What Is the Timeframe for Developing an App?

Most of us are naturally gifted at coming up with excellent ideas – whether it’s a solution that solves a global problem or satisfies getting our favorite pizza delivered right to our doorstep (we all need that, ain’t we?). 

But as soon as the excitement kicks in, the very first question that strikes anyone’s mind right away is: “How much time does it take to build an app?” And fair enough! Time is money, and residing in a tech-savvy world, getting your idea to market can make all the difference. 

But there’s a catch – app development is not like your average microwave meal; it is more like a gourmet dish that requires your time and effort to get the best results. 

While some apps can be developed within two to four weeks, others may take months or even a year to develop – and neither you nor us can wait for that long, right? 

Well, wondering how to develop an app without losing your mind or your budget? This guide is your savior and covers essential details like the mobile app development timeline, explaining the phases and challenges, and how to speed up the process without losing interest. 

So, let’s get started!

Understanding App Development Timelines

Stepping into the domain of mobile app development feels like entering a maze without a map promising and full of possibilities, but tricky to guess how long it will take to get out of the maze. For people who always ask, “How long does it take to create an app?” then the real answer is, “it depends!” 

What determines the development time is a whole gamut of factors, from the complexity of features to the skills of your development team. 

Saying that, let’s unpack what goes into determining the timeline for app development and what’s the best way to approach it. 

Average Timelines by App Complexity

The duration of your app development timeline is highly dependent on the complexity of your app. Here’s what you need to know: 

• App of Low Complexity. Simple apps include small applications that feature minimal features, such as simple utilities or information applications. Usually, the time needed to develop this kind of app ranges from 2-4 months.
• Moderately Complex Apps: These apps contain functionalities like user authentication, real-time chat, or even payment integration. In general, these apps take around 4 to 6 months to develop.
• Highly Complex Apps: These apps include functionalities that are extensive, like complex backend systems, real-time features, or integrations with multiple third-party services. In general, such apps take more than 9 months to develop.

What Are The Phases Of App Development?

To fully understand “how to get your app developed,” you need to have a sound knowledge of the phases of app development. 

Now, what are these? Well, it’s basically the multi-layered layout of your app – where each layer acts as a cornerstone for the next.

From the blueprint to the final polish, each stage requires precision and planning. If you know what these phases entail and their approximate durations, you can set goals that are realistic and avoid any surprises on the way. 

Be it your first time learning how to create an app or leading a startup app development project, knowing these stages puts you on solid ground throughout the process.

• Ideation and Discovery

Timeframe: Approximately 2–4 weeks

This is the initial phase where your app idea takes shape. It’s like sketching the blueprint for your furniture before picking up the tools.

• Market Research: Analyzing the target audience, competitors, and market needs.
• Defining Objectives: Determining the purpose of the app, what it wants to achieve, and how to measure success.
• Feasibility Study: Evaluating technical requirements and potential problems.

The designer and developer believe this stage is vital for the alignment of business goals with user needs.

• Planning and Strategy

Duration: 2–3 weeks

Planning and strategy is that stage where you gather details like features and functionalities of the app and then strategize how you’re going to put them all in one single place. 

• Project Scope: Features, functionalities, and deliverables.
• Resource Allocation: Roles, responsibilities, and timelines.
• Technical Specifications: Technology stack and system architecture.

Seeking help with your mobile app developers in Miami can be super beneficial for you at this stage.

• Design Phase

Expected Duration: 2–4 weeks for simple apps; 4–8 weeks for medium to complex apps

You need your user to be glued to your app, right? This can only be done when you exquisitely get done with the design phase of your app. Get the perfect blend of aesthetics and functionalities, and you’re good to go! 

• Wireframing: Building skeletal frameworks of the app’s layout.
• UI/UX Design: Developing the visual elements and user experience flow.
• Prototyping: Building interactive models to test design concepts.

A well-executed design phase ensures a user-friendly and visually appealing app.

• Development Phase

Timeframe: 1–2 months for simple apps; 3–6 months for medium apps; 6+ months for complex apps

This is where the actual building happens – assembling your idea and desires to create an excellently functional product.

• Front-End Development: Coding the client-side elements users interact with.
• Back-End Development: Setting up servers, databases, and application logic.
• Integration: Connecting front-end and back-end components, along with third-party services.

Remember that the development timeline varies significantly based on the app’s complexity and feature set.

• Testing and QA

Duration: about 4-6 weeks

Testing your developed mobile app is vital to ensure that it’s super-free from bugs and errors and provides your users with an excellent experience. 

• Functional Testing: Checks that every functionality does the intended.
• Performance Testing: Ensures an application has loads and reacts really quickly; a reliable one in addition.
• Security Testing: Identification of vulnerability-prone areas of leakage and the entry point to an unauthorized third-party

• Deployment and Launch

Duration: 1-2 weeks

Once you are done testing your final product, it’s time to deploy and launch it in the best possible way to get it used.

• Submission to App Stores: Prepare and submit the app to Apple’s App Store, Google Play, and other stores.
• Approval: Wait for the app stores to review and approve it. This will take some time.
• Post-Launch Monitoring: Monitor the performance of your app and get feedback from users to improve it further.

Proper deployment ensures that the application reaches the users on time and performs as required. Can’t remember all the details? Well the table below will help you for that matter! 

Factors Affecting App Development Timelines

Developing an app can feel like assembling your furniture that too without having the proper instructions for it. This can be time-consuming, sometimes frustrating, and full of unexpected challenges. 

Knowing what affects the app development timeline can help set realistic expectations and ensure a smoother process. Let’s dive into these factors and explore what actually hinders your app development timelines. 

• App Complexity

As said earlier, the complexity of your app is going to be the main hero of your app development timeline.

• Simple Apps: These are what you call the “bare minimum apps” with basic functionality and minimal features. Development time is typically around 2 to 4 months.
• Moderately Complex Apps: Think of a bookshelf with multiple shelves and maybe a drawer or two. These apps have functionalities such as user authentication, real-time chat, or payment integration, which may take 4 to 6 months to develop.
• Highly Complex Apps: Think of these apps to be the main hub of the entertainment center with built-in lighting and even a mini-fridge. Such apps have complex functionalities, which may take over 9 months to develop.

• Feature Set

Every new feature in your app hinders its timeline, more time, more effort, and higher chances of bugs and errors. 

• Basic Features: User login, simple navigation, and basic content display.
• Advanced Features: In-app purchases, social media integration, real-time updates.
• Complex Features: Augmented reality, AI integration, complex animations.

• Design Requirements

A clean, user-friendly design is like the choice between a wooden stool and an ergonomically designed, cushioned chair with armrests it’s your call what you want to give to your users!  

• Basic Design: Simple graphics and basic animations.
• Medium Design: Custom graphics, standard animations.
• High Design: Original illustrations, sophisticated animations, customized transitions.

• Platform Choice

Choosing between iOS, Android, or both is the most daunting choice to make. No matter what you choose, it’s definitely going to have a direct impact on your app development timeline. 

• Monolithic Platform: Developing for either iOS or Android.
• Cross-Platform: Developing for both platforms at the same time, which can stretch out the timeline.

• Expertise of the Development Team

Having a seasoned mobile app developer in Miami is like hiring an expert carpenterthey’ll get the job done efficiently and with quality craftsmanship.

• Experienced Team: More likely to deliver faster and with better quality.
• Inexperienced Team: This will take longer to complete due to a learning curve.

• Third-Party Integrations

Third-party integrations are like decorating your cake with extra toppings useful and delicious but it takes a little extra time to get integrated perfectly. 

• Payment Gateways: Integrate services such as PayPal or Stripe.
• Social Media APIs: Allow users to log in using Facebook or Google.

• Testing and Quality Assurance

Not testing is like sitting on a new chair you just assembled without checking if you’ve tightened all the screws risky and potentially painful.

• Basic Testing: Ensuring the app runs without crashing.
• Comprehensive Testing: Includes usability testing, performance testing, and security assessments.

• Regulatory Compliance

Ensuring your app complies with legal standards is a crucial element that you don’t want to miss.  

• Data Protection Laws: Compliance with GDPR, CCPA.
• Industry-Specific Regulations: Such as HIPAA for healthcare apps.

• Project Management

Effective project management is the glue that holds the entire development process together, ensuring seamless execution and an excellent final product. 

• Agile Methodology: Allows for flexibility and iterative progress.
• Waterfall Methodology: Structured approach with defined stages.

Too Much knowledge to Absorb? Here’s a comprehensive table for you with all vital information in one place.

Strategies to Expedite App Development

Now that you know what exactly hinders your mobile app development timeline, it’s normal for you to wonder “if there are any strategies that can expedite the development of an app.”  

Fortunately, our experts have gathered tried-and-tested strategies that ensure that your hard work pays off! Saying that, let’s have a look at how you can improve your timeline for app development.

Adopt Agile Methodologies

• Cutting Time in Half: Agile might cut the development time by 25%.
• Agile methodologies: Tools like Scrum or Kanban encourage iterative development. Teams can deliver functional app components in short cycles, which means continuous feedback and rapid adjustments to keep the project on track.
• Scrum Framework: Organize work into sprints (usually 1–2 weeks) with daily stand-up meetings to maintain team alignment.
• Kanban Boards: Visualize workflows to identify bottlenecks and manage task progress effectively.

You can respond to changes quickly with Agile, reducing the overall app development timeline.

Develop an MVP

Instead of developing a feature-rich app from day one, design an MVP that comes in handy with the features that you think are critical for you. 

This will enable you to enter the market quickly, get user feedback, and iterate over the app to make it better based on real-world usage.

• Lean Methodology: Use the “build-measure-learn” loop to improve the product continually.
• User-Driven Development Focus on value-added features of the app by delaying less imperative functionalities for after-launch updates

MVP releases not only push the time to market but also ensure that your concept is validated and viable – that too with minimal cost. 

Leverage Lo-Fi Wireframing 

Low-fidelity wireframes are simple sketches that outline the app’s layout and functionality without getting into detailed design elements. They allow for fast iterations and approvals, ensuring the development team understands the structure of the app from the start.

• Rapid Prototyping: Quickly create and modify wireframes to explore different design concepts.
• Stakeholder Alignment: Use wireframes to elicit stakeholder input early in the process and thus minimize drastic changes at a later stage

This process allows for a smoother flow of design, enabling the developers to code sooner.

Use Pre-Built Solutions and Libraries

Why reinvent the wheel when you can use pre-built components? Leverage existing libraries, frameworks, and third-party services to speed up development by using tested and reliable functionalities that fit perfectly into your app.

• Open-Source Libraries: Use community-vetted code to add features such as authentication, payment processing, or social media integration.
• Third-Party APIs: Leverage APIs for services like maps, analytics, or push notifications that do not require building from the ground up.

This approach allows developers to spend more time on the differentiators of the application, thereby streamlining and avoiding errors.  

Implement CI/CD

Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) help to automate integration code changes and deploy applications in such a way that features and fixes reach users quickly and reliably.

• Automated Testing: Run tests automatically to catch problems at the earliest development stage. 
• Regular Deployments: Implement frequent updates so that new releases are subjected to user input and successive refinements occur.

CI/CD pipelines promote more efficient and accelerated development cycles with reduced time-to-market.

Assemble a Skilled and Cohesive Team

A well-coordinated team of experienced professionals can navigate challenges more effectively, making informed decisions that keep the project on schedule.

• Clear Communication: Maintain open lines of communication to ensure alignment and swift issue resolution.
• Defined Roles: Assign specific responsibilities to team members to prevent overlaps and enhance productivity.

Investing in a good team is essential to speed up the app development process without sacrificing quality.

Prioritize Features and Manage Scope

Defining and prioritizing features clearly ensures that the development team focuses on the most important aspects of the app first rather than trying to implement too many features at once, which may delay the project.

• Feature Prioritization: Use the MoSCoW method, which defines features as ‘Must have,’ ‘Should have,’ ‘Could have,’ and ‘Won’t have.’
• Scope Management: Review the project scope to fit the available timelines and resources.

Effective scope management prevents delays in projects and over-allocation of resources.

Get Your App Development Timeline Reduced By Tekrevol

Does your app seem to take forever to go from idea to life? Don’t worry – Tekrevol has your back. Our team doesn’t just “build apps“; we redefine how effectively they can be built! 

Whether it’s a problem with prioritizing features or issues of dealing with cross-platform development –  we have the right tools, the right experience, and the innovative edge to cut your app development time without sacrificing quality.

We know you have been Googling, “How long does it take to create an app?” for days. Well, stop the search and let Tekrevol give you a clear roadmap, cut unnecessary delays, and fast-track your dream app to launch! 

For us, it’s not just about working faster; it’s about working smarter.\