How Much Does Progressive Web App Development Cost in 2023?

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) combine the greatest features of both websites and mobile apps. Thanks to these benefits, they are considered a good alternative to native mobile app development.

The users can now download web apps to their home screens, receive push alerts, and even work offline using PWAs. This is possible because of recent developments in the browsers and the Cache and Push APIs. The market size of PWA is anticipated to reach $10.44 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 31.9%.

In North America and Europe alone, more than 45% of the companies are either using PWA or plan to do so in the near future. Some of these companies are established firms with sufficient funds. However, most of them are either start-ups or small businesses with stringent budget constraints. The good news for such companies is that PWAs can be developed at a cost as low as $15,000.

[Also Read: PWA: Is This What The Future of Mobile Apps Look Like?]

Having said that, the features of such an application will be very basic. To survive in this competitive market, one needs to include features that can make the companies stand out from the competition. Thus, adding special features will add to the PWA development cost. On average, the cost of developing a PWA can range from $15,000 to $150,000, or more.

So, how do we arrive at the budget estimation of PWA? Let us explore various factors that influence the development cost of a PWA.

Progressive Web App Development Cost

The budget for designing a solution is and will continue to be a top priority for every firm when expanding its online presence. Progressive Web App creation is comparatively cheaper than native application solutions. Depending on the platform requirements, the PWA is 3-4 times less expensive.

Furthermore, by delivering appropriate solutions across many platforms, PWA helps businesses reach out to their potential clients.

Along with greatly reducing development costs and time to market, it significantly improves user experience and unlocks users’ full potential. Many organizations typically overlook the cost of maintenance of their platform-specific solutions, but it is crucial to take this into account before designing any application.

Maintenance cost for any application, be it mobile or web, is roughly 20 to 25 percent of the total development cost. Businesses can easily manage their software maintenance costs by implementing PWA development strategies since PWAs tend to be less expensive to maintain than native applications.

Factors That Determine Progressive Web app Cost

The PWA development cost depends on a variety of factors. The websites for each project range greatly in complexity. The strategy of the progressive web app development company, the technology it uses, and the requisite expertise are also different. Despite all of these considerations, the PWA development cost will rise depending on the time it takes to construct.

Once you’ve determined the key factors affecting the total spending on the PWA development prices, you can evaluate the PWA development cost. Let’s examine each factor in the sections below.

Type of Project

Cost of PWA development is highly dependent and directly proportional to the complexity of the project. The online retail store will have vastly different requirements than that of an online booking application. The higher the complexity, the more will be the development cost.

User Interface/User Requirements

While ensuring that your product is practical, it is equally important to place it better and market it appropriately. Creating brand value, thus, becomes essential. The design of the application and ease of navigation contribute extensively to building brand value. High-quality graphics cannot be an optional choice for brand creation that is sure to add to the PWA development cost.

Application features like ease of navigation, multiple filters, catchy CTA’s, wishlist and checkout options, product recommendations, and more should be considered when deciding on a budget framework.

Location of the Development Team

The location of the development team usually has a big impact on the progressive web app cost.

A development team frequently consists of a business analyst, a project manager, frontend and backend developers, a QA engineer, and UI/UX designer.

Their geographic location and amount of experience may have an impact on their pay rates. For example, senior front-end developers are paid less on average per hour in Asian countries like India than they are in North America or Europe. As shown in the table below, the range is roughly $30 to $60 in South America and $70 to $150 in the US and Canada. In a similar vein, it ranges from $50 to $120 in Europe. In Asia, the average hourly rate for PWA development is between $25 and $50.

Type of Development Solution You Want

Premade, mixed, and custom-built from scratch, are the three main categories of PWA development solutions, listed in descending order of price. You can buy a PWA theme with a functional design, make small changes to the design, and finally download the latest third-party extensions to make up for the theme’s shortcomings.

When you need complex development to stand out from hundreds of other similar websites, the custom solution gives you the freedom to choose particular elements of your website. The mixed solution is using bespoke services on a site that already has a ready-to-use template loaded.

Ready-to-use PWA development solutions are less expensive than custom ones. However, they are usually not very scalable. Plus, you may not always locate the appropriate templates. Even if you do, you might sometimes not be able to make changes as per your business requirements. A tailored solution, on the other hand, explicitly addresses the needs of your business and is far more reliable as compared to a ready-to-use solution.

The Pricing Model You Choose

You have the option of relying on a freelance Progressive web app developer or a PWA development company to get your custom project made. While freelancers are a cheaper option, a PWA development company has far more capabilities to deliver an ideal outcome that meets their requirements.

Here are three typical methods by which a freelancer or development provider may bill you:

Hourly rate

Depending on each project milestone that is completed, business owners pay the developers. This works best when the client is unsure of what they need and what they would like. That way, after the developer completes each step, the client can provide feedback about potential changes or ask to go on to the next one. By breaking the project down into smaller components, you can predict how long each work will take and prevent major adjustments from being made during the final stage.

Fixed-price

This is frequently used for large-scale projects that have a lot of intricate activities, making it difficult to predict how long it will take to complete each one precisely. Agencies will base their best guesses on the time and cost for each component on how complex the needs are. And the sum of all these cost projections will be the final pricing.

Mixed

Lastly, there are projects that are of medium size and are not overly complicated, and the requirements that are given to developers are already clear and simple. They are able to provide a final price to the client and detailed estimates for each component. The distinction is that they offer a fixed final price determined by multiplying the total estimated hours by the hourly rate.

The Deadline for the Project

Additionally, more resources will be needed if the project has a short deadline. As a result, it will quickly increase the progressive web app development cost. Giving the project’s developers sufficient time to finish can, however, cut down on the cost. Additionally, you can get a full PWA solution with better performance and lower costs. A commercial project could take weeks or years to execute.

While an enterprise project frequently requires 200 hours, a small project only requires a few hours. A medium-sized job can be completed in eight to ten days. Minor tasks are finished in two to three weeks.

The Nature of the Complexity of the Project

Progressive web app development costs vary depending on the project’s complexity as well as the number of developers involved. You can choose a basic PWA development that adds just the PWA package and maybe some basic features.

You can request more complex developments that include additional functional pages, third-party system integrations, cutting-edge payment gateways, and chat platforms. You should anticipate investing more time and money in the more cutting-edge and distinctive features you demand. These determine the cost of PWA development.

Progressive Web App Development Hidden Costs that you should know of

Here are some hidden charges of PWA development costs to consider if you want to avoid wasting money on your progressive app development project.

• Understanding the short- and long-term goals is essential before choosing the designs for your website. If you require customization, having a strong understanding of your demands is also crucial.
• To keep crucial information about your customers safe, you should secure your website against malware as well as other security flaws. You might occasionally need to employ security specialists in addition to data backup and infrastructure security with the help of some commercial technology.
• The use of mockups by developers, which could include paying a subscription fee for plugins and themes, would be another instance of hidden charges.

If you want to avoid such additional costs for plugins at the project’s conclusion, be sure to deal with expert development teams who well comprehend your project objectives.

Tips to Optimize PWA Development Cost

Based on the above-mentioned factors, one would easily comprehend that a complex application is equivalent to a higher cost. Consider the below-mentioned points to optimize your PWA development cost.

Define requirements clearly

Making notes and enlisting and segregating the required features relevant to your application is a good starting point. It is important to stick to these notes throughout the development process to ensure that you do not go off track in terms of budget and time.

Choose the outsourcing partner carefully

It is highly recommended that a thorough comparison is conducted between the cost of having an in-house team and the cost of outsourcing your project to a reliable partner like Appinventiv.

[Also Read: In-House vs Outsourcing – Which is the better approach?]

Avoid Hidden Costs

The required features may ask for back-end system alterations that will incur installation fees and administrative support services fees. Such a fee should not come as a surprise later. Thus, it is important to include the conditions carefully for complete transparency in terms of commitments, deliverables, and fee structure.

Additional Services

Any and every website does not end by launching the MVP or the final product. Regular updates and maintenance of the PWA are equally important to ensure the health of the application. The cost consideration of such services should be clarified beforehand finalizing the contract with the development company.

Opt for Appinventiv’s transparent PWA development services

While Appinventiv is committed to delivering the best progressive web application development services, we take pride in being transparent in our deliveries and expectation settings. Just by sharing your idea and basic requirements with us, you can ensure a robust, feature-packed progressive web application for your business.

There isn’t a set price for any PWA development. You should give careful thought to the solution set you choose for your PWA website. Don’t forget to consider our advice on reducing the overall cost. PWA development would be the best choice for your business if you’re on a small budget and wish to reach a wider audience. It also offers dependability, speedy downloads and installations, and network independence.

Additionally, progressive web app development agencies like ours can boost conversion rates and enhance user experiences. PWA is therefore viewed as a viable long-term fix for this problem.

By utilizing the most recent web technologies to meet various project requirements, we at Appinventiv have established a niche for ourselves in the web app development industry. Additionally, we devote ourselves entirely to the project’s technical and commercial aspects. So, contact us today!

FAQs

Q. What factors should be considered to get an estimate on progressive web application development cost?

A. Primary factors that will affect the cost of the PWA application development are:

• Features & Functionality
• Application design customization
• Required team size
• The geographical location of the development partner

Q. What is the cost of developing a PWA?

A. Your progressive web app development can cost anywhere from $15,000 to $150,000, or more. A web application development cycle typically includes:

• Technical documentation
• Wireframe and prototyping of the UI/UX design
• Application development
• QA testing
• Deployment

Based on the complexity of the required application, man hours can be arrived at that can help in deciding the team structure. The estimate can then be derived by multiplying it with the hourly rate charged by the developer/development company. Get the best quote from Appinventiv.

Q. How long does it take to build a progressive web app?

A. Depending on the demands and goals of the business, a PWA’s development time will vary. Different projects cannot be approached with a single, universal strategy. Before a company fully understands your business objectives and app requirements, avoid communicating with them if they say you can launch your PWA in XYZ days.

Q. Are PWAs better suitable for all sectors or just some particular ones?

A. PWAs are ideally suited for all types of businesses and industries, including e-commerce, blockchain, information technology, and much more. Companies in practically every sector can intend to spend in developing a PWA. With a PWA designed in accordance with their business models, both B2B and B2C enterprises can anticipate expansion to the next level.

THE AUTHOR

Apeksha Mehta

MANAGER TECHNOLOGY