The essentials
A mobile app for a French SME costs between €15,000 and €150,000+ in 2026, with the market sweet spot between €30,000 and €80,000 for a standard iOS and Android app. The range mostly depends on the number of target platforms, functional complexity and the level of design polish. Then plan for 15 to 20% of the initial budget per year in maintenance.
Why prices vary so much from one project to another
You have an app idea. You ask for quotes. The answers range from €15,000 to €150,000. That gap isn’t random: it reflects very different technical realities.
A mobile app isn’t a standard product. It’s a custom assembly of technology building blocks, each of which affects the final budget. Understanding these factors lets you define a realistic scope before even talking to a provider.
Price ranges by app type
| Project type | Budget | What it covers | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| MVP / simple app | €15,000 - €30,000 | 3 to 5 screens, one core feature, functional design, a single platform | 4-8 weeks |
| Standard app | €30,000 - €80,000 | Authentication, user profile, business features, dedicated backend, iOS + Android, polished design | 3-6 months |
| Complex app | €80,000 - €150,000 | Multiple integrations (payment, geolocation, third-party APIs), real-time, scalable architecture | 6-9 months |
| Enterprise app | €150,000+ | Enhanced security, regulatory compliance, thousands of concurrent users | 9 months and up |
For a “starter” SME with a targeted need, the lower range (€8,000 - €20,000) remains achievable by drastically reducing functional scope and favoring a PWA over a native app, see our PWA vs native comparison.
The factors that make budgets vary
Platform choice
Developing for iOS only or Android only costs less than targeting both. Cross-platform (React Native, Flutter) cuts costs by 20 to 40% compared to separate native iOS and Android development, by sharing most of the code. Pure native development delivers the best performance but nearly doubles the budget if you target both platforms.
Feature complexity
Every feature has a cost. Basic authentication is simple. Authentication with biometrics, SSO and two-factor is complex. Some ballpark figures:
| Feature | Estimated cost |
|---|---|
| Push notifications | €2,000 - €5,000 |
| In-app payment | €5,000 - €15,000 |
| Real-time chat | €8,000 - €20,000 |
| Advanced geolocation | €5,000 - €12,000 |
Design level
A standard design uses native components with minimal customization. A premium design involves custom animations, a unique visual identity and close attention to every interaction. The gap can represent 20 to 40% of the total budget.
Backend infrastructure
Some apps run on a simple backend. Others require a distributed architecture, real-time features and the ability to scale under load. That difference runs into tens of thousands of euros, and later shows up in monthly infrastructure costs (€200 to €2,000/month depending on load).
Hidden costs to anticipate
Development is only the start of the real budget:
- Store publishing: $99/year for the App Store, $25 one-time for Google Play
- Corrective maintenance: 15 to 20% of the initial budget per year, see our dedicated maintenance and cost page
- Feature evolutions: your app will evolve, budget for future improvements from the start
- Infrastructure: servers, database, CDN, €200 to €2,000/month depending on load
How to optimize your budget
Start with an MVP. Validate your concept with essential features before investing heavily. 80% of apps fail: don’t oversize your V1. See our mobile app MVP page.
Prioritize ruthlessly. List every feature you want, cut it in half, cut it again. What’s left is your MVP.
Choose the right partner. The cheapest option is never the cheapest in the long run: a poorly designed app costs more to fix than to rebuild.
FAQ
How much does a mobile app cost for an SME in France in 2026?
Between €15,000 and €150,000+, with the market sweet spot between €30,000 and €80,000 for a standard iOS and Android app. A simple MVP starts around €15,000 - €30,000.
No-code or custom development: which is right for my mobile app?
No-code suits a prototype or a simple internal tool, with a reduced budget and fast implementation, but it hits a ceiling quickly once the project has specific business rules or needs to scale. Custom development costs more upfront but avoids technical debt and platform limitations as the product grows.
Do I absolutely need to be on the App Store and Google Play Store?
No. A PWA (Progressive Web App) lets you be accessible without going through the stores, with zero publishing cost and instant updates. It suits a content or booking-driven app well. Native remains preferable if your user acquisition depends heavily on store visibility or advanced hardware features.
Can ChatGPT really build a complete mobile app for me?
A generic AI assistant can speed up writing code or prototyping an interface, but it doesn’t replace the architecture, security, integration with an existing system, and long-term maintenance of a professional app. Projects that attempt “all-generative” development without technical review accumulate technical debt that costs more to fix than the initial development would have.