How much does it cost to build an app in the UK? (2026)
Typical price ranges, day rates and running costs, taken from published UK pricing guides, plus what drives the price up or down.
The short answer
In 2026, a simple app or MVP in the UK typically costs £8,000 to £30,000. A standard business app with accounts, payments and integrations costs £30,000 to £80,000. Complex or regulated platforms start around £80,000 and can pass £300,000. Budget another 15% to 25% a year for maintenance.
Price ranges by type of app
Ranges from two published UK agency guides, 2026.
| Type of app | Typical cost | Typical timeline | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple app or MVP | £8k – £30k | 8 – 16 weeks | A booking tool, a single-purpose app with 3 to 6 screens |
| Standard business app | £30k – £80k | 3 – 7 months | A customer portal with accounts, payments and 1 to 2 integrations |
| Complex or regulated platform | £80k – £300k+ | 6 – 18 months | A marketplace with real-time features and strict security needs |
Sources: Red Eagle Tech, 2026; Foresight Mobile, 2026. Ranges combined and rounded.
UK developer day rates
- Median contractor
- About £500 a dayLondon median about £530. ITJobsWatch data, April 2026.
- Range
- £382 to £675 a day10th to 90th percentile of UK contract rates.
- Agency team
- £600 to £1,200 a dayBlended rate for a mixed team including testing and project management.
Source: Red Eagle Tech, 2026, citing ITJobsWatch.
What drives the price
- Number of features and screens. Every screen needs design, building and testing.
- Integrations. Connecting to payment providers, accounting software or existing databases adds work.
- Platforms. Web, iOS and Android. One shared codebase costs much less than three separate apps.
- Accounts and permissions. Different roles seeing different data takes careful design.
- Security and compliance. Health, finance and personal data need more safeguards.
- Design. Custom animation and branding cost more than clean, standard interfaces.
Running costs after launch
Guides commonly estimate maintenance at 15% to 25% of the build cost each year: operating system updates, security fixes and small improvements. For a £50,000 app, that's roughly £7,500 to £12,500 a year. Hosting for a small business app often costs far less than that, depending on traffic.
Publishing to Apple's App Store also needs an Apple Developer account, currently £79 a year.
How to keep costs down
- Start with the smallest version that solves the main problem, then grow it.
- Use one codebase for iOS and Android.
- Reuse proven services, such as Stripe for payments, instead of building your own.
- Agree a fixed price, so the budget can't creep.
- Ask to see a working demo early, so changes are cheap.
How Renewminder prices
We're a UK company with a team working from Morocco, so our costs are far lower than a UK agency's. Our day rate is £90, booking systems start from £840 and MVPs from £1,990. Every quote is fixed before any work starts, and our first 5 clients get 20% off.
Quick answers
How much does it cost to build an app in the UK?
Published 2026 UK guides put a simple app or MVP at roughly £8,000 to £30,000, a standard business app at £30,000 to £80,000, and complex or regulated platforms at £80,000 to £300,000 or more.
How much does it cost to maintain an app each year?
Guides commonly estimate 15% to 25% of the original build cost per year, covering updates, fixes and small improvements, plus hosting.
What is the average UK developer day rate?
ITJobsWatch data cited in 2026 guides puts the median UK contract developer day rate at about £500, with blended agency team rates of roughly £600 to £1,200 per day.
Why do app quotes vary so much?
Quotes depend on the number of screens and features, integrations with other systems, whether you need iOS, Android and web, design complexity, and security or compliance requirements.
How can I reduce the cost of an app?
Start with the smallest version that solves the main problem, use one codebase for iOS and Android, reuse proven components such as Stripe for payments, and agree a fixed price up front.