How much does it cost to build an academic app?

Standard price for an academic app: $15,000

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What is an academic app?

An academic application is a web, mobile, or desktop application used by students for schoolwork. Students use the app to access course resources and submit assignments. If an academic app includes features such as grades and transcripts, it will typically also include a dashboard for teachers to track student progress.

Academic apps are similar to productivity and personal development apps. Some of the most popular academic applications include Khan Academy, Coursera, and iTunes U.

Here are some recent academic app examples built with Crowdbotics:

  • The app should be able to display PDF similarly to how kindle displays Ebooks. It should also display figures and stables as a pop-up.

What is the typical cost to build an academic app?

An academic app usually costs $15,000 to build. However, the total cost can be as low as $10,000 or as high as $20,000. An academic 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 academic app price quotes from Crowdbotics:

  • $15,000

How long does it take to build an academic app?

An academic app usually takes 200 hours to build. However, an academic app can be built in as few as 133 hours, or in as many as 267 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 academic apps built with Crowdbotics received the following hourly estimates:

  • 267

How to successfully grow your academic application

An academic app can grow by creating a strong brand that inspires users to share the app with their friends. Academic apps work best when they are integrated into a user's daily routine, such as a reading app that allows students to read and annotate a textbook on their phone. Academic apps should also be able to show users the value of the app through quantitative data about their learning progress.

Risks and challenges of building an academic application

An academic app may face legal and reputational risks related to academic integrity, the creation of a competitive environment, and copyright infringement. Before creating an academic app, you will want to conduct careful due diligence on the applicable laws in your jurisdiction. Academic apps should take great care to adhere to all applicable policies and guidelines for academic use. It is also recommended that academic apps require students to submit all source code for review before being awarded a grade.

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