How AI Impacts the Cost of App Development
In 2018, Grio founder Doug Kadlecek wrote a blog entitled “How Much Does it Cost to Build a Mobile App?” As we approach 2025, many of the factors that impact the cost of app development are the same as they were in 2018, with one very notable exception: AI.
In this blog post, we will outline the factors that impact the cost of app development and examine how AI is helping developers create custom mobile apps for less.
Factors that Impact Mobile App Development Cost
As Doug discusses in his blog, many factors influence the cost of developing a mobile app. Some of the most impactful factors include:
Factor 1: The Concept Complexity
While simple apps can take a single developer mere days to build, complex apps may take large teams of developers months to complete. Elements that can impact the complexity of an app are things like targeting both iOS and Android, supporting multiple screen sizes, supporting the concept of unique users, allowing users to save and share data or sync data between devices, or providing offline access.
Factor 2: The Developer
Whether you’re doing the work by yourself, hiring an independent contractor, or working with a development company can impact the cost of development. However, the most cost-effective solution will be different for each mobile app. It’s, therefore, important to look at the pros and cons of each before choosing a solution for your mobile app.
Factor 3: The Vision
Regardless of the complexity of your app or the development option you choose, one of the surest ways to drive up your costs is to change your vision halfway through. At Grio, we invest heavily in project scoping and definition at the beginning of each new venture to guarantee that everyone, including our clients, has a clear understanding of the project vision, goals, and milestones.
The AI Factor
Since 2018, artificial intelligence has drastically changed the world of mobile app development. However, simply writing “let’s use AI” in your development plan isn’t enough to guarantee cost savings. During your development stage, it’s important to decide how and where to use AI to maximize your efficiency and price reductions.
While every app is undoubtedly different, some of the best places to consider using AI include:
Code Generation
In traditional software development, developers must write each line of code for your mobile app. However, with the help of AI tools, the coding process can be partially automated. AI assistants can analyze code as it is created and recommend upcoming lines or create entire segments of code based on developer prompts. Automating repetitive tasks, such as code development, can positively influence both your time to market and development costs.
However, while this level of automation may seem to make the developer redundant, a skilled developer is actually essential to guarantee time and cost savings. With AI automation, a developer’s ability to create effective prompts, review code, and interact with the AI assistant becomes paramount.
Quality Assurance
Quality assurance, the process of testing an app to identify issues and implement improvements, is a time-consuming and often expensive component of the development lifecycle. Rigorous testing is typically performed manually to guarantee the quality of an app before it’s released to the market.
However, AI-powered tools can help QA and DevOps teams automate large sections of the testing process, including:
- Creating and running QA tests
- Identifying errors
- Fixing bugs
At Grio, our QA experts are finding innovative ways to incorporate AI into each of our six keys of quality assurance so that we can help our customers get their apps to market more quickly and decrease QA costs.
Localization
As globalization continues to connect our world, app localization becomes increasingly important. Being able to release your app to multiple communities around the world increases your reach and your potential user base. Yet customizing your language and design to fit each new user group can be expensive.
AI can expedite the localization process in a number of ways:
- AI translation software can rapidly translate your app into multiple languages
- AI can analyze user behavior and provide recommendations for updating your app to appeal to new user groups.
- Design updates, such as moving text from horizontal to vertical orientations, can be automated with the help of AI.
The cost and time savings with AI make localization a more attainable goal for businesses with tighter budgets.
Real-Time Analysis for CI/CD and Maintenance
Once your app is released to market, your work is not complete. With continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD), you can continue to analyze your user needs and update your app to meet them.
AI makes this process easier and more cost-effective. AI can help you analyze the data you collect from your app in real time, allowing you to meet user needs as they arise to increase customer loyalty and user experience. It also allows you to identify issues before they become major problems, which can save you money on app maintenance and upkeep.
Summary
Numerous factors impact app development costs, including your vision for the project, the complexity of the app, and the development structure you choose to use. As you plan your app development, it is beneficial to look at tools, such as AI, that can be implemented effectively to reduce costs.
At Grio, we understand the importance of working within your budget while still creating a great app. Contact us today to find out how our development team can utilize our numerous resources, including AI, to help you create the next big app for less!
