{"id":23784,"date":"2026-10-28T07:26:51","date_gmt":"2026-10-28T07:26:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dianapps.com\/blog\/?p=23784"},"modified":"2026-10-28T07:27:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T07:27:18","slug":"how-hard-is-it-to-make-an-app-an-honest-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dianapps.com\/blog\/how-hard-is-it-to-make-an-app-an-honest-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"How Hard Is It to Make an App? An Honest Guide for 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>Key Takeaways<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Making an app is not as hard as most people are thinking, but the difficulty is really depending on the type of app, its features and who is building it.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Simple apps with a few screens are taking a few weeks, while apps with payments, real-time features and large user bases are needing months of planning and development.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Planning, design, backend development, testing and app store approval are the stages where most founders\/business owners are finding things harder than expected.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cross-platform frameworks like Flutter and React Native are making it easier to build one app for both iOS and Android, saving a lot of time and cost.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Starting with an MVP and working with an experienced app development team is the easiest way to make the whole process hassle-free from beginning until completion.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Quick Answer<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: If you are wondering how hard is it to make an app, the honest answer is that it depends on what you are building and who is building it, as a simple app with a few screens can be made in a few weeks, while an app with payments, user accounts, chat or real-time tracking is needing several months of planning, design, development and testing. For someone without coding experience, building a full app alone is really difficult, but with a clear idea, a focused MVP and the right app development partner, the process is becoming much easier, faster and less risky.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember the first time you tried assembling a piece of furniture at home, with a hundred screws, a confusing manual and that one step where nothing was fitting, and you were wondering why something that looked so simple in the picture was taking the whole afternoon? Building an app is feeling quite similar for a lot of founders\/business owners, as the idea is looking simple on paper, but once the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dianapps.com\/mobile-app-development\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mobile app development<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> process is starting, there are designs, screens, servers, payments, testing and app store rules to think about, and it is really easy to feel lost.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is the reason why so many people are searching how hard is it to make an app before they even share their idea with anyone, as nobody wants to spend months and a big budget on something that is never going to launch. So, is it hard to make an app in 2026? Well, the honest answer is that it depends on a few things, so let\u2019s break it down.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is It Hard to Make an App?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Making an app is not as hard as it used to be a few years ago, as today there are better tools, ready-made frameworks, cloud services and experienced development teams that are making the process much faster and smoother than before. At the same time, it is also not as easy as some ads are making it look, because a real app that people are using every day is needing proper planning, good design, a secure backend, careful testing and regular updates even after it is launched.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The difficulty is really depending on three things, which are the type of app you are building, the number of features you want in the first version, and whether you are building it yourself or working with an experienced team. This is why the question of how hard to make an app is having a different answer for each and every person, as a simple to-do list app and a full food delivery platform are two completely different journeys, and the reasons are not hard to see.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What Makes App Development Feel So Difficult?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before understanding how to make the process easier, it is important to look at why so many people are finding app development harder than they expected, as most of these difficulties are coming up again and again in almost every project.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most founders are facing the same set of challenges when they are trying to build their first app, resulting in:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not knowing where to start.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Too many features planned for the first version.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choosing between iOS, Android or both.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Building the backend, database and servers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Connecting payments, maps and third-party tools.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Testing on many different devices and screen sizes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting approved on the App Store and Google Play.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Managing updates and bugs after launch.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Challenges like these don\u2019t just slow down the project, they also affect the budget and the brand perception, as an app that is launching late, crashing often or confusing new users is giving a poor impression before the business has even started growing. This is why understanding how hard is making an app at each stage is extremely crucial, so let\u2019s take a look at how the difficulty is changing with the type of app you are building.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How Hard Is Making an App Based on Its Type?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not every app is needing the same amount of effort, and the easiest way to understand how hard to create an app is by looking at the type of app and the features it is including, as more features are always meaning more time, more testing and a bigger budget.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-491\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-491\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">App Type<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Difficulty<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Examples<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Simple App<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Easy<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Calculator, notes, to-do list<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Content App<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Moderate<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Blogs, news, recipe apps<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Business App<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Moderate<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Booking, appointments, loyalty<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">eCommerce App<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Hard<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Online store with payments<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Social or Chat App<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Hard<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Messaging, communities, feeds<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">On-Demand App<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Very Hard<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Food delivery, cab booking<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Games and AR Apps<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Very Hard<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">3D games, AR experiences<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-491 from cache -->\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The table makes it clear that apps with user accounts, payments, real-time updates and multiple user types, like customers, drivers and admins, are much harder to build than simple apps with a few screens, and this is also where most of the cost and time is going. And that is not all, as the difficulty is also changing at each stage of the process, so let\u2019s break it down stage by stage.<\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"background: #EEF2FE; border: 1px solid #DBE2FB; border-radius: 14px; padding: 28px 32px; margin: 38px 0;\">\n<h3 style=\"color: #1b3fae; font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.3; font-weight: bold; margin: 0 0 10px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Wondering How Hard It Will Be to Build Your App?<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"color: #4b5563; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0 0 22px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Share your app idea with our experts, and we will help you understand the features, platforms, timeline and budget needed to bring it to life without the guesswork.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a style=\"display: inline-block; background: #2563EB; color: #ffffff; text-decoration: none; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 600; padding: 13px 26px; border-radius: 8px;\" href=\"https:\/\/dianapps.com\/contact\">Discuss Your App Idea<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How Hard Is Each Stage of Making an App?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Making an app is not one big task, it is a series of smaller stages that are building on each other, and each one is coming with its own level of difficulty, such as:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Planning and research.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Design and user experience.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Frontend and backend development.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Testing and app store launch.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Updates and maintenance after launch.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each of these stages is needing a different set of skills, which is why building a complete app alone is really hard for one person, while a team with designers, developers and testers is able to move through it much faster.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Planning and Research<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Planning is the stage that most people are rushing through, but it is really the one that is deciding how smooth or difficult the rest of the project is going to be, as this is where you are defining the problem your app is solving, who your users are, and which features are truly needed in the first version. Skipping this stage is often leading to changing requirements halfway through development, which is one of the biggest reasons why apps are going over budget and missing their launch dates.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is also where you are researching your competitors, reading their user reviews and finding the gaps that your app can fill, and while this stage is not technically hard, it is needing patience and honest thinking about what users actually want rather than what you are assuming they want.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Design and User Experience<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Design is not just about making the app look good, it is about making each and every screen simple, clear and easy to use, so that users are able to finish what they came to do without getting confused or frustrated. This stage is harder than it looks, as designers are creating wireframes, user flows and final screens, and then testing them with real people to make sure the journey from opening the app to completing a task is completely hassle-free.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A thoughtful<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/dianapps.com\/ui-ux-design\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UI\/UX design<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is also helping reduce development time later, as developers are building from clear screens and flows instead of guessing how things should work, which is saving a lot of back and forth during the project.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Frontend and Backend Development<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Development is usually the hardest and longest stage, as this is where the frontend, which is everything users are seeing and tapping on, and the backend, which is the servers, databases and logic working behind the scenes, are being built and connected together. Simple apps are often needing only a light backend, but apps with user accounts, payments, chat, notifications, maps or real-time tracking are needing a strong and secure backend that is able to handle many users at the same time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is also the stage where third-party integrations like payment gateways, maps, social logins and analytics tools are being added, and while each one is saving time compared to building from scratch, connecting them properly and keeping them secure is needing experienced developers who have done it many times before.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Testing and App Store Launch<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Testing is a stage that just cannot be skipped, as each and every button, screen and payment flow needs to be checked on different phones, screen sizes and operating system versions, because one crash during sign-up or checkout is enough to lose a user forever. This is often taking more time than people are expecting, especially for apps that are launching on both iOS and Android at the same time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once the app is ready, it is being submitted to the App Store and Google Play, where it needs to follow their guidelines on privacy, payments, content and design, and apps that are not following these rules are getting rejected and sent back for changes. Our<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/dianapps.com\/ios-app-development\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">iOS app development<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/dianapps.com\/android-app-development\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Android app development<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> teams are following these guidelines from the start, which is making the approval process much smoother.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Updates and Maintenance After Launch<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A lot of people are thinking that the hard part is over once the app is live, but the reality is quite different, as apps are needing regular updates to fix bugs, support new phone models and operating system versions, improve performance and add the features users are asking for. This also is helping keep users happy and coming back, as an app that is not being updated is slowly getting bad reviews, losing its ranking on the stores and eventually being forgotten.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is why maintenance should be part of your plan and budget from day one, as it is really the stage that is deciding whether your app is growing over the years or slowly fading away after the first few months.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Native vs Cross-Platform: Which Is Easier?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the first decisions that is affecting how hard to make an app is whether you are building separate native apps for iOS and Android, or one cross-platform app that is running on both, so it is helpful to compare them side by side.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-493\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-493\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Feature<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Native Apps<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Cross-Platform Apps<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Codebase<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Separate for iOS and Android<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">One shared codebase<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Development Time<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Longer<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Shorter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Cost<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Higher<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Lower<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Performance<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Best<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Very close to native<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Maintenance<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Two apps to update<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">One app to update<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Best For<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Heavy games, complex features<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Most business and consumer apps<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-493 from cache -->\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The table makes it clear that cross-platform development is making things much easier for most apps, and frameworks like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dianapps.com\/flutter-app-development\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Flutter<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dianapps.com\/react-native-app-development\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">React Native<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are helping businesses launch on both platforms faster, while native development is still the better choice for apps that are needing the highest performance or deep device features.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Building It Yourself vs Hiring an App Development Company<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another big factor in how hard is it to make an app is who is actually building it, as doing it yourself, using a no-code builder and hiring a professional team are all coming with very different levels of effort and risk.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-492\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-492\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Feature<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Building Yourself<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">No-Code Builder<\/th><th class=\"column-4\">App Development Company<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Skills Needed<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Coding, design, testing<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Basic tech skills<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">None from your side<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Time to Launch<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Very long<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Short<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Moderate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Custom Features<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Limited by your skills<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Very limited<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Fully custom<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Scalability<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Depends on experience<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Low<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">High<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Upfront Cost<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Low<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Low<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Higher<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Best For<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Heavy games, complex features<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Most business and consumer apps<\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-492 from cache -->\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Building an app yourself is a great learning experience, but for a business app it is often taking much longer than expected, while no-code builders are good for testing very simple ideas, but this is not suitable nor suggested for apps that are needing custom features, secure payments or a large number of users. This is why most founders are choosing to work with an experienced team, as it is removing most of the technical difficulty from their side and letting them focus on the business.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How Long Does It Take to Make an App?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Time is one of the clearest ways to understand how hard to create an app, as more complex apps are always needing more weeks of design, development and testing, and here is a rough idea of what to expect.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-494\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-494\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Feature<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Native Apps<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Cross-Platform Apps<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Codebase<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Separate for iOS and Android<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">One shared codebase<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Development Time<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Longer<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Shorter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Cost<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Higher<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Lower<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Performance<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Best<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Very close to native<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Maintenance<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Two apps to update<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">One app to update<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Best For<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Heavy games, complex features<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Most business and consumer apps<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-494 from cache -->\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These timelines are definitely changing based on the number of features, the platforms you are launching on and how quickly decisions are being made during the project, as delays in approvals and changing requirements are often adding more time than the development itself.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How Much Does It Cost to Make an App?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cost is closely connected to difficulty, as harder apps are needing more people, more time and more testing, and while every project is different, here are some indicative ranges based on typical market pricing to help you plan your budget.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-495\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-495\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">App Type<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Indicative Cost (USD)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Simple App or MVP<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">$15,000 to $40,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Medium Complexity App<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">$40,000 to $120,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Complex App or Marketplace<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">$120,000 to $300,000+<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Yearly Maintenance<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">15% to 20% of build cost<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-495 from cache -->\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The good news is that you are not needing to build everything at once, as starting with a smaller first version is helping you launch faster, spend less upfront and grow the app step by step based on what your users are really asking for.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Skills You Need to Build an App Yourself<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are planning to build the app on your own, it is important to know that one person is needing quite a wide set of skills to take an app from an idea to the app store, including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Programming languages like Swift, Kotlin or Dart.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UI\/UX design basics.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Backend and database knowledge.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">API and third-party integrations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">App security and data privacy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Testing and debugging.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">App store publishing rules.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is why so many people are finding it hard to make an app alone, as learning all of these skills is taking months or even years, and this is exactly where working with an experienced team is stepping in to save time, money and a lot of stress.<\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"background: #EEF2FE; border: 1px solid #DBE2FB; border-radius: 14px; padding: 28px 32px; margin: 38px 0;\">\n<h3 style=\"color: #1b3fae; font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.3; font-weight: bold; margin: 0 0 10px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Don\u2019t Want to Learn Everything Just to Launch Your App?<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"color: #4b5563; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0 0 22px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our app designers, developers and testers are taking care of the complete process for you, from planning and design to development, testing and app store launch.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a style=\"display: inline-block; background: #2563EB; color: #ffffff; text-decoration: none; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 600; padding: 13px 26px; border-radius: 8px;\" href=\"https:\/\/dianapps.com\/contact\">Talk to Our App Experts<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to Make App Development Easier<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The good news is that app development does not have to be complicated or stressful, as long as you are following a few simple practices that are removing most of the common difficulties, such as:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Starting with one clear problem.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Launching an MVP before the full app.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keeping the first version simple.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choosing cross-platform when possible.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Investing in good design early.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Working with an experienced team.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Planning updates from day one.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Starting small is really the biggest one here, as our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dianapps.com\/mvp-development-services\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MVP development services<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are helping founders launch a focused first version quickly, learn from real users and then add more features only when they are actually needed, which is making the whole journey far less risky.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Common Mistakes That Make App Development Harder<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even with a great idea, many founders are making a few avoidable mistakes that are making the process much harder, longer and more expensive than it needs to be, such as:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Skipping the planning stage.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adding new features in the middle of development.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choosing the cheapest developer available.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ignoring testing on real devices.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not reading app store guidelines.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Forgetting the budget for maintenance.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each of these mistakes is easy to avoid with a little planning, and getting these basics right is really the difference between an app that is launching on time and one that is stuck in development for months.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Final Thoughts<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, how hard is it to make an app in 2026? Well, it is definitely not as hard as it was a few years ago, as better tools, cross-platform frameworks and experienced development teams are making it possible for founders, startups and small businesses to launch apps that are reaching thousands of users. At the same time, it is still needing proper planning, good design, a secure backend, careful testing and regular updates, and the apps that are succeeding are the ones that are giving each of these stages the attention it really deserves.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether you are building a simple business app or a complex on-demand platform, understanding how hard is making an app at each stage is going to help you make smarter decisions, plan a realistic budget and avoid the most common mistakes along the way. And if you need a helping hand, we\u2019ve got you covered, as our team is always here to guide you from beginning until completion.<\/span><\/p>\n<style>.elementor-23811 .elementor-element.elementor-element-2932a52{text-align:left;}.elementor-23811 .elementor-element.elementor-element-2932a52 > .elementor-widget-container{margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;}.elementor-23811 .elementor-element.elementor-element-0b767d1 .elementor-tab-title{border-width:1px;border-color:#00000014;}.elementor-23811 .elementor-element.elementor-element-0b767d1 .elementor-tab-content{border-width:1px;border-bottom-color:#00000014;}.elementor-23811 .elementor-element.elementor-element-0b767d1 > .elementor-widget-container{margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;}<\/style><div class=\"porto-block elementor elementor-23811\">\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-27707ca elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"27707ca\" data-element_type=\"section\">\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-0163611\" data-id=\"0163611\" data-element_type=\"column\">\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-03a2969 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"03a2969\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.14.0 - 26-06-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2932a52 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2932a52\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.14.0 - 26-06-2023 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-large\">FAQs <\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0b767d1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-toggle\" data-id=\"0b767d1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"toggle.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.14.0 - 26-06-2023 *\/\n.elementor-toggle{text-align:left}.elementor-toggle .elementor-tab-title{font-weight:700;line-height:1;margin:0;padding:15px;border-bottom:1px solid #d5d8dc;cursor:pointer;outline:none}.elementor-toggle .elementor-tab-title .elementor-toggle-icon{display:inline-block;width:1em}.elementor-toggle .elementor-tab-title .elementor-toggle-icon svg{-webkit-margin-start:-5px;margin-inline-start:-5px;width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-toggle .elementor-tab-title .elementor-toggle-icon.elementor-toggle-icon-right{float:right;text-align:right}.elementor-toggle .elementor-tab-title .elementor-toggle-icon.elementor-toggle-icon-left{float:left;text-align:left}.elementor-toggle .elementor-tab-title .elementor-toggle-icon .elementor-toggle-icon-closed{display:block}.elementor-toggle .elementor-tab-title .elementor-toggle-icon .elementor-toggle-icon-opened{display:none}.elementor-toggle .elementor-tab-title.elementor-active{border-bottom:none}.elementor-toggle .elementor-tab-title.elementor-active .elementor-toggle-icon-closed{display:none}.elementor-toggle .elementor-tab-title.elementor-active .elementor-toggle-icon-opened{display:block}.elementor-toggle .elementor-tab-content{padding:15px;border-bottom:1px solid #d5d8dc;display:none}@media (max-width:767px){.elementor-toggle .elementor-tab-title{padding:12px}.elementor-toggle .elementor-tab-content{padding:12px 10px}}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-toggle,.e-con>.elementor-widget-toggle{width:var(--container-widget-width);--flex-grow:var(--container-widget-flex-grow)}<\/style>\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toggle\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toggle-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 id=\"elementor-tab-title-1201\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"1\" role=\"button\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1201\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon elementor-toggle-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-caret-right\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened\"><i class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened fas fa-caret-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-toggle-title\" tabindex=\"0\">How hard is it to make an app with no coding experience?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1201\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"1\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-1201\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Making an app with no coding experience is really difficult alone, but working with an app development company is making it much easier.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toggle-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 id=\"elementor-tab-title-1202\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"2\" role=\"button\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1202\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon elementor-toggle-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-caret-right\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened\"><i class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened fas fa-caret-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-toggle-title\" tabindex=\"0\">Is it hard to make an app for both iOS and Android?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1202\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"2\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-1202\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is not very hard anymore, as cross-platform frameworks like Flutter and React Native are letting one codebase run on both platforms.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toggle-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 id=\"elementor-tab-title-1203\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"3\" role=\"button\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1203\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon elementor-toggle-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-caret-right\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened\"><i class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened fas fa-caret-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-toggle-title\" tabindex=\"0\">How hard to make an app like Uber or Swiggy?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1203\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"3\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-1203\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Apps like these are very hard to build, as they are needing real-time tracking, payments, multiple user apps and a strong backend.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toggle-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 id=\"elementor-tab-title-1204\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"4\" role=\"button\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1204\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon elementor-toggle-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-caret-right\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened\"><i class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened fas fa-caret-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-toggle-title\" tabindex=\"0\">How hard to create an app for a small business?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1204\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"4\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-1204\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Creating a small business app is usually moderate in difficulty, as booking, loyalty or catalogue apps are needing only a few core features.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toggle-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 id=\"elementor-tab-title-1205\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"5\" role=\"button\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1205\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon elementor-toggle-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-caret-right\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened\"><i class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened fas fa-caret-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-toggle-title\" tabindex=\"0\">How hard is making an app compared to making a website?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1205\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"5\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-1205\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Making an app is usually harder than a website, as it is needing device testing, app store approval and separate updates for each platform.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toggle-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 id=\"elementor-tab-title-1206\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"6\" role=\"button\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1206\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon elementor-toggle-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-caret-right\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened\"><i class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened fas fa-caret-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-toggle-title\" tabindex=\"0\">How long does it take to make an app?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1206\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"6\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-1206\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A simple app or MVP is usually taking two to three months, while complex apps are taking seven to twelve months or more.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toggle-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 id=\"elementor-tab-title-1207\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"7\" role=\"button\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1207\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon elementor-toggle-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-caret-right\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened\"><i class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened fas fa-caret-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-toggle-title\" tabindex=\"0\">How much does it cost to make an app?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1207\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"7\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-1207\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most apps are costing between $15,000 for a simple MVP and $300,000 or more for complex apps and marketplaces.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toggle-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 id=\"elementor-tab-title-1208\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"8\" role=\"button\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1208\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon elementor-toggle-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-caret-right\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened\"><i class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened fas fa-caret-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-toggle-title\" tabindex=\"0\">Can one person make an app alone?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1208\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"8\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-1208\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One person can make a simple app alone, but complex apps are needing designers, developers and testers working together as a team.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toggle-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 id=\"elementor-tab-title-1209\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"9\" role=\"button\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1209\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon elementor-toggle-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-caret-right\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened\"><i class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened fas fa-caret-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-toggle-title\" tabindex=\"0\">What is the hardest part of making an app?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1209\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"9\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-1209\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Backend development, testing on many devices and keeping users engaged after launch are usually the hardest parts of making an app.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How hard is it to make an app with no coding experience?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p><span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">Making an app with no coding experience is really difficult alone, but working with an app development company is making it much easier.<\\\/span><\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Is it hard to make an app for both iOS and Android?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p><span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">It is not very hard anymore, as cross-platform frameworks like Flutter and React Native are letting one codebase run on both platforms.<\\\/span><\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How hard to make an app like Uber or Swiggy?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p><span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">Apps like these are very hard to build, as they are needing real-time tracking, payments, multiple user apps and a strong backend.<\\\/span><\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How hard to create an app for a small business?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p><span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">Creating a small business app is usually moderate in difficulty, as booking, loyalty or catalogue apps are needing only a few core features.<\\\/span><\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How hard is making an app compared to making a website?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p><span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">Making an app is usually harder than a website, as it is needing device testing, app store approval and separate updates for each platform.<\\\/span><\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How long does it take to make an app?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p><span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">A simple app or MVP is usually taking two to three months, while complex apps are taking seven to twelve months or more.<\\\/span><\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How much does it cost to make an app?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p><span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">Most apps are costing between $15,000 for a simple MVP and $300,000 or more for complex apps and marketplaces.<\\\/span><\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Can one person make an app alone?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p><span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">One person can make a simple app alone, but complex apps are needing designers, developers and testers working together as a team.<\\\/span><\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the hardest part of making an app?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p><span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">Backend development, testing on many devices and keeping users engaged after launch are usually the hardest parts of making an app.<\\\/span><\\\/p>\"}}]}<\/script>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/section>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways: Making an app is not as hard as most people are thinking, but the difficulty is really depending on the type of app, its features and who is building it. Simple apps with a few screens are taking a few weeks, while apps with payments, real-time features and large user bases are needing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23820,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_wp_applaud_exclude":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[2870,2872,2871,2873],"class_list":["post-23784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-app-development","tag-how-hard-is-it-to-make-an-app","tag-how-hard-to-create-an-app","tag-how-hard-to-make-an-app","tag-is-it-hard-to-make-an-app"],"featured_image_src":{"landsacpe":["https:\/\/dianapps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/how-hard-is-it-to-make-an-app-v2-1140x445.webp",1140,445,true],"list":["https:\/\/dianapps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/how-hard-is-it-to-make-an-app-v2-463x348.webp",463,348,true],"medium":["https:\/\/dianapps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/how-hard-is-it-to-make-an-app-v2-300x169.webp",300,169,true],"full":["https:\/\/dianapps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/how-hard-is-it-to-make-an-app-v2.webp",1536,864,false]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How Hard Is It to Make an App? Honest Guide for 2026<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How hard is it to make an app? Learn what makes app development difficult, how long it takes, what it costs and how to make the process easier.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dianapps.com\/blog\/how-hard-is-it-to-make-an-app-an-honest-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Hard Is It to Make an App? Honest Guide for 2026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How hard is it to make an app? Learn what makes app development difficult, how long it takes, what it costs and how to make the process easier.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dianapps.com\/blog\/how-hard-is-it-to-make-an-app-an-honest-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Learn About Digital Transformation &amp; Development | DianApps Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-10-28T07:26:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-10-28T07:27:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dianapps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/how-hard-is-it-to-make-an-app-v2.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1536\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"864\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Vikash Soni\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Vikash Soni\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"14 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How Hard Is It to Make an App? 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