# How much does an AI mobile app cost?

_The AI Build Index, published by VIZIO AI. Updated 2026-11-04. USD._

An AI mobile app typically costs about $2,000. Half of the 1,009 priced briefs we tracked fall between $500 and $5,200, and one in ten reaches $15,000 or more.

## Key facts

- Typical cost: $2,000, with the middle half of briefs 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 it 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.

- 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 briefs state a median of $500, while hourly briefs 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 briefs describe sustained work.

| Expected length | Median cost | Priced briefs |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 |

| Seniority requested | Median cost | Priced briefs |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Junior | $740 | 24 |
| Mid-level | $1,600 | 508 |
| Senior | $3,000 | 475 |

- 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

## Breakdown

| Industry | Median cost | Middle half | Priced briefs |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 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 rates

The skills named most often in these briefs 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 briefs for this work typically offer $20 to $32 an hour, the middle half of stated rates. The median top of the range is $30 an hour across 444 hourly briefs. These are rates in the open open-market market: agencies and in-house teams usually cost more.

## Who is buying

45% of briefs ask for senior talent. Buyers are most often based in the United States and India, with 41% in the United States. Among briefs that state a company size, 94% come from companies of up to 10 people. A typical brief draws about 16 responses.

## 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

## 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 briefs 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 briefs 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 briefs state a median of $500, while hourly briefs 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 briefs 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 briefs offer $20 to $32 an hour, with a median top rate of $30. Agencies and in-house specialists usually charge more than the open open-market market.

### What skills does this work need?

Briefs most often ask for Mobile App Development, iOS, Android and iOS Development.

### Do I need senior talent?

Briefs asking for senior talent have a median of $3,000, 1.9 times the $1,600 for mid-level talent. 45% of briefs ask for senior talent.

### Where do these numbers come from?

From 1,009 public project briefs published between December 2025 and November 2026: 565 fixed budgets as stated and 444 hourly briefs we costed from their rate, expected length and assumed hours. They are what buyers offered, not signed contract prices.

## Source

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

Method: https://aibuildindex.com/methodology