: Funded by revenue
- Purpose: Competitive differentiation
This approach:
- Reduces initial investment 60-80%
- Gets you to market 3-5x faster
- Tests assumptions before building wrong things
Strategy 2: Use Templates and Pre-Built Solutions
AppStruct provides templates for:
- E-commerce stores
- Booking systems
- Social apps
- Productivity tools
- Dashboards
Starting with template:
- Saves 40-60% of build time
- Ensures best practices
- Professional design included
- Customize from there
Cost impact: Reduces no-code developer fees by 50%+ if hiring help.
Strategy 3: Web App First, Mobile Later
Launch sequence:
- Web app (PWA) - Works on all devices
- Get initial users and feedback
- If successful, publish mobile apps
- Mobile apps access larger user base
Benefits:
- 30% faster to build (one platform first)
- No app store review delays
- Iterate faster
- Lower initial cost
When to add mobile:
- Web app has traction (50+ active users)
- Users request mobile apps
- Ready to invest in app store publishing
Strategy 4: Outsource to Right Region
For Traditional Development:
Don't just pick cheapest.
Best value regions (Quality + Cost):
- Eastern Europe (Poland, Ukraine, Romania)
- Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia)
- Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Philippines)
Red flags:
- Unrealistically low bids (quality will suffer)
- Poor communication in discovery
- No portfolio or references
- Unwilling to sign NDA/contract
For No-Code Development:
Global no-code talent pool:
- US/EU: $75-150/hour
- LATAM: $30-60/hour
- Asia: $20-40/hour
Quality less correlated with location in no-code since platform enforces standards.
Strategy 5: Do-It-Yourself with Learning Investment
The bootstrapper's path:
Month 1: Learn
- AppStruct tutorials: Free
- Build practice app: 10-20 hours
- Join community: Free
- Ask questions: Free
Month 2: Build
- Your actual app: 60-120 hours
- Platform cost: $45-75/month
- Total: $90-150 + your time
Month 3: Launch
- Polish and test: 20-40 hours
- Marketing prep: 10-20 hours
- Launch: Priceless
Total investment: $200-300 + 100-180 hours
For many founders: Best investment they ever made.
Part 10: Real Cost Examples from AppStruct Users
Example 1: Booking App for Hair Salon (Brazil)
Owner: Maria, salon owner in São Paulo
Requirements:
- Customer booking
- Service menu
- Staff management
- Payment processing
- SMS reminders
Costs:
- AppStruct Professional: R900)
- Custom domain: R12)
- SMS service: R20)
- Total Year 1: R1,152)
Built herself in: 2 weeks (learning included)
Revenue impact:
- 40% more bookings (easier to book online)
- 60% reduction in no-shows (automated reminders)
- Additional revenue: R600)
ROI: 525% in Year 1
Quote: "I'm not technical at all. If I can build this, anyone can. Best R$5,000 I ever spent."
Example 2: B2B SaaS for Agencies (US)
Founder: Jason, marketing consultant in Austin, TX
Requirements:
- Client project management
- Time tracking
- Reporting and invoicing
- Team collaboration
- Multi-client management
Costs:
- AppStruct Professional: $900/year
- Stripe fees: 2.9% of revenue
- Marketing (content + ads): $12,000/year
- Total Year 1: $12,900
Built himself in: 6 weeks (nights and weekends)
Current status (18 months):
- 145 paying customers
- $72/month average
- MRR: $10,440
- ARR: $125,280
Customer acquisition cost: 2,160 (30-month retention)
LTV:CAC Ratio: 24:1 (exceptional)
ROI: 870% in 18 months
Quote: "I considered hiring developers for 900 and 6 weeks. Now I have a profitable business with no technical debt."
Example 3: Marketplace Platform (EU)
Founders: 2 co-founders in Berlin, Germany
Requirements:
- Seller and buyer accounts
- Product listings
- Search and filtering
- Messaging between users
- Commission-based payments
- GDPR compliance
Costs:
- AppStruct Professional: €900/year
- Hired no-code developer for complex parts: €8,000
- Legal (GDPR, T&Cs): €2,000
- Marketing: €15,000
- Total Year 1: €25,900 (~$28,000)
Timeline: 8 weeks to launch MVP
Current status (2 years):
- 340 active sellers
- 8,500 buyers
- 12% commission on €450,000 GMV/year
- Revenue: €54,000/year
- Breaking even, growing 25% quarterly
Compare: €150K+ if traditionally developed. Saved €124K.
Quote: "We're bootstrapped and profitable. No investors, no technical co-founder. Just us and AppStruct."
Part 11: Making the Right Decision for Your Situation
When Traditional Development Makes Sense
Choose traditional development if:
✅ You have specific, complex technical requirements
- Real-time video processing
- Advanced AI/ML custom models
- Blockchain/crypto integration
- Hardware device integration
✅ You've raised significant funding
- Series A+ with $2M+ raised
- Speed to market less critical than perfect execution
- Can afford full development team
✅ You need specific performance optimization
- Sub-second response times critical
- Handling millions of concurrent users
- Ultra-low latency requirements
✅ You have existing technical team
- Already have developers on payroll
- Want them to own the codebase
- Custom architecture is strategic advantage
Reality: less than 5% of apps truly need traditional development.
When No-Code is the Smart Choice
Choose no-code if:
✅ You want to launch quickly (weeks not months)
✅ You want to conserve capital (bootstrap or extend runway)
✅ You need to validate market fit before major investment
✅ You're non-technical and want control over your app
✅ You need to iterate quickly based on user feedback
✅ Your app doesn't have exotic technical requirements
Reality: 95% of apps can be built with modern no-code platforms.
Hybrid Approach
Smart strategy: Start no-code, code later if truly needed (rare).
Path:
- Build MVP with no-code (1-2 months, under $1,000)
- Launch and validate market (2-3 months)
- Get customers and revenue (ongoing)
- If you hit platform limits (unlikely): Hire developers
- Most companies stay on no-code indefinitely
Success pattern: Many "unicorn" companies started with no-code tools.
Part 12: Action Plan Based on Your Budget
Budget: $0-5,000 (Bootstrap Mode)
Recommendation: DIY with No-Code
Strategy:
- AppStruct Free tier ($0)
- Build yourself (your time)
- Launch as web app first (no app store fees)
- Reinvest first revenue into Professional plan
Timeline: 4-8 weeks
Expected costs:
- Platform: $0-450 (6 months free + 6 months Starter)
- Domain: $12
- Tools: $0 (use free tiers)
- Total: $12-462
This budget is enough to validate your idea.
Budget: $5,000-15,000 (Lean Startup)
Recommendation: No-Code + Selective Help
Strategy:
- AppStruct Professional: $900/year
- Hire no-code developer for complex parts: $3,000-8,000
- Professional app icon/screenshots: $300
- Initial marketing: $2,000-5,000
Timeline: 3-6 weeks
Expected outcome:
- Professional-quality app
- Published to iOS and Android
- Marketing campaign ready
- Positioned for growth
Budget: $15,000-50,000 (Well-Funded Startup)
Recommendation: No-Code with Full Support
Strategy:
- AppStruct Professional: $900
- Hire experienced no-code agency: $10,000-25,000
- Professional branding and design: $2,000-5,000
- Aggressive marketing: $10,000-20,000
- Total: $22,900-50,900
Timeline: 4-8 weeks
Expected outcome:
- Premium-quality app
- Strong market launch
- Professional positioning
- Fast growth trajectory
Still 60-80% cheaper than traditional development.
Budget: $50,000-100,000+ (Funded Startup)
Recommendation: Still Consider No-Code
Why:
- Extend runway 3-5x
- Launch faster (competitive advantage)
- Invest more in customer acquisition
- More iterations before running out of money
Strategy:
- Premium no-code development: $20,000-40,000
- Extensive UX research and design: $10,000-15,000
- Comprehensive marketing: $30,000-50,000
Or:
- Traditional development: $80,000-100,000
- Limited marketing budget
- Longer time to market
Many funded startups choose no-code to make capital last longer.
Conclusion: The Economics Are Clear
In 2024, building an app costs:
Traditional Development:
- Simple: $40,000-80,000 (3-4 months)
- Medium: $80,000-150,000 (4-6 months)
- Complex: $150,000-300,000+ (6-12 months)
- Maintenance: $15,000-40,000/year
- Changes: $100-250/hour
No-Code Development:
- Simple: $500-5,000 (2-4 weeks)
- Medium: $900-15,000 (4-8 weeks)
- Complex: $900-35,000 (8-16 weeks)
- Maintenance: $540-900/year (mostly automated)
- Changes: $0 (do it yourself)
Savings: 85-99%
Speed increase: 4-6x faster
Control: Full ownership and flexibility
The question isn't whether no-code can build your app.
The question is: can you afford NOT to use no-code?
Start Building Today - Calculate Your Savings
Your app idea:
- Estimated traditional cost: $__
- AppStruct cost: $540-900/year
- Your savings: $__
Ready to save $50,000-100,000?
Start building with AppStruct free →
Still have questions?
💰 Get Cost-Saving App Development Tips Weekly
Join our community and get the latest tips, tutorials, and updates on no-code app development delivered straight to your inbox. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Related Cost & Value Articles
- Build a SaaS Product Without Code
- No-Code vs Traditional Development ROI
- App Monetization Strategies
- No-Code App Development Complete Guide
Have cost questions? Comment below or contact support@appstruct.cloud
Last updated: October 2025 | Reading time: 18 minutes | Includes 2024 market rates