Mobile app development cost in Egypt at HBS starts from 210,000 EGP (15,000 SAR) in 2026 for a first version with core screens and a simple admin panel, and rises to packages starting from 470,000 EGP and then 935,000 EGP for larger apps. This guide sets out the three packages in EGP and SAR with the typical timeline for each, then explains everything that moves the price of an app: native versus Flutter or React Native, the backend and admin dashboard most people forget, the features that push the price up, the running costs after launch, the red flags in cheap quotes, and the questions to ask before you sign.
How much does a mobile app cost in Egypt and Saudi Arabia with HBS in 2026?
HBS 2026 prices start from 210,000 EGP or 15,000 SAR for a Starter app, from 470,000 EGP or 34,000 SAR for a Growth app, and from 935,000 EGP or 67,500 SAR for an Enterprise app. These are starting prices, not final ones, and the table shows what you get in each of our mobile app development packages:
| Package | From (Egypt) | From (Saudi Arabia) | Typical timeline | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter app: an MVP with core screens and a simple admin panel | 210,000 EGP | 15,000 SAR | 6 to 8 weeks | A startup testing an idea or a business launching its first app |
| Growth app: user accounts, payments, a full admin dashboard and integrations | 470,000 EGP | 34,000 SAR | 3 to 4 months | A business that sells or serves its customers through the app |
| Enterprise app: complex logic, multiple roles and heavy integrations | 935,000 EGP | 67,500 SAR | 5+ months, phased | Platforms with several parties such as customer, courier and merchant, or apps tied into ERP systems |
The final figure is set after a free discovery call where we understand your idea, your audience and the features you need. Prices are valid as of October 2026 and exclude taxes and third-party costs such as Apple and Google store fees, hosting, domains, payment gateway fees, paid plugins and licensed stock media.
Why is an app worth this investment? Because your customer is online all day: DataReportal recorded 98.2 million internet users in Egypt at the end of 2025, a penetration of 82.7 percent, and 34.4 million in Saudi Arabia, a penetration of 99 percent.
What does the app development price include, and what does it leave out?
An app price covers three connected parts, not one: the app the user sees on the phone, the backend server that stores the data and runs the logic, and the admin dashboard your team uses to manage everything. Most business owners picture the screens only, yet orders, users, products, notifications and reports all live on the server and are managed from the dashboard. An app without a dashboard means calling the developer every time you change a price, an image or an offer.
This is what usually sits inside a development quote and what stays a separate cost:
| Item | Inside the development quote? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| UX/UI design | Yes | Tailored to your brand, with more depth in higher packages |
| App development for iOS and Android | Yes | Using the agreed technology |
| Backend server, database and API | Yes | The foundation the app runs on |
| Admin dashboard | Yes | Simple in Starter, broader in Growth and Enterprise |
| Testing and store submission preparation | Yes | We recommend the store account is in your company's name |
| Apple and Google developer account fees | No | Paid to the stores directly |
| Hosting, servers and domain | No | Grows with your user count |
| Payment gateway, SMS and maps service fees | No | Paid to each provider based on usage |
| Paid plugins, fonts and stock media | No | Depends on the licence |
| Taxes | No | Added according to the country |
| Maintenance and development after launch | Separate | Priced after delivery based on the size of the app |
Should you choose native, Flutter or React Native, and how does that change the cost?
For most business apps in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, cross-platform development with Flutter or React Native is the more economical choice, because you build one codebase that runs on iOS and Android instead of two separate apps. The official Flutter site describes the framework as building multi-platform apps from a single codebase, and React Native presents itself as a way to create native apps for Android and iOS using React.
Native development means one app in Swift for iPhone and another in Kotlin for Android: two codebases, two rounds of testing and double the maintenance. Expect the quote to rise noticeably for the same features. Native earns its cost when your app leans heavily on the device itself: augmented reality, advanced camera work, Bluetooth hardware connections and heavy graphics.
| Criterion | Cross-platform (Flutter or React Native) | Native (Swift and Kotlin) |
|---|---|---|
| Codebase | One for both platforms | Two separate ones |
| Build cost | Usually lower | Higher for the same features |
| Maintenance | One change covers both platforms | Every change is made twice |
| Best for | Stores, bookings, services and loyalty programmes | Apps that depend deeply on device capabilities |
Our advice: start with Flutter or React Native unless you have a clear technical reason for native, and ask the provider to write that reason into the quote.
Which features push mobile app development cost in Egypt up or down?
Every feature adds screens to the app, logic to the server and tools to the dashboard, so cost rises with the number and depth of features, not with the screen count alone. The biggest price drivers:
- Online payments: connecting local gateways such as Paymob and Fawry in Egypt, or mada and Apple Pay in Saudi Arabia, needs integration work, testing and handling for failed payments and refunds. Mind Apple's rule here: if you sell subscriptions or digital content inside the app, the App Store Review Guidelines require in-app purchase, while physical goods and services consumed outside the app are paid through other methods such as cards or Apple Pay. Apple's commission on paid apps and in-app purchases is 15 percent under its Small Business Program for new developers and those with up to 1 million USD in proceeds in the prior calendar year.
- Maps and live tracking: tracking a courier or driver on a map means constant location updates, a server that can carry them, and usage fees paid to the maps provider.
- Live chat and notifications: chat between customer and support, or between users, is a full feature in itself: real-time messages, storage, notifications and moderation.
- Multiple roles and permissions: customer, courier, merchant and supervisor can mean two or three apps rather than one, and each role has its own screens and dashboard permissions.
- Arabic and RTL: a bilingual app is designed right to left and tested with Arabic fonts, numerals and dates on real devices. That is extra design and engineering work, not a translate button.
- Integrations: connecting an ERP or CRM, a shipping company, OTP verification messages or WhatsApp adds server work and testing with outside parties.
- Custom design: UX/UI design built around your brand and your customers' behaviour costs more than a ready-made screen kit, and it shows in ease of use and customer trust from the first screen.
What brings the cost down is a tightly defined first scope, one user role in version one, cross-platform development, and content and images ready on your side before design starts. A successful first release solves one problem well, then you add features based on real usage.
What are the running costs after the app launches?
After launch you pay three kinds of cost: store fees, operations and maintenance. Store fees are the smallest and clearest:
- Apple: Apple Developer Program membership is 99 USD per membership year, shown in local currency at enrolment and possibly different by region.
- Google Play: a one-time registration fee of 25 USD.
- Hosting and servers: a monthly cost that starts small and grows with your users, images, video and notifications.
- Third-party services: payment gateway fees on every transaction, OTP messages, maps services and any subscriptions to analytics or support tools.
- Maintenance and updates: major iOS and Android releases can require changes to the app, alongside bug fixes, security updates and small features. Give it a yearly line in your budget from day one.
A practical tip: register both store accounts in your company's name. Google requires personal accounts created after 13 November 2023 to run a closed test with at least 12 testers opted in for 14 continuous days before applying for production access, and Apple requires certain regulated app types, such as banking and healthcare, to be submitted by the legal entity that provides the service.
How long does it take to build an app and publish it on the App Store and Google Play?
A Starter app typically takes 6 to 8 weeks, a Growth app 3 to 4 months and an Enterprise app 5+ months in phases, plus time for store review. The work moves through fixed stages: discovery and scoping, interface design, building the app, backend and dashboard, testing, then publishing.
Store review is quick when the app is complete. Apple's App Review page says it typically reviews at least 50 percent of submissions in less than 24 hours and 90 percent in less than 48 hours, and that on average over 40 percent of unresolved issues relate to guideline 2.1 on app completeness: crashes, placeholder content and incomplete information. Google's Play Console Help says certain accounts and apps get extended reviews of up to 7 days or longer in exceptional cases.
Other rules can also get an app rejected: Apple's guidelines state that an app that is not particularly useful, unique or app-like does not belong on the App Store, and that any app supporting account creation must also offer account deletion inside the app. Ask for these points to be in the test plan before submission so you do not lose weeks to rejection and resubmission.
What are the red flags of a cheap app quote that will cost you more later?
The most serious red flags in a cheap quote are a template app, no source code ownership, publishing under the developer's account, and pricing the screens without the backend and dashboard. You will see quotes far below our prices, and this is what they usually leave out:
- A template app: a template resold with a new logo and colours. The App Store guidelines say apps created from a commercialized template or app generation service will be rejected unless they are submitted directly by the provider of the app's content.
- No source code ownership: if the contract does not explicitly hand you the source code and its rights, you are tied to that developer for every change.
- Publishing on the developer's account: an app listed under the developer's store account is not really yours, and moving it later needs their cooperation.
- A price with no backend or dashboard: the quote covers the screens only, then the server and dashboard appear later as a second phase you never budgeted for.
- A website wrapped in an app: web pages inside an app shell sold to you as a full app, while Apple expects an app to offer features, content and interface beyond a repackaged website.
- A fixed final price before any discovery: a firm number before anyone understands your users, features and integrations means either surprises later or a quietly reduced scope.
What should you ask any app development company before signing?
Ask these seven questions and get the answers in writing in the quote or contract:
- Will my company own the source code, the store accounts and the server?
- Does the price include the backend and the admin dashboard, and what exactly can the dashboard do?
- Will you build with Flutter, React Native or native, and why is that the right choice for my project?
- What third-party costs should I expect each month after launch?
- How do you test Arabic and RTL, and on which devices?
- What does the warranty period after delivery cover, and what does maintenance cost?
- Can I try apps you have built directly from the store?
For wider criteria to judge any team before you commit, read our guide to choosing a software company with eight criteria. If you are not yet sure your project needs an app at all, compare first with website design cost in Egypt 2026, because some ideas start with a strong website and move to an app once demand is proven.
How much will your own app idea cost?
The precise answer comes after a free discovery call where we define the users, the core features and the integrations, then recommend the right package, the scope of version one and what can wait for a later release. Explore HBS mobile app development or contact us directly. Want to know exactly what your app will cost? Talk to us and we will set up your discovery call as soon as possible.
