Mobile App Development Cost in Kenya
A mobile app in Kenya can cost from a few hundred thousand shillings to several million. Here's what drives the price, why many businesses should start with a web app, and the questions to settle before you ask for quotes.
Ask five app developers in Kenya for a price and you'll get five answers, because 'an app' can mean anything from a simple booking tool to the next Bolt. The price follows the features, the platforms and who maintains it after launch.
What drives mobile app development cost
- Platforms: Android only (most Kenyan users), iPhone too, or both
- Accounts and roles: customers, riders, staff and admins each need their own screens
- Payments: M-Pesa STK Push, wallets, refunds
- Real-time features: live tracking, chat, notifications
- The admin dashboard behind the app, which is often half the work
- Maintenance: Android and iOS updates break things every year
Start with a web app first
For most Kenyan businesses, a progressive web app (a website that installs on the phone like an app) gets 90% of the value at a fraction of the cost. There are no app store approvals, one version works everywhere, and updates are instant. Our custom web apps start from KSh 120,000. When the business proves the need, it can graduate to native apps.
Questions to answer before asking for quotes
- Who uses it, and what are the three things they must be able to do?
- How will you get your first 100 users?
- Who owns the code and the developer accounts?
- What is the monthly cost after launch: hosting, SMS, maps and support?
Antony Mungai
Founder, Steff Cloud — building websites, systems and automation for Kenyan businesses from Nakuru.