What does an app
cost?
For a UK small business, a well-made iPhone app built around your existing website costs from £2,250 for a simple app, £3,900 with customer accounts and a loyalty card, and £6,000 with ordering and payments. Then from £100 a month to keep it running. Here's what's behind those numbers.
By Ethan · Updated November 2026
Three kinds of app, three prices.
These are my early-client prices, which are up to 50% off while I take on my first few business clients.
| What the app does | Good for | From |
|---|---|---|
| Your menu, services, hours, bookings links, maps and tap-to-call | Cafés, shops, venues, local services | £2,250 |
| Everything above, plus customer logins, a loyalty card or membership pass, and push notifications | Gyms, climbing walls, farm shops, garden centres, pubs | £3,900 |
| Everything above, plus ordering and payments in the app, Apple Watch, or links into your booking or stock system | Order ahead, subscriptions, bespoke tools | £6,000 |
Why one app costs more than another.
Most of the cost of an app is the number of things it has to do on its own, rather than just show. Showing your menu is simple. Remembering who a customer is, how many stamps they have and what they ordered last time takes more building and more testing.
Things that add to the price
- Customer accounts. As soon as people log in, the app needs somewhere safe to keep their details.
- Taking payments. Ordering and paying in the app means more screens, more testing and Apple's rules on payments.
- Linking to your other systems. Tills, booking systems and stock systems each work differently. Some are easy to connect, some aren't.
- Android as well as iPhone. A second platform means a second app to build and test, or a web app alongside.
- Content that doesn't exist yet. If your menu, photos or prices aren't online, they need to be written or gathered first.
Things that keep it down
- Using what's already on your website. My apps are built from the content you already keep up to date.
- Keeping the booking system you have. Linking to it costs far less than building a new one.
- Starting small. Launch with the features you'll use every week and add the rest later.
What it costs each year.
The build is a one-off. These are the costs that carry on.
| Cost | What it's for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Upkeep | Hosting, security and bug fixes, updates for each new iOS release, App Store management and small changes | from £100/month |
| Apple developer account | Paid to Apple so the app is listed under your own business name | £79/year |
| Google Play account | Only if you have an Android app; a one-off fee paid to Google | about £20 once |
| Website upkeep | Optional, if I also look after your website | +£50/month |
What each tier includes.
Every quote is fixed before work starts. You pay half to start and half when your app is live.
Starter
Your website content, as a polished iPhone app- Menus, services, prices and opening hours
- Bookings and links into your current systems
- Maps, directions and tap-to-call
- Published on the App Store
Standard
For businesses with regulars, members or subscribers- Everything in Starter
- Customer accounts and logins
- Loyalty cards, memberships or passes
- Push notifications for offers and reminders
- Android version or web app
Custom
When the app is part of how you run the business- Everything in Standard
- In-app payments and ordering
- Apple Watch and other devices
- Integrations with your booking or stock systems
A quick way to check.
Work out what one extra visit from a regular is worth to you, then how many extra visits a year the app needs to bring in to pay for itself.
For example, a café with a £5 average spend that gets 40 regulars to come in one extra time a month takes about £2,400 more a year. That covers a Starter app in the first year, before counting anything else the app does.
Your own numbers will be different, which is why the first step is a free concept and a fixed quote rather than a sales call.
See what an app could do for cafés, gyms and climbing walls, farm shops, garden centres, pubs and venues and visitor attractions.
Things people ask about price.
Is there a cheaper way to get an app?
DIY app builders cost from around £30 to £100 a month, but you build it yourself from a template and it looks like every other app made with the same tool. They suit some businesses. If you want an app that feels like yours and someone to look after it, a fixed-price build is usually better value over a few years.
Why are agency quotes so much higher?
Agencies carry account managers, project managers and office costs, and often quote by the day. I design and build every app myself and quote one fixed price, which is where most of the difference comes from.
Do I own the app?
It's published on the App Store under your own business name, using your own Apple developer account.
Do I need an Android app too?
Roughly half of UK smartphones are iPhones, and iPhone owners tend to use apps the most, so iPhone is a sensible place to start. Standard and Custom include an Android version or a web app so nobody is left out.
What does the free concept include?
A short video of your app made with your own content and branding, plus a fixed quote. If you don't want to go ahead, you pay nothing.
Can I start small and add features later?
Yes. Plenty of businesses start on Starter and add loyalty, accounts or payments once they can see the app working.
Get a fixed quote.
Send me your website and I'll make you a free concept of your app, with one fixed price. No calls, no obligation.
Get your free concept