How Much Does an Ecommerce Mobile App Cost?

Start with the service you are buying

An app price is only comparable when the scope is comparable. A catalog with standard products is different from a store with bundles, subscriptions, negotiated customer prices and several warehouses. Write down the buying journey before comparing quotes: browse, select a variant, pay, track delivery and reorder.

Separate the first release from later improvements. Ask each supplier to price the same acceptance criteria and identify any assumptions that could change the estimate. A low subscription with an unspecified setup fee is not a complete budget.

Separate four cost categories

Start — €79 / month, Business — €149 / month. Apple and Google developer accounts, payment processing fees, paid plugins and third-party subscriptions are separate. Taxes and the final total are confirmed before the agreement. There is no separate launch fee.

• Initial work: store audit, visual design, integration development, data cleanup and testing.
• Recurring service: the agreed application service, maintenance, monitoring and support.
• External services: developer accounts, payment fees, paid extensions, messaging and analytics services.
• Growth: app promotion, creative assets and ongoing content production.

Budget for publication

Apple Developer Program enrollment generally costs USD 99 per membership year; local pricing and eligibility can differ. Google Play registration has a USD 25 one-time fee. Account verification and testing requirements also affect the launch schedule. These fees belong in the budget even when an agency prepares the submission.

Compare total cost over a useful period

Use: initial work + 12 × monthly costs + annual external charges + expected change requests. Compare the same period for a subscription and custom development. Do not assume that software maintenance becomes free after buying the source code.

Include internal time: someone must approve the design, supply content and test real delivery and payment scenarios. Keep a contingency for unknown extensions rather than treating an untested API as a fixed-price connection.

What to request in a proposal

Use the pricing page to start the conversation. If the budget is tight, reduce the first release to a reliable buying journey rather than removing testing.

• A list of screens and supported product types, markets and currencies.
• Named integrations with acceptance tests and responsibility for credentials.
• Ownership, cancellation, data export and app transfer terms.
• A clear split between launch costs, recurring costs and optional features.