How much does it cost to build an app in the UK?

How much does it cost to build an app? At Net Access Marketing, for projects we believe in and choose to partner on, our plan is £2,000 per month for 12 months, plus 10% of the company's shares. That is £24,000 in scheduled payments over the year, with equity forming part of the deal as well.

We usually deliver the first usable version in around three months. At that point, the founder has paid £6,000 and has a product in the market that can begin charging customers if payments are part of the agreed first release. The remaining nine monthly payments still apply.

We do this with products and brands we believe in. We look at the idea, the person building it and the route to getting real users. Then we decide whether we want to build it together.

Is this partnership available to every project?

We offer this plan only for projects we believe in. We review the idea, the founder, the audience and the route to market before deciding whether to take it on. Every project needs to be accepted by us before this pricing and equity partnership is offered.

If you want us to consider yours, send us your project for review. Explain what you want to build and who it helps. We will look at the fit before discussing an agreement.

What does our £2,000 a month app development plan cost?

• Monthly payment: £2,000.
• Length of the agreement: 12 months.
• Total scheduled payments: £24,000 over the year.
• Equity: 10% of the company, in addition to those payments.
• Usual first launch: around month three for an agreed, focused scope.

If the app launches at the end of month three, £6,000 has been paid and £18,000 remains across months four to twelve. The £6,000 figure describes the payments made by that launch point. The full commitment is the year of payments plus the equity.

Only for projects we believe in and accept: £2,000 a month for 12 months. £24,000 in scheduled payments, plus 10% equity. A focused first product usually launches in around three months.

The point is to make the early cash requirement easier to manage. You can start putting the product in front of customers while the development agreement continues.

Why do app development costs vary so much?

Because two people can say app and mean completely different jobs. A directory with personal profiles is one build. Add bookings, payments, private messages, video, identity checks and two native mobile apps, and the work changes.

The platform matters too. A product that runs in a phone browser, an iPhone app and an Android app have different delivery requirements. We agree which route serves your first users before we promise a launch date.

When comparing an app development quote, look at the first release, the full payment commitment, the ownership terms and the work after launch. A monthly number on its own does not tell you the cost of building your app.

What is an MVP, and why do we start there?

An MVP is a minimum viable product: the first usable version that solves the main problem for a real customer. It gives people enough to use the product, see its value and, where the business model supports it, pay for it.

We decide what has to work on day one. That could be creating a profile, finding someone nearby and sending an enquiry. Everything in that journey needs to work properly. Features that do not help prove the core idea can wait.

I started on the tools in construction before running the business side. That is still how I look at software: what job does it do for the person using it? That question is what keeps the first build useful and the scope under control.

Example idea: LinkedIn for barbers

Imagine a founder comes to us with an idea for a professional social network just for barbers. We like the idea because the individual barber has a professional identity of their own. A shop matters, but so does the person holding the clippers.

Each barber would have a personal profile with their work, experience and current location. Shops would have their own profiles too, linked to the barbers working there. When a barber leaves one shop for another, they update their shop or chair on the platform and keep their own profile and portfolio.

You could build Silver and Platinum profile cards or membership tiers around that identity. City leaderboards could help people discover barbers locally, with country rankings as the network grows. The rules for the cards and rankings would need to be clear, so people understand what each one means.

Think LinkedIn for barbers: a place to build a professional reputation, show your work and stay discoverable when you change shops. This is an illustrative product idea, rather than a claim that this particular platform is already built or has users.

The first version would focus on personal profiles, shop connections, portfolios and location search. We would agree whether cards and rankings belong in that first release or a later phase. Trying to build an entire social network before anyone uses it would make the launch slower and the lesson more expensive.

Can an app launch in three months?

For the focused products we accept under this plan, around three months is our usual delivery timeframe. We agree a realistic scope and schedule at the start. A complex marketplace, a regulated service or an app waiting for an external approval can take longer.

1. 01Month one: agree the first users, the main problem, the launch features and the design.
2. 02Month two: build the core journeys and review them together in working software.
3. 03Month three: test the complete journey, fix what gets in the way and prepare the agreed launch.
4. 04Months four to twelve: continue the agreed development work and improve the product using feedback from real users.

That is the usual shape of the work, with the exact milestones agreed for your app. An App Store or Google Play release also depends on the relevant review process. If you are planning a mobile launch, read how long it takes to build an app.

Why do we take 10% equity as well as monthly payments?

Because we are choosing to back the product over time. The monthly payments fund the agreed work, and the 10% shareholding gives us a stake in the value of the company we are helping to build.

The equity has a real cost to the founder too. It is company ownership, separate from the monthly development fee. It is not a 10% fee on each app sale. The scope, shareholding and responsibilities belong in the written agreement before work starts.

This route suits a founder who wants a development partner and is comfortable sharing ownership. If you want to keep all the equity, tell us at the start so we can discuss a separately quoted build.

What other app launch costs should you budget for?

Ask what is included before you commit. Hosting, app store accounts, paid APIs, SMS or email usage, payment processing and advertising can all sit outside the development work. The proposal needs to make those costs and any applicable VAT clear.

The same goes for extra features. We agree the first release and the work that follows it. A year of monthly payments does not mean an unlimited feature list.

A launch also needs customers. You still need a plan for reaching the first users, talking to them and learning what they will pay for. Having the app ready to monetise gives you the opportunity to sell; it does not guarantee sales.

Which founders is this app development partnership for?

People who understand a specific audience and are ready to do the work of building a business around it. You might know the barber trade inside out. You might have spotted a problem in another industry because you deal with it every week.

Bring us the problem, who experiences it, how you would reach those people and the first thing they need the app to do. If you have already spoken to potential users, tell us what they said. A clear explanation matters more than a long pitch deck.

We assess each idea before offering this plan. Paying the monthly fee is one part of it; we also need to believe the product has a reason to exist and that we can build a useful first version together.

How do you submit your app idea?

Start by looking at the apps we build. Then send us your project using the form below. Tell us who it helps, what it changes for them and what you want the first version to do.

We will review the project and decide whether we believe in it enough to offer the £2,000 a month plus 10% equity partnership. If we accept it, the next step is a written plan with the first release, the full year of payments and the ownership terms set out clearly.