How Long Does It Take to Build a Mobile App in 2025?
TL;DR: A simple mobile app takes 3-5 days, medium complexity 15-45 days, and complex apps 45+ days (2-3 months). Timeline depends on features, platforms, team size, and development approach.
Mobile app development timeline is one of the most common questions I get from clients. After building apps for 7+ years, I can tell you: it depends—but not in a frustrating way. There are clear patterns.
Quick Answer: Mobile App Development Timeline 2025
Simple App ⏱️ 3-5 days 📱 To-do list, calculator, simple tracker ✨ Basic features, local storage
Medium App ⏱️ 15-45 days 📱 E-commerce, social feed, booking app ✨ Backend integration, payments, APIs
Complex App ⏱️ 45+ days (2-3 months) 📱 Banking, Uber-like, enterprise solution ✨ Advanced security, AI/ML, real-time features
Analogy: Think of app development like cooking. A simple meal takes hours, a full dinner party takes days of planning, and a restaurant menu takes months to perfect. Same with apps—it scales with complexity.
Detailed Timeline Breakdown
Simple App (3-5 Days)
What qualifies as "simple"?
- 3-5 core screens
- Basic user authentication
- Local data storage
- Standard UI components
- No complex integrations
- Planning & Design: 1 day
- Development: 2-3 days
- Testing & Launch: 1 day
Medium Complexity App (15-45 Days)
Features:
- 10-15 screens
- Backend integration
- Third-party APIs (payments, maps, notifications)
- User profiles and data sync
- Real-time features
- Planning & Design: 3-5 days
- Backend Development: 5-10 days
- Frontend Development: 15-25 days
- Testing & Refinement: 3-5 days
Complex App (45+ Days / 2-3 Months)
Features:
- 20+ screens
- Complex backend architecture
- Real-time communication
- Advanced security requirements
- Multiple user roles
- AI/ML features
- Video/audio processing
- Planning & Architecture: 7-10 days
- Backend Development: 15-30 days
- Frontend Development: 20-40 days
- Testing & Security Audits: 7-14 days
Factors That Impact Development Speed
1. Platform Choice
Native iOS + Android: 1.8x longer (build twice, basically) Cross-Platform (React Native/Flutter): Baseline timeline Web App: 0.6x faster (but limited features)
Analogy: Native is like building two houses from scratch. Cross-platform is like using modular components for both.
2. Team Size & Experience
Solo Developer: 2-3x baseline timeline Small Team (2-3): 1x baseline Large Team (5+): 0.7x faster (but coordination overhead)
Note: More developers ≠ always faster. Brooks's Law: "Adding people to a late project makes it later."
3. Design Complexity
Using standard UI: Baseline Custom designs: +30-50% time Complex animations: +20-30% time Multiple themes: +15-25% time
4. Backend Requirements
Firebase/Supabase (BaaS): Fastest Custom REST API: +3-5 days Complex microservices: +10-20 days Real-time features: +3-7 days
5. Third-Party Integrations
Each major integration adds 1-3 days:
- Payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal)
- Maps and location services
- Social media login
- Analytics platforms
- Push notifications
- Video/audio calling
Platform-Specific Timelines
iOS App Development
Average timeline: 10-35 days for most apps
Faster because:
- Single platform target
- Consistent device ecosystem
- Mature development tools (Xcode, SwiftUI)
- Stricter App Store review (can add 2-3 days)
- More attention to design details expected
Android App Development
Average timeline: 12-40 days for most apps
Challenges:
- Device fragmentation testing
- Multiple Android versions
- Various screen sizes
React Native / Flutter
Average timeline: 8-30 days for most apps
Why faster:
- Single codebase for both platforms
- Hot reload speeds up development
- Rich component libraries
- Expo accelerates development even more
- Complex native integrations
- Platform-specific features
- Performance-critical apps
Real-World Timeline Examples
Example 1: Fitness Tracking App
Features: Workout logging, progress charts, user profiles- Planning: 1 day
- Design: 2 days
- Development: 10 days
- Testing: 2 days
Example 2: Food Delivery App
Features: Restaurant listings, cart, payments, tracking, driver app- Planning: 3 days
- Design: 5 days
- Backend: 12 days
- Mobile apps: 18 days
- Testing: 4 days
Example 3: Social Media App
Features: Posts, comments, real-time chat, stories, notifications- Planning: 5 days
- Design: 8 days
- Backend: 20 days
- Mobile apps: 25 days
- Testing: 7 days
How to Speed Up Development
1. Use proven tech stacks
- React Native + Expo + Firebase = Fastest
- SwiftUI + CloudKit = iOS only, very fast
- Flutter + Supabase = Modern, fast
- Launch with core features only
- Add features based on user feedback
- Can reduce timeline by 40-60%
- UI libraries (NativeBase, React Native Elements)
- Authentication services (Firebase Auth, Supabase Auth)
- Payment SDKs (Stripe, RevenueCat)
- Every requirement change adds 1-3 days
- Changing core architecture mid-project can double timeline
- Analogy: Changing a recipe halfway through cooking—wastes ingredients and time
- Set up from the start
- Catches bugs early
- Saves 3-5 days in final testing phase
Common Timeline Mistakes
❌ Underestimating design time Reality: Good design takes 20-30% of project time
❌ Forgetting App Store review Reality: Add 7-14 days for iOS, 1-3 days for Android
❌ Skipping testing phases Reality: Bugs found after launch cost 10x more to fix
❌ Not planning for iterations Reality: First version is never perfect, plan for 2-3 revision cycles
Q&A: Common Timeline Questions
Yes! Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) can launch in 40-60% of the time of native apps. Great for MVPs, but limited access to device features like camera, notifications, and offline functionality.
Only to a point. A team of 3-4 is optimal for most apps. Beyond that, coordination overhead reduces efficiency. Think of it like a restaurant kitchen—too many chefs slow things down.
With React Native + Expo + Firebase + existing UI library: 3-5 days for a simple app. I've done it in 2 days for very basic apps, but quality suffers.
Small features: 1-3 days. Medium features: 5-10 days. Major features: 15-20 days. Always faster than initial development because infrastructure exists.
iOS first if targeting US/Europe (easier testing, one platform). Android first if targeting global market (larger user base). Or both at once with React Native/Flutter (my recommendation for most projects).
Final Recommendations
For Startups:
- Start with cross-platform (React Native + Expo)
- Build MVP in 10-15 days
- Launch, learn, iterate
- Budget 15-20 days total
- Native development for performance
- Plan 30-45 days for proper security and testing
- Include 5-7 days buffer for compliance
- Use no-code tools for validation (Glide, Adalo)
- If validated, hire developer for 15-20 day MVP
- Don't try to build complex apps alone
The Bottom Line
Most apps take 15-30 days from idea to App Store.
Fast-track: 5-10 days (simple MVP, cross-platform) Standard: 15-30 days (full-featured, professional) Enterprise: 45-60 days (complex, highly secure)
My advice: Start with MVP, launch early, iterate based on real user feedback. A simple app launched in 10 days beats a perfect app that takes 3 months—because you learn what users actually want.
Need a realistic timeline for your specific app idea? The three factors that matter most are:
- Number of core features (not nice-to-haves)
- Platform choice (iOS, Android, or both)
- Backend complexity (BaaS vs custom)