Two mobile app development quotes can describe very different pieces of work. Before comparing the totals, make sure each supplier has understood the same requirements. A useful comparison shows what is included, what is excluded and what you may need to pay separately.
Explore our mobile app development services and examples of our projects.
Give every supplier the same brief
Describe who will use the app, the main task it must complete and the platforms required. Include any existing systems it must connect to. If one supplier assumes a simple enquiry app and another allows for staff accounts and an administration dashboard, the totals are not comparable.
Make an inclusion checklist
Check design, app development, database work, administration screens, integrations, testing and release preparation. Ask each supplier to mark what is included. Also check whether you must provide content, branding or access to another service before work can proceed.
Review assumptions and exclusions
Read the conditions behind the price. Does it depend on a particular integration being available? How are changes to the brief priced? Is app-store submission included, and what happens if changes are requested during review? Put unclear points back to the supplier before choosing.
Compare the full project cost
Keep development, third-party services and ongoing support visible as separate items. Digital Solutions prices work according to what it will cost to build the agreed requirements. A clearly scoped quote is more useful than a headline estimate detached from the actual project.
Questions and answers
Should I choose the lowest total?
Use the total alongside scope, evidence and delivery responsibilities. First confirm you are comparing the same work.
What if a quote only gives one price?
Ask for the included deliverables, assumptions, exclusions and payment stages in writing.
Can extra features affect the cost?
Yes. Ask for the effect on cost and timing before agreeing a change.
What should I bring to a software review?
Bring the quotes, your brief and the questions you cannot yet answer. Do not share other suppliers’ confidential material without permission.
Discuss your requirements
Tell us the main issue you want to solve, the process that takes the most work and what you would like to improve. We can discuss an appropriate scope and the cost of building it.