What Should I Learn from Apps That Cost More to Build?

Most businesses spend between £25,000 and £250,000 building a mobile app, but here's what gets me—they rarely stop to ask what they're actually paying for. They get a quote, their eyes water a bit, and then they either commit or walk away. But the real question isn't "why does this cost so much?" It's "what can I learn from apps that command these higher price tags?"

I've been building apps long enough to see the same pattern repeat itself. A client comes to us with an idea, we give them a cost estimate, and they immediately start shopping around for cheaper options. Fair enough. But what they don't realise is that expensive apps aren't just inflated versions of cheap ones—they're fundamentally different beasts. The apps that cost more to build usually reveal something important about what users expect, what technology can handle, and where the market is heading.

Think about it this way: when you look at a high-end app from a major bank or a successful startup that's raised millions, you're not just seeing a prettier interface. You're seeing decisions about security, scalability, and user experience that were made because someone learned the hard way what happens when you cut corners. Its like reverse-engineering success, really.

The cost of building an app tells you less about the price tag and more about the priorities behind it

This guide isn't about convincing you to spend more money (honestly, I'd love it if apps were cheaper to build!). It's about understanding what separates a £30,000 app from a £300,000 one—and using that knowledge to make better decisions about your own development investment. Because once you understand what drives costs up, you can decide which of those factors actually matter for your specific situation and which ones you can safely ignore.

Why Some Apps Cost £50k While Others Cost £500k

Right, let's talk about money—because this is the question I get asked more than any other. Why does one app cost £50k and another £500k? The short answer is: complexity. But here's the thing, complexity isn't just about how many buttons your app has or how pretty it looks.

When I sit down with clients to scope out a project, I'm looking at several key factors that will determine where on that cost spectrum we'll land. Its not a mystery really, but people often underestimate what goes into building an app that actually works properly and won't fall apart the moment it hits the real world. Before diving into any project, it's crucial to understand how to estimate real costs before app development begins.

The Core Factors That Determine App Development Costs

The biggest cost drivers are usually backend infrastructure, third-party integrations, custom features, and the level of polish required. A simple app that displays information you've already got stored somewhere? That might sit comfortably at the lower end. But an app that needs to process payments, handle thousands of concurrent users, integrate with legacy systems, and meet strict compliance requirements? We're talking serious money there.

I mean, think about it this way—building a to-do list app versus building a banking app. One lets you type notes and tick boxes; the other needs to securely handle peoples money, integrate with payment processors, meet financial regulations, and work flawlessly because peoples livelihoods depend on it. The difference in cost reflects the difference in responsibility and technical requirements.

Here are the main factors I consider when estimating project costs:

• Number of user types and permissions (a single user type is simple, multiple roles with different access levels adds complexity fast)
• Real-time features like chat, notifications, or live updates—these require persistent connections and more server infrastructure
• Payment processing and e-commerce functionality (this alone can add weeks of development and testing)
• Custom algorithms or business logic unique to your business
• Integration requirements with existing systems or third-party services
• Compliance needs like GDPR, healthcare regulations, or financial standards
• The platforms you need to support (iOS only, Android only, or both)
• Design complexity and animation requirements

But honestly? The apps that cost more aren't always better for every situation. Sometimes a £50k app is exactly what you need, and spending £500k would be wasteful. The expensive apps typically serve larger user bases, handle more sensitive data, or operate in regulated industries where cutting corners simply isn't an option. You're paying for reliability, security, and the peace of mind that comes with knowing your app won't break when it matters most.

The Features That Actually Drive Up Development Costs

Right, let's talk about what actually makes apps expensive to build—because its not always what you'd expect. I've had clients surprised that adding a simple chat feature can triple their development budget, while others assume that beautiful animations will cost a fortune when they're actually quite reasonable. The reality is that certain features require massive amounts of work behind the scenes that users never even see.

Real-time functionality is probably the biggest cost driver I encounter. Anything that needs to sync instantly between users—like messaging, live updates, or collaborative features—requires complex backend architecture; you're not just building the feature itself, you're building the entire infrastructure to support it. Sure, there are third-party solutions that can help, but integrating them properly still takes serious development time. And if you want custom functionality? Bloody hell, the costs add up fast.

Video processing and streaming is another major expense that catches people off guard. Recording video on a phone is easy—every app can do that. But compressing it, storing it efficiently, streaming it smoothly, and handling different connection speeds? That's where the complexity lives. I mean, there's a reason apps like TikTok have massive engineering teams just focused on video performance.

Features That Significantly Increase Costs

• Real-time messaging and notifications between users
• Video or audio processing, recording, and streaming
• Complex payment systems with multiple providers
• Location-based services with geofencing and mapping
• Offline functionality that syncs when connection returns
• Social features like feeds, comments, and user profiles
• AI or machine learning capabilities built into the app

Location features deserve a mention too. Basic "show me on a map" functionality is straightforward enough, but once you add geofencing, turn-by-turn navigation, or location-based triggers, you're looking at substantial development investment. The testing alone becomes complicated—you can't just sit at your desk anymore, you need to physically move around to test properly.

Before adding a feature, ask yourself: does this require real-time updates, media processing, or complex calculations? If yes, budget accordingly—these are where development hours multiply quickly.

Why Custom Features Cost More Than You Think

Here's the thing—every custom feature needs to be designed, built, tested, debugged, and maintained. But it also needs to work with every other feature in your app. The more features you add, the more potential interactions and edge cases you create. I've seen apps where adding one new feature required updating five other parts of the codebase just to maintain compatibility. Its exponential, not linear.

Payment integration is another area where costs escalate quickly. Basic Stripe integration? That's manageable. But what if you need to support multiple payment providers, handle subscriptions with free trials, manage refunds, deal with different currencies, and comply with financial regulations in multiple countries? What started as a simple checkout suddenly becomes a major project that touches everything from your backend to your legal compliance.

What Complex Apps Reveal About User Expectations

Here's what I've noticed over the years—when you look at apps that cost serious money to build, you're not just seeing fancy features for the sake of it. You're seeing what users have come to expect as normal. And honestly, its a bit mad how quickly expectations shift in this industry.

Take mobile banking apps as an example; a few years back people were happy just checking their balance on their phone. Now? They expect instant payments, biometric login, spending insights, budgeting tools, and the ability to freeze cards with a single tap. That's not feature creep—that's what users now consider baseline functionality. If your banking app doesn't do these things, people will assume its outdated or untrustworthy.

The apps that cost more to build are basically setting the standard for entire categories. When Uber introduced real-time tracking, suddenly every delivery and transportation app needed it too. When Spotify made personalised playlists that actually understood your taste, other music apps had no choice but to follow. These features didn't come cheap, but they fundamentally changed what people expect from apps in those spaces.

What this means for anyone building an app is pretty clear—you need to study the expensive apps in your category carefully. Not to copy them (please don't), but to understand what users now see as the minimum viable experience. Sure, you might not need all those features on day one, but you should know what you're competing against. I've seen too many apps launch with features that would've been fine five years ago but fall flat today because user expectations have moved on. The gap between what you think is good enough and what users actually expect? That gap costs money to close, and ignoring it costs even more in the long run.

Backend Infrastructure and Why It Matters

Right, so here's where things get a bit technical—but stick with me because this is actually where a lot of app development costs hide. The backend is basically all the stuff that happens behind the scenes that users never see; its what makes your app actually work. When you open an app and see your data, your saved preferences, your purchase history? That's all coming from the backend.

A simple app might just store everything on your phone. Done. No servers needed, no ongoing costs, no complexity. But the moment you need users to log in, sync data between devices, or interact with other users, you need a proper backend infrastructure—and that's where costs start climbing fast. I mean, really fast. We're talking about servers that need to run 24/7, databases that need to be maintained, APIs that need to be secured... it adds up quickly.

What Makes Backend Development Expensive

The cost isn't just about building it once and walking away. You need to think about how many users you'll have, how much data they'll create, and how fast everything needs to respond. An app handling 100 users is simple; an app handling 100,000 users needs serious architecture. Load balancing, database optimisation, caching strategies—these aren't fancy extras, they're necessities if you want your app to actually function when people use it.

The backend is where your app development investment either pays off or becomes a constant drain on resources and budget.

Security is another massive consideration. Your backend needs to protect user data, handle authentication properly, and comply with regulations like GDPR. A cheap backend setup might work initially but it'll cost you far more down the line when something breaks or—bloody hell—when you get hacked. The expensive apps? They build this stuff right from the start because they know its cheaper than fixing disasters later.

Security Standards Worth Paying For

Look, I get it—security isn't the sexy part of app development. Nobody downloads an app because it has "robust encryption protocols." But here's the thing; when I'm working with clients who are handling sensitive data (and lets be honest, most apps are these days), the security features we implement can easily add £30k-£80k to a project budget. Is it worth it? Absolutely.

The apps that cost more typically include proper end-to-end encryption, secure authentication systems like biometric login and multi-factor authentication, and regular security audits built into their maintenance schedule. I've seen apps that skimped on security get absolutely destroyed by data breaches—not just financially but reputation-wise too. One healthcare app I worked on spent £65k just on HIPAA compliance and encryption standards alone, but that investment meant they could actually launch in the US market without risking millions in fines.

What Actually Makes Security Expensive

The costly part isn't just implementing security features; its maintaining them. Encryption algorithms need updating, vulnerabilities get discovered in third-party libraries, and compliance requirements change constantly. Apps handling payment data need PCI DSS compliance. Healthcare apps need HIPAA or GDPR compliance depending on their market. Financial apps? They're dealing with even stricter regulatory frameworks.

What you're really paying for is expertise and ongoing vigilance. The developers who know how to properly implement OAuth 2.0, manage secure API calls, and structure databases so that even if someone gains access they cant actually read the data—those skills command premium rates for good reason. I mean, you wouldn't want someone learning security protocols on your users data, would you? When you see an app with a high development cost, theres a good chance a significant chunk went towards making sure user data stays protected, and frankly, thats money well spent.

When Custom Development Beats Off-the-Shelf Solutions

Right, so you've probably heard people say "just use an existing solution" or "why reinvent the wheel?"—and look, sometimes they're absolutely right. But here's the thing; there are plenty of situations where off-the-shelf solutions will cost you more in the long run than building something custom from the ground up. It's a bit mad really, because everyone assumes custom development is always the expensive option.

Off-the-shelf platforms work brilliantly when your needs are straightforward and align with what the platform was designed to do. Simple e-commerce? Shopify might be perfect. Basic content management? WordPress could do the job. But the moment you need something that deviates from the platforms core functionality, you're looking at expensive plugins, hacky workarounds, and monthly subscription fees that add up faster than you'd think. I've seen businesses paying £500-1000 per month in platform fees and plugin subscriptions when a custom solution would have paid for itself within two years.

When Your Process Is Your Advantage

If your business does things differently—and that difference is what makes you competitive—then forcing your unique process into a generic platform is basically throwing away your advantage. Custom development lets you build exactly what your users need without compromise. No workarounds, no "well it almost does what we want," no limitations. This is especially important when considering how to calculate ROI for your enterprise app investment, as custom solutions often deliver better long-term returns despite higher upfront costs.

The real question isn't about app development costs in isolation; its about long-term value. Custom solutions mean you own the code, control the updates, and aren't held hostage by a third-party vendor who might increase prices or shut down entirely. Sure, the upfront development investment is higher, but you're building an asset that belongs to you—not renting someone else's infrastructure forever.

Calculate your total cost of ownership over 3-5 years when comparing options. Include platform fees, plugin costs, customisation work, and the opportunity cost of features you can't build. Often, custom development wins after year two.

The Hidden Costs That Expensive Apps Account For

Here's what most people miss when they see a high development quote—there's a whole load of work happening that you never actually see in the finished app. I mean, its easy to look at an app and think "well, that looks simple enough" but behind every tap and swipe there's usually months of work you're completely unaware of.

Quality assurance testing is one of those invisible costs that can eat up 20-30% of your entire budget. We're not just talking about making sure buttons work; we're testing on different devices (there are thousands of Android devices alone), different screen sizes, different operating system versions, and different network conditions. A banking app might go through hundreds of test scenarios before it ever reaches a real user. Sure, you could skip thorough testing—but one critical bug could cost you far more in lost users and reputation damage than you saved.

Then there's all the legal and compliance work. Apps handling payments need to meet PCI DSS standards. Healthcare apps must comply with data protection regulations. Even a simple app collecting user emails needs proper privacy policies, cookie consent mechanisms, and data handling procedures. I've seen projects where legal review and compliance work added £15k to the bill, but it beats getting fined or pulled from the app stores.

Project management is another hidden cost—someone needs to coordinate designers, developers, testers, and stakeholders. Documentation might seem boring but its absolutely necessary for maintaining and updating your app later. And don't forget about the deployment process itself; setting up app store accounts, creating store listings, preparing screenshots and descriptions, and managing the review process all takes time and expertise that gets billed somewhere in that final number.

Using Cost Analysis to Make Smarter Development Decisions

Right—so you've seen what expensive apps include and why they cost what they do. But here's the thing; this isnt about copying expensive features just because they exist. Its about understanding where money actually makes a difference to your specific project. I mean, you wouldn't buy a Formula 1 engine for your family car, would you?

When I'm helping clients decide where to spend their budget, I always start by looking at their core user journey. What are the three things users absolutely must be able to do? Everything else—and I mean everything—comes second. Sure, real-time notifications might be brilliant for a delivery app, but if you're building a recipe collection tool? They're probably not worth the development investment right now.

The apps that cost more to build teach us where quality actually matters to users. Payment processing needs to be secure and fast; theres no compromise there. User authentication should work smoothly because nobody wants to struggle just to log in. Backend infrastructure needs to handle your actual user load, not some imaginary future where you're the next Facebook (sorry, but its true).

Budget benchmarking isn't about matching your competitors pound for pound—it's about identifying which features deliver real value and which ones are just expensive distractions.

Here's what I do with every project: I create a feature priority matrix. Must-haves go in one column, nice-to-haves in another, and future possibilities in a third. Then we cost each one properly—not just development time but maintenance, third-party services, everything. This cost analysis shows you exactly where your money goes and, more importantly, what you get back. Some features might cost £15k but add genuine user value; others might cost £3k and nobody will notice if they're missing. That's the kind of thinking that separates smart development decisions from expensive mistakes.

Look—at the end of the day, expensive apps teach us something really valuable. They show us what's possible when you invest properly in mobile development, but more importantly they reveal what users expect from apps in different contexts. A banking app that cost £200k to build isn't just expensive because someone fancied spending money; its expensive because users demand absolute reliability, security that meets regulatory standards, and an experience that handles their money without making them nervous.

Here's what I want you to take away from all this. When you see an app that clearly cost serious money to develop, dont just think "I could never afford that"—instead, ask yourself what lessons you can apply to your own project. Maybe you cant build a custom backend from scratch, but you can choose a reliable third-party service that wont let you down. Maybe you cant afford weeks of custom animation work, but you can invest extra time in making sure your core user flows are smooth and intuitive.

The gap between a £50k app and a £500k app isnt always about having more features. Sometimes its about having the same features but built to a higher standard—better error handling, more thorough testing, cleaner code that's easier to maintain. And honestly? For many apps, the middle ground is exactly where you want to be. You dont need to match the budget of a banking app unless youre building a banking app.

What you do need is to understand where your app sits in the market, what your users expect, and where its worth spending more versus where you can be smart about keeping costs down. Expensive apps are basically a masterclass in what serious mobile development looks like; use them to inform your decisions, not intimidate you. Your app doesnt need to cost half a million pounds to be successful—it just needs to meet your users needs at a standard they trust.