The cost to hire an app developer in 2025 ranges widely, from $20/hour for freelancers in India to $150/hour for senior app developers in the US. Monthly salaries vary just as much.
This wide gap makes it difficult for companies to plan their hiring budget. Developer location, experience level, platform specialization (iOS, Android, or cross-platform), and hiring model all impact what you’ll pay.
In this guide, you’ll find a structured breakdown that will answer the question ‘how much does it cost to hire an app developer‘, including:
Let’s start with a quick summary of the numbers.
As already mentioned, not all app developers are priced the same. Three key factors consistently impact cost across every hiring model:
Let’s break them down one by one.
First, let’s take a look at how much experience influences the app developer’s hourly rate.
Experience directly affects how much app developers charge and how efficiently they’ll work. While junior app developers may seem affordable, the real cost often includes slower delivery and more time spent on supervision.
On the other hand, senior app developers come with a higher rate but often reduce the total development time and risk.
Here’s how app developer experience typically breaks down and what you can expect to pay:
Junior
0-2 years
$20 - $40
Middle
2-4 years
$40 - $80
Senior
5+ years
$80 - $150+
Let’s look at what each experience level means for your project.
In short, pay less per hour, and you’ll pay more in time. Pay more per hour, and you’ll likely ship faster and cleaner. The right experience level depends on your project goals and your risk tolerance.
Next, let’s see how much it costs to hire an app developer based on their location.
App developer cost in a preferred location reflects the cost of living, demand for tech talent, and the maturity of the local IT market.
For example, hiring a mobile developer from San Francisco or London can cost 2-3x more than working with someone equally skilled in Poland or Brazil.
If you’re building remotely, and most teams are, choosing the right region gives you access to high-quality app developers without the premium price tag.
Here’s a breakdown of average app developer hourly rates based on region and experience level:
US
$60 - $75/hr
$75 - $120/hr
$120 - $180/hr
UK
$40 - $65/hr
$65 - $100/hr
$100 - $140/hr
Germany
$45 - $70/hr
$70 - $110/hr
$110 - $150/hr
Poland
$30 - $40/hr
$40 - $60/hr
$60 - $90/hr
India
$15 - $30/hr
$30 - $50/hr
$50 - $70/hr
Argentina
$25 - $35/hr
$35 - $60/hr
$60 - $85/hr
If you want the best cost-to-skill ratio, Eastern Europe and Latin America are often ideal options to consider. These regions have large pools of experienced app engineers and strong tech education systems. Moreover, they have overlapping time zones with both US- and EU-based teams.
Next, let’s compare how much an app developer costs based on the platform you’re building for.
The platform you choose, Android, iOS, or cross-platform, will affect both your coder’s hourly rate and the total app development project cost. That’s because each platform comes with its own tools, design standards, and performance requirements. And not all developers are equally skilled across the board.
If you’re building for a single platform, you’ll hire either an Android or iOS developer. If you want to launch on both, you have two options: hire separate native developers or go with a cross-platform app developer, like Flutter or React Native experts, who can build once and deploy everywhere.
Let’s look at how rates compare:
Android
Java, Kotlin
$25 - $50
$40 - $75
$70 - $120+
iOS
Swift, Objective-C
$30 - $55
$55 - $90
$90 - $140+
Cross-platform
Flutter, React Native, Xamarin
$25 - $50
$45 - $80
$80 - $140+
Now, what do those numbers actually mean for your project?
iOS developers usually charge more than Android developers, often by 10-20% in the same region. However, testing on Android can get complex due to the sheer number of devices and OS versions, which may increase development time and QA effort.
Cross-platform app developers work with frameworks like Flutter or React Native. Instead of building two separate codebases, they build one that runs on both Android and iOS. This approach typically shortens the timeline and reduces total cost.
Choosing the right app developer is only half the equation. How you hire them plays a major role in what you’ll pay. Freelancers, in-house, and contract staff all come with different price tags and pros/cons profiles.
In this section, we’ll compare the most common hiring models and explain when each one makes sense.
So, how much does it cost to hire an app developer on freelance platforms? Let’s have a further look.
If you’re looking for flexibility, hiring a freelance app developer is one of the most straightforward paths. You can find mobile app developers in just a few days and start work immediately, without long-term contracts or onboarding overhead.
But this flexibility comes with variation. Hourly rates differ not only by location and skills, but also by the hiring platform you use. Some platforms prioritize low cost. Others focus on pre-vetted quality, with pricing to match.
Here’s a comparison of the most widely used freelance hiring channels:
Upwork
$18 - 100/hr
Hourly / Milestone
Toptal
$60 - 150/hr
Full-time contract
Fiverr
$508.1 per job
Gig-based
Read also “Top 12 Upwork Alternatives: Best Hiring Sites”
While freelance app developers help reduce upfront cost, they also introduce risk. Missed deadlines and inconsistent communication are common issues, especially when you’re building a core product feature. Without strong internal processes, the total time spent managing the work often offsets the savings.
In most cases, freelancers are a smart choice when the scope is limited and delivery speed is a higher priority than long-term stability.
Next, we’ll look at the full-time, in-house option, and what costs go beyond the app developer’s salary.
Hiring an in-house developer gives you the most control, but also comes with the highest long-term cost. Beyond salary, you’ll need to cover benefits, taxes, equipment, workspace, and the time it takes to recruit and onboard the right person.
According to the Stack Overflow 2024 survey, the global average annual salary for app developers ranges between $61,714 (Java/Android) and $75,184 (Swift/iOS).
But how much does it cost to hire someone to build an app in-house in your country? Let’s look at the average annual salary benchmarks.
US
$129,349
$106,537
UK
$70,437
$72,390
Germany
$74,156
$66,740
Poland
$44,560
$39,907
Argentina
$39,698
$31,228
Source: Average salary data for iOS and Android developers based on publicly available job postings from Glassdoor, Indeed, Gehalt.de, and Wynagrodzenia.pl.
Developers in top-tier US cities can earn well over $150,000 per year, while equally skilled professionals in Eastern Europe may cost 60-70% less.
However, the full cost per hire includes more than salary. You’ll spend time and money on:
In-house hiring works best if your project requires close collaboration and ongoing iteration. But for some businesses, it often becomes too slow and expensive, especially if you don’t already have engineering management in place.
Staff augmentation is a flexible contract-based hiring model that allows you to bring in experienced app developers from a third-party provider. It combines the speed of freelance hiring with the consistency and reliability of in-house work.
Unlike freelance platforms, IT staff augmentation services handle sourcing, technical vetting, legal setup, and ongoing support. You keep full control over the app developers’ tasks and schedule, because they work as part of your team.
Here’s how much it costs to hire a programmer for an app on a contract basis:
$80 - $130/hr
$60 - $100/hr
$40 - $70/hr
$35 - $65/hr
Developers hired via staff augmentation are usually mid- or senior-level professionals with experience in commercial projects. You pay only for the developer’s time, not for hiring, and you can scale the team up or down depending on your project needs.
At DOIT Software, for example, companies can hire experienced mobile developers from Europe or LATAM for an average of $40-$65 per hour. App developers work directly with your team, while DOIT handles contracts, operations support, and payroll in the background. It’s a simple way to extend your team without compromising on quality.
All in all, the answer to “how much does it cost to hire an app developer” varies. What you’ll actually pay depends on who you hire, how you hire, and what kind of app you’re building.
The gap between $20/hour and $150/hour is tied to region, app platform, experience, and hiring type. And every factor has trade-offs. Your goal is to make sure the cost matches the complexity of your app and the structure of your team.
If you already have an idea of what kind of app developer you need to hire, DOIT Software can help you estimate the actual cost more precisely based on current market benchmarks. Just share your requirements, and we’ll get back to you with a tailored app developer cost estimate.
Share your requirements and receive the first relevant CVs within days.
Request CVsHiring an app developer in the USA typically costs $80-$130 per hour for mid-level specialists and $8,878-$10,778 per month for in-house middle roles.
To estimate the cost of hiring an app developer, consider the app platform, developer experience, preferred region, hiring model, and project scope. From there, you can calculate cost ranges based on current market rates. For example, a mid-level Flutter developer from Eastern Europe may charge $50/hour, and a typical MVP may require 400-600 hours. Thus, the cost is in the range of $20,000-$30,000.
Most app developers use hourly or fixed-price per-project pricing. The hourly rate is the most common. You pay for the actual time spent on development. Fixed price means you agree on the full project cost in advance. Some developers also offer monthly pricing, especially if you hire them on a full-time contract basis.
