How much does it cost to launch a mobile app in 2026?
Minimum cash costs: $99/year for the Apple Developer Program, $25 one-time for the Google Play Developer account. Everything else — backend, subscriptions, analytics — has a real free tier for launch.
How to do it
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Apple Developer Program
$99/year. Non-optional for shipping to the App Store.
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Google Play Developer
$25 one-time. Non-optional for shipping to Play.
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Backend (Supabase or Firebase)
$0 to start. Supabase Pro at $25/mo when you exceed free tier. Firebase pay-as-you-go, usually pennies on small usage.
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RevenueCat
$0 up to $2,500/mo tracked revenue. 1% after that.
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Analytics (PostHog) + errors (Sentry)
$0 for both on generous free tiers. Sentry $26/mo when you exceed.
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Domain + email
~$12/year for a domain. $6/mo for a hosted email if you want a custom @yourapp.com.
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Optional: launch marketing
$0 if you use Product Hunt + Hacker News + your own network. Paid acquisition ranges wildly and should follow evidence of retention, not precede it.
Frequently asked
- Is the Apple $99 required even to test on real devices?
- You can test on your own device with a free account for 7-day certificates. To distribute (even via TestFlight to testers), the paid account is required.
- Does the Google $25 include Play Console?
- Yes, it is the account fee. No monthly cost.