Transparent breakdown of mobile app development costs in the UAE. From simple apps (AED 30,000) to complex platforms (AED 200,000+). iOS vs Android vs React Native pricing, timeline, and hidden costs explained.

Mobile App Cost Overview

Based on 20+ mobile apps developed in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, here's transparent pricing for iOS, Android, and cross-platform app development in 2025.

Simple App (MVP): AED 30,000-60,000 (8-12 weeks). Medium Complexity: AED 70,000-120,000 (12-18 weeks). Complex App: AED 150,000-300,000+ (20-30 weeks).

Platform Choice

Native iOS (Swift): AED 40,000-200,000. Best for premium apps, complex features, maximum performance. Native Android (Kotlin): AED 40,000-200,000. Reaches 70% of UAE market. React Native (Cross-platform): AED 50,000-240,000 covers both iOS & Android. Single codebase, 40% cost savings vs dual native.

Our Recommendation: Start with React Native unless you have specific reasons for native (gaming, AR/VR, maximum performance critical).

Features That Increase Cost

Authentication & User Management: +AED 5,000-15,000. Payment Integration (PayTabs, Telr): +AED 8,000-20,000. Real-time Features (push notifications, chat, video): +AED 15,000-40,000. Location Services (maps, navigation): +AED 10,000-25,000. Backend & Admin Dashboard: +AED 20,000-60,000.

UAE-specific requirements: Bilingual Arabic/English support (+AED 8,000-15,000), UAE payment gateways (+AED 8,000-12,000), App Store optimization in both languages (+AED 3,000-6,000).

Development Approaches

In-House Team: AED 89,000/month (PM + iOS Dev + Android Dev + Designer + Backend + QA). Typical 4-month project = AED 356,000. Freelancers: AED 20,000-100,000 (hourly rates AED 100-400). Development Agency: AED 30,000-300,000 (best value for quality).

Our rates: Fixed-price projects (preferred), Time & materials at AED 350/hour blended rate, Dedicated team at AED 45,000/month (designer + 2 developers + PM).

Ongoing Costs After Launch

Monthly Maintenance: AED 2,000-8,000/month (bug fixes, OS updates, security). Hosting & Infrastructure: AED 500-5,000/month depending on user volume. App Store Fees: Apple AED 367/year + 15-30% commission, Google AED 92 one-time + 15-30% commission.

Startup app (<10K users): AED 500-1,000/month total. Growing app (10K-100K users): AED 3,000-6,000/month. Large app (100K+ users): AED 8,000-20,000/month.

Real-World UAE Examples

Restaurant Ordering App: AED 90,000 total (design, React Native dev, backend, PayTabs, testing). Timeline: 16 weeks. Ongoing: AED 3,500/month.

Fitness Tracking App: AED 150,000 total (profiles, workouts, video library, subscriptions, wearables). Timeline: 22 weeks. Ongoing: AED 6,000/month.

Fintech App (Banking Features): AED 385,000 total (KYC, wallets, P2P transfers, security, compliance). Timeline: 32 weeks. Ongoing: AED 15,000/month.

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