If you have searched "how much does a Shopify app cost" and landed on articles full of vague ranges and non-commitments, this is not that article. Here are real numbers, broken into the three models merchants actually use, plus the hidden costs nobody talks about upfront.
The Three Cost Models
Custom Native Development
This is the full-build route: separate iOS and Android codebases written by a development agency or senior freelancers.
- Upfront cost: £25,000 to £100,000+
- Timeline: 6 to 12 months before you see anything in the App Store
- Ongoing maintenance: £500 to £2,000 per month (covering bug fixes, OS updates, Shopify API changes)
- Total year-one cost: £31,000 to £124,000+
Who this makes sense for: merchants with very high GMV where even a 0.1% improvement in conversion justifies the investment, or businesses that genuinely need functionality no off-the-shelf solution provides (think custom loyalty mechanics, AR try-on, or deep integration with bespoke warehouse software).
Hybrid or React Native via Freelancer
A React Native or Flutter build lets one developer (or a small team) produce both iOS and Android from a shared codebase. This cuts cost significantly but introduces its own risks around freelancer availability and long-term support.
- Upfront cost: £8,000 to £25,000
- Timeline: 3 to 6 months
- Ongoing maintenance: variable, but budget at least £500 to £1,500 per month
- Total year-one cost: £14,000 to £49,000
The catch here is continuity. If the freelancer moves on, you inherit a codebase you need to get someone else up to speed on. Shopify updates its APIs regularly, and each update can require paid development time.
App Builder SaaS (No-Code)
This is the fastest and lowest-risk route for most Shopify merchants. You pay a monthly fee, and the platform handles hosting, App Store submissions, Shopify sync, and ongoing compatibility updates.
- Monthly cost: £49 to £299 per month
- Upfront cost: £0 (with most reputable builders)
- Total year-one cost: £588 to £3,588
For context, Talmee starts at £49 per month with no setup fees and no long-term contract, which includes App Store submission, push notifications, and full Shopify sync. That positions it at the lower end of the SaaS range without cutting out core functionality.
What App Builder Pricing Typically Includes
When a SaaS builder quotes you £49 to £299 per month, here is what that usually covers:
- App Store and Google Play submission handling, including review management
- Push notification infrastructure (sending and scheduling)
- Shopify product, order, and customer sync
- Hosting and CDN for app assets
- Ongoing updates when Shopify changes its API (this alone saves hours of developer time per year)
What Is NOT Included
This is where merchants often get a surprise on their first month:
- Apple Developer account: £79 per year, paid directly to Apple. Required to publish on iOS.
- Google Play Developer account: £20 one-off, paid directly to Google.
- App Store screenshots and preview videos: you create these yourself or pay a designer (budget £200 to £500 if outsourcing).
- Custom integrations: if you need your app to connect to a third-party system outside standard Shopify (a bespoke ERP, a custom loyalty programme), that is usually billable on top.
Neither of the developer accounts is hidden or unreasonable, but they can catch first-timers off guard when building their budget.
Hidden Costs to Watch For
Not all app builders are straightforward with their pricing. Before signing up, check for:
Setup or onboarding fees. Some builders charge £500 to £2,000 to get you started, separate from the monthly subscription. This is not universal, but it is common enough to ask about explicitly.
Per-push-notification charges. A few platforms charge per notification sent rather than including an allowance. If you plan to run regular push campaigns, this adds up fast.
Transaction fees on in-app purchases. Rare, but some platforms take a cut of any revenue processed through the app. Read the terms carefully if you plan to sell anything directly within the app experience.
Features locked behind expensive tiers. A builder might advertise a low starting price but put push notifications, analytics, or custom branding behind a tier that costs three times as much. Check which tier gives you the features you actually need before committing.
The ROI Question
At £49 per month, the maths are straightforward. You need roughly three to five additional orders per month that would not have happened otherwise to break even, depending on your average order value.
For a store with a £40 AOV, five extra orders covers the subscription. For a store with a £100 AOV, three extra orders does it.
Push notifications alone tend to drive this kind of uplift for merchants with an engaged customer base. Re-engagement campaigns, back-in-stock alerts, and order status updates are the three highest-performing notification types across mobile commerce. Most merchants with an active email list find they hit break-even within the first month.
When the Higher Cost Models Make Sense
The SaaS route is the right answer for most Shopify merchants, but there are genuine cases for spending more:
- You need a feature no builder currently offers and it is central to your product experience
- Your GMV is high enough that a custom-built conversion optimisation (even marginal) produces outsized returns
- You operate in a regulated industry where you need to own and control the full codebase for compliance reasons
For everyone else, the £49 to £299 per month bracket delivers a production-quality mobile app without the capital outlay, the development timeline risk, or the ongoing maintenance overhead.
Quick Cost Comparison
| Route | Year-One Cost | Time to Launch |
|---|---|---|
| Custom native | £31,000 to £124,000+ | 6 to 12 months |
| Hybrid freelancer | £14,000 to £49,000 | 3 to 6 months |
| SaaS app builder | £588 to £3,588 | Days to weeks |
The right choice depends on your scale, your technical requirements, and how quickly you want to be live. For the majority of Shopify merchants, the SaaS model removes cost and complexity without meaningful compromise on the features that actually drive mobile revenue.
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