What drives the cost
A native iOS build targets a narrow, current device range, which keeps design and testing tighter than any other option. Swift and SwiftUI are productive, Apple’s frameworks cover a lot of ground, and the US market skews toward iPhone in both usage and spend — which is why so many US products launch here first.
The costs specific to iOS are the App Store review cycle, the $99 per year developer programme, and Apple’s rules on payments: digital goods generally have to use in-app purchase and its commission, which is a business-model question long before it is a technical one.
The three ios app scopes
Almost every project in this category lands in one of three scopes. Find yours here, then price it in the calculator.
MVP
1 – 2 months
The smallest version worth putting in front of real users.
Standard
3 – 5 months
A complete product with a custom back end and an admin console.
Advanced
7 – 9 months
Multi-role, real-time and built for national scale.
Where the money goes
The split below is the standard scope above, by share of the build. The calculator turns these shares into itemised dollar figures once it has your answers.
- UI/UX design6%
- Frontend development13%
- Backend development32%
- Features28%
- Infrastructure & DevOps6%
- QA & testing8%
- Project management7%
Cost factors specific to this category
- Scope, not platform
- At the same scope, iOS and Android cost about the same. What changes the number is how many screens, features and integrations you need.
- App Store review
- Plan for a review cycle and at least one rejection on a first submission. Privacy labels and account deletion are common causes.
- In-app purchase
- Selling digital goods means Apple’s payment system and its commission. Physical goods and services can use your own processor.
- Device and OS range
- Supporting older iPhones or iPad layouts adds design and QA. Current-generation only is meaningfully cheaper.
Recommended approach at standard scope
A single native app keeps scope tight
One platform, one codebase, one store review. The usual next question is what the second platform costs — adding it later as a shared codebase is normally cheaper than porting a native app.
A custom backend with a documented API
Your own API keeps business logic off the device, makes an admin console possible, and means a web app or partner integration later is an addition rather than a rewrite.
Cloud architecture proportional to your users
At 10,000–50,000 users a month, managed hosting with monitoring and backups is enough. Keep the infrastructure boring and spend the budget on the product.
Apps in this category
Used only as recognisable reference points for scope and complexity — no affiliation with, or endorsement by, these companies is implied. Products at this scale reflect years of iteration and operating spend that no initial build budget reproduces.
- Notion
- Slack
- Todoist
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to build an ios app?
It depends on scope, and the honest answer is a range you have to derive from your own requirements. In the US in 2026 an MVP of an ios app takes 1 – 2 months. A standard build with a custom back end and an admin console takes 3 – 5 months. A scaled platform built for national volume takes 7 – 9 months. The calculator prices whichever of those shapes matches your project, itemised by discipline, in US dollars — answer seven questions and the full estimate is shown on screen and emailed to you.
Is iOS cheaper to build than Android?
Marginally, and mostly in testing. Apple’s device and OS matrix is far narrower, so QA takes less time. The gap is small next to the cost of scope, and it disappears entirely if you need both platforms.
Should I launch iOS first?
For a US consumer product with a paid model, usually yes — iPhone users spend more per head, and one platform lets you learn faster. Launch Android first if your audience skews international, price-sensitive or enterprise-issued Android.
What does it cost to add Android later?
A second native app is close to a second build, minus design and back-end work you already own — commonly 60–75% of the original. Building cross-platform from the start is cheaper if you know both are coming.
Price your own scope
These are typical scopes, not yours. The calculator prices the exact features, platforms and traffic you have in mind, and shows the itemised breakdown behind the number.