The cost to build an app like the one you have in mind.
The cost to build an app like a booking tool, CRM or marketplace depends mainly on its features. Pick a type below to see a typical first-version feature list, estimated hours and rough costs by route. Across these types, our estimates run from about $3,000 with a freelancer to $29,000 with an agency. These are estimates, not quotes.
Reviewed by Anubhav Gupta, Bespoke Devs · Updated
Pick an app type
To see the cost to build an app like yours, start with the closest type. Each is a typical first version, with no extras, and your own scope will differ.
Customers pick a time and pay, and staff manage the calendar.
What this estimate includes
- User accounts and login about 24 hours
- Subscriptions and billing about 32 hours
- Admin dashboard about 40 hours
- Email notifications about 16 hours
- one calendar connection about 20 hours
- App setup, design from scratch and a marketing site
Not included: Native mobile apps, two-sided provider payouts, and resource scheduling across many locations.
| Route | Rough cost | Rough time |
|---|---|---|
| Freelancer | $5,000 to $11,500 | 10 to 14 weeks |
| Agency | $10,000 to $20,000 | 7 to 12 weeks |
| No code | $2,500 to $5,500 | Depends on the tool |
| Bespoke Devs | $4,997 | 15 days |
This fits our $4,997 full-scale MVP, built in 15 days to a fixed scope. We’re an agency, so weigh our view accordingly.
These are our rough estimates, not quotes. Freelancer rates assume $15 to $35 an hour, and agency rates $26 to $52 an hour plus project management. Real prices vary with location, seniority and your exact scope.
What the cost to make an app like a famous one really means
You can’t price a copy of a famous app, because you’re only seeing the surface of many years of work by large teams. What you can price is the first version of the same kind of product: the smallest set of features that lets a customer get the result and pay for it.
So when you ask about the cost to develop an app like one you admire, list the two or three things it does that your customers actually need. Price those. Then use the MVP scope builder to sort everything else into later or never, or the MVP cost calculator to price your own feature list.
What moves the number most
In our model, a few choices add far more hours than the rest.
- Native mobile appsAbout 160 hours, the biggest single item. A web app that works well on phones can often wait.
- Two-sided paymentsAbout 64 hours for payouts, and marketplaces carry a higher complexity multiplier as well.
- Real-time featuresAbout 56 hours for chat and live updates.
- AI featuresAbout 48 hours to build, plus usage fees you pay every month.
- Design from scratchAbout 60 hours, included in these estimates. You save this if you already have finished designs.
How we estimate the cost to build an app like these
| Part | How we work it out |
|---|---|
| Hours | Base hours for the type, plus each feature and connection, design and a marketing site, multiplied by a complexity factor |
| Freelancer | $15 to $35 an hour, plus 10% overhead |
| Agency | $26 to $52 an hour, plus 30% for project management and testing |
| Bespoke Devs | $4,997 if it fits within 300 hours. Otherwise, a custom quote |
The rates are our rough estimates of the market, set so that a typical MVP comes to about $5,000 to $11,500 with a freelancer, or $10,000 to $20,000 with an agency. Real prices vary widely. We’re an agency, so weigh our view accordingly.
Common questions
It’s a rough guide based on typical hours per feature. A real quote depends on the details of your scope, so use this to plan a budget and not to judge a quote.
Because the honest answer for a real copy would be meaningless, and those names belong to their owners. Generic types describe what you’d actually build first.
We sell a fixed scope in 15 days, and that scope has a limit of about 300 hours in our model. Anything larger gets a custom quote, as several of these types do.
Running costs such as hosting, tool fees and AI usage, along with changes after launch. Our builds include 60 to 90 days of support, then a $500 monthly retainer is available.
This tool shows presets only. To sort features yourself, use the MVP scope builder or the MVP cost calculator, both linked on this page.
Keep reading
- SaaS MVP developmentWhat’s included, what it costs and how a 15-day build works.→
- MVP scope builderSort your features, see hours and cost, and copy a one-page scope.→
- Freelancer vs agencyCost, timeline and risk compared, including when the freelancer wins.→
- Who owns the source code?Paying for code doesn’t always mean you own it. Here’s what to check.→
Tell us what you’re building.
Takes under a minute. We come back with a scope and a fixed price.
- Reply within 24 hoursA real person reads every brief.
- Fixed scope, fixed priceYou get a written proposal, no hourly billing.
- You own the codeFull ownership of code and assets at launch.