Introduction
Android holds 71.9% of global mobile market share as of early 2025 while iOS commands 27.6% according to Statcounter’s global platform data. Despite Android’s larger user base, iOS apps consistently generate higher per-user revenue. Apple’s App Store generated roughly twice the consumer spend of Google Play in 2024 according to Sensor Tower’s market analysis. These two facts together explain why most businesses with a consumer product build for both platforms despite the added app development cost.
Where do iOS and Android development costs actually diverge?
Swift for iOS and Kotlin for Android are both modern, well-documented languages, so developer hourly rates are similar. The cost differences come from testing requirements, UI guidelines, and App Store submission processes. iOS requires testing across a smaller, more predictable device set. Android fragmentation across over 24,000 distinct device types according to OpenSignal’s 2024 report adds QA time and cost.
A full line-item cost breakdown covering both platforms with development team options and maintenance budgeting is available in this comprehensive guide on the cost to build a mobile app with figures across app types and geographies.
Does cross-platform development offer a genuine cost saving?
React Native and Flutter allow a single development team to target both iOS and Android from one codebase, reducing total cost by 25 to 40% compared to two separate native builds. The trade-off is that platform-specific features require native modules that partially erode the shared-code advantage. For apps with 80% shared functionality and 20% platform-specific features, cross-platform is almost always the right financial decision.
iOS simple app: $25,000 to $55,000. Android simple app: $28,000 to $60,000 due to QA overhead. iOS mid-complexity: $60,000 to $130,000. Android mid-complexity: $65,000 to $145,000. Cross-platform with React Native or Flutter: $45,000 to $120,000 for both platforms.
What ongoing costs should businesses budget after the initial build?
Annual maintenance averages 15 to 20% of the initial development cost. A $100,000 app costs $15,000 to $20,000 per year to maintain, covering OS updates, security patches, third-party API changes, and minor feature additions. Apple Developer Program costs $99 per year. Google Play has a one-time $25 registration fee.
Push notification infrastructure, analytics integration, crash reporting, and A/B testing frameworks each add 20 to 40 development hours. Authentication flows add 30 to 60 hours. Offline functionality and local data sync add 40 to 80 hours. These minor-seeming features account for 15 to 25% of total development time on a typical mid-complexity app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to build for iOS or Android first?
iOS is marginally cheaper for initial development due to a smaller device testing matrix. Android requires broader QA coverage across device types. For revenue potential, iOS users spend more per app, making it the better first platform for consumer apps targeting Western markets.
How much does app maintenance cost annually?
Annual maintenance averages 15 to 20% of the initial development cost. A $100,000 app costs $15,000 to $20,000 per year to maintain, covering OS updates, security patches, third-party API changes, and minor feature additions.
Conclusion
Budget for both platforms from day one, even if you launch on one first. Building iOS-only and adding Android six months later costs 60 to 70% of a fresh native Android build, not 30%, because architectural debt accumulates. Use cross-platform frameworks if the feature set allows it. Set aside 20% of your development budget for QA, 15 to 20% annually for maintenance, and include App Store fees and server costs in your 12-month financial model before approving a development contract.
Ready to get an accurate budget for your iOS and Android app? Contact Tibicle’s mobile development team for a scoped estimate with platform-by-platform cost breakdowns.