The Complete Guide to Mobile App Development in France

In this blog, we will not only go over how much it is going to cost you to develop a mobile app in France but also the steps to take before, during and after you develop your application. We will also discuss the kinds of teams you can employ to get this all done in the most cost-effective way.

Let’s begin by understanding:

The Costs of Creating a Mobile App in France

The cost of mobile app development in France typically ranges from €10,000 to €300,000. However, several key factors influence the final cost, including app complexity, platform choice, design requirements, and development time.

Key Cost Factors

1. App Complexity

The complexity of your app significantly impacts the development cost:

Low Complexity (€9,000 – €16,500)

Apps for to-do lists, flashlights, notes, countdown timers, simple fitness trackers, and QR code scanners are a few examples.

Medium Complexity (€16,000 – €22,000)

Examples include applications for e-commerce, basic social media, on-demand booking, language learning, event management, fitness tracking, expense tracking, and basic ride-sharing.

High Complexity (€30,000+)

Examples: Video Streaming Apps, Stock Trading/Investment Apps, Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality Apps, AI-Powered Virtual Assistants, Comprehensive Healthcare Apps.

2. Platform Choice

Developing an app for a single platform (iOS or Android) is typically more cost-effective than building for both simultaneously. Cross-platform development can add €23,000 or more to the overall cost.

3. Design & User Interface

Investing in higher quality, user-friendly, design enhances the user experience but it also increases the development costs. In the French App Market there has been a push for more creative and visually appealing designs making this one of the more important aspects.

4. Development Time

Apps with low to medium complexity usually take three to nine months to develop.

High Complexity Apps: Depending on features and technical specifications, this process may take a year or more.

Businesses can more accurately project expenses and make plans for effective mobile app development in France by being aware of these elements.

The Costs for Maintaining Your Mobile App

Completing your mobile app is just the beginning—ongoing maintenance is essential to ensure smooth functionality, security, and user satisfaction. In the French market, app maintenance typically costs 15% to 20% of your initial development budget per year.

To estimate your maintenance costs, consider the following key factors:

(1) App Hosting Costs

• Simple/Low Complexity App: €20 to €100/month

• Mid-Complexity Apps: €100 to €500/month

• High Complexity/High Traffic Apps: €500 to €5,000+/month

(2) Bug Fixes & Updates

• Minor Bug Fixes: €500 to €2,000/per update

• Feature Updates: €2,000 to €10,000+/per update

(3) Security & Compliance

• Basic Security: €50 to €500/per year

• Advanced Security: €5,000 to €20,000/per year

(4) Third-Party API Fees

(If your app integrates payment gateways, maps, or analytics, you should expect some additional fees.)

• Google Maps API: €5 to €20/per 1,000 requests.

• Payment Gateways (Stripe, PayPal): 2.9% + €0.30/per transaction

• Authentication & Security: Auth0 – Free for up to 7,000 active users, then €18/per month per 1,000 users.

(5) Customer Support & Moderation

• Basic Support: €500 to €2,000/per month

• Live Chat/Phone Support: €3,000 to €10,000/per month

(6) App Store Fees

Apple App Store: €99/per year

Google Play Store: €25 (One-time fee)

(7) Marketing

• Basic Advertising: €500 to €2,000/per month

• Advanced Advertising: €5,000 to €50,000/per month

Total Estimated Maintenance Costs (Per Year)

• Low Complexity App: €3,000 to €10,000

• Mid Complexity App: €10,000 to €50,000

• High Complexity App: €50,000 to €500,000

Define Your App Idea – Conduct market research to validate your concept. 

Choose the Right Development Partner – A mobile app development company in France ensures seamless execution. 

Design & Prototyping – Create wireframes and UI/UX designs. 

Development & Coding – Developers bring your mobile app in France to life. 

Testing & Deployment – Quality assurance ensures a bug-free experience. 

Maintenance & Updates – Regular updates keep your app competitive.

Steps to Build a Mobile App in France

The costs are nothing without first understanding the steps you are going to need to take in order to create your app and how long each of those steps takes. Mobile app development in France takes time and a team effort to produce, don’t rush the process or you’ll create something lackluster and not worth the price paid.

Here are the steps, in order:

Planning and Research (1-4 weeks)

The Idea – Define the purpose of your application and the audience you are trying to reach.

Market Research – Analyze the competitors and trends within that industry.

Feature List – List the essential features and the features that you wish to include.

Monetization Strategy – Decide if your application will be free or behind a paywall, of course it can be both. Free to start and paid for later.

Technology Stack – what technology are you going to use in the creation of your application.

Design & Prototyping (3-6 Weeks)

Wireframing (Base) – The action of creating the outline/base for your website. You can do this yourself or you can hire a designer to do it for you.

User Interface (UI) Design – The process of creating visually appealing interfaces for your application.

User Experience (UX) Design – In this step the focus should be on the usability, site navigation, and inter design interactions.

Prototyping – Developing a puppet model in order to test the usability of the designs created during the UI and UX steps.

Development (8-24 weeks)

Frontend (Client-Side)

• Mobile Frameworks – The bones, specifically a software creation platform with built in tools and software compilers, debugging tools, and programming interfaces.

• UI Implementation – The process of putting your interface design into the code.

• State Management – Managing the data and ongoing status of your app.

Backend (Server-Side)

• Database – Where you store user data.

• APIs – Develop APIs for communication between frontend and backend.

• Authentication – Implement login/signup via email, phone number, or third-party (Google, Apple, Facebook).

• Cloud Services – Deciding where to have your hosting and storage.

• Push Notifications

Testing (3-6 weeks)

Unit Testing – Testing the individual components to ensure they work separately.

Integration Testing – Testing the individual components all together to ensure they work together.

Real World User Feedback – Getting feedback from real world users.

Performance Testing – Checking the speed, responsiveness, and scalability of the app you have created.

Security Testing – Testing for and identifying vulnerabilities in your code.

Device & OS Compatibility – Test on multiple devices, screen sizes, and operating system versions. Do not just test on the most up to date versions ensure you test weaker systems.

Deployment (1-2 weeks)

App Store Submission – Publish on the Apple App Store (requires the Apple Developer Program) and Google Play Store (requires Google Play Developer Console). These can be done independently depending if you have created a cross platform app or not, you will have already decided by this step.

App Store Optimization (ASO) – Optimize keywords, descriptions, and visuals for better visibility through searches and marketing.

Beta Testing – Use TestFlight (iOS) or Google Play Beta Testing before you do a public release.

Post-Launch Maintenance (Ongoing)

Bug Fixes & Updates – Ensure you are regularly fixing issues and improving your features.

User Feedback & Support – Ensure you are addressing user feedback and complaints, ignoring this feedback or not acknowledging it at all can lead to reduced users.

Analytics & Performance Tracking – Monitoring your user habits, new user base and the users that are leaving.

Marketing – Promoting your app through different channels to ensure you get a wide audience and you reach your target audience.

Scaling – Ensure you are adding new features, optimizing your backend, and handling growing user demand. Apps slow to update and scale are left behind by their user base.

Hiring the Right Team for Mobile App Development in France

Choosing between a freelance developer, in-house team, or a mobile app development company in France depends on your project scope and budget.

While freelancers are cost-effective, they may lack the resources to handle large projects. In contrast, an experienced mobile app development company in France provides end-to-end services, ensuring a high-quality product.

Let us break down the options here to understand them better:

(1) In-House Team

This is best for long Term Projects and ongoing company focused work.

The team consists of:

• Project Manager

• UI/UX Designer

• Mobile Developers (iOS, Android, or Cross-Platform.)

• Backend Developer

• QA Tester

Time to Gather: Months

Pros:

• Full control over development

• Faster communication & better team communication

• Easier maintenance & scaling

Cons:

• High upfront and ongoing team costs

• Time-consuming hiring process

(2) Outsourcing Company

This is best for businesses that want a simple experience.

The team consists of:

• A full team (Project Manager, multiple developers, designers, testers) provided by the agency.

Time to Gather: Immediate (pre-built and experienced team.)

Pros:

• An Experienced Team with an already established communication channel.

• Faster with a more predictable delivery schedule

• Outsourced oversight, meaning someone else is overseeing the team for you

• Often cheaper than an in-house team

Cons:

• Slightly more expensive than hiring individual freelancers

• Less direct control over development

• (Some) Time zone issues.

(3) Freelancers

This is best for small teams with a limited budget.

The team consists of:

• Individuals likely not in constant communication spread out all over the world.

Time to Gather: Days to Weeks

Pros:

• Lower costs then one full in-house team

• Access to specialized talent

• Flexible

Cons:

• Communication & time zone challenges

• Less accountability compared to an in-house team

• Managing multiple freelancers can be difficult

(4) Hybrid Team

This is best for companies with a need for flexibility or extra, short term, support.

The team consists of:

• An in-house team + freelancers or agency support.

Time to Gather: Varies, you may already have half of the team and bringing on an agency can be immediate, freelancers take more time.

Pros:

• Scales easily based on project needs (Outsourcing can give you more or less based on each project’s needs. Freelancers can be hired and let go with little hassle.)

• Cost effective compared to just one or the other.

Cons:

• Requires lots of oversight and strong leadership.

• Freelancers can have the same issues as stated above.

• Outsourcing can have the same issues as stated above.

(5) No-Code/Low-Code Platforms

This is best for Prototyping your product.

The team consists of:

• A single person. Most likely you.

Build Time: Days to Weeks

Pros:

• Coding included in the software

• Cheaper & faster than other options. You only pay for the software.

Cons:

• Very limited customization and little to no scalability

• Not designed for complex applications.

Looking for a reliable mobile app development company in France? 

At PSSPL, we offer end-to-end mobile app development solutions tailored to your business needs. Whether you’re a startup or an enterprise, our expert developers ensure your mobile app in France meets industry standards. 

Ready to build your mobile app? Contact PSSPL today for a free consultation!  

Conclusion

Mobile app development in France is a significant investment, with costs varying wildly based on its complexity, while a simple app can start as low as €10,000, complex apps with more advanced features can exceed €300,000.

Unfortunately, the costs don’t cease after the creation process has ended. The process of maintaining and providing consistent and high-quality updates is crucial but costly.

But given the steady growth of the French mobile app market now is the time to join in. Using the steps provided above, finding the right team and a careful budget you will be able to create a profitable and successful mobile app. 

Partnering with an experienced mobile app development company in France like PSSPL ensures a smooth and cost-effective development process.  

Take the first step toward a successful mobile app in France, contact PSSPL.