Plain-English guide
How much does an app cost in the UK?
Short answer: most apps in the UK cost between £8,000 and £30,000. A launch-ready foundation starts from £4,500, a first version (an MVP) from £8,000, and larger platform apps run from £32,000 and up. What you pay depends on how much the app does, which we explain below.
| Type of app | Typical cost | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Launch-ready foundation | £4,500 to £7,000 | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Starter app (MVP) | £8,000 to £15,000 | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Growth app | £16,000 to £30,000 | 6 to 10 weeks |
| Platform app | £32,000 and up | 10 to 14 weeks |
These are the ranges we see most often. Every quote we give is fixed for the agreed scope, so the number does not move once we start.
Rough cost estimator
Get a ballpark in 20 seconds
Pick the closest starting point, then tick anything your app needs. This is a rough guide, not a quote. The only way to a real number is a quick chat.
Rough range
£2,000 to £4,500
Base £2,000–£4,500
Typically 2 to 3 weeks. Fixed once we scope it.
Get a fixed quote on a free callWhat drives the cost
An app is not one price any more than a house is. Six things move the number up or down more than anything else.
How many screens and features
Every screen and every feature is design plus build plus testing. The single biggest lever on cost is how much the app does on day one.
One platform or two
iOS and Android together cost more than one. Many apps launch on one platform first, then add the second once people are using it.
Accounts, payments and data
Logins, subscriptions, and anything that stores or syncs data need a backend. That is real engineering, not just screens.
Integrations
Plugging into other tools, such as maps, messaging or a booking system, adds work depending on how fiddly each one is.
Design polish
A rough internal tool and a consumer app people will judge in five seconds are different jobs. More polish, more time.
What happens after launch
Apps are never truly finished. A care plan for fixes, updates and small improvements is part of the real cost of owning one.
What is an MVP, and why start there?
MVP stands for minimum viable product. In plain terms, it is the smallest useful version of your app: the one thing it must do well, and nothing else yet. It is the cheapest way to get a real app in front of real users, learn what they actually want, and grow from there instead of guessing up front.
Most first-time founders spend less by launching an MVP from £8,000, or a launch-ready foundation from £4,500, than by trying to build everything at once. You can always add more once people are using it.
How we keep the cost down
- Launch-ready foundations. We start from app bases we have already built and tested, so you are not paying to reinvent common features.
- A fixed scope. We agree exactly what is in the build, quote a fixed price for it, and price anything extra up front as a change request. No open-ended meters running.
- An Idea Sprint first. For £1,500 you get research, a clickable prototype and a real build plan, and we take that cost off the build if you go ahead. It stops you spending £20,000 on the wrong thing.
- Paying in stages. You pay in three parts as the work lands, not all up front, and we can talk about monthly instalments if that suits your cash flow.
Want a real number for your idea?
Tell us what you are building on a free 20-minute call and we will give you an honest range and a plan, with no pressure.
Book a free 20-min callOur promises
Saying yes should feel safe.
01
You own 100% of your code
The code, the designs and your Apple and Google accounts are yours the moment you have paid. No lock-in, ever.
02
Free bug fixes for 30 days
Anything that breaks in the first month after launch, we fix at no charge. We will always tell you what counts as a bug and what counts as a new feature.
03
On time, or 5% off
If we miss the launch date we agreed because of us, you get 5% off. Delays on your side do not count.
Get in touch
Got a project? Let’s build it.
Tell us what you’re working on and we’ll reply the same working day. A founder reads every enquiry.
info@twonorthstudios.comManchester, UK
53.4808° N · 2.2426° W