You have an idea for an app. Maybe students book lessons and watch recordings, maybe customers order from your restaurant without a delivery-app commission, maybe technicians get their jobs on a phone instead of a phone call. You ask for a price and hear 50,000 EGP from one place and 350,000 from another.
Both numbers can be honest. An app is not a single product. It is a design, two platforms, a server, an admin panel, store accounts and an update schedule that never really ends.
Here is each stage, what drives the cost, and what you keep paying after launch.
The stages of building a mobile app
Every serious app goes through these stages, whether the quote lists them or not. Skip one and you usually pay for it later.
| Stage | What happens | What you should receive |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Discovery | Goals, users, features, priorities and what to leave out | A written scope and feature list |
| 2. UX | User journeys and wireframes: what each screen does and in what order | Clickable wireframes or a flow map |
| 3. UI | The visual design: colours, type, components, Arabic and English layouts | Final screen designs for every state |
| 4. Build | The app itself, the backend (server and database) and the admin panel | Working builds you can install and test |
| 5. Testing | Real devices, slow networks, edge cases, security checks | A bug list, fixed and retested |
| 6. Store publishing | Store listings, screenshots, privacy details and review | The app live on Google Play and the App Store |
| 7. Maintenance | OS updates, bug fixes, small improvements, monitoring | An agreed monthly plan and response times |
Discovery is where money is saved
Discovery feels like talking, so people skip it. Yet it is the cheapest place to decide. Removing a feature on paper costs nothing; removing it after it is built costs the hours already spent.
Why UX and UI are separate
UX decides how the app works: how many taps to book a lesson, what happens when a payment fails. UI decides how it looks. An app can be beautiful and confusing at the same time, and both problems cost sales.
The part nobody sees: the backend
Most of the logic in a business app lives on a server, not the phone. User accounts, orders, bookings, lesson access and payments all need a backend and a database, plus an admin panel so your team can manage it without calling a developer. In many projects this is as much work as the app itself. If your team already runs on spreadsheets, see a custom dashboard instead of Excel.
Native vs cross-platform: an honest comparison
There are two main ways to build for Android and iOS.
Native means two separate apps: one in Kotlin for Android and one in Swift for iOS. Each gets the best performance and immediate access to new platform features. You also pay for two codebases, and every change is made twice.
Cross-platform means one shared codebase, using a framework such as Flutter or React Native, that runs on both. For most business apps (bookings, ordering, learning, memberships, field teams) the result is fast and feels right on both platforms, for noticeably less time and money.
Native still makes sense for heavy 3D or graphics, advanced camera or AR work, or deep use of phone hardware. For everything else, cross-platform is usually the practical choice. If you are unsure whether you need an app at all, read app, website or both first. A well-built website or PWA may cover version one.
What drives the cost of an app
Like websites, apps are priced by time. These are the things that add time:
- User roles. An app for customers only is simpler than one with customers, drivers and branch managers, each with their own screens.
- The backend and admin panel. Reports, permissions and approval flows add up quickly.
- Integrations. Online payments, maps, SMS verification codes, push notifications, shipping or an existing system.
- Real-time features. Live chat, driver tracking and live classes are harder than they look.
- Offline use. Letting the app work without internet and sync later adds real complexity.
- Content protection. Education apps that protect paid videos need extra work on the app and the server.
- Arabic and English. Proper right-to-left layouts in both languages, not just translated labels.
- Design depth. Custom animations and many unique screens cost more than a clean, consistent system.
Store accounts and publishing
Publishing needs developer accounts with each store. The current fees, as listed by Apple and Google:
- Apple Developer Program: 99 USD per year, shown in local currency in some regions. Apple offers fee waivers to eligible nonprofits, accredited educational institutions and government entities. Companies enrolling as an organisation need a D-U-N-S number.
- Google Play Console: a one-time registration fee of 25 USD. New personal accounts must run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 consecutive days before publishing to everyone. The rule targets personal accounts, so a business should register as an organisation.
Check the official pages at Apple Developer and Play Console Help before you enrol, since fees and rules can change.
Both stores review apps. Apple rejects apps that are little more than a wrapped website, and apps that let users create an account must let them delete it from inside the app. Plan for this before review.
Running costs after launch
The build is a one-time cost. After launch, expect:
- Maintenance. Indicatively 1,000 to 8,000 EGP a month depending on how much changes. Apple and Google release new operating system versions every year, and Google Play requires apps to target a recent Android version to keep publishing updates.
- Servers and hosting for the backend. The cost grows with users, video and storage.
- Usage-based services. SMS codes, maps and some notification or email services charge by volume. Ask each provider for current pricing.
- Store fees. The Apple membership every year, and store commission on digital goods sold inside the app, such as course subscriptions. Rates and rules vary by programme and region, so check the current terms. Physical goods and real-world services, such as food orders, are handled differently.
Common mistakes when budgeting an app
- Building every feature in version one. Launch the smallest version that is useful, then add what real users ask for.
- Forgetting the admin panel. An app your team can't manage becomes a stream of messages to the developer.
- Choosing native "to be safe". It doubles some of the work. Have a reason.
- No maintenance budget. An app left alone for a year or two starts to break on new phones.
- Comparing totals, not scopes. A cheap quote without a backend, testing or publishing isn't cheaper. Our 10 questions to ask a development company help you compare properly.
Questions people ask
How much does a mobile app cost in Egypt in 2026?
A custom app for Android and iOS typically costs 80,000 to 400,000+ EGP, indicative. A focused app with one user type sits near the lower end. Multiple apps, real-time features and complex dashboards push it up.
Is cross-platform good enough?
For most business apps, yes. Ordering, booking, learning and membership apps work well cross-platform. Heavy graphics, AR or deep hardware use are the usual reasons to go native.
How long does it take to build an app?
It depends on scope. Discovery and design take weeks, and building and testing a focused first version usually takes a few months. Late decisions and changing requirements are the usual causes of delay.
Why do I pay Apple every year?
The Apple Developer Program is a yearly membership of 99 USD. If it lapses, your apps are removed from the App Store until you renew.
Can you turn my website into an app?
A simple wrapper around a website is likely to be rejected by Apple and adds little for users. A good app reuses your backend and data, then adds what an app does better: notifications, saved logins and offline access.
Where to start
Write down who will use the app, the three things they must be able to do, and what your team needs to manage behind the scenes. That page is the start of discovery and the basis of any quote worth comparing.
If you'd like to talk it through, book a short meeting with us, or see our work first.