An ecommerce mobile app can cost around $150 a month at the low end or more than $250,000 to build from scratch.
Both numbers can be accurate. They describe completely different ways of creating and running an app.
For most brands, the realistic options fall into three groups:
A self-service app builder typically costs roughly $150 to $1,000+ per month. A managed app service is more likely to sit around $1,000 to $2,500+ per month and may add a setup fee. Custom development usually starts around $50,000 and can exceed $250,000 before ongoing maintenance.
Treat these as planning ranges, not quotes. Store complexity, platform, integrations, service level, and pricing model can move the final number substantially.
The most important point is this: do not compare a monthly software fee with a one-time development quote. Compare what each option will cost to launch, operate, improve, and maintain over several years.
Ecommerce Mobile App Costs at a Glance
| Approach | Typical cost | What you are paying for | Main cost risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-service app builder | $150–$1,000+ per month | Shared platform, visual editor, core integrations, app builds | Higher plans, revenue share, add-ons, and internal workload |
| Managed app service | $1,000–$2,500+ per month, often plus setup | Platform plus design, launch, maintenance, and support | Paying for more service than a small store needs |
| Custom cross-platform app | $50,000–$150,000+ upfront | Bespoke app with a shared iOS/Android codebase | Scope growth, integrations, and maintenance |
| Separate native iOS and Android apps | $100,000–$250,000+ upfront | Maximum platform-specific control | Two codebases, larger team, and high ongoing cost |
Public pricing supports the lower end of the builder range. For example, Shopney currently lists plans from $149 to $1,299 per month, while managed services can sit in the low four figures per month. Custom project costs are much less standardized because the scope is different every time.
What Determines the Cost?
The app interface is only one part of the bill.
The main cost drivers are:
The build approach creates the largest difference. Configuring a shared platform costs less than commissioning bespoke software, and a shared iOS and Android codebase normally costs less than maintaining separate native apps.
Complexity comes next. A standard catalog and checkout are easier to support than custom products, account logic, several storefronts, or a heavily modified checkout. Every required integration—loyalty, subscriptions, reviews, search, analytics, personalization, or support—also needs to work across the relevant customer journey.
Design and service level affect the quote as well. A template with a self-service editor costs less than a bespoke interface supported by a team that handles design, submission, maintenance, and releases.
Finally, look at how the commercial model behaves over time. Flat subscriptions, revenue share, usage limits, paid add-ons, and ongoing change requests can produce very different costs as the app grows.
This is why two stores on the same ecommerce platform can receive very different quotes.
Option 1: Self-Service App Builder Costs
Self-service ecommerce app builders usually charge a monthly or annual subscription.
At the lower end, plans tend to cover the basic iOS and Android apps, design blocks, product synchronization, push notifications, and standard ecommerce functions. Higher tiers add more integrations, automation, segmentation, personalization, analytics, support, and design flexibility.
A realistic planning range is $150 to $1,000+ per month. Enterprise plans can go higher.
This is usually the least expensive route because the provider has already built the framework, commerce connection, editor, and mobile features. The same core platform is shared across many merchants.
Here’s the trade-off: your app must work within that platform.
If you need an unsupported integration, custom screen, unusual product journey, or more hands-on help, you may need a higher plan, paid development, or a different provider.
What to Check in the Price
Ask whether the subscription includes:
Check that the plan covers both iOS and Android, design and setup, app-store submission, push notifications, the integrations you need, and analytics. Then inspect the ongoing terms: releases, compatibility updates, support commitments, usage limits, and any percentage of app sales charged by the provider.
A $200 plan can be a good deal if it supports the store and your team can manage it. It is not a good deal if you immediately need $500 of add-ons and several hours of internal work every week.
Option 2: Managed App Service Costs
Managed services like MobiLoud combine an established app platform with people who handle more of the project.
The provider may take responsibility for:
The recurring fee may cover design and configuration, integration setup, testing, Apple and Google submission, responses to app-store review, technical maintenance, future releases, and ongoing support. The exact package varies, so confirm which parts are included and which trigger a separate quote.
A useful planning range is $1,000 to $2,500+ per month, often with a one-time setup fee. More complex or enterprise projects may exceed that.
The monthly fee is higher than a DIY builder. But the comparison changes when the service removes the need for internal design, app-store knowledge, release management, and routine technical troubleshooting.
For a lean ecommerce team, paying more for a managed model can reduce the total cost of ownership. For a smaller store with a capable internal owner and standard requirements, it may be unnecessary.
Option 3: Custom Ecommerce App Development Costs
Custom development means commissioning your own software rather than configuring a shared ecommerce app platform.
A focused cross-platform project may begin around $50,000. A more complex ecommerce app can reach $150,000 to $250,000+, especially when it requires extensive integrations, a bespoke backend, or separate native iOS and Android work.
These figures are planning estimates rather than industry tariffs. Public marketplace data shows how wide the market is: Clutch reports that many reviewed app projects fall between $10,000 and $49,999, but a production ecommerce app for an established brand can move well beyond that once checkout, accounts, integrations, analytics, QA, and long-term support enter the scope.
Custom development costs can include:
The estimate needs to cover much more than interface design. Discovery, technical planning, product management, engineering, backend or API work, third-party integrations, testing, analytics, monitoring, app-store submission, and project management all consume time.
A quote can look low because one of those areas is assumed to be the client’s responsibility or has not been scoped properly. Ask what roles and deliverables are included before comparing totals.
The initial build is not the total cost.
Your store will keep changing. Ecommerce platforms update. Apple and Google change operating systems and policies. Third-party tools release new versions. Bugs appear. Customers expect new features.
Budget for ongoing engineering after launch. A common planning allowance is around 15% to 25% of the original build cost per year, although a major redesign, replatforming project, or new feature can push the number higher.
The Costs Most Brands Miss
The expenses that damage a project are often not the obvious ones.
1. Integrations
Your app may need to support search, reviews, loyalty, subscriptions, personalization, payments, analytics, and customer accounts.
With a template-based builder, those tools may require a particular plan or add-on. With a custom app, each one may require design, engineering, testing, and maintenance.
Do not ask only whether an integration exists. Ask what it lets the customer do.
2. Internal Team Time
Someone still needs to:
Your team will still supply requirements and assets, review designs, test builds, and coordinate internal approvals. After launch, someone needs to manage merchandising and push campaigns, promote downloads, review performance, and respond to customer feedback.
The provider’s operating model determines how much of that work sits with you. A low software fee can become expensive if several people spend hours every week maintaining a second storefront.
Estimate the hours per month and apply a realistic cost to them. A cheaper platform that creates ten extra hours of work every week may cost more than the invoice suggests.
3. Revenue Share
Some providers charge a percentage of sales made through the app.
That can look harmless when the channel is small. At scale, it becomes material.
For example, a 1% fee on $100,000 in monthly app revenue costs $1,000 per month. At $500,000 in monthly revenue, it costs $5,000.
Model the fee at the level of success you are trying to achieve, not only at launch.
4. Promotion and Download Incentives
An app needs distribution.
You may spend money on creative assets, website placements, email and SMS campaigns, paid installs, loyalty rewards, packaging, or a first-purchase incentive.
These are channel-growth costs, but they still belong in the business case.
5. App-Store Accounts
The direct publishing fees are small, but they should still be included.
As of August 2026, the Apple Developer Program costs $99 per year and Google Play Console charges a $25 one-time registration fee.
Those accounts should generally belong to your business, even if a provider handles submission.
6. Switching and Migration
Ask what happens when the contract ends.
Can you move the existing app listings to another provider? Do you keep the developer accounts, app-store reviews, signing credentials, data, and push audience? Does the app stop working? Is source code included?
The cost of leaving can matter as much as the cost of joining.
A Simple Three-Year Cost Comparison
Use the same time period and assumptions for every option.
Imagine you are comparing three routes:
| Cost over three years | DIY builder | Managed service | Custom app |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup and initial build | $0–$5,000 | $3,000–$15,000 | $100,000 |
| Platform or maintenance | $18,000 | $54,000 | $60,000 |
| Internal operating time | $18,000 | $9,000 | $36,000 |
| Estimated three-year total | $36,000–$41,000 | $66,000–$78,000 | $196,000 |
These are illustrative numbers, not market averages. Their purpose is to show how the decision changes when you include ongoing work.
For your own model, add:
- Add setup, design, development, integrations, and customization.
- Add 36 months of subscriptions, hosting, maintenance, support, and future releases.
- Model revenue share and usage charges at conservative, expected, and strong performance.
- Include internal operating time and the cost of promoting downloads.
- Allow for migration, replacement, or other exit costs.
Then compare that total with the revenue and customer value the app needs to create.
When Is It Worth Paying More?
The cheapest option is not automatically the most economical.
Paying more can make sense when it:
Pay more when the difference protects something commercially important. That might mean preserving a revenue-critical integration, removing substantial internal work, launching months sooner, or getting dependable support for a business-critical channel.
More control can also justify the cost when the brand genuinely needs it. What does not justify a premium is a long feature list that customers will not use or a service package your team does not need.
The reverse is also true. Do not pay for custom engineering simply because it sounds more premium. If a proven platform can deliver the required experience, the extra control may never repay the build and maintenance cost.
So, How Much Should You Budget?
For a relatively standard Shopify store with an internal team prepared to manage the app, begin by budgeting $150 to $1,000+ per month for a builder.
For an established brand that wants hands-on design, launch, support, and maintenance, a low-four-figure monthly budget plus setup is more realistic.
For a genuinely custom app, expect a five- or six-figure upfront project and plan for ongoing engineering from the beginning.
The right budget is not the lowest price that can put an icon in the app stores. It is the lowest total cost for an app that can support your real store, provide a strong customer experience, and remain manageable as the channel grows.
