iOS app developer cost
A custom iOS app typically costs $50,000 to $250,000 to build, depending on scope complexity. Simple iOS apps with one role and a few integrations land $50,000 to $120,000; mid-complexity business apps land $120,000 to $250,000; complex consumer or enterprise apps run $250,000 to $1,000,000+. Senior iOS developers (Swift) bill $175 to $275 per hour as freelancers. Apple Developer Program is $99 per year. Cost of inaction usually exceeds engagement cost for serious business apps.
The longer answer
iOS-only app pricing follows the same shape as cross-platform pricing minus the Android-codebase cost — roughly 40-50% less than equivalent native iOS + Android engagement. The decision to ship iOS-only is usually right for U.S. and Western European markets where higher iOS user willingness-to-pay justifies the platform focus.
Build cost bands
Simple iOS app ($50k-$120k). One user role, forms and lists, basic authentication, one or two integrations. Build time: 8-16 weeks. Examples: an internal staff tool, a simple customer self-service app, a basic appointment-booking iOS app.
Mid-complexity iOS app ($120k-$250k). Multi-role workflows, offline-first sync, push notifications, deep linking, App Clips, share extensions, several backend integrations. Build time: 16-32 weeks. The bulk of production business iOS apps.
Complex iOS app ($250k-$1M+). Flagship consumer apps, real-time collaboration, video / audio streaming, ARKit / RealityKit, marketplace apps with payments and trust-and-safety. Build time: 24-52 weeks.
Hourly rates for iOS specifically
Senior Swift principals: $175-$275/hour. Senior Objective-C maintainers (for legacy iOS codebases that have not migrated): $200-$300/hour because the supply pool has thinned. Agencies: $200-$350/hour.
What changes for iOS vs cross-platform
Three factors that make iOS-only different from a cross-platform build. Depth on one platform. Native Swift / SwiftUI gives access to the full iOS platform surface (Vision, RealityKit, Combine, async / await maturity) without the cross-platform translation layer. App Store policy nuances. Apple's review process is stricter than Google Play in specific ways; senior iOS engineers know the rejection patterns and avoid them in the design phase rather than at submission time. iOS-specific design language. iOS users expect iOS conventions (navigation, gestures, system fonts); cross-platform apps that don't honor those conventions feel subtly wrong.
Run costs
Apple Developer Program: $99/year. Backend infrastructure: $50-$2,000+/month depending on user count. Crash reporting (Sentry, Crashlytics, App Center): $0-$300/month. Analytics: similar. App Store hosting is included in the Developer Program fee.
Common follow-up questions
Should I ship iOS-only or both platforms?
For U.S. consumer apps targeting buyers with higher willingness-to-pay, iOS-first is usually right. For global / emerging-market apps, Android-first or simultaneous launch is right. For B2B internal tools, the answer follows from what devices your users actually carry.
Native Swift or SwiftUI?
For new iOS apps in 2026, SwiftUI is the default; UIKit is appropriate for complex custom UI that SwiftUI does not handle well yet. Most production builds use a mix — SwiftUI for new screens, UIKit for screens that need fine-grained control.
How long does the App Store review take?
Typically 24-48 hours for established apps with non-controversial updates; 1-2 weeks for new app submissions or apps in policy-sensitive categories (health, finance, dating). Plan launch dates with the review window in mind.
If this answer is useful and you have a real engagement in mind, the contact form routes directly to the principal — James Henderson is the single engineer who scopes, writes, and supports every engagement end-to-end.