Mobile
App
Cost
How much does mobile app design cost? See what drives the price, how costs change by app type, and how to get quality app design on a startup budget.
What Mobile App Design Costs Depend On
Quick answer: mobile app design cost depends on the number of screens, the complexity of user flows, the platforms you target and who you hire. A simple utility app needs far less work than a marketplace or fintech app with several user roles. As a rough guide, simple apps have around 10 to 20 screens, mid-size apps 30 to 60, and complex apps can exceed 100 once you count every state and edge case. Research and testing also affect the price. Interviewing a few target users and testing a prototype adds time up front, but it is far cheaper than rebuilding screens after development.
Designing for both iOS and Android adds work if you follow each platform's native patterns. A shared design system keeps that extra effort small. Do not forget the extras. App store screenshots, an app icon, onboarding illustrations and push notification designs are often left out of early estimates.
Pricing
Mobile App
Cost by App Type
Simple apps, like a habit tracker or calculator, need core screens, a few flows and basic branding. They are the fastest and cheapest to design. Mid-size apps, like booking or fitness apps, add accounts, payments, notifications and settings. They need more flows and more testing. Each category also needs different visual polish. Consumer apps often need more custom illustration and animation, while business apps focus on clarity and density.
Complex apps, like fintech, healthcare or marketplace apps, need multiple user roles, security flows, compliance screens and detailed data views. They take the most time and benefit most from user research. Our Risepay fintech app and Ario scooter rental concept show how scope changes the design effort. Regulated industries add further work. Fintech and health apps need extra screens for consent, verification and disclosures, and those screens must be both compliant and easy to use.
How to Keep App Design Costs Under Control
Design the core journey first and launch with it. Extra features can wait until users prove they want them. Use a component library from day one so every new screen reuses existing parts instead of starting from scratch. Reusing proven patterns also saves money. Standard login, settings and profile screens do not need to be reinvented, so focus custom design effort where it makes your app different.
Finally, pick a pricing model that fits your timeline. With a Kites Design subscription, you can design your MVP over a few months at a flat monthly price, then scale down once you launch. Ask for a design roadmap rather than a single quote. Splitting the work into an MVP phase and later phases keeps early costs low and lets real user feedback guide what comes next.
(Project)
