When smartphones first hit the scene, Apple made a killing. There was something so refreshing, convenient, and intelligent about having a phone that acted like a computer that you could hold in your hand. That’s when the phrase was born. You know the phrase, right?

“Well, there’s an app for that.”

Since apps started to become a mainstay in society, an entire economy has been built around them. App development is on the rise in every single country, including Australia. The investment can be high, but the payout can be even higher. In some cases, apps can easily become million-dollar assets. 

Getting a great app on the market can be your ticket to fame and fortune. However, it also can cost a pretty penny, but how much should you expect to spend? Moreover, how do you hire the right people?

• App development can range from as little as $10,000 to well over $250,000.
• You have several ways to hire an app development team in Australia, including via foreign groups, freelancers, or in-house writing. 
• Make sure to give developers as much detail as possible when asking for a proposal.

The Cost Of Hiring App Developers In Australia: What Influences App Development Price?

How much you should expect to pay for a developer to create an app will depend on several main factors:

• OS Compatibility. You will need to pay more for an app that works on iOS and Android. Every platform has its own quirks. While platforms like React Native can make it easier to code for each one, the truth is that you will still have to pay an extra fee.
• Complexity. An app that acts as a cute calendar will be a simple project. An app that wants to be a handheld MMORPG or a social media app will be a major undertaking. It’s good to be realistic about your size. 
• User Accounts. If an app needs a user account for each user, or needs to have a way to link accounts, that will cost extra.
• Payment Acceptance/3rd Party Integrations. This might be common, but it also can add a bit of extra on the price tag. 
• Security Requirements. Some apps will need to have more security coding than others.
• Quality/Release Speed. Hiring a bad team can cost more over the long term. It’s better to pay extra to end up with code that isn’t glitchy and buggy the first time around than it is to pay extra for patches.
• Exclusivity. If you want to have a full team dedicated to coding and upgrades, that may be a premium price to pay. 

How Much Should An App Cost, Based on Complexity?

Now that we have a basic idea of the kinds of things that would change the price of an app, it’s time to take a closer look at how much it would cost to develop an app. It’s important to note that typical app development prices can range from as little as $10,000 to over $300,000 depending on the complexity of the app. 

Here’s the general price range for app development in Australia, according to the complexity:

• $10,000 to $30,000 is normal for small, single-function, simple apps. For example, a cute dress-up game for kids might fall under this level. 
• $40,000 to $175,000 is typical for regular mobile apps. These would include apps that help people get discounts at your store, online store apps, as well as other similarly involved projects. Most apps with user accounts will fall into this range. 
• Extremely complex apps will cost between $150,000 to well over $500,000. How much you pay depends on the firm who takes your project as well as all the features it’s supposed to have. 

How Should You Hire People To Develop Your App?

Australia has a booming app scene, but that doesn’t mean that you should assume that these are only a couple of ways to handle it in-country. There are several routes you can take. These are the ones that are the most common…

Hiring A Freelancer

If you are low on money and know someone who is talented in coding, you may be able to hire a freelancer—or even a fleet of freelancers. People who do freelance typically will ask for a bare minimum of $30 per hour or more. They also may need more than just themselves on the project in order to get it done. 

Hiring A Company

This is the most common way to get things done as far as app development goes. People will hire a firm to do the dirty work for them. Once the app is developed, they often have the option of continuing to hire them for maintenance and updates. 

Should You Outsource Your App Development Abroad?

A lot of app developers and app companies tend to outsource their development to countries that have lower wage rates. Truth be told, this is always going to be a gamble. When you are working with an app development team abroad, it can be very hard to be able to check on their work or even get a good line of communication with them.

With that said, this is often the best possible choice if you are okay with giving in-depth instructions. Should you choose to outsource abroad, make sure you do serious vetting. Otherwise, things will turn out bad. 

Hiring In-House

By and large, this is the most expensive way to hire an app developer for your business. Not only do you have to add multiple departments for their management, but you also will be on the hook for employment benefits and similar goods. 

How To Quality Hire App Developers Affordably

Now that we’ve gone over the different hiring options, it’s important to understand how to make the hiring process easier for you. Here’s what you should do:

1. First, figure out what you want to get the app to do. This should be the primary function of the app. Write it down, and then start working on what your design should be like. 
2. Create documents and a rough sketch of what each part of the app should look like. Hiring a UX team can help here. However, it’s not always necessary. When creating a document, make sure that you add as much detail as possible. Good details will include:
         -   Third-party integration
         -   User data to be collected
         -   Features
         -   Appearance concepts
         -   App “flows”
         -   Security features
3. Then, figure out which hiring model you want to go for. Are you going to hire a team of freelancers, make a firm do it, or hire developers in-house? Each one will have its own perks and pitfalls.
4. Use multiple platforms that are known for hiring app developers. You can use Google, SavvySME, LinkedIn, Upwork, or even Gumtree to find good developers.
5. Receive ballpark proposals from each one. Choose the developer/developer team that has a portfolio with projects similar to yours. Try to interview a developer who has proven references and great reviews whenever possible. 
6. Interview the finalists and ask for a specific quote.  Before you give the full details on your project, ask them to sign an NDA. You don’t want your app to be developed without you in the picture!
7. Choose the developers who offer the best results with the best price. This might be a process, but it’s still one that is worth it if you want to get the job done affordably. To ensure that things work out well, make sure that you get the best possible results. 

To get started, head to see the top app developers near you!