How Much Does a Mobile App Cost in Bulgaria?

What Is the Real Cost of a Mobile App?

Two apps with the same number of screens may require completely different amounts of work. One may display content and send notifications. The other may accept orders, check inventory, calculate delivery charges and send data to an ERP.

With a basic MVP or customer portal, most of the functionality can be limited to login, a profile, a few core actions and basic administration. When the app is part of a real business process, it also needs a server, database, access permissions, API, error handling and an admin panel.

If you already have a backend, finished designs and a well-documented API, the mobile component may be smaller. If these components are missing, they need to be created or reworked. That is why a single overall price without a defined scope often leads to additional charges.

What Does the Budget Include for Different Types of Apps?

These estimates are not an automatic quote. It is important to clarify whether we are discussing the app alone or a complete product with a server, web panel, integrations, publishing and support.

Which Features Increase the Cost of a Mobile App the Most?

Backend, Database and Admin Panel

An app is more than just an interface on a phone. The backend stores users, requests, orders, payments, inventory, messages and history. If employees need to manage this data, a web admin panel is also required.

Without an admin section, every change has to go through a developer. This becomes inconvenient as soon as you have your first users. In a booking app, for example, employees need to manage schedules, services, available time slots and cancelled appointments from one place.

Login, Roles and Access Permissions

Logging in with an email and password is different from logging in with a phone number and one-time code. Even more logic is needed when customers, technicians, managers and administrators see different data and can perform different actions.

Permissions must be checked not only on the screen but also on the server. Hiding a button is not enough protection if the user can send a direct request to the API.

Payments, invoicing and cash on delivery

Card payments are not just a button in the app. You need to handle declined transactions, interrupted connections, retries, confirmation from the payment provider and changes to the order status.

An online store may also need cash on delivery, automated waybills, returns and invoice issuing. Each of these scenarios must be described before an estimate can be provided.

API integrations with ERP, CRM and external services

Integration with a warehouse, CRM, courier, map, telephony system or payment provider runs through an API. When the API is well documented and the data is consistent, the work is more predictable. With an old system that has no documentation, a technical analysis is needed first.

It is best not to leave this task until the end. If you need to connect several systems, see how work on API integrations and software connectivity is carried out.

GPS, maps, photos and offline mode

GPS tracking, routes and live maps place demands on accuracy, battery life and behaviour when the internet connection is weak. An app for field technicians may need to work temporarily offline and send the data once the connection is restored.

Photos, videos, documents and signatures add storage, file processing and size restrictions. In offline mode, you also need to decide what happens if two people change the same information.

Flutter, React Native or native development?

Flutter and React Native allow you to use a shared codebase for iOS and Android. They are often a sensible choice for a business app, customer portal, requests, bookings or an online store with standard features.

A shared codebase does not mean that all costs are cut in half. With either approach, you still need to test real devices, push notifications, the camera, Bluetooth, GPS, payments and publishing to the App Store and Google Play.

Native development makes sense for specific hardware, complex background processing or high performance requirements. For a standard business scenario, we would first check whether Flutter or React Native meets the requirements.

What does an app connected to a business process look like?

With FIX, home services app, the mobile app is part of a platform with customers, professional tradespeople, a web portal and search. The work does not stop at the customer-facing screens. Requests, profiles, available specialists and matching logic all need to be managed.

With LiftexPro, ERP for elevator companies, the technicians' app is connected to an ERP system. The technician works with information in the field, while the office manages buildings, inspections and automatic invoicing. This is a different class of project from a standalone app with informational screens.

In both examples, the price is determined by the entire workflow: who creates the task, who carries it out, how the status changes, what is recorded and what the office needs to see.

What is often left out of the initial quote?

• Backend, database and admin panel, if they do not already exist
• API integrations with ERP, CRM, couriers, payment providers or telephony systems
• Preparation and publishing on the App Store and Google Play
• Accounts, hosting, SSL, backups and system monitoring
• Push notifications, analytics and tracking of key actions
• Testing on different phones and operating system versions
• Privacy policy, terms of use and consent for personal data
• Maintenance, updates and changes after publication

Platform accounts, publishing requirements and subsequent updates should be treated separately from the development itself. The same applies to maintaining external services. A payment provider, map, courier or iOS version may change its terms after the app is launched.

How to prepare an accurate estimate

1. 01
   Describe the users

   Separate customers, employees, managers and administrators. Write down what each role can see and do.

2. 02
   Describe the key scenarios

   Map the process from start to finish: registration, request, payment, confirmation, delivery, visit or task completion.

3. 03
   List the systems to integrate

   List your ERP, CRM, online store, couriers, payment providers, maps, telephony and other services. If you have API documentation, prepare it.

4. 04
   Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves

   The first version should solve one clear problem. Chat, complex reports, a loyalty programme and additional automations can wait until the next stage.

5. 05
   Clarify the maintenance

   Describe who monitors errors, who updates the content and how you respond when an external service changes. This lets you compare the full scope, not just the initial development.

This approach produces a more meaningful estimate than a list of words such as “profile”, “payment” or “integration”. A profile may mean just a name and email address, or it may include addresses, documents, payments and history. The difference must be clarified before the proposal is prepared.

How much does maintenance cost after launch?

Maintenance depends on whether it includes monitoring, minor fixes, operating system updates, API changes, new features, or backend and database support. These activities are not included in every initial proposal.

Plan a process for testing and responding to problems with external services. An app with no one to update and check it gradually becomes a risk, even if it worked well initially.