A Comprehensive Understanding On Flutter App Development Cost

With the increased demand for mobile applications, cost-platform app development is taking over native apps due to its faster and easier approach to mobile app development. However, how much must a company spend on app development? Well, estimating the Flutter app development cost requires many factor considerations and stages. 

In general, the development could cost you anywhere from $20,000 to $80,000, depending on its complexity, added features, and many other direct and indirect factors. In this blog, we will discuss the same and various other considerations you can make to reduce this cost. But before that, let us briefly explain Flutter and its significant benefits.

What Is Flutter?

Flutter is an open-source app development framework introduced by Google for developing native-looking applications for Android and iOS from a single codebase. It is one of the most popular cross-platform app development tools and consists of two important parts- a software development kit (SDK) and a user interface widget library. Flutter uses Dart programming language created by Google, which focuses more on front-end development. And you can use it to develop both mobile and web applications seamlessly. 

Additionally, the development approach put forth by Flutter is extremely time-saving and cost-efficient, making it one of the most highly used app development frameworks. It is optimal for building MVPs since it provides ready-made and customizable widgets for faster and easier app development.

What Are The Top Benefits Of Developing Apps Using Flutter?

Now that you’ve had a brief introduction to flutter, here are some reasons why flutter app development is highly popular and how your business can benefit from using it.

1. Single UI and business logic for all platforms

Flutter allows you to share both the UI code and the interface, making it much easier to build apps that look native on every platform. It doesn’t require any platform-specific UI components other than a canvas for rendering the UI. This eliminates inconsistencies between UI on various platforms. In general, by sharing the same UI and business logic, Flutter enables faster, cost-effective, and easier ways of developing applications without affecting their performance.

2. Less code development time

Flutter provides a ‘hot reload’ feature that allows you to instantly see changes in the code while maintaining the current application state. This makes the development time faster since you can immediately make each adjustment you make in your code. Furthermore, Flutter provides a wide range of ready-to-use widgets with customizing capabilities, enabling you to save time and effort.

3. Faster time-to-market

Flutter development framework functions quicker than other alternatives. It requires twice less time to develop the app compared to when you separately develop the same app for Android and iOS. This is because it does not require you to write any platform-specific code to achieve the desired results in your app. In addition, Flutter provides a declarative API for building user interfaces, boosting the app’s performance.

4. Performance similar to native apps

Flutter performance is indistinguishably similar to native apps in most cases. This is because it doesn’t rely on intermediate code representations or interpretations. Rather, it is built directly into the machine code, thus eliminating any performance bugs.

5. Availability of customizable and complex animation UIs

Flutter can customize anything you want on the screen, regardless of its complexity. It makes the process flexible and versatile and allows you to effortlessly perform various animations like shared element transitions, shape/color/shadow manipulations, clipping, transformations, etc.

6. Own rendering engine

Flutter uses its rendering engine Skia to render itself onto a platform-provided canvas. This allows the UI built on Flutter to be launched virtually onto any platform, thus simplifying the development process massively.

8. Platform-specific logic implementation

Flutter provides a simple and easy-to-use way of communicating between platform-native code and dart through platform channels. This allows you to implement anything a native app can do on a Flutter app.

The Average Flutter App Development Cost

Since you are now aware of the immeasurable benefits of using Flutter for app development, the next question and the main topic of this blog is- how much does flutter app development cost? Well, as mentioned earlier, it is a complex question since it is determined by many factors like the app’s complexity, advanced features added, supported platforms, location of developers, etc. 

Finding the total cost you will incur requires thorough research and understanding of what and how you want your application to be. However, based on the project’s complexity, here are a few estimates of the average cost of developing flutter apps. 

A basic application with simple features would cost between $24,000 to $35,000.

A more advanced application with medium complexity (voice call, chat features) can cost you between $35,000 to $50,000.

Developing a flutter app with extremely complex features and functionalities (social media applications like Instagram) can cost a minimum of $50,000 and go up to $80,000.

Key Factors That Affect Flutter App Development Cost

Now let us look at some key factors and their impact on the flutter app development cost.

App complexity

Every app can be categorized as a low, medium, and high complexity based on its features and integrations. Some factors that affect this demarcation include- the deployment architecture model, admin panel development, third-party integration, use of the device’s in-built features, integration with the enterprise’s system, integration with other hardware devices, use of technologies like artificial intelligence/ blockchain/ IoT, etc. An app with simple features and functionalities takes less development cost than those with more advanced features.

App design

Building an easy-to-use and attractive user interface is essential for an app’s success. UI designing aims at creating a pleasing outlook for the app, while user experience design enables users to interact with the app seamlessly. Both are equally important, and their complexity affects the development cost. The more complex the UI design and features, the higher the development cost. 

Location of developers

The cost of developing Flutter apps or even software programming, in general, can vary depending on the location. Developers in North America charge the highest rates per hour, followed by Australia and Western Europe. On the other hand, Eastern European countries like Ukraine have cheaper hourly rates making it a great option if you want to hire Flutter developers. Do understand that this rate change is because of the difference in availability of programmers rather than the quality of the work.                 

Testing, maintenance, and support

Software is never fully completed. It requires consistent updates and maintenance to ensure that it continues to function smoothly. Your app will also require an upgrade in design once in a while to make it attractive for the users. Therefore, you must consider the testing, maintenance, and support expenses while calculating the final app development cost.

How Can You Calculate Flutter App Development Cost?

As we have learned in the above sections, development cost highly depends on the features added. The lesser the native features, the lesser will be the cost. This is because developers have to build native features for Android and iOS separately and then combine them with Flutter. Some native features include augmented reality, mapping, streaming, background processes, etc., and having these features would cost your app development more.

So if you have a native feature added to your Flutter app, your total cost will be-

Total hours are taken for development (native feature development+combining with Flutter) x cost per hour.

Effective Tips On How To Reduce Flutter App Development Cost

Using Flutter for app development is in itself a way of reducing cost due to its cross-platform functionality. However, there are various other methods that you can use to reduce your budget for app development. One cost-effective method is outsourcing the work to Flutter app development companies or hiring freelancers. Below we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both these options and provide some practical tips that you can use to reduce your overall budget.

Outsourcing the project

One of the best advantages of outsourcing your app development project to an agency is receiving a team of expert and dedicated professionals to handle the specific task. Also, since there are fewer Flutter app developers, it is easier to recruit an agency with readily available developers rather than spending time and money on recruiting developers for your company. Furthermore, since an agency has much experience in the field, you can also reduce the time-to-market with the help of their dedicated team.

Another benefit of outsourcing agencies for projects would be that you can lessen the burden on in-house coders and engineers and keep them from being overwhelmed by the amount of work. Since app development agencies have much experience in the field, they will be able to provide insights and innovative ideas that can be quite useful for the project.

Countries like Ukraine, Poland, and Brazil have more availability of skilled developers. This reduced demand also means that the developer’s hourly rate in those countries is also lower. Outsourcing agencies from these countries would allow you to cost-effectively get a skilled, experienced, and dedicated team.

Hiring freelancers

The second method that we discussed was hiring freelance Flutter app developers. You can find skilled and reliable developers on freelance platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, Toptal, etc., for an hourly rate of $30 to $35. This makes hiring freelancers a cost-saving option, especially when your project does not require much complexity.

However, there are certain downfalls to this option. If your project is quite big, you will have to hire multiple freelancers and make them collaborate. This is not a great idea since each freelancer may bring their different cultural perspectives into the project, which can hinder collaboration and negatively affect the project.

Now that we’ve spoken about the two options we have other than using our in-house team of developers for the project, let us look at some tips you can follow to reduce your app development cost further. Since cutting down on the budget does not necessarily mean stripping your creative side to the bare minimum. It also does not mean hiring developers with the lowest hourly rates. 

Rather it means maximizing the value of each dollar and every second you spend on the project. You should be able to make the most out of what you spend. Below tips mentioned will allow you to better manage your Flutter app development budget and create a beautiful application.

Have a clear understanding of project requirements and specifications

Ignoring the slightest of details may backfall at you at the later stages of the project. Being extremely explicit about all the details will enable you to set a more accurate budget and have more clarity over the project. Designing an organized structure for your project with detailed steps and requirements will help the team to work more swiftly, effectively, and cohesively.

Eliminate unwanted functionalities and features

Ensure that every feature you include in your application is necessary for providing the best services to your users. You can reduce development time and cost by keeping it as simple as possible. This does not mean that you must make your app design and structure boring or unattractive, but rather provide features according to the needs of your target audience. To do this, you must conduct detailed market research on your target audience.

Implement a test-driven development strategy

As mentioned earlier, Flutter’s ‘hot reload’ feature makes it easier for developers to execute an interactive CI/CD (continuous integration/continuous development) model. Take advantage of this feature and fix errors at the earliest. The farther you are on the app development stage, the harder and costlier it becomes to correct errors and bugs.

How To Choose The Best Flutter App Development Company?

The Flutter app development company that you choose must have extensive experience in the field and should offer services at an affordable price. Furthermore, their work structure must align with yours to have good coordination and cooperation between the two parties. Here are a few things you should consider before selecting your app development partner.

Identify your business requirements

To explain your requirements and expectations to your development team, you must have a clear and detailed understanding of the same. You should know what you wish to achieve through this project, how you want to achieve it, and why. Some relevant questions you can ask yourself are- which platform do you wish to target, what features do you want to integrate, who is your target audience, and what do you wish to achieve through this app?

Define your budget

You must clearly define how much you are willing to spend on the project. This will allow you to make deals when consulting with prospective development companies. Get a few quotations from various companies and compare their charges and facilities to figure out the one that best fits your requirements and budget. Also, know that the development cost varies depending on the location/country of your app development agency.

Shortlist some options

Remember that budget should only be one of many priorities while choosing a prospective development partner. By listing a few agencies, you can go through their websites and portfolios to find more about their work and find the match that best suits your requirements.

Research on the size and reputation of the company

Although this is optional, it is always best to know more about the company. By knowing their manpower information, you will be able to know if they can handle your project size. Choosing a company with few employees and lots of projects can ultimately overload them with work, further impacting the quality of the project. Also, understanding the team’s skill sets will allow you to set realistic expectations. 

Another point you can research would be the reputation of the company. By following their social media pages and reading reviews and testimonials of their clients, you can gather more information regarding their working style and dedication to their work.

Ensure pricing and on-time delivery

Timely delivery of projects is essential and is one of the most important characteristics of any organization. Ensure that your development partner gives you a clear deadline to complete their work and follows it precisely. They should not be providing you with false excuses and disappointing you in the future. 

If you are uncomfortable asking them directly, you could also check their reviews to see if anyone has reported them not meeting the deadlines. Ensure that they have a dedicated team with a time-management strategy. Also, ensure that you discuss the pricing beforehand and that they will not charge you extra for the quick turnaround time.

After support

As we have said earlier, an app development company’s job does not end with the delivery of the project. They should provide additional services to support you further in case any technical issues occur. Also, they should provide timely updates for your developed application.

Wrapping Up

Flutter is a convenient and cost-effective way of developing apps as it allows you to build two apps from a single codebase. This in itself reduces the development time and cost by half. Furthermore, it provides various features and additional benefits like ready-to-use widgets and hot reload that will also allow you to reduce your overall development time and effort. 

However, you still need to be vigilant to make the most of your budget. And one of the best ways to do that is by outsourcing your app development project to a reputed Flutter development company with skilled and experienced developers. Mindster is an exceptional Flutter app development company with over a decade of experience providing flutter services. We have a dedicated team of developers and designers with great expertise in delivering Flutter projects. Connect with us to leverage our top services and features.