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The demand for web apps is increasing rapidly in today's internet world. Web apps can be found for almost every internet service, such as social media management and customer relationship development.
Buffer, Semrush CRM, HubSpot CRM and Salesforce CRM are some of the most popular web apps.
This business opportunity can be tapped by creating a web application to showcase your ideas. You have many options to develop a web-based application, each with a different cost.
This guide will show you how to determine the cost of developing a web app. This will allow you to make the best decision possible to create a high-quality web application for a low price. First, let's look at why you should build a website application.
Why should you build a web application?
This popularity in web app development is because it only takes one time to build a web application, and can be sold to multiple people. After a web app is created, you are responsible for its maintenance and updates.
This is significantly cheaper than the cost of developing a physical product. You would have to pay for each item and store them in inventory.
It is also a smart idea to develop a web app. This facilitates sales and relationship-building with your customers. This will make them more loyal to your website application and allow for a longer relationship.
You can, for instance, get a web application's basic version for free. Customers can then upgrade to a paid version later to meet more requirements. Web applications may also offer premium access for some time, such as seven or thirty days. This allows you to acquire new customers by removing any barriers to entry.
What's the difference between websites and web apps?
Many people confuse websites with web applications. Both are distinct and serve different purposes. Let's see how they differ.
- It's designed to directly serve potential customers.
- Example - These are the web apps we created for Reallect - to create a realty website and increase its visibility through SEO. Aprive is another, which is the first real estate CRM that is free for life.
- Logging in is required to verify your identity and use the web application.
- The entire project must be recompiled and deployed again if there are any modifications to the web app.
- Websites are more complex than websites.
- A web application is a component of a website.
Website
- Websites are primarily informational. Indirectly, it may result in a sale later.
- Example Take a look at the website of Acquaint Softtech Private Limited. It was created to promote and share our services and knowledge and connect us with our potential customers.
- Access to a website is not restricted by authentication or login. It might ask you to log in only for premium data.
- If you make small changes, you won't need to recompile the entire project.
- Much easier to develop than a Web app.
- A website could contain a Web app.
What are the different types of web applications based on their functions?
Web apps come in multiple types. In fact, there is a variety of web apps. Each one serves a different purpose. Let's take a closer look at each.
1. Static web apps
The name of this type of app suggests that it is static. This makes it easier to develop than other kinds of web apps. In exchange for a small subscription, stationary web applications have very limited content. These web apps are easily created with HTML, CSS and JavaScript. This can be illustrated by a blog that provides premium and free content.
Dynamic website app
****dynamic web applications store and fetch data in real-time to or from the database according to the request made by the users. This makes them more complex than their static counterparts. Node.js is a technology that allows you to create dynamic web apps. It can be used with Ruby on Rails (PHP, Ruby on Rails), Perl, Python and PHP. Facebook is the most well-known example of a web app that can be dynamic.
Single page apps
Single-page web apps are web apps where a single page controls the content. The information that is needed to be updated in real-time is limited. Gmail and PayPal are two examples of single-page apps. Meteor, ReactJS and AngularJS are just a few technologies you can use for a great single-page app.
Multiple-page apps
Multiple-page apps include those that contain information spread across several pages. When an information page is accessed, the data must be fetched from a database. Amazon is the most well-known example of a multiple-page app. It can fetch data from multiple products and is displayed when one product is selected.
Progressive Web Apps
Progressive web apps work on both mobile and desktop devices. You can also access the complete information using your mobile browser. Uber, Spotify and YouTube are examples of advanced web applications.
Factors affecting web app development cost
Scope and purpose of your project
The scope of your project is how large you plan to reach your target audience. As there is limited scope for growth, some web applications can be simple to develop and maintain. Let's take, for example, school management software. The school can only house a small number of teachers and students. They will need to work for years to increase their capacity.
It is thus easier and cheaper to create and maintain a school management system than a larger-scale project.
Amazon Prime, a high-scope initiative with a wide range of potential benefits, is at the opposite end. It's a subscription-based platform allows you to watch TV series and movies. You also get other benefits when you shop at Amazon. The US had an estimated 153,000,000 subscribers in 2021. The global count will likely surpass this number.
This shows that this project has a huge scope and serves a large audience. In addition, subscribers are growing much faster than in our previous example for a school management system. It will be more expensive to maintain and build a project this large.
How does your project scope impact the cost of web app development?
The more extensive your project is, the more complicated it will be for you to manage and develop. This will make it more costly to build.
But wait! You can keep going if you want to build something of high scope and don't have the budget. To lower your risk and costs, you can prototype your web application. As you grow your app, The best path for many entrepreneurs is to develop an MVP first. You can start small but still have the ambition to reach great heights.
The country where your developer is located
Companies and startups have traditionally hired people from their home regions. However, technology has allowed you to access skills worldwide and save money. You can do this by hiring freelancers and remote developers. These two options are discussed separately in the next post.
Understanding that different economies have different pay scales is important for the moment. In the USA, a developer may earn $50k per annum. However, it is significantly more than what Indian developers make. You can see the differences in the hourly cost of offshore development in different regions.
Instead of paying in-house developers to develop your project, it's cheaper to hire remote developers and freelancers.
How does the location of your developer affect your web app development costs?
Due to the differences in currencies, pay scales for different countries may differ. So, if you hire one developer from the USA, multiple developers from India with equivalent experience can be employed. This brings us...
The developers you hire.
Developers will be more expensive if they have more experience. It's not hard to see why. But you can expect better quality and quicker development. This is a significant advantage over the pay differential due to experience.
So hiring a skilled developer will save you time and allow you to launch your website sooner. You save more if the development takes less time.
Let me give an example. A junior developer might charge $50 per hour but complete your project within 100 working hours. The web app development cost for your project will be $5000. This excludes any redevelopment.
Hiring a senior programmer who charges $75 and completes your project on time will cost you $5625. This will result in a project cost of $5625. Is it worth paying $625 to complete your project 25 hours earlier? Senior developers will be more helpful and less bug-prone.
How can the experience of the developers that you hire impact your web app development costs?
The more experienced a developer, his speed and quality of development will cost you more.
You choose the tech stack.
You can choose from a variety of technologies to build your web app. Prices vary. The languages with the most demand or with rare developers will be more expensive.
For example, a Java developer can be more expensive than a PHP developer because Java is more popular for backend programming than PHP. To get an idea of the cost, look at these charts.
Programming Languages
| Skill | Low Hourly Rate | High Hourly Rate | Average Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | $15 | $120 | $59.73 |
| C# | $12 | $120 | $63.13 |
| C++ | $25 | $150 | $63.18 |
| Java | $20 | $100 | $53.17 |
| JavaScript | $20 | $225 | $48.98 |
| Kotlin | $15 | $60 | $36.58 |
| PHP | $15 | $90 | $54.02 |
| Python | $25 | $150 | $52.88 |
| R Language | $35 | $100 | $51.33 |
Frontend Frameworks
| Skill | Low Hourly Rate | High Hourly Rate | Average Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angular.js | $22 | $160 | $59.96 |
| Backbone.js | $33 | $100 | $57.64 |
| D3.js | $30 | $120 | $55.29 |
| Ember.js | $15 | $150 | $54.22 |
| Foundation | $10 | $90 | $49.38 |
| jQuery | $15 | $120 | $58.58 |
| React.js | $35 | $200 | $59.29 |
| Semantic UI | $9 | $80 | $37.85 |
Backend Frameworks
| Skill | Low Hourly Rate | High Hourly Rate | Average Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASP.NET | $35 | $130 | $60.67 |
| CakePHP | $8 | $85 | $46.92 |
| Django | $20 | $100 | $50.78 |
| Express | $32 | $140 | $52.42 |
| Flask | $20 | $250 | $58.07 |
| Laravel | $30 | $100 | $50.20 |
| Ruby on Rails | $30 | $100 | $50.20 |
| Spring Boot | $32 | $210 | $60.59 |
Content Management Systems
| Skill | Low Hourly Rate | High Hourly Rate | Average Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drupal | $8 | $200 | $63.35 |
| Joomla | $34 | $85 | $50.73 |
| WordPress | $12 | $110 | $44.13 |
Ecommerce
| Skill | Low Hourly Rate | High Hourly Rate | Average Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| WooCommerce | $20 | $125 | $59.00 |
| Shopify | $5 | $120 | $59.11 |
| Magento | $20 | $80 | $47.96 |
Miscellaneous
| Skill | Low Hourly Rate | High Hourly Rate | Average Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android | $20 | $160 | $55.48 |
| iOS | $30 | $100 | $53.04 |
| Salesforce | $35 | $130 | $72.42 |
| Unity | $35 | $125 | $54.77 |
Miscellaneous
But, even though they may be more expensive than others, I still recommend you choose reliable technology. Why?
How does your tech stack affect your web app development cost?
Different technologies come at different prices. Choosing your tech stack carefully is important as it can be costly to replace later. Sometimes, your web app may only work on some mobile and desktop computers. You will need to be able to use more technologies, so you need to hire more developers. This will raise the cost of project development.
The complexity and UI/UX design for your web app
Complex stuff takes longer to make and is more difficult to build. It is also obvious that the more complicated it is, the higher it will cost. The good news is you don't have to be a master of UI/UX design to achieve great results.
You should avoid this mistake, as complicated UI/UX designs can feel overwhelming and uninviting. You must ensure that your design represents your brand and conveys the feelings you want your customers to have.
Other than those, a key aspect of designing is navigation. Is it easy for visitors to get to the page and complete your desired actions? Is it easy for visitors to navigate from one page to the next?
These things will give you a higher return than investing in a complicated UI/UX design.
How does the complexity of UI/UX design impact your web app development costs?
Complex UI/UX designs have more elements than simple one. It takes more time to create. It will take longer to develop if not optimized with the utmost care. It isn't worth the effort to create a complicated design. It will work for you if it takes care of the basics I mentioned earlier.
Maintenance and updates
Once you have launched your web app, maintenance and upgrades will inevitably cost. However, only successful and growing companies have the right to pay for maintenance and updates.
This includes fixing bugs, optimizing the code, updating plugins, tightening security, scaling up capacity, and other tasks. This is essential to ensure your web application meets the ever-changing demands.
You may wonder how much it will cost. As your web application grows in popularity, so does the cost of maintenance and upgrades. It will initially be lower, but it may rise over time.
How do maintenance and upgrade affect the cost of web app development?
After you launch the first version of your web app, maintenance and upgrades are required. It is challenging to estimate this cost since it is an ongoing affair.
Other costs
Hidden and other costs will always occur when you get involved in such a large project. You should have an emergency fund in place to handle these situations. These are just a few of the services and events you will need to pay for:
Cyberattack
Every business owner wants his project to be safe. Cyber attacks are quite common nowadays, and no one is immune. While you can give yourself the best chance of surviving against it, your project may still be hacked on bad days.
If you follow the correct steps, your web app can be revived. This will require expertise and money.
Miscellaneous
Other recurring costs are what you will most likely face. It will be plugins, hosting, domain and additional regular expenses that you are most likely to encounter.
What does this mean for your web app development costs?
It could be the cost of hosting, domains, or plugins. You may be the victim of a cyberattack. In such cases, it is important to seek professional assistance.
Which route should you take to find the right team member?
Although there are many options for building your web application, the most popular are three. Each path offers a unique journey experience. Let me show you one of these:
Team in-house
This is the most traditional way to build anything. If you hire the right team, you can give them office space, pay their salary and bonuses, and keep them happy. You can complete your project in a short time.
This approach has been proven to work with ups and downs. This approach is expensive for startups and small businesses.
This is how you should think about it - not only do you have to pay for the work you receive, but also for any maintenance costs. As long as the company has resources and revenues, well-established businesses may be able to handle it. If you're starting out, it may be a huge financial risk.
Consider your financial requirements before you embark on this journey.
Pros
- You can collaborate with your team while you are watching.
- Most of the time, you get results
- Clear communication
Cons
- Too expensive
- This is not the best place for startups or small businesses
- Geographic limitations limit the ability to access talent
- It isn't easy to find the right team
Freelance developers
Companies and individuals who wish to become self-employed have found great relief in freelancing. Companies and individuals can get the work done for a small fee. There are no overhead costs such as office space or bonuses.
If you are looking to build a web app, this is not something you can do in one person. Multiple developers are required to work together in your team. You will need various developers to help you build your web application.
Can you see the problem? There are many freelance developers you can hire. It takes work to bring them together for your project.
Freelancer platforms can be unreliable because they must take responsibility for completing your project on time.
Pros
- Affordable
- There is no upfront cost
- Talent can be found anywhere in the world.
Cons
- Finding a team who can work together on the project takes time and effort.
- It is not possible to complete your project on schedule.
Team for Outsourcing
This path is a combination of the in-house team with freelancer developers. It combines the best of both.
You can discuss your requirements with a trusted web development agency. You will be able to hire developers right away and start your project.
It is crucial to interview developers and choose the best team. After completing your project, your parts will be broken down into milestones and given a deadline. Once the first milestone has been achieved, the team will contact you to obtain your approval.
Outsourcing a team has the advantage that you can supervise your developers while still having the freedom of freelance platforms.
Pros
- Saves you development cost
- It takes no time to get started on your project
- Finding good developers takes little time or money.
- An NDA helps you to keep your project confidential.
Cons
- Trustworthiness is not always a guarantee with some agencies. You should choose your partner carefully.
- Communication problems may exist.
How do you choose the right tech stack for your web application?
The tech stack is very important when it comes to determining the quality and cost of your project. Choose a tech stack that will allow you to create a web application with all the features you want. You also need to ensure that the cost of your tech stack is manageable. These are some tips to help you choose the best tech stack.
- Learn what you really need in your web app - performance requirements, features, UI/UX, etc.
- You can filter out different technologies based on your needs.
- Because it contains a large amount of pre-written code, I recommend Laravel development PHP Framework for building your web app.
- JavaScript frameworks such as AngularJS or ReactJS can be used for the front end.
Conclusion
I hope you now know the cost of building your web application. As I mentioned, outsourcing can help reduce the cost of developing your web application. If you are considering outsourcing, there are some things to remember to ensure you choose the right company.
- Experience of at least 5 years
- Portfolio of clients
- Clear communication
- Test task completed successfully
- NDA Agreement
To help you save time when searching for the right partner, we are an agency that has all these checks. To better understand us, don't hesitate to contact us to discuss your project and test them. We look forward to seeing you on the other side.
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