How much does it cost to build an app in Portugal?
Last updated September 2026
The cost of an app depends on what it has to do, not on the fact that it is an app. This guide explains what pushes the price up or down, which costs continue after the app reaches the stores, and what to ask before accepting a proposal.
Why is there no fixed price for an app?
Because two apps that look alike can take very different amounts of work. An app that shows information and takes requests is one thing; an app with user accounts, payments, notifications and a link to the company's management system is another. What you pay for is what happens behind the screens, and that is only known once it is clear what the app has to solve.
So be wary of a price given before anyone asks you questions. Either it is a guess, or it is a generic app with your logo on it.
What pushes the price of an app up or down?
Six things weigh more than everything else: the number of screens and distinct flows; whether there are user accounts and profiles with different permissions; whether there are in-app payments; integrations with systems the company already uses, such as invoicing or calendars; the admin panel on the company's side; and phone features such as notifications, camera, location or offline use.
The admin panel is the cost most often forgotten. Almost every app needs a place where the company changes content, sees requests or manages users, and that place is a second product, with its own work.
Having the app on both iPhone and Android also counts. When there is no reason to wait, both are built; when almost all of the audience is on one system, it can make sense to start with that one only.
Which costs continue after the app is published?
An app does not end the day it reaches the store. There are the developer accounts on the App Store and Google Play, with their own fees published by Apple and Google; the server where the data and the admin panel live; and, above all, updates.
Every new iOS and Android version forces adjustments. An app without maintenance does not stay the same: it starts to fail, and the stores eventually remove it. When comparing proposals, compare what each includes after launch too.
How do you reduce the cost without ruining the app?
By starting with the essentials. The first version should do well the one thing that justifies the app existing, and the rest comes later, once you know how people use it. An app that tries to do everything at once takes longer, costs more and gets used less.
A clickable prototype before any code is the other saving. Changing a screen in a prototype takes minutes; changing it in a built app takes days.
What should you ask before accepting a proposal?
In whose name are the store accounts and the code? What is included after launch, and what is charged separately? How are updates handled when a new iOS or Android version comes out? Is the project split into phases, with versions to try along the way? And what happens if you ever stop working with whoever built it?
A proposal that answers these questions in writing is worth more than a cheaper one that does not.
And at Quadrix, how is it quoted?
Using the same sums as this guide. First we understand what the app has to do and for whom; then we propose a first version and the phases after it, with what each includes and what it costs. Requesting a quote is free and we reply within one working day.
