A Comprehensive Guide To Shopify App Development Cost [2023]

Shopify is one of the leading eCommerce platforms worldwide. Over the years, its app store has helped small to big Shopify stores to customize & enhance their online presence. They can view analytics, manage inventory, and do many more things with Shopify apps.

Moreover, many developers and businesses have also launched their public apps on the Shopify app store and are generating good revenue.

So, whether you are an entrepreneur, business owner, or developer and want to know how much Shopify app development costs, you have reached the right place.

So, how much does it typically cost to build a Shopify app?

Generally, a basic Shopify app can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 to develop; a medium-level Shopify app will cost around $10,000 to $30,000, while a more complex app can cost upwards of $25,000 to $75,000 or more.

In this blog, we will walk you through how the cost is calculated, the factors affecting Shopify app development cost, and how you can reduce the cost.

So, without waiting much, let’s get started.

How to Calculate Shopify App Development Cost?

The cost to build a Shopify app depends on the complexity of the application and the total hours required to build it.

In general, the estimated cost to build a Shopify app depends on the formula given below.

Shopify App Development Cost = (Estimated development hours * Hourly rate ) + Additional Expenses

Let’s understand the formula in detail.

Hourly Rate: The hourly rate of a development team depends completely on the location and expertise. For instance, a developer from North America can charge between $100 – $250 per hour.

Estimated Development Hours: The total number of hours relies on the app’s complexity, features & functionalities, third-party integrations, and more. A basic Shopify app would take around 100-200 hours. At the same time, a complex Shopify app would take around 200-300 hours or more.

Additional Expenses: These include various costs like hosting, domain, SSL, and third-party integrations. It is usually 10% of the overall Shopify app development cost.

From this, if the development hours are 200 and the hourly rate is 50, the cost would be $10,000. If we include additional expenses, then the cost would reach $11,000.

Let’s look at the factors affecting the Shopify app development cost. So, let’s start.

Factors That Affect the Shopify App Development Cost

Here are some of the essential factors that affect the cost of Shopify app development.

1. Complexity & Scope

The complexity and scope of the features needed to build a Shopify app impact its cost. A simple app with minimal features may require fewer development hours and cost less. At the same time, a complex app with advanced features, like custom product configurations or personalized recommendations, might need more development time and can cost significantly more.

2. Design Complexity

The design of a Shopify app can affect its usability, functionality, and overall user experience. Further, customizing the app design by doing custom branding, changing user interfaces, and user experience elements increases the development cost. More complex app design requires a highly experienced UI/UX designer, which increases the cost.

3. Third-Party Integrations with Apps & Systems

Shopify apps often need integration with other apps or systems like payment gateways, social media platforms, customer relationship management (CRM) tools, etc. The complexity of integrating the app with these systems can affect the development cost, and several integrations might need extra development hours and testing.

4. Third-Party API Costs

Some Shopify apps need third-party APIs, which can increase the overall development cost. For example, if the app requires integration with a particular payment gateway or shipping provider, it gets included in API costs, further increasing the development cost.

5. Hosting and Maintenance Cost

After the Shopify app is developed and launched, ongoing costs will be associated with hosting and maintaining the app. These costs consist of server hosting, domain, maintenance & support costs. The total maintenance needed would vary based on the complexity & user base. These ongoing costs should be considered when estimating the overall Shopify app development cost.

After looking at the factors affecting the cost of building a Shopify app, let’s look at the various types of Shopify apps.

Types of Shopify Apps

The Shopify apps are divided into three types; they are as follows.

Public Apps

These types of Shopify apps have gone through a thorough review process on the Shopify store and are available for the public. Mainly, public Shopify apps are categorized as: listed and unlisted. Listed Shopify apps are available on the Shopify app store. At the same time, the unlisted ones aren’t available on the Shopify app store. However, these apps can be downloaded from various sites and installed on the Shopify website.

Lastly, these apps are meant to improve various aspects of your store, like marketing, sales, shipping, accounting, etc.

Private Apps

Private apps are mainly built for a specific Shopify store. These apps are not listed in the Shopify App Store and are only available to the store owner and their team. Private apps need to be used to automate tasks or integrate with third-party systems not available in the public app store.

In the case of a private app, the store owner needs to create an API key that will be available to selected users. Further, you must offer API access to your store and admin to the developer.

Custom Apps

Custom apps are tailor-made solutions that are developed to address specific business needs. These apps are built from scratch and designed to offer several great functionalities not available in public or private apps. These apps are usually built by Shopify developers, requiring a significant amount of time to build such apps.

Custom apps are the most expensive option among the three types of Shopify apps. However, they provide high flexibility & customization. The apps can be designed to integrate with third-party systems, automate complex workflows, and provide unique features and functionalities that are unavailable in any other app.

Costs of Developing Different Types of Shopify Apps

Here is the cost of building different types of Shopify apps.

• The cost for public apps typically ranges between $1,000 and $10,000, based on complexity and scope.
• The cost for private apps is between $5,000 and $30,000, considering the complexity and customization.
• The cost for custom apps is between $20,000 and $100,000, depending on the complexity and requirements of the app.

After looking at the Shopify app development costs, we will explain different ways to reduce the development costs. So, let us start.

Different Ways to Reduce the Shopify App Development Cost

• Start with an MVP: MVP stands for a minimal viable product. It means you create your Shopify app by focusing on essential features. Further, you include new features considering your business needs and the feedback of users.
• Use Pre-Built Solutions: With the help of pre-built apps & plugins, you can save a lot of development time & costs. There are numerous pre-built solutions available in the market. You can check out and choose the suitable ones for your store.
• Utilizing Open-Source Tools: Many libraries, frameworks, and platforms are available in the market. By leveraging these free tools, you can significantly reduce development costs, but research and choose reliable and secure tools.
• Choosing the Right Shopify App Development Company: The development company you hire significantly impacts the cost. Check out various companies that provide Shopify development services. Choose a company that offers excellent services at affordable costs.

Final Thoughts

We hope that you are familiar with the Shopify app development cost. Before you develop a Shopify app, you should decide the type of Shopify app you want to build. In addition, you should decide on the features & functionalities.

If you still need clarification regarding the Shopify app development cost, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

WebDesk Solution is a leading Shopify development services provider. Therefore, we can understand your needs and provide a Shopify app development cost. In addition, we can also provide a reliable Shopify application.