Originally published on the Vitarum IT blog. Vitarum IT is a full-cycle app development company working with startups and businesses across the US, UK and Europe.
Android runs on 70%+ of the world's smartphones. Here's the full process to build an Android app.
How to build an Android app: 7 steps
- Validate the idea & scope. A focused MVP is the biggest lever on cost and time.
- Design with Material Design. Plan for many devices and OS versions.
- Choose tech. Native Kotlin + Jetpack Compose, or cross-platform (Flutter / React Native) to also cover iOS.
- Develop in Android Studio in short iterations.
- Test across real devices (fragmentation is real).
- Publish to Google Play (one-time $25 developer fee).
- Launch, measure, iterate.
Cost
- Simple: £7,000–£18,000
- Mid-complexity: £18,000–£55,000
- Complex (real-time, payments, AI): £55,000+
How long? A focused MVP ships in 2–4 months.
Native Kotlin vs cross-platform
Native = best performance & latest Android features. Cross-platform = launch on Android + iOS from one codebase.
👉 Full guide: How to Build an Android App in 2026 — Vitarum IT
Building for iPhone too? See How to Build an iOS App.
Need help? Vitarum IT mobile app development.
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