You have three quotes for your app. One is half the price of the others. Before you choose, check what each one leaves out.
The gap is rarely in the screens your customers see. It is in everything your team needs to run the app after launch. Development quotes usually cover building the app, and rarely cover running it. (Glance)
The part your customers never see
Your customers use the app. Your staff run it. Someone has to approve new sign ups, fix a wrong booking, refund a payment, change a price, answer "why can't I log in?" and pull the numbers for the monthly meeting.
That work happens in an admin panel. If the quote does not include one, your team will either ask a developer every time, or it will not get done.
Ten questions to ask before you sign
- Is an admin panel included, and what can my staff do in it without a developer?
- Can I give different staff different permissions?
- What happens when a payment fails, a customer cancels or someone asks for a refund?
- Which emails and notifications are included?
- Which reports will I get, and can I download them?
- What will hosting cost each month, and who pays for it?
- What will maintenance cost after launch, including updates for new phone software?
- Who owns the code and the app store accounts?
- What happens if we change the scope halfway through?
- What support do I get in the first months after launch?
A cheap quote that skips half of these is not cheaper. It just moves the cost to later.
Walk one real task from start to finish
Here is a simple way to find what is missing. Pick one real task, such as a customer booking a place at an event and then cancelling. Follow it through every person who touches it: the customer, the person running the event, and your staff. Ask what each one needs to see and change.
That one walk through will show you more missing pieces than a list of screens ever will.
If you are comparing quotes for an app, talk to us. We reply within 24 hours, and we sign an NDA before the first call whenever you ask.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to build an app for my business?
It depends on what the app must do, which platforms it runs on, and what your team needs to run it. Be careful with any price given before someone understands your business. We spend one to two weeks on discovery first, and you get a scope document, an architecture outline and a quote.
How much does it cost to maintain an app?
Plan for hosting, monitoring, security updates, updates for new phone software, and small fixes and changes. Ask for these as a monthly figure before you sign. After launch, we fix issues free for 30 days, then offer a monthly support contract with monitoring.
How long does it take to build an app?
It depends on the scope. What matters just as much is how often you see progress. We work in two week sprints and show you a working demo at the end of each one, so you never wait months to see your app.
Who owns the source code of my app?
You should, and the contract should say so. With us, you have access to the code repository from the first day, the full codebase is handed over on GitHub, and the app runs on your own AWS account.
Fixed price or hourly: which is better for an app?
Fixed price suits a clear scope that will not change much, because you know the cost before you start. Hourly or a dedicated team suits work that will change as you learn. We offer fixed price, dedicated team, hourly and maintenance options, and we agree the price before work starts.
How do I choose an app development company?
Look at apps they have actually built, ask to speak to the people who will write the code, and ask what happens after launch. A good company will sign an NDA before you share your idea. We sign one before the first call, and every project starts with a one week trial after the contract is signed.
Do I need an admin panel for my app?
If anyone on your team needs to change content, approve users, handle payments or see reports, yes. Without one, every small change becomes a request to a developer.
Can AI build my app for less?
AI tools help developers build faster, and we use them every day. But someone still has to decide what to build, review the code and keep the app running safely. Faster building can lower the cost. It does not remove the need for an experienced team.