The number of people who love to go shopping is significantly decreasing. Instead of going somewhere, people prefer to sit at home and purchase goods on e-commerce apps. In the retail sector, online apps often become the main source of customer traffic, to the extent that businesses close their offline outlets.
It all sounds fascinating until business owners consider how to develop such an app and how much it will cost. Let’s break down the average e-commerce app development cost ranges and say what factors influence the final price tag.
What types of E-commerce Apps Exist?
There are six groups of e-commerce software:
- Marketplaces. These attract a broad audience by offering multiple brands and a user-friendly interface, complemented by analytical tools to enhance market penetration.
- Fiat and crypto exchanges. These platforms provide trading capabilities with detailed charts and dashboards, making investments and trading more accessible and less complicated.
- Payment services. These solutions facilitate transactions between buyers and online stores, enhancing the B2B experience.
These three types are typically the most costly. Large companies with big budgets typically make these apps.
- Online auctions. These offer an innovative approach to digital trading through accessible auction systems.
- Digital wallets. These secure and reliable applications assist users in managing their finances.
- Online stores. These platforms feature easy-to-navigate catalogs, user-friendly filters, advanced search options, and tailored recommendations. They ensure security with end-to-end encryption and other safety measures.
These types of e-commerce apps are cheaper and more affordable for SMBs.
The Main Cost Factors for E-commerce Apps
Platform Selection
Developing for iOS, Android, or both impacts the e-commerce app development cost.
You have two options: create separate native apps or make cross-platform applications. The distinction lies in the way they are developed. Native apps for several platforms are built independently, and this approach is more suitable for complex, demanding apps. The cost of developing native software is several times higher.
Cross-platform development implies the use of shared chunks of code between several platforms. This accelerates development and reduces costs because less labor is required to maintain and update the app across different platforms.
This table shows the app development cost breakdown for native and cross-platform approaches. As you can see, cross-platform app building is more affordable:
source: generated with DALL-E 3
Functions and Integrations
You have several options: build an MVP with only essential functions included, develop a full-fledged app with all the necessary functions, or create a complex app with advanced technologies and features.
Basic functions for e-commerce apps may include:
- User management
- Product catalog
- Order management
- Payment integration
- Customer support
- User registration and login
- Product display
- Shopping cart and checkout
- Order tracking
- Customer feedback
Advanced features in e-commerce apps can be:
- AI-powered recommendation
- Augmented reality (AR)
- Voice search
- Social commerce integration
- Loyalty programs
- Multi-language and currency support
Integration with third-party services (payment gateways, CRM systems, etc.) also adds to mobile app development expenses. The exact price of implementing features is hard to determine. It’s better to contact a development company to know precise budget frames.
Development Team Location
Outsourcing allows you to determine the location of your staff. If you are budget-limited and don’t mind the different time zones, consider developers from Asia or Eastern Europe, as they charge more competitive prices than North American and Western European teams.
Testing
Thorough testing guarantees that the application works as intended, is error-free, and offers a flawless user experience. Unit, integration, system, and user acceptability testing are the many testing methodologies used in this process.
Extensive testing can dramatically raise the development duration and expenses because it necessitates meticulous attention to detail and repeated feedback cycles and changes.
Maintenance and Support
Regular updates are necessary to fix bugs, improve functionality, and ensure compatibility with the latest operating system versions. This ongoing effort incurs additional app maintenance and update costs, which can vary depending on the complexity of your app and the frequency of updates required. We recommend allocating around 20% of the budget to maintenance.
How Much Does it Cost to Develop an E-commerce App?
A complete execution cycle for an e-commerce app is projected to cost around $105,000 on average, depending on the requirements.
source: generated with DALL-E 3
Wrapping Up
The market is expanding fast, and demand surpasses present opportunities. That is why now is the ideal moment to begin developing your e-commerce app.
Don’t be puzzled and perplexed. Contact the development company to get exact e-commerce mobile app pricing. They can provide a detailed estimate based on your specific requirements and goals.
