As people increasingly consume information using mobile devices, mobile apps have become an essential part of their everyday lives. Since 2019, US consumers have been spending more time during the day using their mobile devices than watching TV.
Not surprisingly, billions of Android and iOS apps are downloaded each year around the world. App revenues have been steadily growing over the recent years. They reached $111 billion in 2020, a 24.7% increase from 2019. App revenues cover all revenues generated in the two main app stores, including advertising, in-app purchases, subscriptions, and app purchases.
During the pandemic, people spent much more time in their homes, and businesses were forced to innovate and create new ways of reaching their customers at a lower cost. That’s where cross-platform mobile development with React Native can make a difference.
Many companies decided to launch new apps or upgrade their existing ones with React Native to handle more customers in 2020-2021. As a result, app revenues demonstrate accelerated growth rates during the last three quarters of 2020.
React Native is the second most popular framework for cross-platform application development after Flutter. Mobile apps built with React Native are efficient, native-looking, and fully functional on Android and iOS platforms. React Native app development brings measurable benefits to businesses in terms of flexibility, cost-saving, and the ability to reach more people in a shorter time.
Please read our article on 8 Reasons to Develop a Mobile App Using React Native for Android and iOS for more information on the main benefits of this cross-platform app development framework.
Cost efficiency is one of the significant advantages of building a mobile app with React Native. How much is it to build a React Native app? We hear this question so often that we decided to address it here.
This article estimates the cost of creating a React Native app for businesses that would like to build a new application for Android and iOS. After reading it, you will be able to develop a budget for your mobile app and consider various factors that could play a role in cost estimation for React Native mobile app development.
Overview of React Native App Development Cost in 2022
Released by Facebook in 2015, React Native is an open-source platform for mobile app development that enables developers to create fully functional apps for Android and iOS using JavaScript. Cross-platform compatibility, cost-efficiency, and convenience quickly made React Native the second most popular framework used by software developers worldwide after Flutter.
React Native cross-platform mobile development technology allows the development team to write one code and reuse it across different platforms. Naturally, it takes less time and money to launch one new React Native app on several platforms than to develop two separate apps for iOS and Android. As a result, many prominent market players choose this framework to build their mobile app solutions.
Savings with React Native Mobile App Development
How much does it cost to build a React Native app? On average, businesses can save 30-50% of their mobile app development cost by using React Native without giving up any quality or functionality. For many apps, this savings translates into tens of thousands of dollars.
The cost of developing a React Native application varies considerably depending on many factors, such as the complexity of an app, its category, app features (for example, user authentication, push notifications, add-ons), and the location, size, and quality of your development team. We discuss each of these factors in more detail below.
Business of Apps estimates that the starting cost of a simple app is $40 000, an average-complexity app would cost you between $60 000 and $120 000, and a complex app requires an investment of at least $120 000 in 2021. These estimates are roughly consistent with the survey done by Clutch in 2015 when the median app development cost ranged from $37 913 to $171 450.
If you plan to launch an app for Android and iOS within a short timeframe, developing two separate native apps would cost you roughly twice as much, while React Native app development cost is 30-50% lower.
Assuming a conservative 30% saving with React Native, building an average-complexity React Native app for Android and iOS would cost you about $84 000 or more. Our estimates suggest that you can typically save closer to 40-50% of the total cost with React Native.
React Native App Development Cost in 2022: Complexity
| One Native App for Android or iOS | Two Separate Native Apps for Android or iOS | One React Native Apps for Android and iOS | |
| Simple App | $40 000+ | $80 000+ | $56 000+ |
| Average App | $60 000+ | $120 000+ | $84 000+ |
| Complex App | $120 000+ | $240 000+ | $168 000+ |
Cost of Every Stage in the Process of Mobile App Development
In 2017, Clutch surveyed 102 mobile app development agencies and collected the data on how much their clients spent on each of the four major stages in the process of creating a mobile app – Discovery, Design, Development, and Testing & Deployment.
Below we used their survey results to calculate the minimum, average, and maximum app development budget at each stage. The breakdown of estimated spending on mobile app development by stages can help you estimate your expenses and create a budget and timeline for each step of the process.
Average hourly and annual wages for web developers in the U.S. have increased by 14.3% from 2017 to 2020. To bring the estimated app development costs from the 2017 survey up to date, they should be inflated by the same amount.
We adjusted the app development costs for inflation using the overall growth rate of web developers’ pay since 2017. Incidentally, these estimates are very close to the estimates from the Business of Apps above.
Using Clutch survey of web development agencies worldwide, the estimated total cost of app development varies from less than $22 857 to more than $148 570. Once again, we can see that the cost of developing a mobile app has a vast range.
How much does it cost to build a mobile app with React Native? Assuming a conservative 30% saving with React Native, creating an average-complexity React Native apps for Android and iOS would cost you $80 959. That’s a saving of $34 697 relative to the cost of developing two separate native apps. In addition, it usually takes much less time to create a React Native app for Android and iOS than two individual native apps. Our estimates indicate that you can typically save closer to 40-50% of the total cost with React Native.
Let’s review the process of mobile app development. For a simple mobile app, each of the four stages has an equal weight in total cost. For larger projects, the design and development stages are a significant part of the development process that takes up over 60% of the total budget. In addition, the design stage is more important for more sophisticated projects, where it accounts for 39% of total expenses. Interestingly, the discovery stage is usually as important as testing and deployment. This highlights the significance of evaluating your business idea, conducting preliminary research, and defining your target audience for overall app success.
In addition to these expenses, the survey results indicate that the average cost of post-launch app maintenance during the first year after deployment is about $13 171.
| Share of Cost by App Development Stage | |||
| Simple | Average | Complex | |
| Discovery | 25% | 17% | 19% |
| Design | 25% | 33% | 39% |
| Development | 25% | 30% | 23% |
| Testing & Deployment | 25% | 20% | 19% |
Sources: Clutch, 2017 Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, own calculations
To sum up, the average cost of a mobile app development varies widely depending on the app’s complexity and other factors. Out of the four major stages of app development, the stages of design and development have the most significant weight in total cost across various types of applications. React Native can help you save 30-50% due to its cross-platform compatibility if you are interested in launching a new app on more than one platform.
Factors That Affect the Cost of Building a React Native App
What factors determine the cost of building a React Native app? It turns out that many considerations can play an important role here.
Factor 1: App Complexity
The number and complexity of the features in your app determine its final cost. For example, the cost of your app will be higher if it requires backend server support, built-in user analytics, in-app purchase features, or social media sharing and integration options.
Based on a survey of more than 100 web development agencies by Clutch, the top three most affordable features include adding ratings and reviews, push notifications, and performance management to your app design. More complex features, such as a web portal for managing the app and integration with native features, can substantially increase the final cost of your app. To make them up to date, we converted the 2017 costs into today’s dollars using the overall growth rate in web developers’ pay.
Cost of App Features
| Simple | Average | Complex | |
| Push Notifications | <$5 714 | $6 514 | $85 714 |
| Ratings & Reviews | <$5 714 | $4 886 | $22 857 |
| Native Integration | <$5 714 | $11 257 | $114 285+ |
| Web Portal | <$5 714 | $21 571 | $114 285+ |
| Performance Management | <$5 714 | $7 400 | $42 857 |
Source: Clutch, 2017 Survey, own calculations
Overall, we recommend hiring a mobile app development company with an excellent track record in launching React Native applications. An experienced and skilled development team will guide you through the process of customizing the app features and functionality based on your budget and objectives.
Factor 2: App Category
The category of your application will affect its final cost. Following games, the most popular app categories in App Store are business, education, lifestyle, utilities, and entertainment.
Factor 3: Authorization
If user authentication and performance tracking within your app are on the list of your desired features, it will increase your app development cost. For an average app, the additional cost of a user login feature is $7 400. However, every app is unique, and the upper estimate is around $42 857 (see Table above).
Factor 4: Add-Ons
React Native is a flexible framework that allows you to integrate third-party add-ons, such as Google Maps or Google Calendar. Your app can be integrated with users’ social media profiles. However, custom add-ons can further increase the cost.
Factor 5: App Design
The high quality of UI/UX design of your app is a decisive factor that will make your app stand out from its competitors. Engaging user interface and efficient user flows are usually a result of a concerted effort from the skillful design, development, and user testing teams.
Factor 6: App Maintenance
Clutch survey results show that the cost of post-launch app maintenance during the first year after deployment can vary from less than $5 714 to more than $28 571. For an average app budget, maintenance is expected to cost $13 171 during the first year.
Cost of App Maintenance
| Simple | Average | Complex | |
| Push Notifications | <$5 714 | $13 171 | $28 571+ |
Factor 7: Team Size, Quality, and Location
To build a successful React Native mobile app, you need a good development team. The team size may vary, but you can expect to work with a project manager, UI/UX designer, backend developer, frontend developer, and tester. You can either try to save by hiring individual freelancers or partner with a development agency that has a proven track record.
Keep in mind that hourly rates vary depending on the quality of your development team and its location. For simple apps, the hourly rates can be between $15 and $50, while for a complex application, the range is between $50 and $125.
React Native App Development Cost and Timeline
When you have determined what type of app you would like to build, you are ready to set approximate timeframes for each stage of the development process. As we have already seen, React Native app development cost and timeline depend on the complexity of your app. Developing a simple app may take less than two months, while more steps are involved in building an average or complex React Native app.
Usually, it takes 3 to 5 months to develop an average-complexity React Native app from discovery to testing and deployment. A complex React Native app requires from 5 to 8 months to create. We set the timeframes for each stage during the discovery stage so that you know the estimated launch time and can plan your time and budget accordingly.
App Development Timeline by Stage
| Simple | Average | Complex | |
| Discovery | 2-4 weeks | 3-4 weeks | 3-6 weeks |
| Design | 2-4 weeks | 3-4 weeks | 6-8 weeks |
| Development | 2-4 weeks | 4-6 weeks | 8-12 weeks |
| Testing & Deployment | 2-4 weeks | 3-4 weeks | 3-6 weeks |
| Total | 2-4 months | 3-5 months | 5-8 months |
As we have already determined, React Native app development cost depends greatly on the complexity of a project, its features, and required functionality. Our React Native app development hourly rate can vary between $65 and $160 depending on the team member’s qualifications and job description.
When we work on developing mobile applications with React Native, the size of our development team depends on the scope of the project. Some apps can have just 20 screens, while others include 300 to 400 screens. At a very minimum, the team consists of a development coordinator and React Native developer. The development coordinator serves as a link between the backend, design, and React Native teams.
For large projects, our development team includes a development coordinator, lead developer, and senior and mid-level React Native developers. The lead developer assigns the sequence of tasks to developers, oversees the entire development process, and coordinates the internal transfer of tasks between the QA team and the development team. In addition, the responsibilities of a lead developer include ensuring that the policies set up by the development coordinator are followed.
Consider Tino Agency Your Trusted Partner
As a full-service design agency located in Houston, we help our clients define, design, and develop powerful user experiences. Our proven human-centered design process consistently delivers user-friendly and engaging digital products for our customers. We develop full-fledged mobile and web applications with frontend, backend services, and third-party integrations. We also build and redesign static websites.
React Native app development is a popular choice for startups that would like to reach a larger audience in a short amount of time while saving money due to the ability to reuse the same code on more than one platform. Recently, we developed a reader app for serialized fiction using React Native. The app features included membership authentication with different membership levels, in-app purchases, and hidden content that users can unlock using acquired tokens. React Native helped our client reach more customers in a shorter time, as it allowed us to cut the development time roughly in half.
Established companies can benefit from redesigning their apps and websites with React Native. Energy Ogre, a team of non-biased energy industry professionals committed to helping Texans save money on their electricity bills, hired our team to redesign their website and application using React Native. The functionality of their app includes the ability to search through a directory of electricity providers, third-party synchronization, and membership service. Since Energy Ogre offers similar services through their website, they could save with React Native by reusing the same code on all three platforms – Android, iOS, and web.
If you have an idea you would like to discuss with our experts, feel free to drop us a line at … , and we’ll be happy to assist you.
Final Thoughts
React Native can save money for startups who need to build a fully functional mobile application that will work on Android and iOS platforms and don’t want to waste time and resources developing two native apps. It can also offer substantial savings in time and money for established companies that would like to redesign their apps and provide similar services or products through their website.
React Native cross-platform mobile development technology can reduce your app development cost. It allows the development team to write one code and reuse it across Android, iOS, and web platforms. Thus, it takes less time and resources to launch one new React Native app on several platforms than develop two separate native apps for Android and iOS. On average, businesses can save 30-50% with React Native on their mobile app development cost without losing quality or functionality.
Multiple factors determine the cost of building a React Native app. The final app cost varies widely depending on many factors, such as the complexity of an app, its category, app features (for example, user authentication, add-ons, push notification), app design, app maintenance, as well as the size, quality, and location of your development team. For example, developing a simple React Native app for two platforms can cost you up to $32 000, while crafting a complex React Native app for Android and iOS can cost you over $203 798. Building an average-complexity React Native app for Android and iOS would cost you around $80 959. That’s $34 697 less than the cost of developing two separate native apps and likely a considerable saving in terms of time as well.
FAQ
Hourly rates vary depending on the quality, size, and location of your development team and location. Our React Native app development hourly rate can range between $65 and $160 depending on the team member’s qualifications and job description.
React Native cross-platform mobile development technology can reduce your app development cost. It allows the development team to write one code instead of two and reuse it across different platforms. Thus, it takes less time and resources to launch one new React Native app on several platforms than develop two separate native apps for Android and iOS. On average, businesses can save 30-50% with React Native on their mobile app development cost without losing quality or functionality.
The cost of a specific app varies considerably depending on many factors. For example, the complexity of an app, its category, app features (user authentication, add-ons, push notifications, etc.), design, and maintenance, as well as the size, quality, and location of your development team will affect the cost of creating a React Native app. Building an average-complexity React Native app for Android and iOS would cost you about $80 959. Developing a simple React Native app for two platforms can cost you up to $32 000 while creating a complex React Native app for Android and iOS can cost over $203 798. We estimated the cost assuming 30% savings with React Native, which could be up to 50 percent.
The total cost of app development varies from $22 857 to more than $148 570. Assuming a conservative 30% saving with React Native, building an average-complexity React Native apps for Android and iOS would cost you about $80 959. Developing a simple React Native app for two platforms can cost you up to $32 000 while creating a complex React Native app for Android and iOS can cost over $203 798.
The total cost of app development varies from $22 857 to more than $148 570. Assuming a conservative 30% saving with React Native, building an average-complexity React Native apps for Android and iOS would cost you about $80 959. Developing a simple React Native app for two platforms can cost you up to $32 000 while creating a complex React Native app for Android and iOS can cost over $203 798.