How much does a website or app cost?

What does X-Studio charge for a website or app?

These are our starting prices in US dollars, for the simplest version of each kind of project. They are floors rather than packages: after a free first call you get a fixed quote for your actual scope, and that quote does not move unless the scope does. The cost calculator works out a starting price for your combination of website, web app and mobile app.

Why do website and app prices vary so much?

Website and app prices vary because the word covers very different projects. A one-page site and a logged-in product with payments are both a website, and two quotes for the same idea often describe different amounts of work: one includes design, content, testing and launch, the other only the build.

The other big variables are who does the work and where they are based. Freelancers, agencies and in-house teams price differently, and so do teams in different countries. What matters is not the number on its own but what it buys: compare quotes against the same written scope, and check what each one leaves out.

What makes a website cost more?

A website moves above its starting price as it gains pages, features and people who need to edit it. These are the usual reasons.

• More page templates, rather than more pages built from the same few templates.
• A CMS your team can edit, with custom content types such as case studies or locations.
• E-commerce, bookings, member areas or anything that needs users to sign in.
• Integrations with a CRM, email marketing, payments or an existing system.
• Custom illustration, photography, animation or interactive features.
• Copywriting, translation into several languages, or migrating a large existing site.

What makes an app cost more?

An app moves above its starting price with the number of screens, the amount of logic behind them, and how much it depends on the phone itself. These drive most of the difference.

• The number of distinct screens and user journeys.
• Accounts, roles and permissions, and data that syncs across devices.
• Payments, subscriptions or in-app purchases.
• Real-time features such as chat, live tracking or notifications.
• Heavy use of the camera, location, Bluetooth or other hardware.
• Separate native iOS and Android apps rather than one cross-platform app.
• An admin panel or web dashboard for your team to manage the app.

What does a website or app cost to run after launch?

Building is a one-off cost; running is not. Every website or app has small recurring costs, and an app has a few extra ones. At the time of writing, the Apple Developer Program costs $99 a year and a Google Play developer account has a one-time $25 registration fee, and both stores take a commission on digital purchases made inside an app.

Beyond those, plan for a domain, hosting, any paid CMS or third-party services, and ongoing maintenance: security updates, operating system changes and small improvements. Our maintenance and support starts from $100 a month.

Fixed price or hourly: which is better?

For a defined project, a fixed price is usually better for the client, because the cost is known before work starts and the risk of the estimate sits with the agency. Hourly billing suits open-ended work where the scope genuinely cannot be known in advance.

We price per project or per phase, never per hour. Whichever model an agency uses, ask what happens when the scope changes halfway through, because that is where most budgets go wrong.

How can you keep the cost down?

The cheapest way to build a website or app is to build less of it first, then add to what people actually use. These choices make the biggest difference without cutting quality.

• Launch the smallest version that is genuinely useful, and rank every other feature.
• Start with a website or web app, and add the mobile app once customers want it.
• Choose one cross-platform app over two native ones, unless the product needs native.
• Have your content, logo and brand ready before the project starts.
• Give one person on your side the authority to make decisions quickly.

How do you compare quotes from different agencies?

Send every agency the same brief, then compare what each quote includes, not just the total. A low quote that leaves out design, testing or launch is not cheaper once those are added back.

• Is design included, or only development?
• Who writes and loads the content?
• Are testing, App Store and Google Play submission, and launch included?
• Who owns the code, the designs and the accounts at the end?
• What does support cost after launch?
• Are payments tied to milestones you can see and use?
• Did the agency ask questions before quoting, or just send a number?

How do you get an exact price?

Send a short brief describing what you want to build, who it is for and your budget range, and we will reply within two business days. After a free call to understand the project, you get a written scope with a fixed quote and milestones, so you know exactly what you are paying for before anything is signed.

If your budget is below what the project needs, we will say so and suggest a smaller first phase that fits, rather than a quote that grows later.