Mobile App Pricing Guide
How Much Does It Cost to Build a Mobile App in Germany?
A buyer-focused guide for German app projects: realistic price bands, rate benchmarks, timelines, ongoing costs and the feature decisions that move apps into six figures.
Typical German build range
€20k – €400k+
Most serious business apps live in mid-five figures or higher once design, QA, backend work, integrations and release hardening are included.
Freelancers
€80 – €120/hr
Agencies
€60 – €140/hr
Single platform
from €20k
Cross-platform MVP
from €35k
Enterprise
from €180k
Simple native app
8–12 weeks€20,000 – €45,000
One platform only, focused feature set, standard UX, light data model, limited integrations and a straightforward release path.
Cross-platform MVP
10–16 weeks€35,000 – €80,000
iOS and Android from one codebase, 3–5 core workflows, push, analytics, standard auth and a modest backend or BaaS setup.
Complex app with backend
4–8 months€80,000 – €180,000
Custom backend, admin panel, role logic, payments or bookings, richer QA, several APIs and production support needs.
Enterprise or regulated app
6–12+ months€180,000 – €400,000+
SSO, audit logging, offline sync, approvals, security reviews, multiple environments, compliance and deeper system integration.
Freelancer benchmark
€80 – €120/hr
Useful for focused implementation work. A single freelancer can be efficient, but product direction, QA and release responsibility may still fall on the client.
Agency benchmark
€60 – €140/hr
Usually a blended rate across planning, design, development, QA and delivery. Higher visible cost, but more complete project responsibility.
Typical project blend
€85 – €125/hr
A realistic planning range when discovery, UI/UX, engineering, QA, release management and launch support are all included.
Reduced partner pricing
Selected mobile app projects can be significantly more affordable.
At Orion Development, we can often price projects below larger German agencies because we work with a compact team, low overhead and a focused delivery process.
While expanding our client base in Germany, selected companies can also qualify for reduced early-partner pricing. This works best for clear, practical mobile projects where the goal is a strong first release instead of an overloaded specification.
01
The honest answer
If you mean a professionally built custom app for a German company, not a no-code wrapper or weekend prototype, the budget usually starts where first-time buyers hope it ends. A serious single-platform app typically starts in the low-to-mid five figures.
Once both stores, backend logic, integrations, permissions and release hardening matter, the project often moves into strong five or six figures. That is not automatically overpricing. It usually means the app is more than a few screens.
02
Why app development gets expensive quickly
A mobile app quote is rarely just mobile coding. Buyers are usually paying for discovery, UX/UI, architecture, frontend development, backend or admin work, QA, release management, store submission and post-launch stabilization.
The number grows because the job is larger than many buyers initially model. An app needs to work on real devices, with real accounts, real edge cases, real backend state and real user behavior.
03
Native versus cross-platform
For many business apps, cross-platform is the rational starting point. If the goal is to reach iOS and Android with a controlled budget and the product does not depend on unusual device behavior, one shared codebase is usually more economical.
Pure native starts making more sense when performance is critical, device-level capabilities matter, offline behavior is deep, animations are demanding or the app depends heavily on one platform’s native APIs.
04
What pushes an app into six figures
The expensive part is often not the first screen you see. It is the system underneath: backend logic, admin tools, permissions, billing, notifications, analytics, import/export flows, auditability, error handling and synchronization.
Offline mode is another major multiplier. So are several integrations, role-based access, enterprise authentication, app performance requirements and regulated data flows.
05
The budget does not stop at launch
Launch is not the end of cost. Apple and Google keep changing policies and OS behavior, libraries age, crash reports need attention, backend usage grows and real users create edge cases that early prototypes never reveal.
For budgeting, it is smarter to reserve money for hosting, monitoring, patches, upgrades and a few meaningful iteration cycles after launch than to assume the initial build number is the whole commitment.
Key cost drivers
Single platform versus iOS + Android scope
Native build versus cross-platform codebase
Custom backend, admin panel and business logic
Authentication, roles, SSO and permission models
External APIs, ERP/CRM integrations and legacy systems
Offline mode, sync conflicts and background handling
Maps, media, realtime features or performance-heavy UI
GDPR, audit logs, testing, security reviews and compliance
Ongoing costs after launch
Hosting and backend infrastructure
€50 – €300/mo early
Light MVPs can stay cheap. Traffic, media, queues, search, monitoring, backups or regional infrastructure increase monthly cost.
Maintenance and updates
10–20% yearly reserve
Useful for OS changes, dependency updates, bug fixes, store policy changes, security patches and small improvements after launch.
Store accounts
Apple yearly, Google one-time
Small compared to the build budget, but still needed for release. Store commissions may matter more if the app sells digital goods.
Third-party services
€50 – €1,000+/mo
Authentication, maps, email, SMS, analytics, error tracking, subscriptions, search and media services can become a real operating cost.
Ready to budget
Need a real range, not a fantasy number?
Tell us whether you need iOS only or both platforms, whether a backend or admin system already exists, which integrations matter, and whether offline mode or compliance is in scope. We can usually tell quickly whether your project is nearer €30k, €70k or €180k+.
Common questions
Can a real custom app in Germany be built for under €25,000?
Yes, but usually only if the scope is genuinely narrow: one platform, focused functionality, light backend needs and fast decisions. Many buyer-ready business apps go past that level once design, QA and production release work are included.
Is cross-platform always cheaper than native?
Usually for an MVP, yes. Not always over the whole lifecycle. If the product becomes highly platform-specific, performance-heavy or deeply offline, the cost advantage can narrow or disappear.
Why can two app quotes differ so much?
Because they often include different things. One quote may cover discovery, UX, backend, QA and release management, while another assumes the client will provide product direction, testing, analytics setup or post-launch stabilization.
What should I reserve after launch?
For many business apps, reserve at least a few hundred euros per month for infrastructure and support, plus a 10–20% yearly maintenance reserve relative to the initial build.
Final thought
In Germany, app budgets are mostly a function of scope clarity and operational complexity.
If the app is core to how the business works or earns, the cheapest quote is rarely the cheapest decision. Budget for the real workflow, the real backend and the real ownership that starts after launch.