Author
The App14 team
Design and engineering, Appetite Studio
App14 is the 14-day app sprint run by Appetite Studio, a London-registered design and engineering studio. We design, build, and ship production iOS and Android apps in two weeks, at a published fixed price. Everything we write here comes out of work we have actually delivered: the prices are our real prices, the timelines are our real timelines, and the limits are the ones we genuinely hold to.
Our articles are drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by the App14 team before publication. The prices, timelines, delivery record, and client outcomes described are our own.
88 articles
- pagesUK App Development Cost Report 2026Published UK pricing for apps, MVPs, internal tools, AI features, timelines and maintenance, compiled from 20+ sources with the methodology stated in full.4 min read
- servicesAI features that earn their placeWe build AI features where they genuinely beat a database query, and tell you when they do not. What we build, what it costs to run, and when to skip it.1 min read
- servicesSupport after launchThirty days of support is included in every sprint. What that covers, what it does not, and the honest answer on long-term maintenance.1 min read
- costWhat AI features cost to build in the UKPublished UK pricing for AI features and chatbots, the running costs nobody quotes, and how to tell whether your project needs AI at all.1 min read
- costWhat an app costs after launchPublished UK maintenance figures, why year one runs higher than year two, and the running costs that never appear in a build quote.1 min read
- costWhat an internal business tool costsPublished UK pricing for staff portals, admin dashboards and custom CRMs, plus the hours-saved calculation that decides whether it is worth building.1 min read
- locationsApp development in ManchesterManchester has a £5bn tech sector and a developer shortage to match. What that does to your quote, and what a fixed-price sprint costs instead.2 min read
- locationsWorking with us from anywhereWe are a remote studio. What that means in practice for a fourteen-day build, how much of your time it needs, and when being in a room together matters.1 min read
- locationsApp development in LondonLondon agencies charge 20 to 30% above national rates. What you are paying the premium for, when it is worth it, and what a fixed-price sprint costs.2 min read
- locationsApp development in BirminghamBirmingham has more businesses than any other regional UK city. What software costs here, and why manufacturers and professional firms make up most enquiries.1 min read
- locationsApp development in the UKWhat it costs to build an app in the UK, how we work with clients across the country, and why we charge the same wherever you are based.2 min read
- guidesBuilding apps that work without signalWhy offline capability is a design decision rather than a feature, what it costs, and the questions to ask any supplier building for field teams.1 min read
- guidesHow to write an app brief that gets you a real quoteThe seven things every developer needs to quote accurately, the things you can safely leave out, and why most briefs produce useless quote ranges.2 min read
- locationsApp development in LeedsWhat app development costs in Leeds, which sectors are driving demand, and how a fixed-price sprint compares to local agency day rates.2 min read
- guidesTwelve questions to ask before you sign anythingThe questions that reveal how a supplier actually works, what the answers should sound like, and the three red flags worth walking away from.2 min read
- guidesConnecting a new app to systems you already runThe three kinds of integration, how to find out which one you are facing before you commit, and why the answer is often a nightly export.1 min read
- faqCan an app really be built in two weeks?Yes, with a specific meaning of 'app'. What two weeks genuinely buys, what it cannot, and the three things that decide whether a sprint finishes on time.1 min read
- guidesScoping an MVP: what to cut and what to keepA practical method for reducing a feature list to something buildable, including the four questions that kill most features and what never to cut.2 min read
- problemsCutting the calls your customers shouldn't need to makeMost inbound calls are a status question that the customer could answer themselves. How to count what they cost and remove the need for them.1 min read
- problemsWhen buying software costs more than building itHow to audit what you actually spend on software subscriptions, the point where per-seat pricing turns against you, and what to do about it.1 min read
- problemsTaking over a half-finished appHow to assess what you actually have, the five questions that decide rescue or rebuild, and why rebuilding is more often the right answer than people expect.1 min read
- faqWho owns the code when you pay someone to build an app?You should own it outright, but UK law says otherwise by default. What to check in your contract, and the question to ask every supplier.1 min read
- guidesGDPR for apps: what you actually have to doThe seven obligations that apply to almost every UK app, what a DPIA is and when you need one, and the mistakes that cause most problems.1 min read
- problemsLosing money to paper job sheetsWhat paper job sheets actually cost a trades business each year, the four places money leaks, and how to replace them without losing the team.1 min read
- problemsWhy your team won't use the software you boughtSoftware adoption fails for one reason far more than any other. How to diagnose it, and what to do about a tool your team has already rejected.1 min read
- problemsThe real cost of delivery platform commissionWork out what delivery platforms actually cost your restaurant each month, and at what order volume your own app starts paying for itself.1 min read
- problemsGetting direct bookings back from the platformsWhat travel platform commission costs across a year, which guests are worth moving direct, and the tactics that actually shift the mix.1 min read
- problemsThe quote came back at £40,000. Now what?Why agency quotes land where they do, the five real options when the number is out of reach, and how to tell which one fits your project.1 min read
- problemsThe arithmetic of no-shows, and how to fix itWork out what no-shows cost your practice each year, then the four interventions that actually move the number, ranked by how well they work.1 min read
- problemsYour developer has gone quiet. Here's what to doPractical steps to take today if your developer has stopped replying: secure your accounts, establish what you own, and work out your real options.2 min read
- problemsWhen spreadsheets stop workingThe five signs a spreadsheet has become a liability, how to cost the hours it is quietly eating, and what to replace it with.1 min read
- problemsHow to stop double bookings for goodDouble bookings are almost always a systems problem rather than a people problem. The four causes, and what actually fixes each one.1 min read
- problemsWhat manual admin is actually costing youA simple method for putting a number on repetitive admin, plus the three tasks worth automating first and the one you should leave alone.1 min read
- comparisonsNative or cross-platform: how to chooseWhat the choice actually costs you, the three cases where native genuinely wins, and why it matters far less than most people are told.1 min read
- comparisonsShopify or a custom app for retailAn honest comparison for independent retailers, including the cases where Shopify wins outright and the point where fees make a build cheaper.1 min read
- comparisonsShip the MVP or build it all?The three situations where building the full product first is genuinely right, and why in every other case the smaller version teaches you more for less.1 min read
- comparisonsNo-code or custom code: where the line isWhat no-code platforms genuinely do well, the five ceilings people hit, and how to tell in advance which side of the line your project sits on.1 min read
- problemsYou paid for it. Do you own it?What UK law says by default, how to check your position, and the practical steps when a developer will not release the code you paid for.1 min read
- comparisonsAgency or freelancer: an honest comparisonCost, risk, speed and what happens when things go wrong. A straight comparison of hiring an agency, a freelancer, or buying a fixed-price sprint.2 min read
- industriesApps for retail and e-commerceA direct sales channel you own, without marketplace fees or per-seat platform costs. What it costs, what it replaces, and when Shopify is the better answer.1 min read
- comparisonsBuy it or build it: how to decideA three-year cost comparison, the four questions that settle it, and the cases where we tell people to buy software instead of hiring us.1 min read
- comparisonsCan an AI builder ship your app?What AI app builders genuinely do well in 2026, where they stop, and how to tell whether your project is on the right side of that line.2 min read
- industriesSoftware for professional servicesClient portals and onboarding for accountancy, legal, surveying and consultancy firms. Security, regulator questions, and what a sprint can realistically do.1 min read
- industriesApps for hotels and hospitalityBooking platforms take 15 to 25% of every stay. What a direct booking app costs, what it saves, and why guests download some apps and not others.1 min read
- industriesApps for restaurants and takeawaysDelivery platforms take 25 to 35% of every order. Here is what your own ordering app costs, what it saves, and when it genuinely pays for itself.2 min read
- industriesApps for UK manufacturersShop floor data capture, quality checks and production visibility. Why a pilot on one line beats an ERP replacement, and what a sprint cannot do.2 min read
- industriesApps for public sector and civic projectsCivic and public sector software built for residents rather than institutions. What our price means for procurement, and where our limits are.1 min read
- servicesApps for small UK businessesCustom apps for businesses that were told custom software was out of reach. What it costs, what it replaces, and how to tell if it will pay for itself.1 min read
- industriesApps for schools and training providersParent communication, attendance and course delivery for schools, tutors and training providers. Safeguarding, children's data, and budget timing.1 min read
- industriesApps for clinics and private practiceBooking, reminders and patient portals for private clinics and practices. What we build, what we refuse to build, and how the data is handled.2 min read
- industriesApps for construction and tradesJob sheets, site photos, certificates and timesheets, in an app your team will actually use on site. Built for no signal, gloves, and old phones.1 min read
- industriesApps for logistics and transportTracking, proof of delivery, and job allocation for hauliers, couriers and transport operators. What fits a sprint, and what genuinely needs months.1 min read
- servicesFixed price app developmentOne published price, one fixed deadline, and the overrun risk sits with us rather than you. How fixed pricing works and where its limits are.1 min read
- industriesApps for charities and non-profitsSoftware for charities, community groups and non-profits. What a grant-sized budget buys, what funders ask about, and when an app is the wrong answer.3 min read
- servicesMVP development in 14 daysWe design, build and launch a working MVP in fourteen days at a fixed price. What that includes, what it leaves out, and when you need more than a sprint.2 min read
- servicesCustom software developmentBespoke software built around how your business actually works, at a published fixed price in fourteen days. When custom is right and when it isn't.1 min read
- servicesInternal business toolsCustom internal software to replace the spreadsheet holding your operation together. Built around how your business actually works, in fourteen days.1 min read
- servicesBooking and scheduling systemsCustom booking, scheduling and reminder systems for clinics, salons, venues and services. Built around your rules rather than a plugin's assumptions.1 min read
- servicesDelivery and tracking appsDriver apps, proof of delivery and customer tracking for couriers and hauliers. Built for no signal and long shifts, with honest limits on real-time.1 min read
- servicesMobile app developmentNative iOS and Android apps designed, built and submitted to both stores in fourteen days, at a published fixed price. What's included and what isn't.1 min read
- servicesBusiness process automationRemoving the repetitive work between your systems. What is worth automating, what is not, and how to work out the return before you commit.1 min read
- servicesCustomer and client portalsA secure place for clients to see status, exchange documents and self-serve, instead of emailing you. What to build and what makes portals fail.1 min read
- servicesRescuing a stalled app projectYour developer has gone quiet or the agency overran. How we assess what exists, what is worth keeping, and what it costs to finish it properly.1 min read
- costWhat a restaurant app costs, and what it savesThe build cost, the commission it removes, and the payback arithmetic on your own order volume. Plus what a restaurant app should not try to do.1 min read
- costWhy app development costs what it does, and why ours doesn'tWhere a £30,000 quote actually goes, why so little of it is writing code, and what changes when you fix the scope and the deadline first.2 min read
- costCustom software cost in the UKWhat bespoke software costs in the UK, how to compare it against SaaS over three years, and the four variables that actually move the number.1 min read
- costE-commerce app costs in the UKWhat a retail app costs against Shopify and marketplace fees, the three-year comparison, and when platform fees make a build the cheaper option.1 min read
- costHow much does it cost to build an app?A straight answer with real numbers, the four things that actually change the price, and how to tell which bracket your project falls into.1 min read
- costThe costs nobody quotes you forStore fees, hosting, third-party credits, maintenance and the cost of your own time. What to budget beyond the build price, whoever you hire.1 min read
- costWhat an MVP really costs in the UKUK agencies quote £20,000 to £60,000 for an MVP. Here is where that number comes from, what you can get for a tenth of it, and how to tell the difference.1 min read
- costApp costs for charities and community groupsWhat software costs a small charity, how it fits inside a typical grant, what funders ask about sustainability, and when not to spend the money.1 min read
- costAffordable app development in the UK without cutting cornersHow to spend less without buying something that fails, the four things never worth cheapening, and the warning signs of a price that is too good.1 min read
- pagesWhat's included in every sprintA complete list of what you get for the price, what you pay for separately, and what stays yours afterwards. No asterisks.1 min read
- costWhat you actually get for under £5,000A realistic account of what a sub-£5,000 budget buys in 2026, what it does not, and how to tell whether your project fits inside it.2 min read
- pagesApp development cost in the UK: the honest 2026 guideWhat UK agencies, freelancers and offshore teams actually charge in 2026, what we charge, and how to work out which number applies to your project.3 min read
- pagesApp development pricingTwo packages, two prices, both published. What each one includes, what it does not, and why our price sits so far below the UK agency average.2 min read
- pagesTerms of serviceThe terms that apply when you book a sprint with App14: what we agree to deliver, what you agree to provide, payment, ownership, and cancellation.3 min read
- case-studiesFast Flyer Transport: launched in 10 daysA transport operator's app shipped four days inside the sprint window. What made it possible, and why we still quote fourteen days rather than ten.1 min read
- pagesSecurity, data, and code ownershipWhere your data lives, who can reach it, how we handle GDPR, and what you own. Written for people who have to answer these questions to someone else.1 min read
- case-studiesBuilding PTC Cargo's logistics softwareA cargo operator needed software that matched how the business actually worked. What we built, and how we got from a vague brief to a working product.1 min read
- case-studiesHow Anfal Herbals covered an app's cost in one weekA herbal retail business launched its own app and, in the director's words, covered the whole cost within a week. What we built and what we cut.2 min read
- pagesAbout App14App14 is the 14-day app sprint from Appetite Studio. Who we are, how we got here, and why we sell software the way we do.2 min read
- pagesOur guaranteeA full refund any time before we start work, a fixed price that does not move, and code you own from day one. What each promise actually means.2 min read
- pagesFrequently asked questionsEverything people ask before booking a sprint: timelines, price, ownership, refunds, what we build, what we refuse, and what happens after launch.1 min read
- pagesHow a 14-day sprint actually worksThe full fourteen days, from kick-off to store submission. What happens each day, what gets cut, what we need from you, and what usually goes wrong.2 min read
- case-studiesEnte Ward: civic technology at ward levelA civic app that lets residents raise issues at ward level, and what a sitting minister said about it. What public sector work teaches about scope.1 min read
- pagesWho we work with, and who we don'tWe turn down gambling, adult content, predatory lending and more, whatever the budget. Here is the full list, and the practical limits on what we build.1 min read
- case-studiesBuilding for a community movementWhat a membership organisation gets from a 14-day sprint, why the price matters more here than anywhere else, and where an app is the wrong answer.2 min read
Not sure where to start?
Tell us what you're trying to build. We'll tell you honestly whether a 14-day sprint fits, and what it would cost.
Free. No commitment. Just a conversation.