The short answer
Under £5,000 buys a real, launched app on both platforms, provided the scope is fixed to one job. It does not buy an open-ended project, a second round of features, or anything requiring compliance certification.
Most of the market will tell you this budget is not serious. That is true of the way most of the market works, and untrue of the way ours does.
What fits
Comfortably inside the budget
- A customer-facing app that does one jobOrdering, booking, browsing a catalogue, submitting something.
- An internal tool replacing a spreadsheetJob sheets, stock, timesheets, inspections.
- A membership or directory app
- A booking and reminder system
- A simple marketplace with one-sided payments
All of those come with accounts, push notifications, an admin dashboard, both platforms, store submission, and the source code in your name.
Starter App
Launch fast£3,999£2,999
For small and medium businesses ready to launch their first app.
- iOS & Android app
- User login & accounts
- Push notifications
- Admin dashboard
- 14 day delivery
Advanced App
Built to scale£6,999£5,999
For advanced apps with complex and heavier customer usage.
- All starter app features
- Complex app logic
- AI and blockchain features
- Security audits
- 14 day delivery
What does not fit
How to make a small budget work
Pick one job. Not "an app for the business". One thing, done properly, that a real person will use next month.
Use what already exists. Payments through Stripe, sign-in through Apple and Google, maps from a provider. Building any of those yourself is how a small budget disappears.
Defer everything you can defer. Loyalty schemes, referrals, multi-language, analytics dashboards. All of these are better decided after real users have shown you what they do.
Refuse hourly billing. At this budget you cannot absorb an overrun. Buy a fixed price or do not buy.
What to watch out for
- Templates sold as custom. Ask directly whether the app is built for you or reskinned from something else.
- No code ownership. Get it in writing. Plenty of suppliers retain ownership and licence it back.
- Unlimited revisions. This is either untrue or priced in. Ours are unlimited before code is written, which is when they cost nothing.
- Quotes with no deadline. A price without a date is not a price.
Common questions
Can you really build an app for under £5,000?
Yes, if the scope is fixed to one job. Our Starter sprint is £2,999 and produces a launched iOS and Android app with accounts, notifications, and an admin dashboard. What you cannot get for that is an open-ended project.
Is a cheap app a bad app?
A cheap open-ended project usually ends badly. A cheap bounded project does not. The variable that matters is whether the scope is fixed, not the headline price.
What should I avoid at this budget?
Anyone charging hourly with no cap, anyone promising unlimited revisions, and anyone who will not put code ownership in writing. At this budget you cannot absorb an overrun.