A brief overview of Flutter
Did you know that there's a way to create iPhone and Android apps with the same code? It's called Flutter. A well-known tool that many programmers use to build these apps quickly. But, how much does Flutter app development cost? If you develop an app using Flutter, the price will be anywhere from $40,000 to $200,000 and more.
Keep in mind that this is just an indication. The final price will depend on what your app does and how complex it is. We can help you set the right price for your app!
If we conditionally divide Flutter apps by their size, we'll get the following numbers:
But what are other benefits besides its efficiency, flexibility and strong performance?
One of the most outstanding features of Flutter is a big set of customizable widgets. With their help, you'll be able to create attractive and responsive personal user interfaces. You’ll easily adapt these widgets to the design language of different systems. As a result, you have a native look on all types of devices.
In addition to mobile app development strengths, Flutter also supports web and PC applications. In general, increased flexibility makes it attractive to developers who want to target multiple frameworks with a unique code base. If you’re looking for a solution to realize your idea and have a budget, but no idea about the cost of Flutter app development, let’s move on.
Importance of understanding app development costs
Software development is like painting a masterpiece - one brushstroke at a time. Using Flutter to understand software development pricing has always been essential for effective task planning, price range allocation and selection. It’ll help you set realistic expectations, properly allocate resources, reduce risk and optimize initiative outcomes. If you understand the costs of development services, you'll achieve goals successfully and profitably.
Want to learn more about the details of understanding development costs?
Here's what you need to know:
Effective challenge planning
Identifying the expected cost will help you to provide a high-level business plan. This allows everyone involved to set realistic timelines, efficiently manage resources and identify task progress. Understanding costs in time improves task management and reduces the risk of unexpected delays.
Budget Allocation
Flutter app development costs are also a matter of budget allocation. With a professional understanding, you better set higher budgets for specific components of the task. In short, it includes improvements, add-ons, payment, promotion and protection. This ensures efficient management throughout the lifecycle of the problem.
Informed decision making
It helps to enable preference decision-makers to take informed actions on the scope and functionality. If you know the fee impact of different capabilities, you’ll be able to prioritize features based only on the cost proposal and budget constraints. This enables optimizing assets and delivering products that meet business objectives.
Risk mitigation
By understanding the financial impact of various situations, you better manage risk proactively. App development costs provide insight into potential risks and challenges that may come up at some. Stakeholders develop techniques to effectively mitigate risk by identifying cost drivers and uncertainties early.
Optimization of resources
You have an opportunity to optimize resources and maximize ROI with a clear view of software development costs. Understanding cost-effective methodologies, the use of reusable components and prioritizing features based on impact and cost will enable you to be more proactive in the market.
Purpose of the guide
Our guide provides a complete understanding of how much Flutter app development costs. The guide helps address price range questions and allows for more accurate costs. As well as analyzing the benefits of upgrading at an uncertain point in the future.
In fact, information on various factors such as design, backend and frontend development, testing and maintenance lets you effectively plan and reduce the risk of a Flutter project. Overall, this guide hides a lot more, than just the tech part. There’s also a valuable and useful resource for maximizing your performance and minimizing financial traps in Flutter software development.
Factors Affecting Flutter App Development Cost
App complexity
It is important to remember that the complexity of an application is not the number of features it has. The way those features work together is equally important. An app that is known for its complexity and ease of interaction between features will be priced higher than a feature-rich app where everything works independently. Think of it this way: building a shopping list app is easy. But if that list app needs to connect to a sensor in the fridge and robotically reorder when you're out of milk, that's a whole new level and price point.
Design requirements
Nice interfaces are possible, but design goes deeper than the visuals. A beautifully designed app is intuitive and clean to use. User experience (UX) plays a big role in this technique. Do you need custom icons and animations for every show? Or can you manipulate stock elements? The more customization you need, the more expensive it will be. But most of the time, clean formatting are effective.
Improving the Backend
You know, the backend is like the engine under the hood. But engines come in different sizes. A simple software program may need a simple database to store character information. More complex software requires a powerful backend for real-time data processing, user authentication and complex calculations. The more powerful the engine needs to be, the more it will affect the Flutter pricing.
Optimizing the frontend
The front end is where users make your app exist. Front-end builders make the back-case facts a person-first reveal. The complexity of front-end improvements depends on how you want your facts to look. Will you use pre-built widgets or custom additions? Will you need fancy transitions and animations? These decisions will affect the time and cost of the extension.
Testing
Testing is not just about finding bugs (although that is important). It's also about making sure the app works well on different devices and with unusual network conditions. The bigger the structure of your application (iOS, Android, Web), the more high your Flutter app development will cost. But remember, a well-designed app is a reliable app and can save you money from terrible reviews and unhappy customers.
Maintenance
Just like cars need regular maintenance, apps need constant updating. This includes fixing bugs, adding new features and keeping up with the latest security updates. The cost of maintenance depends on whether the app is changed regularly and the complexity of the updates. Since Flutter uses a single codebase for both iOS and Android, maintenance is often more environmentally friendly and cheaper than traditional development strategies.
App Complexity and Its Impact on Cost and Time
Simple apps
Apps like recipe app or note-taking app typically have a limited number of features and require a simple user interface (UI) and basic user experience (UX). They are like little houses in the app world. Short development time, 2-4 months usually lowers the price. However, consider end-to-end flow with a discovery phase. The price varies from $30.000 to $60.000+. Ideal if you have a clear and focused idea and need to realize your app out into the world quickly.
Moderate complexity apps
E-commerce apps with a list, shopping cart and even a price gateway fall into this class. They offer more functionality than simple apps but don't require heavy lifting like real-time data processing or advanced features. There may be custom design elements to make your logo stand out and integration with pricing processors and social media structures. In this case, the cost of Flutter app development goes up, starting from $45.000 to $110.000+ and takes 3-7 months to create. But it's the spot where you can include a lot of your features without spending a lot of money.
Complex Apps
Telemedicine apps with health tracking, or enterprise-specific apps like or online marketplaces. These are complex giant apps. They have advanced functionality, statistics and security features. It requires proper planning, robust architecture modeling, and skilled development teams to assemble. Naturally, the developing term varies in 6-14 months and the cost to upgrade to this class is around $100.000-$220.000+. But for a package that requires modern production and large capacity, the money is definitely worth it.
Estimated development time and cost for each complexity level
Our guide shows the actual cost to develop a Flutter app will vary depending on the unique challenges and complexity of each class. A simple application with complex features may take longer than a complex smooth functionality app. The key is to truly understand the goals of the software and work with the developer to find the right balance for the project.
Breakdown of estimated costs for different parts of the application
Now that you've examined the factors that affect the price of developing a Flutter application, it is time to take a hard look at the details. Keep in mind that these are hard numbers and the actual fee will vary depending on the complexity and scope of the project. Now, check out how design affects your Flutter app development cost.
Design
This is where the magic of your app's initial impact comes together. Here are the key players in the design development:
UI/UX design
UI/UX covers the whole customer experience, from the primary layout and intuitive navigation ending up a clear structure that makes it easy for customers to use the app. Investing in UI/UX design not only elevates user satisfaction but also contributes to higher ratings and sustained app loyalty. So, the estimated cost of UI/UX design can probably be up from $3,000 to $8,000. The Flutter app development cost depends on the number of screens, complexity of app user flows, UX concept and chosen design system. But…what else can impact your Flutter pricing?
Graphics and animations
Here come our next heroes. Stunning visuals are a kind of sparkle that underscores the overall app. Whether you decide to create a custom icon that perfectly represents your emblem, a completely custom illustration or an interactive animation that guides people through a complex challenge. The more complex and unique the photo or animation, the higher the cost to develop a Flutter app. Still, the cost of graphics and animations can vary.
The complexity and scope of the task will determine the specific graphics needed.
- Simple graphics can cost anywhere from $500 to $1,000.
- Moderate graphics usually cost anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 or more.
- The average cost of simple animations is around $500 to $1,500. The price depends on things like transitions, interactive parts, and animated icons.
- The cost for advanced animations, such as character animations and 3D transformations, can be $1,500 to $5,000 or more.
As you can see, the estimated cost can vary from $3,000 to $10,000 or even more. However, if you are a skilled designer, you can create visually rich applications without spending a lot of money by using a stock image library and well-placed animations.
Tools and assets
Just as musicians have the equipment, you or your designer can use a variety of tools to capture their imaginations and concepts. Subscription costs for layout software, including Adobe XD and Figma, impact Flutter app development costs. In addition, fully customized logo images may require you the purchase stock photography and unique artwork, which can be quite expensive. The cost can be completely different, from a couple hundred to a thousand dollars, so, you must decide on your own.
A clear discussion of your layout requirements and price range with your designer or team will help them recommend a cost-effective solution. Many open-source layout tools are available and a well-chosen stock image can be as powerful as a custom painting. Now, it’s time to get to the technical part, especially the backend part.
Backend development
Think of the backend as the hidden engine that runs the software program, the behind-the-scenes master that coordinates the flow of information. This is where the real magic happens. Usually, it costs $35-56/hour to hire a backend developer. You can just ask the developer how much time it will approximately take to code the backend part and count the overall cost. Otherwise, the estimated price can be from $5,000 to $70,000. Your price will depend directly on the feature set, business logic horizon and app complexity.
Cloud infrastructure setup and configuration
Usually, this involves setting up the infrastructure (literally) with which your software programs interact to store and systematize records. The complexity of setting up a server depends on the amount of records your app wants to process and the amount of security it needs. For simple apps, a basic cloud server will work, but more complex programs will require a private cloud server with strong protection to keep Flutter app development costs down. The minimum cost of server setup and configuration is $660 but also can be more, depending on the tapp complexity. Let’s quickly break down the price:
- Simple app configuration: around $600-$900
- Moderate-to-Complex Application: around $1,000-$3,000
- Highly Complex Application: $5,000 and more.
Database implementation
Applications will likely require a database to store personal records, product statistics and other relevant information. The type and complexity of the database will affect the Flutter pricing. For example, a simple to-do list program may use a lightweight database such as SQLite, while an e-commerce software program that processes hundreds of thousands of products may require a powerful database such as MySQL or PostgreSQL. Your cost will depend on the complexity of your database integration, it can be pre-built and cost around usually around $1,000 to $3,000 annually. By the way, it can also be up to $10,000 or more if it requires Data Warehousing capability and complex ETL.
API Development
APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) act as messengers between the app and the back end. The complexity of API functionality affects the price of improvements, as it requires a great deal of time and effort to develop and deploy and can also be very expensive. Simple software programs may require a primary API for user authentication and statistics collection. The usual API development cost can be as low as $5,000 or as high as $70,000. The price depends on the feature set, the horizon of business logic, and its complexity. Also, complicated software with real-time functionality may require a complex API architecture to provide a stable stream of data.
Here's my special tip for content-driven programs: don't forget the headless CMS (Content Material Control Machine). This allows content to be managed outside of the application, reducing the complexity of redundant enhancements and potentially lowering the price. However, we’ve dealt with the backend, let’s move on and see below why frontend development also highly impacts your Flutter app development cost.
Frontend Development
This is where the user interacts with the application and where the overall visual performance comes into play. Pre-package builders take information for installation and turn it into a visually appealing, consumer-quality experience. The actual cost of front-end development can be around $1,000 to $80,000 and even more! Everything depends on your needs.
Coding and implementation
Developers use the Flutter framework to write code to bring their apps to life. The more capacity and capabilities an application has, the more coding is required, which affects the price. If you are an experienced Flutter developer, you can save time and costs by writing clean and efficient code. The estimated cost can range from $35 to $56/hour.
Widget development
Flutter uses pre-built widgets for common UI elements such as buttons, text fields and menus. These are like the building blocks of an application's interface. Sometimes unique features or a very custom interface require custom widgets. Developing a custom widget requires more time and skill and will be more expensive in terms of Flutter app development cost and time. This is where professional builders can strike a balance between custom elements that beautify people's level and widgets that are pre-built for performance. In fact, a single widget can cost you around $15 or a little bit more.
Testing
Just as a production put through a strict test run before its launch, applications need to be perfectly tested to ensure that they run perfectly through all devices and systems. This is where the huge Quality Assurance (QA) operation comes in:
Quality Assurance (QA)
They play the role of critics and test the application to find bugs and glitches so that it can be easily used by people. The more usability and features an application has, the more thorough the testing needs to be, which affects the Flutter app development cost. Professional QA teams usually prioritize testing based primarily on key features and user flow, optimizing the testing process without compromising quality. The QA team cost per hour may vary from $30-$45/hour, depending on the level of experience and expertise of the team members.
Maintenance
Think of maintenance as the ongoing care required to keep the app running smoothly. Just as in theater, regular maintenance behind the scenes is necessary for success.
Regular updates and patches
The world of technology is always on the move and your app needs to keep up with the latest security patches and operating system updates. This helps to keep applications running on new devices and protects them in the race against security threats. The rate of updates and patches depends on the complexity of the software and the evolving technology environment. There is no real one-fit answer, but the estimated cost can be around $35-56/hour
Bug fixes and upgrades
Even the most carefully tested applications can have bugs after release. Fixing bugs regularly is important to keep your major customers happy. You may also need to introduce new features or upgrades based on customer comments or market changes. These updates and worm fixes may be reflected in the overall renewal price. Here is a little breakdown of bug fixes cost:
- bug found at the design phase by a walkthrough - low cost: $35 to $140 per bug
- bug found during coding by a walkthrough - low cost: $35 to $140 per bug
- bug found by unit test - low cost: $35-$70 per bug
- bug found by integration test - medium to high cost: $70 to $250 per bug
- bug found by a customer after the product shipped - low to high cost: $35 to $300 per bug
Your protection plan should be discussed with your developer in detail. This will give you an overview of the Flutter app development cost for regular updates, virus fixes and performance upgrades and allow you to set the right budget for the long-term success of your application.
Understanding these breakdowns and how each piece fits into the overall price will allow you to make informed decisions as you grow your Flutter app. Remember that skilled developers can help you prioritize features, optimize improvement processes and find cost-effective answers to help you build a useful and affordable app. Now, get ready to pull back the curtain on your app development journey, as we are coming to the Flutter app development cost list among different parts of the planet.
Flutter Developer Rates in Different Parts of the World
Now that we've talked about the different parts of an app and their prices, let's move on to developer costs, which are still a significant factor. Like a bill for an artist, a developer's price can vary based on location and experience. These details will help you decide how far you can go with Flutter packages within a given budget.
Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)
Experienced Flutter developers in this region can charge between $35 and $56/hour. Think of it as an excellent place to start for low-cost projects or innovative companies. You may be able to find skilled developers who can bring your app idea to life without breaking the bank. But managing expectations is key. Even with a wealth of experience, some CEE developers may not have the same advantages when it comes to hiring as their Western counterparts.
Western Europe
In Western Europe, developer pricing is more widely spread, ranging from $40 to an astounding $70/hour! This demonstrates the range of offerings you can access directly from this page. For the highest possible Flutter pricing, you can access the experience of professional developers who have worked on challenging projects. But fear not - talented developers are also available here at significantly reduced rates. To find the ideal fit here, you need to be very clear about the requirements and financial limitations of your challenge
North America
In North America, developers typically charge from $45 to an astounding $100/hour. This shows the high level of need for licensed contractors in this area. On the one hand, this location offers a wealth of experience and expertise, making it the perfect place to sign up for business programs. On the other hand, the cost of Flutter app development is higher.
South America
South America is becoming an increasingly important part of the Flutter development world. They pay between $40 and $70/hour, so skilled developers are willing to show off their skills. Latin America is a great option for you due to its developing skills base and potential cost savings, although the time difference should also be taken into consideration.
While the areas listed above are some of the most popular for Flutter extension, there are many other possibilities! Here's a quick look at some of the areas:
Australia
The place where an hourly Flutter app development cost can range from $45 to $100. Expect skilled developers who are familiar with the latest technology.
Africa
A developing market where the cost ranges from $35 to $45/hour. It may be more difficult to find experienced Flutter developers in this area, but a significant risk remains with this choice.
India
It is a hub for IT talent, where developers usually charge between $25 and $50/hour. The wide skills range offers a variety of options, but project management and communication may require additional focus.
Comparison of rates and quality
Keep in mind that there are other unique factors to consider besides the development rate. Selecting the most suitable candidate for your project will be made easier by looking at their experience, communication style and portfolio. Don't be afraid to talk to developers in other areas to see if they share your vision and to assess their skills. The best developer isn't always the most expensive. Sometimes a skilled developer with less experience may be a better fit for your project at a lower Flutter app development cost.
Being aware of these different developer costs and their benefits will help you make informed decisions when creating your amazing Flutter app. So get out of your plan, remember your options and get ready to find the best developer to make your app a reality!
How Much Does it Cost to Build a Dedicated Team?
Now that we've explored developer rates in different regions, let's dive into the cost of building your team. Think of it like building your ideal team in the app development game! We'll break down team members, roles and estimated costs for different mission complexities.
Team Composition
A well-rounded Flutter development team typically includes the following key people:
Developers (Junior, Middle and Senior): They are like coding masters who turn your app idea into a working prototype. Depending on their level, their rate will change. While junior developers work for less money but may require more direction, senior developers are paid more for their experience.
QA Specialist: Your app's guardian angel, the amazing QA specialist makes sure your app works perfectly. They will thoroughly test every feature of your app to identify and fix any potential problems.
UI/UX Designer: These people design the look and feel of your software. They'll put a lot of effort into making your app beautiful and easy to use, with a focus on user experience (UX) and user interface (UI).
Project Manager: The project manager acts as the connection between you and the developers. They will keep track of assignments, monitor tool management and ensure that all events are working toward the same goal.
Business Analyst (optional): For challenging tasks, a business analyst can be a helpful resource. They will bridge the gaps between technical requirements and business needs, ensuring that your application supports your overall goals.
DevOps Engineer (optional): For large projects or those with complex requirements for deployment, a DevOps engineer can speed up the development and deployment process.
Keep in mind that this is the top structure. Depending on the specific needs of your project, you may or may not need each function. You may also need additional experts.
Roles and responsibilities
Developer: Work with backend systems to build features, write code and create art.
QA Specialist: Test the functionality of the application, identify and report issues and perform bug testing.
UI/UX Designer: Create user interface designs and motion models and ensure a simple, easy-to-use user experience.
As a Project Manager, keep an eye on deadlines, cost variety, resources and team communication.
Business Analyst (optional): Read your goals and translate them into technical specifications.
DevOps Engineer (optional): Automate deployment processes to ensure smooth application delivery.
Cost Breakdown for Different Team Sizes
The complexity of your application, the level of expertise of the team members you hire and their location (discussed in the previous paragraph) will all affect the exceptional rate your engaged organization will charge. Here is a hard and fast guide for different group sizes and complexity of the project:
Basic Flutter App: The budget for a medium-sized organization (developers, QA specialist, UI/UX fashion designer, project manager) must be between $30,000 and $60,000.
Medium Flutter App: Flutter app development costs vary between $45,000 and $110,000, depending on complexity and may involve an agency analyst.
Complex Flutter App: The cost can start at $100,000 or more, like $220,000+ for a highly staffed team that includes senior developers, a DevOps engineer and possibly other specialists.
Note that actual Flutter app development costs may vary from these ranges. To get a more accurate estimate for your specific project, you can possibly get costs from your potential team members.
Advantages of a dedicated team approach
Here are some basic advantages from our own experience:
Greater verbal communication and collaboration: A dedicated team that works together from the start creates greater verbal communication and collaboration, resulting in a more friendly approach to improvement.
Direct control: You can make real-time decisions with your team and have more influence over the project's direction.
Ownership and scalability: As your mission changes, you have the absolute power to grow or downsize the facility using your application's intellectual property (IP).
Creating a dedicated team can be a fantastic opportunity for complicated tasks or those that require a high level of control and manipulation. However, it's important to consider the Flutter pricing and time required to build and manage your team.
Case Studies
At Covent IT we believe in the power of Flutter. To be honest with you, Google’s innovative framework simplifies our lives. This allows us to build cross-platform apps, as well as have full control over customization and simplified development process. The following case studies show the exact way we use the power of Flutter to create amazing apps for our clients. It all comes down to this:
The Mighty
Let us introduce The Mighty case. We worked on the development of a mobile app and website that allows users to engage with health challenges. The project serves the world's largest digital health community, providing a platform that is both intuitive and feature-rich.
Our focus was on creating a user-friendly experience with the help of Flutter. The website and app have a clean and simple structure, free from information overload. This ensures that users can easily navigate and find the content they need.
Here's a look at some of the key features we've implemented:
- Personalized home feed:
- Advanced post and story search
- Direct messaging (app only)
Trueli
This case study showcases the development of Trueli. An easy-to-use mobile application we built with Flutter that transforms a messy photo library into a beautiful collection of memories.
We chose to use Flutter to build Trueli. This strategic decision allowed us to achieve these benefits:
- Flutter's capabilities allowed us to create a single code base that would work seamlessly on both Android and iOS devices. This not only saved development time but also ensured a consistent user experience across platforms.
- Trueli has a unique and engaging user interface. Flutter's support for custom widgets and animations allowed us to create these elements, resulting in a visually appealing and interactive app.
As you can see, Flutter has the power to create innovative and user-centric mobile apps. Trueli is a nice example of how Flutter's cross-platform capabilities, support for custom widgets, and access to APIs like Google Places can transform a concept into a compelling mobile experience.
Paxtore
Our latest case study for today is Paxtore. This app is transforming the package delivery industry by providing a seamless and user-friendly experience through the use of Flutter technology.
Paxtore brought together a team of highly skilled, English-speaking Flutter developers in collaboration with mailbox integration specialists. This partnership resulted in the development of a unified codebase that provides:
- Flutter serves as the foundation for a visually appealing and functional cross-platform application.
- Custom widgets and animations create an intuitive user interface that is both easy to navigate and visually appealing.
Paxtore shows us the successful combination of a talented development team and the capabilities of Flutter technology. This case also highlights how Flutter and other powerful tools can be used to create innovative and user-friendly multi-platform solutions.
Conclusion
With Flutter, you can create solid and effective apps for iOS and Android mobile devices. In this guide, we answered the question “How much does Flutter app development cost?”. We included all possible important elements that affect the Flutter pricing. Now, let’s summarize the key points and see what we have:
App complexity: More advanced apps with more features cost much more money than simple apps.
Design specifications: Custom animations and additional layout elements increase the cost.
Backend extension: The complexity of your app's backend features will determine how much Flutter app development costs.
Frontend development: Custom widgets and complex integrations will increase the cost.
Testing: To ensure an exceptional product, extraordinary levels of testing may be required, depending on the app's capabilities.
Maintenance: Regular protection is required to keep your app up-to-date and secure.
In addition to aspects such as team composition, roles and responsibilities and cost estimates for various project sizes, the cost of a dedicated development group was also included.
When you start developing Flutter apps, knowing about these aspects will help you make informed decisions. With careful planning, budget allocation and selection of a good optimization technique, you can create a functional and affordable Flutter app that meets your needs.
So, are you ready to share your app concept with customers? Now that you are armed with the knowledge from this guide, you are ready to discuss the specifics of your challenge in element with potential development partners and present a self-guaranteed offer. Do not be afraid to ask questions and request quotes to find the perfect fit for your needs and budget.
You may understand that developing a quality application takes patience, hard work and teamwork. Don't wait for the perfect moment; take moments and make them perfect. I hope, If you follow the advice in this guide, you will most likely be well on your way to developing a successful Flutter app.
