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A web or mobile application that facilitates trading, buying and selling of goods and services is coined as an eCommerce app. These usually feature an interface to browse and filter search based on product, pricing, brands and typical functions such as a shopping cart, payment gateways, checkout, user/customer account management, order tracking and review purchase history.
When it comes to determining eCommerce app development cost, it’s worth knowing all such factors in a combination of apps such as online product review, recipe and web browser apps that lets you search and buy products online. Some of the best eCommerce applications to name are Amazon, Alibaba, Etsy, eBay and more like these. According to a report by BusinessInsider, the app market size by 2027 is expected to reach approximately $370 billion.
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eCommerce apps are all the rage and the market experienced an unprecedented boom during and post-pandemic as most of the businesses shifted to the model. Now, if you’re an aspiring entrepreneur with a million-dollar idea on developing the next-gen solution and keen to know about average eCommerce app cost, the best way to start is by approaching a professional eCommerce app development company. With this, another fact you should be concerned about is eCommerce app development cost.
Gauging the exact amount can be difficult as it combines total features a final product would have, technology involved, company services charges, developers rate (can be higher if you’re working with a freelancer) and so much more. With eCommerce app development cost in 2023, do note that prices also vary from a company to another and even between countries. Let’s dig deeper in the world of app development and find out all the factors relevant to pricing.
To help you get started, we’ve compiled a pricing list based on the complexity of mobile applications. Have a look below:
Important: Do note that the above costs may vary depending on factors like origin of development, geography and demography, technology and so on.
There has been an awakening of tech startups ever since smartphones, tablets, and apps have changed the game for business markets. More than a billion users all over the world prefer apps to execute tasks of all sorts and sizes. Let’s explore an average eCommerce app development cost by timeline.
To build an eCommerce app, there isn’t any predefined mathematical rule or cost calculator but, you can still predict near perfect outcome from the following formula or equation:
eCommerce mobile app development cost (in total) = Development time x Cost per hour
Also, the above equation is derived from the three main factors that directly affect the price range and can be used to determine the final range of the development project. These are:
Building an eCommerce app in 2023 can range anywhere between $10,000 and $2,15,000 however depending on addons and complexity. Refer to the table below:
| Complexity Level | Timeline/Timeframe | Estimated |
| Simple/Minimalistic App | 3-to-4 months | $10,000-to-$15,000 |
| Mid-Size/Average App | 4-to-7 months | $20,000-to-$30,000 |
| Large-Size App | 5-to-9 months | $40,000-to-$50,000 |
| Complex/High-End App | 6-to-10 months | $75,000-to-$90,000 |
| Enterprise-Grade/Futuristic App | 8-to-12 months | Can start from $90,000 |
Let’s divide the eCommerce app building cost by stages of development and figure out average project cost.
The table below outlines phase-wise cost of eCommerce app development and a generic prediction on completion timeline. It must be noted that information shared below is tentative.
| Stage | Timeframe | Cost | Phase Achievements |
| Research and Analysis | 2-to-3 and even 4 weeks | $3,000-to-$10,000 |
|
| UI/UX Design | 4-to-8 weeks | Between $5,000 and $20,000 |
|
| Development | Approximately 12-to-20 weeks (can be more or less) | $30,000-to-$150,000 |
|
| Testing | Approximately 2-to-4 weeks | Range between $5,000-to-$20,000 |
|
| Post-release App Support and Maintenance | Continuous/Ongoing | Can be anywhere between $1,000 and $5,000 per month |
|
Now that you’ve had the basic idea on eCommerce app price, we’ll further explore each of the above in detail.
Corporate/business research which is commonly known as the discovery phase is important for almost every type of custom eCommerce app development project. Perhaps your interest lies in iOS app development cost for eCommerce or simply, an all-star eCommerce mobile app development company, a preliminary yet detailed project analysis is important. All participating teams are briefed about the project scope and settle down on the technologies to be used and define guidelines. Here’s what makes this phase crucial:
It must be noted that the hourly rate of professional app development companies and freelance developers for the discovery phase may vary per country and even between regions. Let the table below give you an initial idea:
| Location | Approximate Time Frame | Approx Cost to Create an eCommerce app (per hour) |
| Canada | Between 2-to-4 weeks | $40-to-$80 |
| U.S.A | Maximum 3 weeks | $45-to-$90 |
| Latin America | Around 1-to-3 weeks | $30-to-$80 |
| Eastern Europe | Around 1-to-3 weeks | $35-to-$90 |
| Asia | Around 1-to-3 weeks | $30-to-$50 |
UI design is all about app interaction with its users whereas UX focuses on the look, feel and experience on a platform. Users, in the end, can benefit from:
To find out about the hourly rates of eCommerce mobile app designers in different parts of the world, refer to the table below:
| Location | Hours (approx) | App Cost (approx) (per hour) |
| Canada | Min. 120 – Max. 200 | $60-to-$100 |
| U.S.A | Min. 120 – Max. 180 | $65-to-$110 |
| Latin America | Min. 100 – Max. 170 | $45-to-$55 |
| Eastern Europe | Min. 100 – Max. 170 | $35-to-$60 |
| Asia | Min. 10 – Max. 150 | $30-to-$45 |
When comparing Android and iOS eCommerce app development UI and UX, it’s obvious iOS takes more time and complex technology is involved in the process.
In this particular stage, the actual coding and programming of the eCommerce mobile application takes place which also influences overall expense that may incur in the final product.
Backend and frontend functionalities of the app, employment of one or more developers are a few major considerations of this phase. When hiring professional developers or eCommerce app development companies, you may need to decide if you want the app either for Android, iOS or both platforms.
Developer’s job is to create the app and deploy it on the respective app stores, post-ensuring that all publishing guidelines are being met and that the app is authentic and developed with utmost standards. Refer to the table below:
| App Developer | Hours (approx) | Development Cost (approx) (per hour) |
| Frontend | Between 160 and 170 | Min. $80, Max $100 |
| Backend | Around 200-to-220 | Min. $60, Max $90 |
The above pricing model however is subjected to major change based on the skillset, overall industry experience and country of developers origin.
Quality Assurance experts then test the eCommerce mobile application to make sure the final product before public release is entirely glitch-free. The app passes through multiple testing environments such as regression, load and smoke testing as well as many other steps. Testing is carried out simultaneously with each production phase as well as final testing; none of the steps are skippable. On the team’s go-ahead cue, your eCommerce mobile app is released to the public. To know about QA charges as per region can be found in the table below but, only for reference:
| Locations | Hours (approx) | Cost of App (approx) (per hour) |
| Canada | 28-42 | Min. $60, Max. $90 |
| U.S.A | 40-50 | Min. $70, Max. $90 |
| Latin America | 30-35 | Min. $35, Max. $50 |
| Eastern Europe | 30-40 | Min. $30, Max. $55 |
| Asia | 25-20 | Min. $25, Max. $35 |
If you’re wondering about the cost to develop an eCommerce app, it’s logically related to all the collective features and functionalities that are included in the final product. Whereas testing and bug fixing phase takes more or less 30% of the cost that’s branched to the customer (frontend) deployment during production.
Now that we’ve explained eCommerce app development cost and process phase-by-phase, lets also include another resource who’ll eventually be serving as a bridge between customers and development team. The answer is project manager and there may be more than one depending on the scope of the eCommerce app development project. And with this, there’s also a cost associated with the job. Here’re a few responsibilities of a project manager:
To manage a project is time consuming and mentally draining which is why some businesses charge per hour rate for this particular job. Whereas other companies have fixed charges to pay. Refer to the details in the table below:
| Location | Hours (approx) | App Cost (approx) (per hour) |
| Canada | Min. 200, Max. 440 | Min. $60, Max. $100 |
| U.S.A | Min. 200, Max. 350 | Min. $70, Max. $120 |
| Latin America | Min. 150, Max. 300 | Min. $70, Max. $90 |
| Eastern Europe | Min. 150, Max. 250 | Min. $40, Max. $50 |
| Asia | Min. 200, Max. 220 | Min. $35, Max. $50 |
Level of complexity is the key driver for eCommerce app development cost whereas types of business app categories also impacts on the pricing model. The app development cost analysis shared above is just to give you a better understanding of the market whereas actual rate may vary based on a variety of factors.
Let’s finally explore some of the major influential factors to the cost of app development for eCommerce. These details are surely going to help you in planning your app development budget.
Native apps are built to serve only a single platform means these can either be for Android or iOS and not for both. In addition, native apps are independently managed that also factors in for the differentiation in cost.
Hybrid/Cross-platform apps can support multiple devices and operating systems using only a single codebase. You can create hybrid eCommerce apps for a variety of operating systems such as Android, iOS and even Windows.
| Variables | Native Apps | Hybrid Apps |
| Cost | Basic App: Min. $5000, Max. $6000 | Basic App: Min. $5000, Max. $7000 |
| Performance | Faster response time | Slow response time |
| Coding and maintenance | High and strict standards | Moderate/average |
| Programming Language Stack | Objective-C, iOS SDK, Java, Android SDK | HTML, CSS, Javascript |
| Time to Development | Min. 3, Max. 4 months | Min. 2, Max. 3 months |
| Works Best with | With high-performance and strictest standards | With low-performance and lenient requirements for development |
| Code Compatibility | For a single platform | Enable code porting and sharing to multiple platforms |
Expert Advice: Native applications are technologically advanced, securer and offer a far better, smoother user experience as compared to hybrid applications. These are a few reasons businesses prefer native over hybrid apps, even for eCommerce.
For every successful project, one may start from a single step that defines a long, effective and profitable journey instead of skipping steps and falling face down. Take for instance, Instagram was originally developed for iPhone users on the iOS platform in 2010 whereas it became available for Android and Google Play Store in 2014; almost four years later!
That said, you might as well be interested in creating an app like TikTok or even learning about more than 100 lucrative app ideas as a means to satisfy your appetite to lead the market with a killer, next-gen mobile app.
Coming back to choosing between Android and iOS, let’s have a look at the comparison table below to help you make an informed decision:
| Variables | Android | iOS |
| Market Share | 70%-to-75% | 25%-to-30% |
| Programming Languages | Kotlin, Java | Objective-C, Swift |
| Time to Develop | Anywhere between 3 and 4 months | Around 3 months |
| Costing | Basic starts with $5,000 | Basic may start from $4,500 |
| Platforms/Devices | Multiple choices that varies from smartphones to tablets and more | Limited to iPhone, iPad and iPod |
The coming of many lucrative features to smartphones like push notifications and third-party integration, it’s obvious base price for the app is likely to rise up. Consider the following table for a better understanding on breaking down the cost of eCommerce app development in 2023 based on features and functionalities.
| Features | Functions | Hours (approx) | Cost (approx) |
| User login | A necessary login feature that lets users validate combination of username/password to access the app | Min. 15, Max. 20 | Min. $700, Max. $1,200 |
| In-app messages and communication | Allow users to chat and communicate with each other in a hassle-free way | Min. 80, Max. 100 | Min. $2,800, Max. $3,500 |
| In-app purchases | Number of products, subscription cost, premium features, services/product listing | Min. 20, Max. 40 | Min. $700, Max. $1,400 |
| Multiple language | UI updates, data management, instructions, various programming languages | Min. 15, Max. 40 | Min. $500, Max. $1,400 |
Now that we’ve come clean on the cost of eCommerce app development in 2023 and various features that make or break the deal, the decision is purely yours to lead the industry with a stunning, feature rich eCommerce application.
Whether interested in knowing about ecommerce app development cost in 2023 or, any other mobile application, key features to consider that also directly impacts on pricing are:
Cost of developing an app, be it for Android or iOS would depend on several factors including number of features, functions, difference in technology stack for development on both platforms etc. Still, for a better understanding, refer to the table below:
| Type of App | Average Cost |
| Native apps (Android & iOS) | Anywhere between $20,000 and $100,000 |
| Cross-platform apps | $25,000 to $60,000 |
| Web Apps | Minimum $15,000, Maximum $50,000 (can be more) |
| Hybrid Apps | Can start from $10,000 and exceed up to $150,000 |
To find the right ecommerce app development partner company is a tricky and often lengthy process. You have to do a lot of research and consider factors like technology stack, your budget, target market etc. Here are a few questions you should ask:
For payment, consider the following details:
There are instances where you might have to pay extra such as; change in initial design and introducing new features to the app. Still, you can avoid additional costs through Product Discovery which itself covers the following aspects:
If your eCommerce app idea is similar to your competitors or takes on the traditional model as exists in the market, pre-built app templates can surely save you a lot of time and money. However, a custom-built app is to make your store or brand stand out of the crowd with those special features, sophisticated design and functionalities that’s ought to take the user-experience to the next level.
An e-commerce app with basic/must-have essential features such as customer login, filter-rich search function, push notifications, product catalog, reviews and ratings, shopping cart, e-payment channels and order tracking can cost you anywhere between $15,000 and $50,000.
The accurate time to develop an eCommerce app depends on your business goals and product requirements. It may take around 3-and-4 months. However, adding details and functions may extend the development timeline for more or less 7 months.
To outsource the task or proceed in-house depends on the skills, solutions and technologies available at-hand and most importantly, your budget. In-house development and management is easier whereas outsourcing the task might take more time and even exceeds your budget.
To avoid paying extra for an ecommerce app development, be clear with your requirements from the start by being visionary. It means you should plan the app for a longer run while considering all the challenges that may appear during the process.
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Meet Ahsan, the wordsmith behind some of the most electrifying pieces on app development. Armed with a keyboard, a cup of coffee, and an insatiable curiosity, Ahsan has spent years exploring the wild and wonderful world of app development and currently working at Trango Tech. So buckle up, grab a cup of coffee (or tea, we won't judge), and get ready to dive headfirst into the exciting and ever-changing world of app development with Ahsan as your guide.
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