When consulting enterprises about APP development, most clients only ask for a flat total price without understanding that the full cost falls into four major categories: labor working-day fees, third-party service charges, hardware & qualification expenses, and operation & iteration costs. Based on our company’s standard rate of 1,500 RMB per person per working day, we break down every expenditure throughout the entire development cycle below.
I. Core Cost: Labor & Development Fees (70%–85% of total budget; uniform rate: 1,500 RMB/person/day)
The full APP development cycle involves these roles: UI/UX Designer, Android Developer, iOS Developer, Backend Developer, Test Engineer, and Project Manager. All positions follow Beijing’s market standard rate of 1,500 RMB per person per working day.
Cost Calculation Formula: Number of working days assigned to each role × 1,500 RMB
1. Preliminary Demand Research & Product Planning Phase
This phase covers demand sorting, competitor analysis, function listing, interactive prototyping, and project scheduling. All steps are mandatory to avoid large-scale rework in later stages.
- Product Manager Simple utility APP: 3–5 working days Mid-tier e-commerce / local lifestyle APP: 5–8 working days Complex social / vertical industry merchant platform system: 10–20 working days
- Project Manager Onboarded for the entire project cycle, responsible for client communication, progress control, and demand change management.
Calculation Example: Product planning for a simple utility APP (5 working days)
Cost = 5 × 1,500 = 7,500 RMB
2. UI/UX Visual Design Phase
Includes finalized interactive prototypes, full-page visual designs, icons, motion graphics, and back-office management system interfaces. More pages and custom motion graphics translate to more working days.
- Simple APP (15–20 pages): 5–8 working days
- Mid-tier commercial APP (30–60 pages, including product display, payment, and membership modules): 10–20 working days
- Complex multi-stakeholder platform (with merchant dashboards and visual data panels): 30–50 working days
Calculation Example: Design work for a multi-merchant e-commerce APP (25 working days)
Cost = 25 × 1,500 = 37,500 RMB
3. Client-Side Development (Dual Android + iOS Versions)
Two development solutions carry drastically different workloads. Native dual-platform development requires the most labor hours, while cross-platform development cuts working days by roughly 30%.
Native Development (Separate codebases for Android and iOS)
- Simple utility single platform: 12–18 working days; total for dual platforms: 25–38 working days
- Mid-tier e-commerce dual platforms: 50–80 working days
- Complex social / multi-merchant dual platforms: 100–160 working days
uni-app Cross-Platform Development (Single codebase compatible with both operating systems)
For identical functionality, cross-platform development only requires 65%–75% of the working days needed for native dual-platform development. It is the top choice for enterprises with limited budgets.
Calculation Example: Cross-platform development for a mid-tier e-commerce APP (60 working days)
Cost = 60 × 1,500 = 90,000 RMB
4. Backend Development + Admin Management Backend
The backend processes all APP data, user permissions, orders, payments, APIs, and databases, forming the core logic layer of any APP. Labor hours for the independent admin backend are calculated separately.
- Simple utility backend: 10–18 working days
- E-commerce backend with order, membership, and distribution modules: 30–50 working days
- Multi-merchant backend with real-time IM communication and big data analytics: 60–100 working days
- Matching Admin Backend Basic version: 12 working days Complex version with multi-role permission controls: 30 working days
Calculation Example: Backend development for an e-commerce APP (40 working days)
Cost = 40 × 1,500 = 60,000 RMB
5. Testing, Joint Debugging, Deployment & App Store Submission
Covers functional testing, compatibility testing, performance stress testing, Android app market release, Apple App Store review submission, and server deployment.
- Simple APP: 7–12 working days
- Mid-tier commercial APP: 18–30 working days
- Complex platform: 40–60 working days
Calculation Example: Testing, debugging, deployment and store submission for an e-commerce APP (20 working days)
Cost = 20 × 1,500 = 30,000 RMB
II. One-Time Fixed Expenses (Excluded from labor working-day fees)
These are one-off charges for third-party platforms, official qualifications and server setup.
Enterprise Qualification Certifications
- Apple Developer Account: 99 USD per year (approx. 720 RMB)
- Software Copyright Registration: 1,000–2,000 RMB (mandatory for app store release)
- ICP Filing Service: 0 RMB (free agency service provided by our team; compulsory for e-commerce and paid-function APPs)
One-Time Domain & Server Expenses
- Domain Name: 120 RMB per year (free auxiliary domain resolution management)
- SSL Security Certificate: 500–2,000 RMB for commercial certificates (price varies for single-domain and multi-domain versions)
One-Time Third-Party API Integration Fees (Excludes subsequent pay-as-you-go usage fees)
- WeChat Pay & Alipay Integration: Man-hours for technical integration are already included in backend development working days. Subsequent transaction handling fees of 0.6% are borne directly by merchants.
- SMS Verification Codes, Map Services, Tencent Instant Messaging, Push Notifications, Real-Name Authentication: Integration labor hours are counted within backend development work. Annual API usage fees are settled separately after launch.
III. Annual Recurring Operation Costs (Mandatory annual expenses post-launch)
Cloud Server Rental Fees
- Small utility APP: 3,000–6,000 RMB per year
- E-commerce / local lifestyle APP: 5,000–15,000 RMB per year (additional charges apply as user volume expands and server capacity scales up)
Annual Third-Party API Subscription & Pay-As-You-Go Charges
Covers SMS messaging, instant messaging, facial recognition, map services, and OSS file storage. Fees are calculated based on actual consumption. Small and medium-sized merchants spend an average of 1,000–10,000 RMB annually.
Annual Basic Operation & Maintenance Service Fee
This service does not include new feature development; it only covers bug fixes, system compatibility updates, server maintenance, and regular app store version upgrades. The industry standard rate equals 10% of the total upfront labor development cost per year.
Example: If total upfront labor development investment totals 200,000 RMB, the annual operation and maintenance fee will be 20,000 RMB.