What is custom e-commerce app development?

Custom mobile app development for e-commerce businesses means building a full-fledged platform from scratch, available on every user's smartphone. The core principle here is that for its building developers don’t use ready-made solutions or templates that are market offers today. It’s about building a branded platform based on the business’s individual vision and technical requirements that distinguish it from others. The key goal of the custom development is to bring a certain sense to it, business value, and mission while buying goods online.

What key factors influence the cost of developing an e-commerce mobile app?

Infographic showing key cost factors in e-commerce app development with workflow icons and an active user character. — A visual breakdown of the major factors that influence e-commerce app development costs.

The more features you want to add to your e-commerce platform – the more resources it requires. Overall, the cost of building an e-commerce mobile app depends on this:

features complexity,
the number of platforms it supports (iOS, Android),
integrations with payment systems and third-party services,
the UI/UX design fidelity and functional ergonomics,
the experience and rates of the development team.

If you’re still comparing whether to build a custom mobile app or start with a simpler template-based solution, explore our list of the best eCommerce website builders for a broader perspective.

How do features and capabilities affect the overall development cost?

To develop and implement complex features on e-commerce platforms, developers need top-notch technologies and tools that help them with this task. Their experience and knowledge also assist in this process, so it adds to the overall cost. Core functionalities are less costly, whereas advanced modules demand additional development and QA effort. Like personalization, analytics, or integrated payment systems. All this results in a higher overall cost.

What is the average cost of e-commerce app development in 2025?

Infographic illustrating e-commerce app development cost in 2025 with Android and iOS comparison, workflow icons, and an active user analyzing budget options. — Infographic showing the 2025 cost breakdown of e-commerce app development across Android, iOS, and cross-platform options.

As for 2025, there are approximate costs for the e-commerce mobile apps development.

Simple or medium complexity, e-commerce Android app development may cost around $30,000 – $150,000.
For a similar application for the iOS platform, it may be slightly more expensive (due to testing, device fragmentation, etc.). It ranges from $40,000 to $180,000.

How does platform choice affect the budget?

iOS and Android platforms have different sets of technologies for app building, design requirements, and testing processes. Android often requires more time for development due to the variety of devices, while iOS is more expensive to develop due to stricter quality standards. To choose one, businesses focus more on the target audience and their preferences between iOS and Android. In some cases, cross-platform development is a better choice to cover more users and spend less on development. There are numerous factors that influence the iOS and Android app development cost. As a general rule, it depends on each platform's specific requirements and technical constraints.

Design and user experience factors in development costs

Talking about custom app development, you should always keep in mind that all the e-commerce app parts will be built based on your individual vision, which the design team will create from scratch. Due to this, it requires more time on target audience research, prototyping, and user scenario testing. The more complex the navigation, animations, or unique interface solutions are, the more time and resources are needed. But in the end, you’ll get a product that perfectly reflects your business vision and assists you as a business tool that helps you achieve business goals.

How does choosing between a freelancer and an agency affect pricing?

Here, you need to understand the difference between cost and final product quality. Freelance developers often charge less, but they usually handle a smaller scope of work and lack the resources needed for large or complex projects. That may be a bottleneck while building complex or enterprise-level solutions.

An agency's mobile app development services are more expensive. But it provides a complete team and a full set of technologies and tools that help them build top-notch products, meet deadlines, and deliver safe and scalable solutions. On your project will work designers, developers, testers, and managers, who guarantee quality control and faster project completion.

What strategies help companies optimize e-commerce app development costs?

Best working the following ones:

Start with an MVP development to test the idea without breaking the bank.
Use cross-platform frameworks as they cost less instead of building separate apps on iOS and Android.
Clearly define the feature set before starting development.
Engage an experienced team to avoid rework.
Gradually scale the product after launch.

Conclusion

Custom mobile app development always requires more resources and effort, as it brings more value to the final product. Template solutions are not capable of supporting bold business goals and are hardly recognizable online. Custom development, in contrast, gives you more opportunities for growth, development, and building a loyal audience around your brand.