How long does it take to develop an app?
27 January 2026


The level of effort and time required for creating a fully-functional app depends on the platform/s you choose. As per our experience, both the platforms demand a high time investment, but Android still takes slightly longer. This is because there is a wider range of devices to build the applications for. Though Google has been updating and streamlining the Android Software Developers Kit with time to deal with varying screen sizes, OS versions, pixel densities, etc., many more improvements are still necessary to beat the iOS platform. Similarly, the app approval time is quicker through Android than on an iOS platform due to iOS’s stricter guidelines for developers.
The complexity of the app
How well the mobile app developers understand your idea also plays a pivotal role in deciding the time range. If your idea is a simple one our developers can easily understand and execute the plan. But, if you are developing an application with some new and unique features, you need to spend more time making your idea clear and developing from this idea.
Features included
The features that are included in your mobile application will also massively alter the time an app takes to build completely. The more features included in the app, the more time-consuming it will be. Again, the kind of feature or functionality you want to add to your application also counts. Some features can be easy to implement while others will take more time, depending on the complexity of their functionality.
The Targeted Audience
Developing a mobile application for fewer simultaneous users under 1000 users involves less development and factors compared to those aimed at a far larger audience. An application for a wider audience needs additional investment in architecture, infrastructure, performance testing, and tuning. All these factors continue to add to the time required to build an app.
Development
The process you follow has a considerable impact on the time required for the development. We have a refined A good process helps in getting everything from planning to designing, development, and testing on scheduled time. While an inappropriate process can cause delays and miscommunications. We adopt Agile methodology here at CAD through JIRA which enables requirements and solutions to emerge through the combined effort of the development team and the user. It boosts adaptive planning, further development, delivery of the product, and continuous improvements. The best thing about this approach is that it is perfect for complex projects where the customer needs changes more often.
Communication with the team
For the best results, we believe that it is a must that the client and mobile application development agency remain in touch throughout. If the client and development team find it hard to communicate due to a time gap or any other issue, the challenges arising during the development phase are likely to be solved at a slower pace. These delays can increase the time an app takes to build. Our team is always ready to go the extra mile to maintain communication and speed up the development process.
Wrapping Up
It will be clear that building a high-end mobile app is not a quick and easy task! Building an app to a high standard will take time, effort, money, and strategy. To create an app that outshines in the current app marketplace.
If you have any questions about the development process- get in touch today and give us a shout on 02920 713 855 and [email protected]!


