How Much Does it Cost to Hire App Developers in 2024?

Quick Summary:

Hiring an app developer is the most crucial step when it comes to app development. The quality of your mobile apps will depend on the expertise and experience of your app developers.

For each entrepreneur, how much will it cost to hire an app developer is one question that is of major concern.

So, if you are looking to hire a professional and highly qualified app developer under your budget, this blog is surely for you.

Besides the cost , the blog also covers the key steps and considerations when hiring an app developer. From understanding the different types of app developers available to setting clear project requirements and expectations, get the detailed insights into everything you need to know to make the hiring process as smooth and successful as possible.

Average Hourly Rates for different developers: (India)

What are the different factors that form and affect the hiring cost?

The cost of hiring an app developer depends on many factors. From the level of expertise of the developer to the location or country, all affect the hourly developer’s cost. Let us look at how these factors will form the overall cost of hiring an app development company.

1. Location

The location of the offshore outsourcing agency is the most crucial factor affecting the hourly developer rates. The price range across countries is vast and varying. For instance, hiring an app developer from Ukraine is 10X less expensive than in the USA.

Before you start your search for a qualified mobile app developer, let us tell you exactly where you should find them. These 12 countries are the hubs of software development globally.

North America
Latin America
Western Europe
Northern Europe
Southern Europe
Central Europe
Eastern Europe
Africa
the Middle East
Southeast Asia
Eastern Asia, and
Oceania

Let us look at the varying developer hourly rates in these countries:

The Cost to Hire App Developers in North America

Major Outsourcing Regions: USA, Canada

The cost to hire mobile app developers ranges between $40 and $150 per hour in the USA, while in Canada, hiring app developers costs between C$35 to C$57 per hour.

Developer hourly rates in Canada are somewhat lower than those in the United States, influenced by the standard of living and the demand for the workforce in each country. To optimize your development budget without compromising on quality, partnering with a reliable provider is essential.

Our company specializes in connecting businesses with dedicated developers skilled in Android, iOS, Flutter, and React Native, perfectly suited for the USA and Canada markets. Whether you need a single expert or a full development team, we ensure you have access to top-tier talent tailored to your specific project needs.

The Cost to Hire App Developers in Latin America

Top Region: Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico

Brazil: Hiring app developers cost ranges between $30-45/hour.

Argentina: One can hire mobile app developers from Argentina at the price ranging between $25 to $50 per hour.

Colombia: The average cost of hiring app developers in Colombia is $35/hour. So, hiring software developers will range between $30 to $50/hour.

Mexico: If you are on a low budget, Mexico can be the right location for you. The cost to hire app developers in Mexico falls between $20/hour to $40/hour. While the average cost is $35/hour.

The Cost to Hire App Developers in Western Europe

Top Region: UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Netherlands, Switzerland

You have a wide range of options in Western Europe. The hourly app developer rate in the countries in this area is not very high. The average cost to hire mobile app developers is $40/hour. So, you can easily engage mobile app developers between $25/hour – $60/ hour.

Ireland: Hiring app developers from Ireland will cost you between $30 to $60 per hour, with an average cost of $40/hour.

Germany: Hire app developers cost ranges between $30 to $55 per hour and the average cost is $45.

Netherlands: You can plan your budget for hiring app developers from the Netherlands between $26 to $50 per hour.

Switzerland: The average cost of hiring software developers is $35/hour with prices ranging between $40/ hour to $60/hour.

The Cost to Hire App Developers in North Europe

Top Region: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland

North Europe also has moderate hourly rates for app developers. With four major locations, business owners have a variety of options.

Norway: The cost to hire app developers in Norway is between $35-$60 per hour, with an average cost of $45 per hour.

Sweden: Hiring mobile app developers ranges between $30/ hour to $55/ hour.

Denmark: You can get a remote mobile app developer in your team in a price range between $40/hour to $60/hour. The average cost is $50 per hour.

The Cost to Hire App Developers in Central Europe

Top Region: Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary, Serbia

Hiring app developers from Central Europe gives a wide range of countries to pick a developer or an app development team.

Poland: The cost of hiring app developers ranges between $25 and $50 an hour with an average rate of $35 per hour.

Czech Republic: You can hire software developers at a range from $30-50/hour.

Romania: The cost to hire an app developer from Romania ranges between $40-$60/hour.

Hungary: The cost of hiring a mobile app developer ranges between $25-$50/hour, average cost is $30/hour.

Serbia: Hiring cost ranges between $30-50/hour.

2. Project Complexity

The cost of hiring an app developer will also depend on the app’s complexity, design, features, and functionality. The development method will also vary based on your app needs. The time required to build the app will depend on its complexity. So, the final cost will be a combination of the hourly rate and the time taken to make the app.

3. Skills / Experience

The higher the skills of a developer, the higher the rate. Similarly, an experienced mobile app developer will have higher hourly rates than a fresher.

A developer having higher skills and more years of experience can manage complex projects easily. He can also lead the development team and find quick solutions in case of mishaps.

So, if your project requires an experienced developer, you will have to increase your budget to adjust his higher wages. For instance, the hourly developer rates of a full-stack developer will be higher than a frontend developer as he can handle both frontend and backend development.

4. Mobile App Development Platform

The app development platform will also affect the cost of hiring an app developer. The hourly developer rate of an iOS developer will vary from an Android developer.

The average cost of hiring an iOS developer is lower than an Android programmer. iOS applications take less time to build and are easy to develop compared to Android applications with various screen sizes.

However, if you are on a low budget, you can use cross-platform applications. Hybrid app developers have lower hourly rates than native developers.

Type of app

The cost to hire an app developer will also depend on the type of app you want to build. Here are the estimated costs of developing different apps:

$50,000 – Basic apps like a calculator or clock
$50,000 to $100,000 – Data consumption apps like a weather app
$300,000 – User authentication apps
$500,000 – Social media and dating apps like Facebook or Tinder
$200,000 to $1 million – Ecommerce apps
$1.5 million – On demand apps like Uber
Gaming apps usually cost higher because of complex designs and features.

So, you can use these costs to compare the hourly costs you will get from different developers.

What are the different ways of Hiring App Developers?

How are you hiring an app developer? It plays a role in how much it will cost to hire an app developer. So, let’s dive into the different means of hiring app developers.

1. Outsourcing

The physical location of an app developer affects the hourly rate it charges. The reason you should consider outsourcing app developers can be different. However, the significant advantage of outsourcing offshore developers is cost savings.

For instance, you might be paying the highest price if you reside in North America. You may consider hiring an app developer from India or Ukraine for your low-budget projects. However, some may prefer to stick to in-house developers instead of dealing with new programmers remotely.

2. In-House Team

Hiring an in-house app developer will increase your budget. The in-house team incurs you a regular monthly salary, office space, infrastructure, training, and other support. Hiring an in-house team is feasible if you have long-term project needs.

3. Freelancer

Hiring freelance app developers is one way to keep your hiring budget low. You can easily find independent freelance developers on popular freelancing websites like fiverr.com, Upwork, etc.
However, if your project requirement is basic and does not involve creative skills, you can rely on freelancers.
But if the project needs challenges and innovation, relying on freelancers will be costly in the long run. Compromising quality for cost is a deal not worth it.

What Things to keep in mind to hire dedicated app developers?

While hiring dedicated app developers, you come across a large pool of programmers. Now, the dilemma is to pick the ones that best suit your project needs. How will you choose the right developers each time? As the top IT outsourcing agency, we can provide you with proven tips to help you make the right choice every time.

Be clear about your needs

When you know exactly what you want from your developers, you can shortlist the developers easily. The developers whose skills match your project needs are the ones you need to hire.
A clear idea of your project needs will also help streamline many things, including:

What is the budget of your project?
What kind of developer are you looking for? (native or cross-platform)
Do you want to hire an independent developer or an app development team?

Thus, it helps you ask the developers relevant questions and understand their skills deeper.

Client Analysis

When hiring app developers, our quest is always to bank on a reputed app development outsourcing agency. But, how to know which outsourcing agency you can trust and which not?

Well, the answer is tricky. However, a bit more research and market study can help.

You can perform the following analysis:

Check the history of the software development company.
Read the reviews from past clients.
Check their previous projects.

You can also look at their ratings and rankings on the websites like Clutch or Glassdoor and learn more. Consider following their official website and reading the information thoroughly.

Keep in mind the communication aspects

When you hire app developers from a different country, language can be a barrier. Ensure the project manager and the developers can communicate well or are conversant in English.

Look into the time zone difference

When hiring offshore app developers, the time zone is the next thing to consider. If the time zone is not a roadblock in communication, consider hiring app developers from that country. If the outsourcing agency maintains constant communication with regular reports, the time zone difference will not matter and will affect the work.

Security and Confidentiality Aspect

Ensure the offshore outsourcing agency keeps your app details private and confidential. Remember to sign the NDA and other necessary documents for the contract.