That’s a fair question when you want to develop an app for your business. In order to know the time required to develop an app, you should know the different phases and factors that affect mobile app development. Further, when you approach a mobile app development company, you will learn that the timeline of app development depends on the complexity of the app, the final structure, and several other factors.
When we compare apps based on their complexity, the general timeline is:
- Simple App Development: 2 to 3 months
- Average App Development: 3 to 6 months
- Complex App Development: 6 months and more
Simple App
Any mobile application that doesn’t have more than five screens, in-app database, user analytics, integration of web service APIs, and doesn’t exchange data with other systems can be called a simple app.
Average App
Generally, the apps that fall into this category have several processes. Average apps have a personal account with almost ten screens as well as authorization via social platforms, integrations with back-end web services, and payment systems. The best examples of average apps are mCommerce apps.
Complex App
This type of app displays a high degree of sophistication and is characterised by the presence of advanced features and functionalities, integration with various third-party APIs (payment gateways, social media platforms, IoT devices, or mapping services,) and intricate user interfaces. A complex app requires specialised expertise and significant development efforts to see the light of the day.
Some popular examples of complex apps are healthcare management apps, gaming apps, ERP apps, apps for SaaS and PaaS platforms, video editing apps, and social media apps, among others.
Difference Between Apps Based on Their Complexity?
To make it clearer, the difference in timeline for app development is explained with the below-mentioned examples:
- Healthcare App
- Educational App
- Food Delivery App
To know more about mobile app development, its timeline, and cost, read our blog titled FAQs on Mobile App Development.
Healthcare App
Today, you can keep track of your health and comply with treatment plans by using online health diaries and calendars. The advantages of using healthcare applications are numerous. These range from increased patient participation to more efficient healthcare management.
However, the development process is a lengthy one that involves meticulous planning and strict compliance with laws.
The amount of time needed to build a robust app that improves healthcare accessibility and quality might vary. It may usually take 6 months to almost a year to complete. Since it frequently involves a team of healthcare professionals, compliance with HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), and other factors, developing a healthcare app requires time for completion. This is more so when you have to integrate features like:
- Progress tracking
- Daily advice
- Goal setting
- Telemedicine
- Integration with electronic health records
- Integration with real-time heart rate, and others
Some examples of healthcare apps around the world are Headspace, GoodRx, mySugr, and many more.
Educational App
Educational apps, which have transformed the way we learn, have made education more available and entertaining. However, creating educational applications is a time-consuming process that needs persistence, dedication, and thorough planning. The intricacy of the app and the development team's methodology also affect the timeline of app development. An average educational app, with its integrations and features, typically takes 5-10 months to complete. The top educational apps in the world are:
- Duolingo
- Khan Academy
- edX
- Quizlet
- BrainPop
- Coursera, and many more
Food App
Food delivery apps provide convenience and a broad variety of culinary alternatives at our fingertips and, hence, have become an essential part of our lives. While the creation of these applications involves careful planning and execution, they have significant advantages for both customers and businesses.
It usually takes 3 to 6 months to build a food delivery app, depending on the platform, complexity, and advanced features. It typically has the following features:
- Push notifications and alerts
- View cart
- Map integration
- Tracking delivery system
- Tracking order status
- Restaurant filters, and others
Now that you are aware of the app development time, let’s dig into the factors that influence it.
Top Factors That Influence the App Development Timeline
From concept to completion, planning, coding, and testing must be done with great care to develop an app successfully. For managing expectations and guaranteeing the success of the project, it is essential to understand the factors that affect the timeline to develop an app.
App Complexity
The complexity of your app will probably have the maximum impact on how long it takes to build. It usually takes less time to design uncomplicated apps with easy functionality and basic features. On the other hand, sophisticated apps will need a longer development cycle because of their intricate features, various third-party service integrations, and advanced functionalities (device sensors, biometric authentication, real-time communication, etc).
UI and UX
One of the key elements of any mobile application that might impact its development time is the UI/UX design. Due to these aesthetically attractive factors, an app with a complex UI design could take longer to develop.
Thus, a mobile app that is simple to develop is what works best for today's users. As a business, build an application that can readily get data from the server, is under 100 MB in size, and has a rich UI/UX.
Several Features
Your app's complexity and the number of features will determine the time it will take to be developed by a mobile app development company. By giving priority to necessary features and preparing for additional ones in subsequent upgrades, the initial development process may be accelerated, and your software can be launched swiftly to the market.
Testing and Quality Assurance
To make sure your application works properly and is free of bugs or glitches, it must be tested thoroughly. Although testing rigorously might add time to the development process, it's an essential step in creating an app that is trustworthy and easy to use. Remember, a mobile app is the best way to reach customers these days. Hence, it should be made user-friendly to retain customers.
To know more about how businesses can retain customers via mobile apps, read our blog, How Mobile Apps Can Help Businesses Ensure Customer Loyalty.
Specific Functionalities
If an app requires specific functionalities, it adds to the development time because of its algorithm. For instance, in order to help you reach your fitness goals, a health app must track your workout activities, food consumption, and heart rate if you wish to track the progress of your fitness.
Conclusion
Building a mobile application is influenced by a variety of factors. By being aware of these factors and making the required preparations, you can manage expectations, avoid delays, and navigate the app development process. Even though development schedules can vary to a great degree, a sound development plan can result in a successful app that achieves your objectives and attracts your audience.
There is an enormous experienced mobile app development company that is making sure they update the app time-to-time but the new app development company might not know the significance of the app update and why is it required.
If you are new in the world of app development or want to come in this field then you must have to know about the factors that help to identify when you need to update your mobile app.Read More at : https://www.appsinvo.com/blog/factors-identify-when-to-update-to-your-app/
Professional and Experienced healthcare mobile app developers in Endive Software have specialized in producing tailored Healthcare app development services that manage to analyze user experience.
Over the last few years, healthcare applications grew fastest android app development in the mobile industry with medical app resources.
In Android app technology, Healthcare specialists have recognized health care as the diverse under-served businesses.
