Developing a native Android and native iOS app can cost you a fortune. Moreover, if you are planning to launch your app only on one platform and think the cost of developing an app for a single platform will be justified, there are chances you might change your strategy in the later stages. In that case, you’d again have to develop a new app for the other platform from scratch. What’s the solution? Cross platform app development.
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Why cross platform app development gaining popularity?
The cross platform mobile app development approach is gaining unprecedented popularity among clients and developers alike. Cross platform app development approach enables developers to develop apps for various platforms using a single codebase. This saves development time and cost and helps reduce the app’s time to market to the client. One such popular cross platform app development framework is React Native. React Native is the second most preferred cross platform framework used by developers globally. If you are curious or eager to know how much React Native mobile app development company costs, continue reading for a cost-breakdown analysis of developing a React Native app.
Cost Reduction Benefits of React Native
React Native is an ideal cost-effective cross platform app development framework as it has many features that help reduce the overall app development cost. Here are some cost-reduction features of React Native you should know about –
Reusable Code & Components
One of the biggest cost-reduction benefits of using React Native is that it eliminates the need to develop individual mobile apps from scratch for all platforms. Around 90-99% of code written in React Native is such that it needs to be written once and can be shared for both platforms, Android and iOS. Also, React Native UI components are designed to be reusable, reducing overall coding lines and making the app more efficient.
Lower App Maintenance Costs
If you think and compare the app maintenance costs of a native app to that of an app built with React Native, the prior will be way costlier. Native apps generally need to be updated regularly per individual mobile devices and screens separately. Cross platform apps allow developers to avoid versioning. Also, since for React Native, you would have a single code file, it will be lesser and easier to debug and fix bugs in your overall app as well.
Reduced UI Costs
React Native is a UI-focused front-end JavaScript framework. It enables app designers to bring a sense of uniformity to mobile app design and optimize the UI so that it functions seamlessly on various screen sizes and devices. Hence with React, you can build a responsive user interface with seamless navigation and an unparalleled user experience for multiple platforms without tweaking the design individually for individual platforms.
Single Team for Multiple Platforms
One of the biggest benefits of choosing React Native framework is that you only need to hire React Native developer team to target both Android and iOS in place of hiring dedicated developers for both platforms. This reduces the overall app development cost significantly compared to native app development.
Factors affecting React Native App Development Cost
Now that we understand the benefit of opting for React Native to develop your mobile app, we should focus on different factors influencing the cost of developing a React Native mobile app. Here are the key factors you need to consider –
1. Level of Developers and Skills
Depending on your project complexity and requirements, you need to carefully select and hire React Native developer that complements your project needs. Naturally, the more skilled and experienced the developer, the higher the cost of hiring them. Hence, the developer skills and experience needed to work on your project are important costs to consider when deciding on your React Native app development budget.
2. App Features and Complexity
A general rule or guideline suggests that the more features an app have, the more complex it gets. And for higher complexity, the React Native app development cost will increase accordingly. If you are creating an app with basic features that are common with most frameworks, they’d cost lesser, but if your app needs some special features, the budget of your React Native app development project will have to shift accordingly.
Here are some common features and their integration costs for your reference –
- API Integrations – $4500 per integration
- IoT Integrations – $25,000 per integration
- Login – $1500 – $3000
- Messaging – $6000-$7500
- Admin Panel – $3500 – $4500
- Geolocation – $12,000 – $20,000
- Ecommerce – $12,000 – $15,000
3. Developer Country/Location
Another important factor influencing the cost of React Native App is naturally where you get your React Native app developed. Each country/region has different economies, reflecting the average pay rate of developers of that particular country. Generally, you’ll be in a beneficial position if you outsource your React Native app development project to offshore locations such as India, Ukraine, and Bangladesh since the average hourly rates of developers there are significantly lesser than that of the US, UK, and Canada. However, with lesser hourly rates, you also need to ensure the developers’ quality of service and skill set before outsourcing your project. India has proven to be the most preferred IT hub for companies across the globe belonging to various industries.
Avg Cost of Hiring React Native Developers (Hourly Rates) as per Country
- Russia – $30-$40/hour
- Australia – $60-$75/hour
- USA – $90 – $120/hour
- India – $20-$40/hour
4. Hiring Models to Hire React Native Developers
Another consideration you need to keep in mind when hiring React Native developers for your project is where you source your developers from. If you have an existing team and need a beginner-level React Native developer to carry out mundane tasks, it is better to opt for a Freelance React Native developer. In contrast, if you need to hire the entire team or a managerial level developer to assist with your project, it is better to hire React Native developers from a trusted IT staffing or outsourcing company.
If you have a basic requirement, you can hire React Native developers from popular and reliable freelancing websites such as Freelancer, Upwork, and Fiverr.
IT Companies – Depending on the project’s needs and complexity, you can hire a React Native developer or a team of dedicated React Native developers from a trusted and reliable IT company. This makes more sense when looking for a start-to-finish app development journey and outsourcing your project entirely, including testing, maintenance, and post-deployment marketing.
5. React Native App Development Cost as per App Category
React Native is generally preferred or popular for developing entertainment, on-demand, or streaming-related apps. However, React Native can be used for almost any kind and category of the mobile app. Different app categories have a different sets of features and minimum requirements. Some categories are even more popular than others. Hence which category your React Native app belongs to will significantly affect the cost of your project.
Final Words
Many other fixed costs are common across all mobile app platforms, like app deployment costs on app stores like Google Play Store and Apple App Store, and others too. Overall, React Native can be deemed a cost-effective cross platform app development framework that you can consider for your next mobile app project. When deciding on your overall mobile app development project, keep these considerations in mind.
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