How much does an AI mobile app cost?
An AI mobile app typically costs about $2,000. Half of the 1,009 priced job posts we tracked fall between $500 and $5,200, and one in ten reaches $15,000 or more.
Band: 25th to 75th percentile of fixed budgets and hourly estimates. Line: median.
Key facts
- Typical cost: $2,000, with the middle half of posts between $500 and $5,200.
- That is 20% below the $2,500 median across all AI builds we track.
- Work expected to take under a month has a median of $400, against $14,400 for over six months.
- Fixed-price median $500; hourly estimate median $4,800.
- Hourly rates mostly run from $20 to $32 an hour.
- Most requested skills: Mobile App Development, iOS and Android.
What the build includes
An AI mobile app is an iOS or Android app whose main feature relies on AI, such as an assistant, image analysis or personalised coaching, usually backed by a server that calls the models.
A typical scope
- The iOS and Android apps, often from one shared codebase
- A backend that holds keys and calls the models
- Accounts, subscriptions and in-app purchases
- App Store and Google Play submission
- Analytics and crash reporting
What drives the cost
Work expected to take under a month has a median of $400, against $14,400 for over six months. Part of that gap is built in, because hourly estimates are calculated from expected length. Fixed-price posts state a median of $500, while hourly posts work out at $4,800 on our estimate: 9.6 times as much. One likely reason is that fixed budgets tend to cover a small first step, while hourly posts describe sustained work.
| Expected length | Median cost | Priced posts |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1 month | $400 | 184 |
| 1 to 3 months | $2,400 | 602 |
| 3 to 6 months | $10,800 | 120 |
| Over 6 months | $14,400 | 99 |
Posts asking for expert-level talent have a median of $3,000, 1.9 times the $1,600 for intermediate talent. 45% of posts ask for experts.
| Seniority requested | Median cost | Priced posts |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level | $740 | 24 |
| Intermediate | $1,600 | 508 |
| Expert | $3,000 | 475 |
What moves the price most
- One platform or both, and native or cross-platform code
- On-device features such as camera, audio or offline use
- Subscription logic and store compliance
Cost by industry
Fitness and wellness has the highest median here at $3,000, and saaS the lowest at $1,000.
| Industry | Median cost | Middle half | Priced posts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | $2,000 | $500–$3,900 | 42 |
| SaaS | $1,000 | $120–$5,100 | 31 |
| Fitness and wellness | $3,000 | $1,400–$5,200 | 25 |
Skills and hourly rates
The skills named most often in these posts are Mobile App Development (56%), iOS (46%), Android (43%) and iOS Development (34%). Read this as the working stack for this kind of build, and as a checklist when assessing who should do it.
Hourly posts for this work typically offer $20 to $32 an hour, the middle half of posted rates. The median top of the range is $30 an hour across 444 hourly posts. These are rates in the open freelance market: agencies and in-house teams usually cost more.
Who is buying
45% of posts ask for expert-level talent. Buyers are most often based in the United States and India, with 41% in the United States. Among posts that state a company size, 94% come from companies of up to 10 people. A typical post draws about 16 applicants.
What to check before you commit
- Never ship model API keys inside the app
- Allow for app store review time in the launch plan
- Check model costs against what a subscriber pays
Where the demand is
The countries with the most buyers for this build. Each page shows how that market compares.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an AI mobile app cost?
An AI mobile app typically costs about $2,000. Half of the 1,009 priced job posts we tracked fall between $500 and $5,200, and one in ten reaches $15,000 or more. That is 20% below the $2,500 median across all AI builds we track.
How long does an AI mobile app take?
21% of posts expect the work done in under a month, 58% in one to three months and 21% over a longer stretch. Work expected to take under a month has a median of $400, against $14,400 for over six months.
Why do estimates vary so much?
Fixed-price posts state a median of $500, while hourly posts work out at $4,800 on our estimate: 9.6 times as much. One likely reason is that fixed budgets tend to cover a small first step, while hourly posts describe sustained work. Scope matters most: one platform or both, and native or cross-platform code and on-device features such as camera, audio or offline use move the price the most.
What hourly rate should I expect?
Most hourly posts offer $20 to $32 an hour, with a median top rate of $30. Agencies and in-house specialists usually charge more than the open freelance market.
What skills does this work need?
Posts most often ask for Mobile App Development, iOS, Android and iOS Development.
Do I need an expert?
Posts asking for expert-level talent have a median of $3,000, 1.9 times the $1,600 for intermediate talent. 45% of posts ask for experts.
Where do these numbers come from?
From 1,009 public job posts published between December 2025 and November 2026: 565 fixed budgets as stated and 444 hourly posts we costed from their rate, expected length and assumed hours. They are what buyers offered, not signed contract prices.
About this data
These figures come from 1,009 public job posts published between December 2025 and November 2026: 565 fixed budgets as stated, and 444 hourly posts costed from their rate, expected length and assumed hours. They show what buyers offered, not signed contract prices, and hourly figures assume the work runs its full length. Read the method
Cite this page. The AI Build Index. "AI mobile app: what it costs." Published by VIZIO AI. Updated 2026-11-04. https://aibuildindex.com/cost/ai-mobile-app
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