How much does it cost to build a personal app?

Standard price for a personal app: $11,833

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What is a personal app?

A personal application is a web, mobile, or desktop application that enables users to track key information about their lives. Personal applications can be designed for use by individuals or groups of people. Some common examples of personal apps are to-do lists and task management systems, calendars and scheduling systems, messaging apps (including instant messaging) and chat rooms (including social media), and email accounts with multiple email addresses and aliases.

Personal apps are very similar to health and fitness apps and games, plus they often include a social component, which is also true of most messaging apps, dating apps, and messenger apps. This category includes various types of calendar applications (e.g., Google Calendar), as well as personal financial management applications (e.g., Mint).

Here are some recent personal app examples built with Crowdbotics:

  • Bare-bones media player app that would allow users to stream internet radio from a custom URL. The app is solely for personal use, not monetized or shared with anyone.

  • A simple app that can inspire/motivate your day by a simple message appearing on your screen.

  • An application that will allow the user to keep track of all of their contacts (Family and Friends) important events. It can import contacts from phone, social media, or email.

What is the typical cost to build a personal app?

A personal app usually costs $11,833 to build. However, the total cost can be as low as $2,000 or as high as $30,000. A personal 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 personal app price quotes from Crowdbotics:

  • $5,000

  • $3,000

  • $27,500

How long does it take to build a personal app?

A personal app usually takes 158 hours to build. However, a personal app can be built in as few as 27 hours, or in as many as 400 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 personal apps built with Crowdbotics received the following hourly estimates:

  • 67

  • 53

  • An application that will allow the user to keep track of all of their contacts (Family and Friends) important events. It can import contacts from phone, social media, or email.

How to successfully grow your personal application

A personal app is one that provides an individual with the tools to accomplish a desired task, such as tracking fitness goals or managing their finances. In order to be successful, a personal app must provide value for the user right away and must demonstrate a high level of trustworthiness (for example, by being transparent about its use of data). A personal app also needs to offer users highly personalized features that will help them achieve their goals.

Risks and challenges of building a personal application

Apps that fall into the personal category can face user data privacy and security concerns as well as legal risks related to user misrepresentation of identity and the duplication of existing services. Users will want to trust your application with their most sensitive personal information such as contact lists, precise location data, and financial data. It is recommended that you clearly disclose your privacy policy and the ways in which you will collect, store, share, or sell user data.

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