What does it cost to build an app in Canada?
App budgets are driven by feature count and how much of the system has to be built rather than bought. Accounts, payments and notifications are largely solved; anything unique to your business is where the money goes.
Ranges below reflect what independent Canadian studios on creativeMRKT typically quote. Every brief is different — post yours and you'll get real numbers from real studios, free.
Typical budgets by scope
Ranges for a Canadian studio, covering design, build, testing and store submission.
| Scope | Typical range | What's usually included |
|---|---|---|
| Prototype / clickable demo | $5,000 – $15,000 | UX flows, high-fidelity screens, no working backend |
| MVP (one platform) | $25,000 – $60,000 | Core flows, accounts, backend, launch |
| Cross-platform consumer app | $60,000 – $150,000 | iOS + Android, payments, notifications, analytics |
| Internal / operations tool | $20,000 – $80,000 | Roles, data entry, reporting, integrations |
| Complex platform | $150,000+ | Multiple user types, integrations, ongoing sprints |
Native or cross-platform?
Cross-platform frameworks cover both stores from one codebase and typically save 30–40% versus building twice. Go native when you rely heavily on device hardware, need the smoothest possible animation, or are building for one platform only.
Costs people forget
- Apple and Google developer accounts, roughly $150 a year combined.
- Backend hosting, typically $50–$500 a month depending on usage.
- Maintenance — plan 15–20% of the build cost per year for OS updates and fixes.
- App store review cycles, which add days to every release.
Frequently asked
- How long does an MVP take?
- A focused MVP is usually 8–16 weeks. Anything shorter is normally a prototype rather than a shippable product.
- Can I start smaller?
- Yes, and you usually should. Ship the single flow that proves people want the thing, then fund the rest from what you learn.
- Do I own the code?
- You should. Confirm in writing that the source code and repository transfer to you at the end of the engagement.
Every creative on creativeMRKT — freelancer, studio or agency — is personally vetted.
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