When it comes to digital business, time-to-market is essential. Whether you have previous experience as an app owner, or you’re just toying with your first idea for an app, we’re here to answer the question you’re probably asking yourself. What can you expect when it comes to the time of app development? How long does it take to develop an app? What factors should you keep in mind and how can you avoid delays?
Read our guide to see how long it takes to create an app and learn what to expect when it comes to app development process with Miquido. Enjoy!Â
What is the average app development time?
Once you decide that you would like to create a digital product, you’re probably going to research how long it takes to develop an app. However, the results you get from your internet research might be disappointing – it’s difficult to get a straight answer there. Software agencies usually suggest that the app development timeline may vary between 3 and 9 months.
While we agree that the time it takes to develop an app might be different when it comes to their size and complexity, we wanted to give you a clear answer based on our own experience.
How long does it take to build an app with Miquido?
Our goal is to be transparent about the time of custom app development services (as well as its costs), that’s why we approach our potential clients with a clear set of numbers. It takes us around two days to prepare an estimate of your project. If you decide to give it a try, you can expect a couple of days of workshops coming next. Once we get our development team ready, you can expect to have your MVP ready in around three months.
Factors influencing the development timeline
As much as we would love to give you a universal answer to how long it takes to develop an app, the truth is that every project is unique. Several key factors come into play when determining the timeline of your app’s development. Let’s take a closer look at some of them:
App complexity and features
The more features and functionalities your app has, the longer it will take to develop. A simple app with basic functionalities will be much faster to create than a complex app with multiple integrations, advanced user roles, or AI-powered features.
Platform choice
Will your app be developed for iOS, Android, or both? Native apps for each platform require separate coding, which naturally extends the development timeline. On the other hand, cross-platform solutions like Flutter or React Native can speed things up by allowing developers to write code once and deploy it across multiple platforms, instead of creating a separate Android and iOS app.
Third-party integrations
If your app relies on third-party services such as payment gateways, APIs, or external databases, these integrations can sometimes introduce unexpected challenges. Compatibility issues, security concerns, or API limitations may extend the development process.
Team structure and expertise
A well-coordinated team with experienced app developers, designers, and project managers can streamline the process significantly. If the team is small or lacks expertise in certain areas, software development can take longer.
Communication
Quick and clear feedback from your side is essential. If there are delays in decision-making, approvals, or revisions, the overall development timeline will be impacted.
Regulatory and compliance requirements
Apps that need to comply with industry regulations such as HIPAA, GDPR, or PCI-DSS may require additional security measures and documentation, which can extend the development process.
Testing and bug fixing
Even after the initial development is complete, thorough testing is required to ensure a smooth user experience. If major bugs or performance issues are discovered, they must be fixed before launch, which can take additional time.
Our application development timeline
It’s been all theory so far. To give you some details on how long it actually takes to develop an app with Miquido, we’ve prepared an app development timeline to walk you through the entire process. Sit comfortably and let’s dive in!
1. Scoping and estimating your project
The first team you’ll meet on our side will be the Sales team. They are there to identify the scope of your project and gather all the necessary info that we need to give you a general quotation. At that point, we take the time to understand your needs, business plans, and expectations about the results. An important part here is defining the scope of the MVP (Minimum Viable Product). In other words, we identify the core features your app needs and plan and estimate accordingly.
Generally, depending on the size and complexity of the project, this stage usually takes a couple of days. If the project is relatively simple, we’ll provide you with an estimate after two days.
2. The workshop phase
Did you know that the number one reason why startups fail is due to a lack of a market need for their product? Although you might have a clear app idea in mind, you most probably are not sure how it should be delivered or which technology will be the best fit for your needs. Also, it is often the case that your seemingly flawless original idea needs to be verified, both when it comes to the technology assumptions and your business expectations. To ensure that your idea will meet business objectives, our team provides you with the best recommendations on business goals, market needs, and the scope of the MVP.
Whether you decide to trust us with your product strategy or not, we always put together a session of Product Discovery workshops (they can vary in forms, and their scope depends on your needs). That way, we create wireframes of your app, sketch the first design drafts, gather development requirements, and prepare some basic documentation. As soon as you decide that you want to work with us, we start to build the perfect development team to assign to your project.
Typically, workshops can last from a couple of hours to a couple of days (breaks included, obviously!).
3. Preparing for kick-off
While gathering the team for your project, we make sure that everything is pitch-perfect. We provide the complete development requirements, prepare a backlog of tasks, and create full project documentation (usually held on Jira and Confluence). If your project includes product design solutions as well as development, we make sure to prepare the designs beforehand.
Also, at this point, we try to predict obstacles that might appear later on. A senior technical person and a Project Manager identify potential risks or roadblocks that may arise during the development.
As we believe this phase to be essential for seamless development, it might take between one and five weeks to complete.
4. Ready, set, go! Kick-off of the project
When the backlog is prepared and everything is running like clockwork, we can start with the actual development. Transparency is our core value and we’d like you to stay involved throughout the whole project. That’s why we start by setting the dates of our weekly meetings.
During the first one, our team, together with the chosen decision-maker (usually a Product Owner) on your side, does the first refinement. We walk through the tasks in the backlog and ask the necessary questions to make sure we’re on the same page.
Once we’ve done that, we choose the first development tasks and evaluate them once again, using man-days as our unit of measure (one day of a programmer’s time). During the mobile app development process, we want to keep the budget under control and make sure we’re working effectively. That’s why we try to get the entire backlog estimated as soon as possible.
A kick-off meeting usually takes one to two hours.
5. The development phase
And so the development starts! The basic time unit that we use to measure and plan is a sprint. The average sprint lasts two working weeks. Every one of them starts with a planning session, during which we plan development tasks for the upcoming sprint. Apart from that, we hold daily meetings, called stand-ups. Stand-ups help us all stay on the same page and discuss potential issues together. We always encourage our clients to stay as involved as they wish – they can even attend our daily meetings. You also get to see the clickable demo of the app at the end of each sprint. That way, you can experience the project’s progress.
The pre-MVP development part may last a couple of months, depending on the size and complexity of your app. At Miquido, we aim to deliver the MVP of your application within three months.
6. The finishing touches
Once the MVP is released, we head towards the end of the project. We prepare the app for its official release and carry out the final tests. After the release, the project can go in three possible directions:
- if you don’t wish to develop new features, we provide ongoing app support,
- once you decide to develop your app further, we continue to support the app and start planning our work around your next features
- if you want to transfer the project to in-house development, we plan the transition and make sure it goes smoothly
And, voila! Time flies, doesn’t it? Your new app is ready and its fate is in your hands now. Good luck!Â
Risks of delay in app development time
Some things are difficult to plan beforehand. Here are some mobile app development challenges that may cause a delay in your scheduled app development time.Â
- integration with unknown outside services and mobile appsÂ
- unplanned changes, especially ones suggested late in the project
- a non-standard size or complexity of the application
- outsourced design or backend teams, causing a communication delayÂ
How to speed up the development time?
While the app development process takes time, there are ways to accelerate it without compromising quality. Here’s how you can speed things up:
Define a clear scope from the start
The more precise your project scope is, the less time will be spent on revisions and rework. Clearly outline the app’s core features, target audience, and expected outcomes from the beginning.
Prioritize an MVP approach
Instead of aiming for a fully-featured product from day one, focus on building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). This allows you to launch quickly, gather user feedback, and iterate based on real-world usage.
Choose cross-platform development
If your app does not require platform-specific functionalities, using cross-platform frameworks like Flutter or React Native can significantly reduce development time by allowing mobile app developers to write a single codebase for both iOS and Android app.
Ensure smooth communication
Effective communication between the development team and stakeholders can prevent unnecessary delays. Regular check-ins, weekly meetings, and a transparent workflow help keep the project on track.
Automate testing
Manual testing can be time-consuming, so incorporating automated testing can help detect issues early and speed up the QA process. Continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) practices can also help with efficient releases.
Work with an experienced development team
Choosing the right mobile app development company can make a world of difference. Experienced teams anticipate potential roadblocks and solve them quickly, preventing bottlenecks that could slow down the mobile app development process.
Plan for scalability from the start
Making development decisions with scalability in mind prevents the need for significant overhauls later. This includes choosing the right tech stack, architecture, and database solutions that allow for growth without major disruptions.
Ready to see your own mobile app development timeline?Â
We hope this article has helped you clear up some facts about the time of app development. If you have your own idea for a digital product, don’t hesitate to shoot us a message using our contact form! We’ll get back to you with an estimate in two days – just as promised!
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