How long does it take to build an app?

A first version takes four weeks to five months. Most mobile apps take six to fourteen weeks. We usually ship a first version in about eight weeks.

Why do quotes for the same app vary so much?

Each team is pricing a different app in its head. A quote is only comparable when the scope is written down: the screens, the user roles and the integrations. That is what a scoping call or a discovery sprint produces.

What does it cost after launch?

Hosting, third-party services and ongoing development. Each cost breakdown below covers the running costs for that kind of app.

What does Kanopy charge?

We do not publish rates. Book a thirty-minute scoping call and you leave with a plan and a number in writing, whether you build with us or not.

What it costs to build an app.

With an agency, a first version usually costs $15K to $150K and takes four weeks to five months. A full product runs $150K to $800K or more. Where you land depends on the kind of app, how many sides it has, and whether it touches money or health data.

Kind of appFirst versionTime to first versionFull product

Market ranges for a US agency build in 2026, from our cost breakdown for each kind of app. Tap a row for the full breakdown. These are not our rates.

What moves the number

Two apps in the same row can sit at opposite ends of it. These five things decide where.

01Scope

User roles, screens and the workflows only your product has. This moves the number more than anything else.

02Sides

One kind of user is one app. A marketplace or a delivery app is two or three apps that have to agree with each other.

03Integrations

Payments, bank data, health records, maps, AI models. Each one adds build time and a vendor bill.

04Rules

Money, health and kids' data bring compliance work: HIPAA, KYC, PCI. Fintech and telehealth start higher for this reason.

05Platforms

Web only, or iOS and Android too. Cross-platform keeps it to one codebase for most products.

Who builds it changes the number

A freelancer costs less and carries more risk. An in-house team costs the most and you keep it. An agency sits between them.

Questions, answered

Anything else, ask on the call.

With an agency, a first version usually lands between $15K and $150K. A simple web app sits at the bottom of that range. Anything that moves money, handles health data or connects two sides of a market sits at the top.

288 cost breakdowns, one for each kind of app.

Get your number.

Thirty minutes. You leave with a plan and a number.

Book a free call