Being new to this field, I am looking for views about how much does it cost in developing a smartphone application for particular business and being new to this market, I would like to know the man-hour rate going on in the market for developing these apps?
For me it really comes down to the apps themselves. The complexity and platform. Android is easier to code for than iOS, so I tend to charge a bit more iOS apps. Also depends on the clients budget, as I do try to accommodate their budgets to a reasonable degree.
Also, because few people do mobile dev, you can charge more. My rate is between 450 to 600 ZAR per hour. And like I said, iOS usually costs more as it takes more time to code. But yea, hope that gives you an idea
Thanks for sharing this information. It would be of great help in how we price our service.
I am relatively new to mobile apps - my first free Android app has been released to Android Market just a few weeks ago and is doing quite well. I am also coding iPhone version of the same app right now.
I think you would be better off hiring some developers from India / China using freelancing sites like Freelancer or Odesk.
The rates I have seen quoted by Indian iPhone developers at Freelancer were in the range of $12-$20 / hr, but this is what they post on their portfolio pages. When they actually bid on your project, it is quite often a fixed price bid, and their rates would usually be smaller than that.
Of course, EVERYTHING depends on the project complexity. Really simple app could be done for $250, average app could probably be coded for $1000 - $3000, and $10,000++ app projects are there too…
Also, just a good quality app launcher icon may cost you $50-$80 if you decide to hire a pro graphic artist. I paid $80 for my icon and I really liked the results (it could also be seen on a website in my profile). Before hiring a designer, I have drawn a bunch of drafts by hand, and then posted it as part of my project specs. I think getting good icon is very important - it should catch user’s attention while they are browsing the APP STORE or Android Market. Also, I am using mine as a Twitter avatar and it does help to attract more users.
Good luck with your app ideas,
Alex
P.S. Oh I just realized that you are NOT looking to develop the app, but rather going to offer your development services… Well you should probably know the rates then 