# App development outsourcing cost — why quotes range from thousands to hundreds of thousands

> The four factors that decide app development cost, and the option that's the right answer for most businesses: a web app. No install, opens from a link — SaaS builds from ₩700K + ₩490K/mo. Published prices, free demo.

- Published: 2026-08-25 · Category: Outsourcing
- Canonical (HTML): https://maeum.io/en/blog/app-dev-outsourcing-cost/ · Korean original: https://maeum.io/blog/app-dev-outsourcing-cost/
- Author: MAEUM — an AI engineering company that publishes its prices · https://maeum.io

The first reason app quotes range from a few thousand dollars to six figures is that **the word "app" means different things**. A native app published to the stores and a web app that opens from a link differ several-fold in how much has to be built. For most businesses whose goal is membership, booking or order management, **a web app is enough** — and on MAEUM's price list that's **SaaS build from ₩700K + ₩490K/mo** or **SI (ownership) from ₩2.5M**. VAT excluded — and we tell you honestly during scoping which one you actually need.

## The trap in "build me an app" — native or web?

| | Criterion| Native app (store install)| Web app (opens from a link) |

| Install| Download from App Store / Play Store| None — link or QR, instantly |
| Review| Store review required, re-review on every update| None — changes go live immediately |
| Amount to build| iOS + Android + admin — effectively three builds| One build for every device |
| When it's truly needed| Deep hardware control, or store presence is itself the strategy| Most membership, booking, ordering and management workflows |

Telling customers "please install the app" is itself a barrier. From the customer's side, **tapping a link in a text and having it open right away** wins.

## The four things that decide the cost

- **① Number of platforms** — going native means iOS, Android and an admin panel: effectively three products. This is the first point where cost doubles.
- **② Login and payments** — the moment accounts and a payment gateway are involved, security, review and settlement work follow. Gateway fees are a separate third-party cost.
- **③ Admin (back-office) scope** — the management screens the owner uses are often a bigger job than the customer-facing screens. When comparing quotes, always ask "is the admin panel included?"
- **④ Operations after launch** — servers, incident handling, store policy changes, feature updates. Native apps cost more to keep running than web apps.

## Pricing a web app from the list

Take a **booking + membership web app**: the **₩250K** scoping pass (5 sessions) fixes the screens and features, and you start on **SaaS (managed) = build from ₩700K + ₩490K/mo** (servers, improvements and new features included, no per-seat pricing). If payments and settlement are connected, ₩990K/mo is usually the right fit. If you want to own it, **SI from ₩2.5M** — no monthly fee afterwards.
If a native app is genuinely required (hardware control, store strategy), we say so during scoping and re-scope. **Not selling you what you don't need** is part of publishing prices.

## MAEUM list prices (VAT excluded · starting prices · final price confirmed after scoping)

- Scoping pass (5 sessions): ₩250K (up to 90 min each, working demo included)
- SaaS · managed (recommended): build from ₩700K + ₩490K / ₩990K / ₩1.49M/mo — servers, AI, improvements, new features and a monthly report included; no per-seat pricing
- SI · ownership: build from ₩2.5M (full build from ₩7M+) — no monthly fee afterwards; care passes when needed
- KRW is authoritative (USD ≈ at ~₩1,400/$). SEO and AI-search visibility work included free. The demo is free.
- Machine-readable prices: https://maeum.io/facts.json · Rate card: https://maeum.io/rates.json

## Frequently asked questions

**Q. Doesn't being in the app store build trust?**
A. It depends on the business. For a service customers open daily it can matter, but for booking, ordering and lookups, a link that opens instantly often gets higher usage. We look at your customer journey during scoping and advise.

**Q. Does a web app work on both iPhone and Android?**
A. Yes. A web app opens in the browser, so it doesn't depend on the device. It can also be added to the home screen as an icon.

**Q. We need push notifications — can a web app do that?**
A. Web push covers part of it, and in many markets SMS or messaging-app notifications reach customers more reliably. Delivery fees are usage-based third-party costs, quoted before signing based on expected volume.

**Q. Can you take over an app someone else started?**
A. If the source code and data are available, we review the code during scoping and tell you honestly whether to continue it or whether rebuilding is cheaper. If they aren't available, rebuilding around data migration is usually faster.

**Q. What do changes cost after launch?**
A. On SaaS (managed), improvements and new features are included in the monthly fee with no separate billing. On SI (ownership), you use a care pass (₩490K for 7 sessions) only when needed.

## Related guides

- [Web App Development Cost 2026 — From a Company That Publishes Its Prices](https://maeum.io/en/blog/webapp-development-cost/)
- [Software Development Outsourcing Cost — What's a Normal Range? (2026)](https://maeum.io/en/blog/dev-outsourcing-cost/)
- [Hire a Developer or Outsource? — A Monthly Cost Calculation for Early-Stage Businesses](https://maeum.io/en/blog/dev-outsourcing-vs-hiring/)

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MAEUM · Free demo: https://maeum.io/en/start/ · Pricing: https://maeum.io/en/price/ · Contact: support@maeum.io