COST to Build a Mobile App in Singapore 2022

It’s become something that is inevitable these days. It’s almost like breathing. Everybody is making an app and everybody intends on riding the mobile wave, however long it lasts.

A lot of startups and individuals don’t think twice

Mobile App Trends 2022

One more year has passed and the Mobile App juggernaut hasn’t shown signs of stopping. In fact, it has grown considerably and M-commerce is one of the biggest ways to do business.

In 2020, Mobile apps are expected to generate $189 Billion in revenues. Here are few other stats to chew on.

• Online payments through the mobile have grown by a CAGR of 30%
• The wearable app market is set to become a USD33 Billion market, making smartwatch apps the next big thing
• The IoT market has grown to USD457 Billion, making it a ripe industry to tap

Mobile App Trends in Singapore

If you are building a Mobile App in Singapore. Here are the trends you need to keep in mind.

Wearable Devices and IoT

As mentioned earlier, wearable devices are going to be the rage with over 245 million units expected to sell in 2020. It makes sense for app makers to focus on creating apps that are smartwatch friendly.

With devices like Alexa and Google home becoming mainstream, the definition of apps will change to become a more omnipotent force.

Chatbots

Chatbots are becoming mainstream on the web and the same is expected for mobile apps. Consider integrating your app with a Chatbot to give your users a better experience. Chatbots will also improve app retention as a majority of the user’s queries are handled by the Chatbot.

AR and VR

The AR and VR revolution isn’t here yet but based on estimates, its expected to be a $200 Billion market by 2020. Adding a VR component was expensive back in the day due to a lack of developers. Now, to make a VR feature has become much cheaper. Shopping apps and games can use the power of AR to have a more engaging app experience.

Predictive Analytics

Enabling your app with predictive analytics can do wonders for your app business. Businesses like Google and Facebook use the power of predictive analytics to give a better experience to their user that improves important metrics like Monthly Active Users, Daily Active Users etc.

if they need an app or not. An online store that is selling furniture may not need a mobile application because people may not buy through it, maybe its just sufficient to have a mobile responsive site.

WHY GO MOBILE?

Mobile is the next level of getting the attention of the user. It’s the medium that is right in the hands of the user and it’s most likely that they’ll interact with content on their mobile.

Before we get to how much it’ll cost you to make a mobile app. Let’s do where your business needs a website or an app. A company called Crew did a small side project called ‘Apps Vs Websites’ that helps us figure this question out.

Here are some example questions that help you figure it out…

Here is the link to Apps Vs Websites.

Why Should You Develop a Mobile App?

Mobile apps are a great way to reach out to your customers and even if you aren’t interested in building games or productivity apps, you sure can better the experience of your customers and employees with the right app.

Giving the Initial Push

Be it the new cafe round the corner or the salon in your area, a dedicated mobile app is what they have to offer with which they aim to take their marketing to the next level. Here are some major benefits of owning a mobile app and it is better to get one for your business today instead of staying way behind your competitors in the future.

Increases visibility to customers

Statistics reveal that a smartphone user spends more than 2 and a half hours on his mobile device every day and more than half of it is spent on apps. Having a mobile app will help increase the company’s visibility to customers as they scroll through and scan their device in search of the perfect app!

Provides value

If you wish to reward your customers, let them collect the same through the app! This will increase downloads and retain old customers easily.

Direct marketing channel

As an app has the ability to serve several functions such as providing information, playing games, audios and videos, offering news feeds, chat and more. Through it, it works as a direct marketing channel which provides your user with all the information you wish to provide them with. Push notifications allow direct interaction and remind customers of the products and services you have to offer.

Helps build brand name

Your brand awareness and name increases tremendously with a mobile app which works like a billboard sign. If your app has the perfect features and is beautifully designed, nothing can stop it from increasing your business by many folds.

Gives way to customer loyalty

Your mobile app will generate customer loyalty which is of utmost importance in today’s time. With excessive competition making its way in every field, having customers who stay loyal to your brand are a blessing in disguise and all that you need to make your business profitable and popular. A mobile app helps give that personalised touch to your brand and makes users feel connected at all times.

Better customer engagement

With a mobile app, your customers can easily reach out to you and communicate their needs, preferences, likes and dislikes. This makes your business a favourite amongst users.

Rise above the competition

Mobile apps are still not so common amongst small businesses and by owning one you can easily beat competition and rise above it.

Why you should invest in Mobile apps?

In today’s world, almost all the customers are on the move and are making use of mobile applications to stay in touch with their brands anytime of the day. Whether it is a mobile phone, a tablet or any other similar device, a mobile app offers all the information that a potential customer needs at the simple press of a button. Moreover, the apps which work on several mobile application platforms are the one that take away the cake undoubtedly.

Regardless of the fact as to what kind of a business you run, a mobile app can be helpful in getting new customers as well as retaining the old ones. In today’s tech driven world, a customer who is in search of any kind of product or service first goes online in search of it and then talks to anyone else about it.

Being available online will give your business a big boost especially if it is in the form of mobile apps where users can download all the information regarding your business on their mobile and make use of it whenever they want to. Your business in the form of a mobile app will be available at their fingertips to see, experience and purchase from when need be!

Cost to build Mobile App

So now that you’ve figured out whether you need to build an app or not, let’s get to the costing of it.

Gigster in San Francisco is a company that connects a person to top Software Developers. They did their own research and figured out that these are the costs to build an application based on type.

For iOS development

Here are the applications that were covered and these were the approximate costs…

Uber – $45,000 to $50,000

It’s pretty obvious because of the features in the Uber app. It’s real time, it uses the GPS and it’s highly interactive and needs to be super fast.

Facebook and Snapchat – $40,000

Social apps like Facebook and Snapchat were sub $40,000, but they have a lot of features like uploading a picture, real-time feed and option for commenting.

Amazon – $45,000

An e-commerce app like Amazon has features like browsing through the app, adding a lot of products and should be able to handle heavy traffic that has a payment gateway attached to it.

Product Hunt – $ Below 35,000

An app like Product Hunt would set you back at least $35,000. It has features where you add new listings and check out existing ones and commenting. It’s pretty simple compared to all the apps above.

For Android

Uber type of apps would cost you around $38,000

An app like Tinder would cost around $35,000

A Yelp type of app would cost between $28,000 and $32,000

Snapchat would surprisingly not cost that much at all compared to the iOS version with the costing hovering between $24,000 and $28,000

Cost of hiring mobile app developers or mobile app development company in Singapore is quite similar to such costing highlighted.

You are paying these amount for these apps only because these numbers are quoted from the average software developers and don’t expect the app to be shipped in weeks. Those are the timelines for some of the apps for the basic version or what developers mean by Minimum Viable Product, MVP.

Also, top software developers will cost you MUCH more. Novatise has the chance to work with some of the cream of the crop developers who charge SGD$250/hour (no joke).

Apps like Uber, Airbnb, and Tinder would take at least four – twelve months to ship. Apps like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Snapchat will take a minimum for three-six months.

All the above numbers are for the bare basic version of the application and for more extra features it would cost you half of the total cost. So if the cost to build an app is around $30,000 then for the complete version, it’ll at least take $45,000.

If these prices are too much for you, then you could always go to sites like Freelancer.com and Upwork.com where you could get a bunch of developers to bid on your project where they would compete with each other on price. Platforms like this would give you a much cheaper option for building an app.

Creating a Mobile App in Singapore – Process

There are five steps to creating a Mobile App in Singapore. 

Goal 

Firstly, you start off with a goal. What is the timeline of the project? What is the end goal of the project? What should the end user be able to do? 

Only if you have goals, then you have something to aim for and you can direct the freelancer or the app development company in the right direction. 

App Structure and Layout 

Before you embark on creating an app, the first step is to create a structure and layout. What should the app flow be? What should be the user flow? 

This should be the main focus for the app development. Without this blueprint, one cannot go ahead with the app development flow. This is where you need a highly qualified product manager who can come in and decide on the flow of the app. 

Wireframes 

Once you are happy with the structure of the app, you can create wireframes using a template design and create a simple flow. Wireframes help the likes of decision makers understand the flow of the app. Wireframes are also super important to understand if the app is working well or not. 

App Development 

Once the wireframes are approved, the app development process can begin. It’s way easier to develop the app with a good wireframe and a blueprint. 

Testing 

Before the app goes live, it should be tested constantly for various use cases and to fix any bugs that one might encounter. 

How to Hire a Mobile App Development Company in Singapore

If you are looking to hire a mobile app agency in Singapore, then you are in the right place. It can be a tad difficult to gauge the expertise of a mobile app agency in Singapore. So here is a simple checklist to follow. 

#1 — Ask for past work 

This is basic, but it’s also important to understand the level of work they’ve done in the past. This will give you an idea if the work they’ve done is technical or not. Go through those apps thoroughly and see the design and the functionalities of those apps and you can gauge for yourself the capabilities of the team you are hiring. 

#2 —  Ask for Testimonials 

You could always ask for references of the clients they’ve worked with in the past and understand from them if the app development company has been professional or not, have delivered on time or not, have produced the highest quality of work or not. 

#3 —  Learn their strengths 

Some agencies have particular strengths. For example they might be good at making gaming apps. There’s always an expertise that an agency has and you’ll need to find out of those strengths align with your requirements. 

#4 — Hire a Technical Friend

If you want to see if the app development company has the technical chops, you could always hire a friend who is technically proficient to interview them and ask them various questions. 

SUM IT UP ON MOBILE APP DEVELOPMENT IN SINGAPORE

How much does it cost to develop a mobile app?

A simple mobile app with basic functionalities can set you back around S$10,000. With a lesser experienced app maker, you can probably get it done for S$5000

How much does an Android app cost?It depends on the kind of app, look at the table above to get an idea. But the cost of an Android app is always lesser than an iOS app.

Where can I hire an app developer?

You can find app developers in sites such as Freelancer.com or Mobile App Development Agencies.

How much does it cost to maintain an app?

If you are running a very successful app that requires a lot of work, then you will need to hire full-time employees. If there aren’t too many updates and it is a simple app, then a few hundred dollars should be fine for a year.

How much does it cost to hire someone to build an app?

Look at the table below.

How do free apps make money?

They serve ads to their customers and make money on link clicks or ad impressions

How much does it cost to create an app like Uber?

Check the table below.

How long does it take to build an app?

Generally 1 to 2 months for simple apps. Really complicated apps can take anywhere between 3 months to 6 months. It also depends on the size of the team that is working on the app.

Table for Type of Apps and the COST in Building it

Type of App	Cost
Mobile Shopping	S$20,000 to S$40,000
Car/Cab booking	S$30,000 to S$60,000
Social Media and Chat	S$15,000 to S$40,000
Gaming	2D  S$50,000 to S$80,000   3D  S$80,000 to S$100,000
Enterprise Mobile Application	S$30,000 to S$50,000
Hotel Booking	S$50,000 to S$70,000
Healthcare / Medical	S$70,000 to S$90,000.
Flight / Travel Booking	S$30,000 to S$50,000.
Retail	S$20,000 to S$40,000
Banking and Finance	S$40,000 to S$80,000
Event Management	S$20,000 to S$30,000
Educational	S$20,000 to S$40,000
Online food order	S$20,000 to S$40,000

So I hope this article clears out any questions you have regarding pricing and helps you with making a decision when comes to developing mobile applications in Singapore. Making apps are not cheap after all and you’ll have to think twice or thrice before you go and invest in your idea.

The best way to start building an app is to build a basic prototype with free tools like Flinto and Marvel and go around and share those prototypes with your potential users and get their feedback on utility, ease of use, proof of concept. Show these prototypes to venture capitalists as well, who’ll give you honest feedback on your idea.

After gathering all this data, ask yourself if your idea is worth pursuing it or not and if it is worth pursuing find out if your users are primarily Android users or iOS users. Once you have that figured out, you can go about building your app.

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