App Development Cost Australia 2026: $10,000 to $250,000+
Building a mobile app in Australia costs $15,000 to $250,000 or more in 2026. A simple app runs $15,000 to $50,000, a mid-range app with accounts and integrations $50,000 to $150,000, and complex apps $150,000 upward. Budget 15 to 25 percent of the build each year to keep it running. Our builds start at $10,000 including GST.
What each type of app costs
App pricing in Australia sorts into four brackets. What moves a project between them is not the number of screens but what the app has to do behind them: accounts, payments, live data and connections to other systems.
- No-code app: $0 to $15,000. Built on an app-builder platform, sometimes with a developer finishing it. Fine for testing an idea; limited once you need custom features or performance.
- Simple app: $15,000 to $50,000. One core job, a handful of screens, little or no server behind it. Calculators, catalogues, checklists and booking front ends sit here.
- Mid-range app: $50,000 to $150,000. User accounts, a back end, payments, notifications, or integration with a system you already run.
- Complex app: $150,000 to $500,000 and above. Marketplaces, real-time tracking, regulated data such as health or finance, and apps built to carry very large user numbers.
How long each type takes
Time and cost move together, because almost all of the cost is people. Australian agency rates sit roughly between $100 and $330 per hour, so every extra month of build shows up directly in the quote.
| App type | Typical cost | Typical build time |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | $15,000 to $50,000 | 1 to 3 months |
| Mid-range | $50,000 to $150,000 | 3 to 6 months |
| Complex | $150,000 and above | 6 to 12 months or more |
What changes the quote
Platforms come first. One platform is cheaper than two. A cross-platform build shares one codebase between Android and iOS and usually costs less than two native apps, while native builds suit apps that depend heavily on device hardware.
The back end is the second driver. An app that stores nothing is a fraction of the cost of one with logins, user data, an admin panel and payments, because each of those needs a server, security and testing.
Device features are the third. Location tracking that keeps running in the background, camera work, Bluetooth and offline sync all take longer to build and test than ordinary screens, and the stores review them more closely. Google Play, for example, requires a separate declaration before an app may use location in the background.
The ongoing costs people forget
Store accounts are the smallest line: a one-off US$25 to publish on Google Play and US$99 a year for the Apple Developer Program.
Maintenance is the large one. Android and iOS release major updates every year, and an app that is not updated eventually breaks or is removed from the store. The common rule of thumb is 15 to 25 percent of the original build cost per year, covering updates, fixes and hosting.
Servers, map and messaging services, and any paid third-party tools are billed monthly and grow with the number of users.
Why our builds start at $10,000
Our starting price of $10,000 including GST sits below the usual $15,000 floor because it covers a deliberately narrow first version: one platform, one core job, and no complex server behind it. Anything with accounts, payments or live data is quoted above it, and we say so before you commit.
Starting small is also the cheapest way to find out whether customers actually use an app before paying for everything else.
Frequently asked
01 How much does it cost to pay someone to build an app?
In Australia, expect $15,000 to $50,000 for a simple app, $50,000 to $150,000 for a mid-range app with accounts and integrations, and $150,000 or more for complex apps. Freelancers usually charge less than agencies for the same scope, and agency rates run roughly $100 to $330 per hour.
02 Why do app quotes vary so much for the same idea?
Usually because the quotes describe different apps. One may assume a single platform with no back end; another may include accounts, an admin panel and both stores. Ask each developer to list exactly what is in scope, then compare line by line rather than comparing totals.
03 Is it cheaper to build for Android or iOS first?
The build cost is similar for either platform. The choice should follow your customers: start with the platform most of them use, prove the app works, then add the second.
04 How much does an app cost to maintain each year?
Budget roughly 15 to 25 percent of the original build cost per year. That covers updates for new Android and iOS versions, bug fixes, hosting and store fees. An app nobody maintains usually stops working within a year or two.
05 Can I build an app for free?
A no-code builder lets you make a simple app with little or no upfront cost, which is a sensible way to test an idea. Publishing still costs US$25 once for Google Play and US$99 a year for Apple, and custom features usually mean moving to a developer later.
06 How much does an app with 100,000 users cost to run?
It depends mostly on how much the app does on its servers. A mostly offline app can serve that many users for very little, while one with live data, messaging or maps can cost thousands of dollars a month in hosting and third-party services. Ask for running costs per thousand users before you build.
Want the service, not the explainer?
This article covers one part of mobile app development. For what we actually do, what it includes and what it costs: