The short answer: building an iOS and Android app costs, according to 2026 agency guides from the region, roughly 15,000 USD for a simple app, 50,000-150,000 USD for a medium-complexity one, and more for real-time or heavily regulated products. Add store fees, commissions on in-app sales and a yearly maintenance budget. Building in Romania or elsewhere in Eastern Europe usually means lower hourly rates than in Western Europe or the US, without giving up quality, if you pick the team carefully.
We write this from direct experience: Promptify, a Romanian company, publishes and maintains its own apps on the App Store and Google Play (Food AI, OnYou, SalesCoach, Thinkloop and others). So this guide includes the costs you only see after launch.
Price ranges in 2026
There are no official statistics for Romania. The most detailed recent guide from a regional agency is Netguru's, updated August 2026, which includes Romania in its Eastern Europe rates:
| App type | Published range | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | 15,000-50,000 USD | one platform, a few screens, no custom backend |
| MVP (core features) | 25,000-60,000 USD | one platform, just enough to test the idea |
| Medium complexity | 50,000-150,000 USD | both platforms, accounts, API, payments |
| Complex | 150,000-300,000+ USD | real-time data, compliance, dedicated backend |
Published Eastern European hourly rates in the same guide (Poland, Ukraine, Romania): 35-55 USD for junior developers, 55-80 USD for mid-level and 80-120 USD for senior.
Two caveats. These numbers come from a large agency with large-team processes; small studios working with modern tools and AI can come in under them for focused business apps. And the price difference almost always comes from the number of features, not from "an app" as such.
What drives the price
- Backend. An app that only displays information is cheap. One with accounts, synced data, notifications and an admin panel needs a server and a database built and maintained.
- Payments and subscriptions. In-app purchases of digital content go through Apple's and Google's systems as a general rule (the EU has alternative terms with their own conditions). Subscriptions need paywalls, purchase restore and renewal handling.
- Integrations. Calendars, maps, physical payments, ERPs, Bluetooth devices, each tested across many phone models.
- AI. Image recognition, chat assistants, voice. Besides the build, you pay the AI provider monthly in proportion to usage. In our own apps, AI cost per user is one of the first numbers we model.
- Design. Following native iOS and Android patterns is cheaper than a fully custom, animation-heavy design.
One codebase or two?
With React Native (which we use) or Flutter, one codebase ships to both iOS and Android. For most business apps users cannot tell the difference from a native app, and adding the second platform does not double the cost. Platform-specific details (notifications, permissions, payments) still get tested separately. Fully separate native apps make sense rarely: heavy games, intensive video processing, brand-new OS features.
Costs that do not show up in the quote
Store fees: the Apple Developer Program is 99 USD a year; Google Play is a one-time 25 USD.
Commissions: Apple's Small Business Program takes 15% for developers under 1 million USD in yearly proceeds. Google Play takes 15% on the first 1 million USD a year and 15% on auto-renewing subscriptions.
Store rules that change budgets (we deal with these on our own apps):
- Apple requires apps that offer account creation to also offer account deletion inside the app (guideline 5.1.1), and rejects apps that are just a repackaged website (guideline 4.2).
- Google Play requires new apps and updates to target Android 16 (API level 36) from 31 August 2026. The bar rises every year, so apps need a yearly update even with no new features.
- New personal Google Play accounts must run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 days before launch. A business should publish from an organization account.
Maintenance: Netguru estimates 15-20% of the original build cost per year.
Hiring a Romanian team: what to check
- Shipped apps you can download. Not mockups: live apps on both stores, ideally ones the team maintains.
- Ownership. Source code, store accounts (in your company's name), backend accounts and API keys should all be yours.
- Who handles store review. Rejections cost weeks if nobody on the team has been through them.
- Post-launch. Who updates the app for the yearly OS and store requirements, and at what price.
- Contract and invoicing. A Romanian SRL invoices like any EU company; inside the EU, B2B services usually fall under reverse-charge VAT.
Do you need an app or a website?
Ask this before budgeting. An app makes sense when customers use it often, when you need phone features (camera, notifications, location, offline use) or when you sell digital subscriptions. For presenting your company, taking orders or occasional bookings, a fast mobile website is cheaper and easier to find on Google. See website cost in Romania.
How we work
Promptify builds iOS and Android apps from one codebase, with backend, payments and subscriptions, and handles submission to both stores, as we do for our own apps. We do not publish fixed prices: use the AI estimator on our home page for a range, then ask for a detailed quote, free.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to build an app in Romania?
Agency guides from the region published in 2026 put a simple app at roughly 15,000-50,000 USD and a medium-complexity app at 50,000-150,000 USD. Small studios using modern cross-platform tools can come in under those ranges for focused business apps, so compare several quotes.
What are developer hourly rates in Romania?
Netguru's August 2026 guide lists Eastern European rates (including Romania) at 35-55 USD an hour for junior developers, 55-80 USD for mid-level and 80-120 USD for senior developers.
How much are the App Store and Google Play fees?
The Apple Developer Program costs 99 USD a year. Google Play charges a one-time 25 USD registration fee. Both take 15% of in-app sales for small developers: Apple through the Small Business Program (under 1 million USD a year), Google on the first 1 million USD a year and on auto-renewing subscriptions.
How much does app maintenance cost per year?
A common industry estimate is 15-20% of the original build cost per year, covering updates for new iOS and Android versions, servers, bug fixes and new store requirements.
Want to know what your project would cost?
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