What Determines the Cost of Traditional Android Application Development?

By William Spencer

It would not be amiss to say that Android application development has become the mainstay of the software strategy of most enterprises. Despite its size or the nature of its products, an Android mobile app will often be instrumental in enhancing sales and customer satisfaction. However, given the explosion in the number of Android apps haunting the internet, it is getting challenging to develop something that attracts attention and provides business value.

The challenge doesn’t just comprise technical questions, but the matter of funding as well. The more innovative an app, the more expensive it will be to develop. Of course, this is not a generalized statement. It is entirely possible to find an Android app developer or agency who will do great work at a reasonable price.

However, the cost of Android application development can still be daunting. Before venturing on Android mobile app development, it might be worthwhile to have an idea about the expenses it may involve.

What Drives the Cost of Android Application Development?

The following are the primary sources of expense in Android application development:

• Wireframe, Software Requirements Specifications (SRS) and list of features
• UI/UX Design – images, typography, iconography, aesthetic elements
• Payment options and associated security
• User engagement via push notifications, text messaging, social media
• Sign-in portal for new users
• Functionality across channels
• Location-based data processing
• Live chat and other means of contact by users
• Third-party Integrations

The cost of each element is determined by the magnitude of the services that an app intends to provide.

A Number of Devices

An Android app will necessarily be expensive because they are run on thousands of devices in the world. This means that Android application development will entail optimizing for millions of screen sizes, button placements, screen and phone functions. If you intend for your app to work on a larger number of devices, then Android app development services will be significantly more draining on finances.

A Number of Operating Systems

All Android users in the world do not use the same OS version. When Android releases a new version, not everyone gets the upgrades. This must be taken into account during Android application development. Costs will obviously increase with the number of Android OS versions you intend to make an app compatible with.

Third-Party Integrations

This one is quite obvious. If you integrate your app with a large number of third-party services and software, it will involve more coding and more development hours. All this translates to a higher cost of Android application development. In this regard, it may be necessary to determine what integrations are absolutely necessary for the app’s best performance, and for a satisfactory user experience. Integration with a secure payment portal is mandatory, but integration with every social media site in existence is not. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram often suffice.

Location-Based Services

Apps like Uber leverage a user’s location to provide enhanced services. However, incorporating GPA capabilities takes significant time and energy on the part of the developers. This obviously results in higher costs.

Complexity

The complexity of an app determines the cost of Android application development. An app for new updates will obviously cost less than developing an app like Uber which must ensure that multiple features work in unison everytime it is used. The cost of Uber will be much lower than an app that visualizes sensor data, generate reports, supports integration with new APIs or uses machine learning algorithms. More complexity equals more development hours and usage of more sophisticated resources and platforms. Consequently, costs rise.

Security

Needless to say, different apps must be imbibed with different levels and layers of security. Retail apps need to be more secure than gaming apps as they involve financial transactions. In fact, any app that has an option of purchasing a product will have to possess flawless security. Enterprise apps, particularly those catering to companies in the financial sector must be guarded by high-end security that is implemented in layers of access. Not every employee in such companies can access all corporate data. Their security clearance would determine what information they can view and transfer. The app’s security would have to accommodate this. Similarly, banking apps must have uncompromising security protecting customer credentials.

Tougher security costs more, as it takes more time, energy and resources to structure and integrates. It helps to know exactly how customers will interact with your app, what kind of security they need, and then recognize pricing.

It must be remembered that different Android application development companies will charge differently for the same services. Depending on the level of expertise they can boast or the reputation they command, the costs can actually be widely different. In addition, if your agency of choice is not locally situated, they might charge more on account of differing time zones.

A Viable Alternative – HokuApps

In order to get the most out of traditional Android application development, a sizable investment is usually necessary. An app that adds unique value to a user’s life is, however, always worth it. If you have a clear idea of how your app is going to achieve this, you can streamline your costs and get a great app simultaneously.

An affordable alternative to traditional Android app development platform is HokuApps. HokuApps is a low code Android application development platform which creates on-demand technology solutions with reusable codes and high-security features, to not just save on costs, but also deliver at rapid speed.