How much does an app cost in Ireland in 2026?

It’s the first thing everyone asks, and the honest answer is “it depends”. That’s not very useful on its own, so here is what it depends on, with numbers.

The ranges you’ll see

Published agency guides for Ireland and the UK land in roughly the same place:

A simple app (a handful of screens, no accounts, little or no backend): about €15,000 to €40,000 from an agency.
A mid-sized app (accounts, a backend, payments, iPhone and Android): about €40,000 to €80,000.
A complex app (marketplaces, real-time features, heavy AI): €80,000 and well beyond.

These are agency prices, with project managers, account managers and office rent built in. A freelancer or a small studio like mine is usually well below that for the same scope, because you’re paying for the person writing the code and not much else.

What actually drives the cost

Platforms. iPhone only, Android only, both, or a web app that runs on everything. Two native apps cost more than one. A web app can be the cheapest way to cover both while you test the idea.

Accounts and data. The moment users sign in and their data has to follow them between devices, you need a backend, security and a privacy policy that matches what you collect.

Payments. Subscriptions and in-app purchases go through Apple and Google, each with its own rules and review. Worth it, but it’s real work.

AI features. Voice, chat and smart suggestions are cheaper to build than they were, but they cost money every time someone uses them. They need a backend with spending caps, or one busy weekend can produce a nasty bill.

Design. A clean, standard design is quicker than a custom illustrated one. My own Nana Says No has a hand-drawn grandma in every screen; that takes longer than buttons and lists.

The store. Listings, screenshots, privacy forms and review. Apple rejects apps for reasons that aren’t obvious until you’ve been through it. I wrote up one of my own rejections.

The running costs nobody mentions

Developer accounts: Apple charges about €99 a year. Google charges a one-off $25.
Hosting and backend: often free or a few euro a month for a small app, growing with users.
AI usage, if the app has AI features: pay per use.
Updates: Apple and Google release new versions of iOS and Android every year, and apps need small fixes to keep up. Budget a little each year.

Can’t I just build it with AI?

You can get surprisingly far with AI tools and no-code builders, and for a prototype to show investors or friends, that’s a sensible start. Where it gets hard is the last 20%: sign-in that’s actually secure, payments that pass review, an app that still works after the next iOS update, and a store listing that gets approved. That’s usually the point people bring in a developer.

How to spend less

Start with one platform, or a web app, and add the other once people are using it.
Cut the first version hard. Launch with the one thing that makes the app worth opening. Everything else can be version 2.
Get a fixed price for a fixed scope, so the bill can’t drift.

How I price it

I work out a fixed price for an agreed first version after a short call, so there are no hourly surprises. A first version usually takes about 4 weeks. If you want a number for your idea, send me a paragraph about it, or read more about app development with Jahvix.