App development in Ireland is priced by effort: the number of people, multiplied by the days they spend, multiplied by their day rate. At 2026 Dublin contractor rates, a simple single-platform business app works out at roughly €29,000 to €35,000 in labour, and an iOS, Android and web portal build at roughly €124,000 to €152,000. ERS IT Solutions has 25+ in-house developers in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, and quotes each project after a short call.
Every figure below is either a published market rate with its source, or simple arithmetic on those rates that you can check yourself. None of them is an ERS price.
How much does it cost to make an app in Ireland?
The honest answer is a range, because the app itself sets the price. A single-platform app with a handful of screens and a simple back end costs a fraction of an app that runs on iPhone and Android, talks to your accounts or CRM system and has a web portal for staff.
The cleanest way to work it out is the formula every development company uses, whether they show it to you or not:
- List the people the job needs (mobile developer, back-end developer, designer or business analyst, tester, project manager).
- Estimate the days each person spends.
- Multiply by their day rate and add VAT, which is 23% on services in Ireland (Revenue).
How much do app developers charge in Ireland?
Morgan McKinley's 2026 guide gives daily rates for Dublin contractors who work through their own limited company. These are typical market ranges, not fixed prices, and they rise with experience.
| Role (Dublin, 2026) | 0 to 3 years | 3 to 5 years | 5+ years |
|---|---|---|---|
| iOS developer | €225 to €340 | €340 to €395 | €395 to €535 |
| Android developer | €225 to €340 | €340 to €395 | €395 to €535 |
| Full stack developer | €255 to €310 | €310 to €395 | €395 to €505 |
| Automation QA / test engineer | €225 to €280 | €280 to €365 | €365 to €480 |
| Business analyst | €200 to €310 | €310 to €395 | €395 to €505 |
| IT project manager | €255 to €365 | €365 to €480 | €480 to €675 |
| Software development architect | €340 to €395 | €395 to €450 | €450 to €560 |
Source: Morgan McKinley, Technology Contract Salaries 2026, Ireland.
How much do freelance app developers cost?
A freelance or contract app developer in Dublin charges the day rates above, so roughly €225 to €535 a day depending on experience. That buys one person's time. Design, testing, project management, App Store submission and support after launch are either extra people or extra days. A development company's day rate is usually higher than a lone contractor's because it carries those roles, plus cover when someone is sick or leaves.
How much does it cost to hire an app developer full time?
Hiring one in-house developer means a salary, employer PRSI, equipment, recruitment and the risk that the whole app lives in one person's head. For most businesses that need one app rather than a permanent product team, it is cheaper to buy a team for the build and a support agreement afterwards. If you do want people inside your own team, see ERS project resourcing.
Mobile app development cost breakdown: three worked examples
These examples use the 3 to 5 year column of the table above. They show the labour cost at contractor rates, excluding VAT. Use them as a sense check on any quote you get.
Example 1: a simple app on one platform (about 8 weeks)
ERS's own iOS page puts a simple app at 6 to 10 weeks. For an 8 week build:
| Role | Days | Cost range |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile developer | 40 | €13,600 to €15,800 |
| Back-end developer (half time) | 20 | €6,200 to €7,900 |
| Business analyst / design | 10 | €3,100 to €3,950 |
| Tester | 10 | €2,800 to €3,650 |
| Project manager | 8 | €2,920 to €3,840 |
| Total | 88 | €28,620 to €35,140 |
Example 2: iOS and Android apps plus a web portal (about 18 weeks)
This is the shape of most business apps ERS builds: field staff use the app, office staff use a portal, and the two sync. Two mobile developers (180 days), a back-end developer (90), design and analysis (25), testing (45), project management (30) and an architect (10) come to 380 days, or €124,350 to €151,850 at the same rates.
Example 3: a custom web application or MVP (about 10 weeks)
Two full stack developers (100 days), analysis and design (12), testing (15) and project management (10) come to 137 days, or €42,570 to €54,515.
What changes the price
- Platforms. iPhone and Android natively roughly doubles the mobile work. Cross-platform can reduce it (see native vs cross-platform).
- Integrations. Each connection to an accounts package, CRM, ERP or government system adds design and testing days.
- Offline working. An app that must work on a farm or a ward with no signal needs local storage and sync logic. ERS built exactly this for AAA Vet Care.
- Security and compliance. Personal or health data means encryption, role-based access, audit trails and more testing.
- Who decides. Slow sign-off and changing scope add days faster than anything technical.
How much does it cost to design an app?
Design covers workshops, user journeys, wireframes and a clickable prototype. In Example 1 it is about 10 days, or €3,100 to €3,950 at business analyst rates, and in Example 2 about 25 days, or €7,750 to €9,875. Skimping here is a false economy, because changes on paper cost hours and changes in code cost weeks.
How much does custom software development cost?
Custom software is priced the same way as an app: people, days and day rates. Example 3 above is a typical first release of a custom web application. Larger systems are usually delivered in phases, and ERS's custom applications page describes "a core release in a few months" followed by further releases. A custom software development hourly rate is simply the day rate divided by about eight, so about €32 to €63 an hour at the full stack contractor rates above.
For the build or buy question, read bespoke software vs off-the-shelf.
How much does an ecommerce app or a taxi app cost?
These are the two most common "platform" apps, and both sit in Example 2 territory or above. An ecommerce app needs a catalogue, basket, payments, order tracking and a link to your stock system. Since 28 June 2025, e-commerce services in Ireland also fall under the European Accessibility Act, enforced by the CCPC, so accessibility work belongs in the budget.
A taxi or delivery app is really three products: a customer app, a driver app and a dispatch portal, plus live maps and payments. If you only need to sell online, an existing ecommerce platform will cost far less than building one.
How much does it cost to run an app?
Running costs are smaller than the build but they never stop. The fixed ones:
- Apple Developer Program: 99 USD a year, in local currency where available (Apple).
- Google Play developer account: a one-time 25 USD registration fee (Google).
- Store commission on paid apps and in-app purchases of digital goods. Apple's Small Business Program charges 15% for developers earning up to 1 million USD a year. Google's fees are on its service fee page.
How much does a server cost for an app?
For a small business app the server is often the cheapest line. As an example, Microsoft's retail price list on 28 October 2026 showed a Linux Basic B1 App Service plan in the North Europe region at €0.0158 an hour (about €11.50 a month) and a Standard S1 plan at €0.0836 an hour (about €61 a month). A database, file storage, backups and monitoring are extra, and costs grow with users and data.
How much does it cost to maintain or update an app?
Maintenance is the cost people forget. Apple and Google change the rules every year, and an app that is not updated eventually cannot be updated at all:
- Since 28 April 2026, apps uploaded to App Store Connect must be built with Xcode 26 and an iOS 26 SDK (Apple).
- From 31 August 2026, new apps and app updates on Google Play must target Android 16 (API level 36) or higher (Google).
So budget every year for operating system updates, security patches, small fixes and hosting, plus any new features. A single update to fix a bug might be a day or two of a developer and a tester. A new feature is priced like a small project. ERS offers support and maintenance after launch on all its software services.
Who owns the code?
Agree this in writing before any work starts. Under Irish law the author of a work is the first owner of copyright, and the employer owns it only when the work is made by an employee (Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000, section 23). An outside developer is not your employee, and an assignment of copyright only takes effect in writing, signed by the assignor (section 120).
With ERS the answer is simple: the application we build for you, including its source code, is your organisation's IP under our standard engagement terms.
Why start with an MVP?
An MVP (minimum viable product) is the smallest version of the app that real users can use. It tests whether people want it before you pay for the full feature list. ERS builds MVPs so they can be extended rather than thrown away, and typically delivers them in weeks or a few months. See MVP development.
Is there funding for app development in Ireland?
Check before you count on it. The Local Enterprise Office Grow Digital Voucher states that "custom or bespoke software is not eligible for grant support" (LEO). Revenue sets the R&D tax credit at 30% for accounting periods from 1 January 2024 (Revenue); whether a software project qualifies depends on Revenue's criteria, so ask your accountant.