What common projects cost
These examples use the calculator with typical choices. Click one to load it and adjust it to your idea.
| Project | The Debuggers | Typical UK agency | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple MVP appFlutter app for iOS and Android, about 8 screens, login, profiles and notifications | £11,000 to £15,500AED 53k to 75k | £15,500 to £22,000 | 7 to 10 weeks |
| Booking or services appCustomers and providers, bookings, payments, reviews, notifications, admin panel | £32,500 to £46,000AED 158k to 223k | £46,500 to £65,500 | 12 to 15 weeks |
| Delivery or ride appCustomer app and driver app with live tracking, payments, chat and an admin panel | £51,000 to £72,000AED 248k to 350k | £73,000 to £103,000 | 13 to 17 weeks |
| SaaS web appWeb product with subscriptions, dashboards, integrations and an admin panel | £31,000 to £43,500AED 150k to 211k | £44,000 to £62,000 | 11 to 15 weeks |
| E-commerce storeCustom store with catalogue, checkout, payments, search and a CMS | £23,500 to £33,500AED 115k to 162k | £34,000 to £48,000 | 9 to 11 weeks |
| Business websiteMarketing website with a CMS, about 8 pages | £5,000 to £7,000AED 24k to 34k | £7,000 to £10,000 | 4 to 5 weeks |
How the estimate is worked out
Most online calculators multiply a headline price by a few factors, which is why their answers feel either vague or inflated. This one counts working days instead, the same way a project is scoped in practice:
- Development: project setup, plus time per screen, plus time for each feature. Each extra type of user (for example customers and drivers) adds 20% to feature work.
- Design: discovery plus time per screen, depending on whether you use a UI kit, custom design or premium design with motion.
- Testing: 15% of development for an MVP, 20% for a full launch and 25% for scale-ready products.
- Project management: about 10% of the total, plus a short discovery phase.
Days are priced at The Debuggers' blended rate of £350 a day. The comparison uses £500 a day for a typical UK agency and £900 for a London agency, in line with 2026 UK rate surveys. The low and high figures are 15% below and 20% above the calculated total.
Development days per feature
| Sign up and login (email, Google, Apple) | 3 days |
| User profiles and settings | 2 days |
| Admin panel | 10 days |
| Payments (Stripe, Apple Pay, Mada) | 5 days |
| Subscriptions and billing | 6 days |
| Product catalogue, cart and checkout | 8 days |
| Multi-vendor marketplace | 12 days |
| Bookings and calendar | 6 days |
| In-app chat (real-time) | 8 days |
| Maps and location | 4 days |
| Live tracking (drivers, deliveries) | 8 days |
| Search and filters | 3 days |
| Ratings and reviews | 3 days |
| Photo and file uploads | 2 days |
| Push and email notifications | 3 days |
| Content management (CMS) | 3 days |
| Analytics and reports | 6 days |
| Third-party integrations (CRM, ERP, APIs) | 5 days |
| AI features (assistant, summaries, search) | 7 days |
| Offline mode and sync | 6 days |
| Arabic and right-to-left layout | 4 days |
Five ways to bring the cost down
- Build for both phones with Flutter. In this calculator, one codebase for iOS and Android needs about 40% less front-end time than two separate native apps.
- Launch an MVP first. Cut every feature that does not help you learn whether users want the product. Add the rest once you have real usage data.
- Use a UI kit for version one. Custom design matters for consumer brands, but internal tools and early MVPs rarely need it.
- Buy, do not build, the commodity parts. Payments, email, maps and analytics are cheaper as services than as custom code.
- Keep the number of user types small. Every extra role adds screens, permissions and testing.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is this estimate?
It is built from the same working-day figures we use when scoping projects, so it is a realistic starting point rather than a quote. Most projects land inside the range. The final price depends on details such as exact screens, integrations and content, which we confirm in a short scoping call.
Why is The Debuggers cheaper than a typical UK agency?
We price at a blended £350 a day, against roughly £500 for a typical UK agency and £900 or more in London. We build most apps in Flutter, which covers iOS and Android from one codebase, and we reuse tested components for common features such as login, payments and notifications.
How much does a simple app cost?
A simple MVP app for iOS and Android with around 8 screens, sign-up, profiles and notifications comes out at about £11,000 to £15,500 and 7 to 10 weeks with this calculator.
Can I see the price in dirhams or riyals?
Yes. Switch the currency to AED or SAR at the top of the calculator. Conversions use approximate September 2026 exchange rates.
What is not included?
Content writing, stock photography, paid third-party licences, marketing and ongoing hosting are not included in the build estimate. Running costs are shown separately under the estimate.
Does an MVP really need to be this small?
A good MVP includes only what you need to learn whether people will use and pay for the product. Starting with an MVP and adding features later usually costs less overall than building everything at once and changing it after launch.