A focused, cross-platform mobile app MVP typically starts in the low five figures (USD) and rises with backend complexity, integrations, and design polish. Building cross-platform with React Native is usually meaningfully cheaper than building two separate native apps, because it's one codebase for iOS and Android.
What drives mobile app cost
- Platforms: one cross-platform codebase vs two native apps (Swift + Kotlin).
- Backend and API: most apps need a server, database, and auth behind them.
- Integrations: payments, push notifications, maps, and third-party APIs each add work.
- Offline and real-time: sync, offline support, and live updates raise complexity.
- Design polish: a refined, animated, branded UI takes more time than a functional one.
- App store setup: accounts, review, and release process.
Cross-platform vs native cost
Two native apps mean two codebases, often two skill sets, and roughly double the UI work. React Native gives you one codebase that ships to both stores, which is why most startups building an MVP start there — and only go native when a specific feature or performance need demands it.
How to keep it affordable
Scope to the core loop that proves the idea, reuse a single backend across web and mobile, and ship cross-platform. We build React Native apps on architecture that scales, so v1 becomes the foundation for v2 rather than a rewrite. You get a fixed estimate after a free discovery call.