iOS
iOS app development cost
What an iOS app costs to build in the US in 2026. Native Swift estimates by scope, features, integrations and compliance, itemised in engineering hours and USD.
SwiftSwiftUIUIKit
Standard ios app
$230,000 – $320,000
Six features, 24 screens, custom backend and an admin dashboard, on iOS alone.
- Timeline
- 4.4 – 6 months
- Engineering hours
- 1,750 – 2,225
- Device configurations
- 9
- OS versions supported
- 3
What a ios app costs at each level
The same six-feature app on iOS, built to four different standards. Every other answer is held constant so the only thing changing is depth.
| Level | Cost range | Timeline | Hours | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MVP Prove it works | $160K – $220K | 3.7 – 5.1 months | 1,350 | 7 |
| Standard Production ready | $230K – $320K | 4.4 – 6 months | 1,950 | 7 |
| Advanced Built to grow | $300K – $420K | 5.1 – 6.9 months | 2,575 | 7 |
| Enterprise Audited and integrated | $410K – $575K | 5.8 – 8.1 months | 3,400 | 7 |
Fragmentation and release overhead
Nine current iPhone sizes across the last three iOS versions.
Device & OS test matrix
30 hrs
9 configurations across 3 OS versions. This is QA, and it is unavoidable.
Project setup
32 hrs
Build configuration, signing, platform conventions — before the app does anything.
App Store release
16 hrs
Submission, metadata, phased rollout. Review takes 1–3 days, plus $99/yr for the developer account.
iOS is the right call
- Highest revenue per user in almost every US consumer category
- Predictable hardware, so performance work is bounded
- Users update the OS quickly, so you support fewer versions
Reconsider when
- Your audience is price-sensitive or outside North America and Western Europe
- You need to ship a business tool to whatever hardware staff already own
Adding iOS to an existing build costs much less. As an additional surface it multiplies client hours by 0.66 rather than 0.95, because the backend, data model, API contracts and design system are already paid for. See how platform mixing works.