How much does it cost to build a data capture app?

Standard price for a data capture app: $12,733

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What is a data capture app?

A data capture application is a web or mobile application with two sets of users: field workers and administrators. Field workers use the app to complete tasks, which are recorded by the app in real time. Administrators use the app to view activity logs, create new task assignments, review task progress reports, and issue payments to field workers. The app may also include an administrative dashboard for monitoring usage statistics and managing user accounts.

Data capture apps are often used in conjunction with other business process automation apps, such as workflow apps, task management apps, and project management apps. Examples of data capture apps include Salesforce, ClickTime, Wave Accounting, and Intacct.

Here are some recent data capture app examples built with Crowdbotics:

  • An appointment scheduling app with a calendar integration built for a company in the logistics industry to make it easier to schedule pickups and meetups with their sales staff.

  • A recipe app specifically for oil blends with text auto-fill and formatting features that allows users to share and recipes.

  • A data capturing app built for a church that serves as an event registration system.

What is the typical cost to build a data capture app?

A data capture app usually costs $12,733 to build. However, the total cost can be as low as $5,000 or as high as $24,000. A data capture app with a low number of features (also known as a "minimum viable product", or MVP) will be more affordable than an app that includes all intended functionality.

For example, here are some recent data capture app price quotes from Crowdbotics:

  • $12,199

  • $16,000

  • $10,000

Here are some considerations that may impact the cost of a app:

How long does it take to build a data capture app?

A data capture app usually takes 170 hours to build. However, a data capture app can be built in as few as 67 hours, or in as many as 320 hours. The exact timeline mostly depends on how complicated your app is. As a general rule, it will take longer if you require highly custom designs, niche features, or non-standard release platforms.

For example, the most recent data capture apps built with Crowdbotics received the following hourly estimates:

  • 163

  • 213

  • 133

How to successfully grow your data capture application

A data capture app uses its platform to gather information about its users so that it can provide personalized recommendations or other services. The more data an app collects, the more valuable it becomes to its users. More sophisticated data capture apps may charge subscriptions for advanced features, but they should still incentivize user engagement by offering free versions of the app with limited functionality.

Risks and challenges of building a data capture application

A data capture app faces legal risks associated with the collection of user data, storage of sensitive user information, and the use of that data. You will want to carefully consider what you are collecting from your users and how that information is being used within your app. Data capture apps should utilize anonymized data whenever possible and should take steps to effectively secure user data both in transit and at rest.

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Some of the descriptions on this page were completed with AI assistance. Learn more here.