Opinion
How much does it cost to rebuild a mobile app?
Gareth Reese
December 8, 2023
It’s no secret that we’re in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, and businesses big and small are having to tighten their belts considerably.
But if crucial elements of your business are hindering more than helping - like your mobile app - then investing in it can actually strengthen the business and see you through the rough times.
But what is the cost of rebuilding a mobile app? Is it always necessary to strip it back to its bare bones and start again? What are the factors affecting how much it will cost?
Let’s take a look.
The cost of rebuilding a mobile app can vary significantly depending on loads of different factors, and you should factor these in before starting the rebuild process:
How many features the app has, how complicated its functionality is, and its overall design will have a direct impact on the development time and effort required, which, in turn, influences the overall cost of the rebuild.
If we have to rebuild the app for multiple platforms, such as iOS and Android, then this doubles the amount of time, complexity, effort, and cost needed for the project. This is where cross-platform frameworks come in so handy, so stay tuned for the pros later in the article!
Integrating third-party services, APIs, or SDKs can add complexity and cost to the rebuilding process (because they’re a bit of a pain, to be honest!).
If you want your app to have an ultra-modern and user-friendly interface, it requires expertise and time, which - you guessed it - contributes to the overall cost.
This might not seem like an obvious one, but the location and experience level of the development team can influence the cost. Compare London prices with off-shore prices, and you’ll soon see what we mean.
Needing to implement different development methodologies, such as Agile or Waterfall, can add to the top line.
While rebuilding a mobile app can be a significant investment, it also offers several advantages, like:
Rebuilding your app with modern technologies is the ideal opportunity to improve its performance, responsiveness, and scalability for future growth. Which ties in with…
A modern design and enhanced UI/UX can improve user engagement, satisfaction, and retention. A customer who finds the user experience easy is going to keep coming back - and tell others about it too.
If we have to rebuild the app for multiple platforms, such as iOS and Android, then this is where cross-platform tech can really pay dividends going forward. We can re-use as much business logic from the original apps as possible, while using a framework such as Flutter to build the front-end just once across both platforms. This halves your development and maintenance costs going forward, and we can easily host the Flutter UI on the existing apps for a seamless transition.
Rebuilding eliminates any outdated code and embraces modern frameworks, tools, and libraries for better security and maintainability. It also means that it’ll run faster and have more features. This also reduces maintenance costs.
If you’ve always had issues with certain parts of the app that let the side down, then a rebuild is the perfect time to iron out those gremlins once and for all. Wave bye-bye to existing bugs, technical debt, or performance bottlenecks.
Mobile app technology moves at such a rapid pace that it pays to have an overhaul regularly. After all, a modern app is better equipped to adapt to evolving technologies and user needs, and it keeps you one step ahead of your competitors.
Like any project of this nature, there will be some minor drawbacks, such as the monetary cost involved and the time it’ll take to rebuild, but when you weigh it up against the positive gains that you can make, then they pale into insignificance. It could even potentially pay for itself in under 18 months.
So, how much will your mobile app rebuild cost you?
Well, if you factor in all the above considerations, you might be able to come up with a rough number, but why guess when we can give you a definitive figure? We’ve been developing apps for the likes of Levi’s and EA for well over a decade, and we’ve also got loads of experience rebuilding apps that other more unscrupulous companies have made a mess of.
Take advantage of our free consultation call, and we can tell you what we think needs to be done to get your app performing at optimum efficiency. Depending on how it's built and what you require from it, your app might not even need a full reconstruction.
Get in touch with your project specifications and requirements to receive an accurate estimate today.
