"How much does an app cost?" is the first question every Irish business asks — and the internet answers with everything from €1,000 to €250,000+. Both can be true, and both are useless without context.
Here's the transparent breakdown for 2026: real ranges by app type, the decisions that move the price most, and the costs everyone forgets to budget.
App cost in Ireland: the ranges
| Type of app | Typical range (Ireland) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Simple app / MVP | €8,000–€40,000 | 4–10 weeks |
| Business app (bookings, orders, payments) | €20,000–€60,000 | 2–4 months |
| Marketplace / platform | €70,000–€180,000+ | 4–8 months |
| Complex / enterprise / AI | €80,000–€250,000+ | 6–12+ months |
What actually moves the price
Five decisions drive 80% of the cost difference between 'cheap' and 'expensive' apps:
- Scope. An MVP with one core job vs a full feature list. This is the single biggest lever — most first apps can lose 60% of features and win more customers.
- Platform. Cross-platform (one codebase, both stores) vs native twice. Cross-platform typically saves 30–40%.
- Integrations. Every third-party system — payments, calendars, maps, booking engines — adds real work. Budget €500–€3,000 per integration.
- Backend & real-time. User accounts, live updates and chat need servers, security and data work. This is where mid-range apps double in price.
- Who builds it. Agency vs freelancer vs small studio — the same spec can vary 2x depending on overhead, not quality.
The costs everyone forgets
The build is half the story. A realistic 3-year budget includes:
- Maintenance: 15–25% of the build cost per year. OS updates, security patches, and the constant changes Apple and Google push out. For a €40,000 app, that's €6,000–€10,000/year.
- App store fees: Apple Developer Program ~€95/year, Google Play $25 once.
- Hosting & cloud: typically €500–€2,000/month as you grow — less at the start.
- GDPR & compliance: data protection design in Europe is not optional; budget it from day one.
- Marketing: an app no one downloads earns nothing. Factor in app-store optimisation and launch promotion.
The honest take on 'cheap apps'
An app under ~€8k isn't a bargain — it's usually a prototype wearing a business suit.
Low quotes get you a skeleton: no backend, no testing, no launch support, and a rebuild when it actually faces customers. The cheapest way to build an app is to scope ruthlessly with a senior developer — not to hire the cheapest developer.
How to budget sensibly
- Define the one job. The app must do one thing brilliantly that makes customers come back.
- Launch an MVP. A lean first version validates demand before you spend on features nobody uses.
- Choose cross-platform unless you have a hard reason for native.
- Plan for maintenance in the business case — it's an operating cost, not a surprise.
- Work with someone who'll tell you 'no'. A scoper who cuts your feature list is saving you money, not losing you value.
What a custom WERODEX app costs
We build custom apps for Irish businesses — one core job, one codebase, both platforms. Because we're a small hand-coded studio, you get senior work at the freelancer end of the market:
- Lean MVP first: live in 3–6 weeks, priced at the low end of the simple/MVP range.
- Built to your business, not a template — booking, ordering, loyalty or membership scoped around your customers.
- Integrations (payments, calendars, notifications) quoted transparently up front.
- No agency overhead, no hidden subscriptions — you own everything.
Want a real number for your app? Send us a two-line description of what it should do and we'll reply with an honest range — including what we'd tell you not to build. Get your estimate.
Frequently asked questions
What does a mobile app cost in Ireland in 2026?
A simple MVP costs roughly €8,000–€40,000, a mid-range business app €20,000–€60,000, and complex or enterprise apps €80,000–€250,000+ from agencies. A small hand-coded studio sits at the lower end of every range.
Why is the range so wide?
Because 'an app' can mean a brochure with three screens or a platform with payments, real-time sync and compliance. The honest answer always comes from scoping: what one job does the app do, for whom, and with what integrations?
Native or cross-platform — what should I choose?
Cross-platform (React Native, Flutter) delivers both iOS and Android from one codebase for roughly 30–40% less than building twice. Most business apps don't need native's last 5% of performance — cross-platform is the smart default.
What are the hidden costs?
Budget 15–25% of the build cost per year for maintenance (updates, security, OS compatibility), plus the Apple Developer fee (~€95/year), Google Play's one-off $25, and any backend hosting. GDPR compliance and app-store analytics also cost time and money.
How fast can an app go live?
A lean, well-scoped MVP can go live in 3–6 weeks from locking the core features. Bigger platforms scale from there. Speed comes from saying no to 80% of the features you thought you needed.
Why is my quote so different from 'an app costs €5k'?
Anything quoted under roughly €8k for real customer-facing work is usually no-code or a prototype — fine for validating an idea, rarely ready for paying customers. Trusted business apps cost more because they include design, backend, testing and launch support.