Guide
How much does an app cost in the UK?
App quotes in the UK range from a few hundred pounds to tens of thousands, and the gap is rarely explained. Here is what actually drives the price, what we charge, and the running costs that come after launch.
Published 13 November 2026 · DH Website Services
The short answer
What you pay depends on what the app has to do, not on how many screens it has:
- An app version of your website, with push notifications: a few hundred pounds with us, often several thousand elsewhere
- Booking, ordering or loyalty, with card payments: the next step up, because money and accounts are involved
- Your own system or a game: quoted on the job, because no two are the same
Then there are yearly costs: store fees and keeping the app working when Apple and Google change their rules.
What we charge
These are the prices on our pricing page. All exclude VAT.
- Simple app, £349: your website as a real app on the App Store and Google Play, with push notifications. Both store submissions handled.
- Booking or ordering app, £699: customers book or order from their phone, pay by card and get a reminder. You run it from one screen.
- Business app or game, from £1,499: your own system or a full game on both stores, quoted once we know what it has to do.
- App care, £29 a month: from launch. Keeps the app working through iOS and Android updates and covers the store fees.
The fees Apple and Google charge
- Apple Developer Program: 99 US dollars a year, charged in pounds. The account should be in your business name.
- Google Play Console: a one-off 25 US dollar registration.
- A cut of in-app sales: if you sell digital extras inside the app, the stores take a commission. Physical goods and real-world services, such as a table booking or a takeaway order, are paid by card in the normal way.
Our App Store guide covers accounts, reviews and privacy forms step by step.
What makes an app cost more
Accounts and logins
The moment customers sign in, you need password resets, a way to delete an account, and Sign in with Apple if you offer other social logins.
Taking money
Card payments, refunds and receipts add work and testing, and they are worth getting right.
Anything live
Live chat, live locations or multiplayer need a server that runs all the time. Our own Fam & a Half and Fish Tank both do this.
The cost people forget: upkeep
Apple and Google change their requirements every year. Google Play, for example, sets a deadline each year for apps to target a recent version of Android, and apps that miss it stop being shown to new users on newer phones. An app nobody looks after slowly stops working. Budget for upkeep from day one, or ask your developer what it costs before you sign.
Do you need an app at all?
Often not yet. If people mostly need to find you, a website does that better and costs less. Our website or app guide goes through it honestly.
If you want a price, book a free call or ring 01443 805303.