See what each app store adds in work, then choose where to start.
Start on the web unless your users are on phones. Each app store adds a review, a listing, a release and testing on a second platform. Our planning rules put one store at +15–30% on the build and both at +30–60%. They are the same rules the cost guide and calculator use, and they are rules we plan with, not market data. The stores charge Apple $99 a membership year and Google Play $25 once (checked 20 Oct 2026).
Should you build for the web or for phones first?
Web first, unless your users are on phones from the first day.
A web app opens in any browser, on a phone or a laptop. You build it once. You put it live yourself, with no store review. You change it and people see the change the same day. For most first versions that is the quickest way to real users. Prototype, MVP or ready to launch →
Who your users are decides it. If you are selling to people who sit at a desk, or you want to test an idea before you spend more, start on the web. If your users will only look in the app store, start there.
Three things can move you to phones:
- Your users ask for it. They keep saying "is there an app?"
- You need notifications that reach someone's phone when the app is closed.
- The store is the market. People find this kind of app by searching the store.
If none of these is true yet, the web gives you the answer sooner.
What does Android app development cost next to a web app?
An Android app costs more than the same web app, because the Play Store adds work the web doesn't have.
That work is the same four things for any store:
| The work it adds | Our planning rule | |
|---|---|---|
| Web app | The build itself. No review, no listing. | The baseline. No store percentage. |
| One store (for example Google Play) | A store review, a listing, a release, and testing on that platform. | +15–30% on the build |
| Both stores | The same work twice, plus checking both versions behave alike. | +30–60% on the build |
We don't promise a fixed premium, because it isn't fixed. Some of the code is shared between platforms, so a second store costs less than a second app. How much is shared depends on the app. A simple one shares most of it. One that uses the camera, maps and notifications shares less.
To see how the rules fit in a full estimate, read What an App Costs → (Step 4).
What does a web app cost, and what does it leave out?
A web app leaves out the store work, so it is the cheapest way to get a working first version in front of people.
It leaves out the review, the listing, the release process and the second platform. It still needs a build, hosting, login and testing.
A web app that works well on a phone is not a phone app, but for many first versions it is enough. People open it from a link and use it.
A progressive web app (PWA) sits in the middle. It is a web app that a person can add to their home screen from the browser. It looks like an app icon. It isn't in the stores. It does less than a full phone app, and some features differ by phone, so check what you need before you choose it.
Should you start with Android, iPhone or both?
One store first, the one your users already use.
Ask the people you want to reach which phone they carry. If most say iPhone, start there. If most say Android, start there. The questions are the same for an iOS app and an Android app: one review, one listing, one release, and testing on that platform. Launching on both at once means doing it all twice, which is why the planning rule for both stores is higher.
Google Play also asks new personal accounts to run a closed test with testers before going live (checked 20 Oct 2026).
What do Flutter, hybrid and PWA mean for the price?
They let one build serve more than one platform, which can save work.
- Flutter is a Google toolkit for writing one app that runs on both Android and iPhone.
- Hybrid apps use web technology inside a phone app shell, one build for both stores.
- A PWA is a web app that installs from the browser, as above.
The saving is real: you don't write everything twice. You still do the store work for each store, and you still test on both. Later, a feature that needs the phone's own tools can cost extra to add.
That doesn't make one way always better. Native apps can use every phone feature, and for some apps that matters. Hybrid and Flutter apps can be a good fit for others. Ask any builder which of your features need the phone's own tools, and what it costs to add them.
Do the store fees pay for the build?
No. Apple charges $99 a membership year and Google Play $25 once (checked 20 Oct 2026); neither pays for the build.
- Apple Developer Program: $99 per membership year. Eligible organisations may qualify for a fee waiver. (Apple, checked 20 Oct 2026)
- Google Play: $25 one-time registration. (Google, checked 20 Oct 2026)
These are registration fees. They are not the cost of building the app. They don't pay for the build, the listing work, the release, the testing, or running the app afterwards. Store commissions, taxes and other rules are separate questions.
For the full detail on publishing fees, read What it costs to publish an app.
How do you get a cost range for your own app?
Answer six questions in the App Cost Calculator, then add timing in the App Build Planner.
The App Cost Calculator → gives a range for an app like yours, and shows what moves it, including web or the app stores. The App Build Planner → lists the features and the weeks to build them.
Built a web app with an AI tool and now want it in the stores? It needs a wrapper or a rebuild first. Read From an AI-built web app to the app stores.
Not sure where to start?
Send us your idea. A person on our team tells you what it'll take and whether to start on the web or on phones.