An ecommerce app costs ₹8–20 lakh ($10,000–25,000) for a solid cross-platform store app, ₹20–45 lakh ($25,000–60,000) with custom features and integrations, and ₹45 lakh–1.5 crore ($60,000–200,000) for platform-grade builds. India-based teams deliver at 40–60% below Western rates. The decision that matters more than the build cost: whether your store needs an app at all yet.
Cost by build approach
- WebView wrapper (₹3–8 lakh): your mobile site inside an app shell. Cheap, fast, and users can tell — conversion gains are minimal. Right only for loyalty-card use cases.
- Cross-platform store app (₹8–20 lakh): Flutter or React Native — proper native-feeling catalogue, cart, checkout, push notifications. The standard choice, 12–16 weeks.
- Feature-rich commerce app (₹20–45 lakh): everything above plus saved cards via PSP SDKs, wishlists, order tracking, chat support, loyalty programs, personalised feeds.
- Platform-grade (₹45 lakh–1.5 crore+): marketplace logic, multi-vendor, AR try-on, recommendation engines — the app development cost guide covers this tier's full anatomy.
Feature costs, itemised
- Catalogue with variants: ₹1.5–4 lakh — product grids, filters, size guides
- Cart and checkout: ₹2–5 lakh — the conversion heart; every extra step costs completion rate
- Payments (Razorpay, PayU, Stripe): ₹1–2.5 lakh — SDK integration, saved instruments, refunds
- User accounts and addresses: ₹1.5–3 lakh — guest checkout included; forced registration kills carts
- Push notifications and deep links: ₹1–2 lakh — the retention engine that justifies the app
- Order tracking and support: ₹2–4 lakh — status timelines, chat or WhatsApp integration
- Backend and admin panel: ₹4–12 lakh — the invisible half: catalogue management, orders, inventory sync
The backend economics
Most ecommerce apps are frontends over existing stores. The honest integration questions: does the app share the web store's inventory and orders (it must), does it sync in real time, and who owns the data model? Apps built on our ecommerce platform get this by default; apps built against custom backends pay ₹4–12 lakh for the privilege — see the ecommerce website cost guide for the store side of the equation.
Does your store need an app?
An app wins when repeat purchase frequency and push-reachability matter: groceries, pharmacy, fashion drops, gifting. Mobile web wins for discovery-led, one-time purchases. The evidence test: if over 40% of your revenue comes from returning mobile customers, the app pays for itself in retention; if most customers buy once, fund the mobile site instead. The how free apps make money guide covers the monetisation side once the app exists.
Maintenance reality
Annual maintenance runs 15–20% of build cost: OS updates, payment SDK upgrades, catalogue feature iteration, store compliance. Budget it before the build quote looks attractive — the full recurring picture is in the website maintenance guide, and app economics follow the same law.
Getting a real number
Quotes vary 3x for identical briefs because scope hides in the backend and integrations. Bring your catalogue size, platform and integration list to a scoping conversation — our mobile team quotes from screens, and our pricing shows how the engagement is structured before any commitment.
Frequently asked questions.
How much does an ecommerce app cost?
Cross-platform store apps run ₹8–20 lakh ($10,000–25,000), feature-rich commerce apps ₹20–45 lakh, and platform-grade builds ₹45 lakh–1.5 crore+. India-based teams deliver 40–60% below Western rates, typically in 12–16 weeks for the standard tier.
Should my ecommerce store build an app or improve the mobile site?
Apps win when repeat purchase frequency and push reachability drive revenue — groceries, pharmacy, fashion. If most customers buy once, fund the mobile site. The evidence test: over 40% of revenue from returning mobile customers justifies the app investment.
What features cost the most in an ecommerce app?
Backend and admin panel (₹4–12 lakh), cart and checkout (₹2–5 lakh), and order tracking with support (₹2–4 lakh). The visible catalogue is the cheapest part; the invisible operations half drives the quote.
Can I build an app on my existing Shopify or WooCommerce store?
Yes — headless storefront APIs let a custom app share the web store's catalogue, inventory and orders. Budget ₹8–25 lakh for the app plus integration work, and verify real-time inventory sync before signing anything.
What does ecommerce app maintenance cost?
15–20% of build cost annually: OS updates, payment SDK upgrades, store compliance and feature iteration. A ₹15 lakh app budgets ₹2.5–3 lakh per year — the recurring cost that should be planned before the build begins.
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