How Much Does Flutter App Development Cost: Full Outlay for 2026

To clarify all the components of the cost breakdown of developing a Flutter app, we will single out each factor and analyze its impact on the price.

The cross-platform apps based on Flutter can be categorized into three sub-categories - basic, medium, and complex - based on its complexity level, taking into account its features, functionalities, and integrations.

• Creating a basic Flutter app with simple features would cost around $40,000-$60,000.
• The cost to create a medium-complexity Flutter application ranges from $60,000 to $120,000.
• The cost of a complex Flutter app vary based on technology integration, with prices from $120,000 to $200,000+.

It's recommended for you to start Flutter app creation with Minimum Viable Product (MVP) development. It will help you test your cross-platform app concept viability by creating an app with the primary functionality, enough for early customers to use it and make their feedback.

Mobile app navigation, typography, and color schemes are the main issues that UI/UX designers should pay attention to. They should also provide you with a prototype of your app. Depending on the complexity of your app, design may take from 40 to 90+ hours. This line of expenses will raise the Flutter cost for $2000-$4500.

What are the constituents of the Flutter app design cost?

• Pre-design covers and defining requirements for the solution, with costs around $500-$700, depending on the niche.
• UI design preparation includes sketches and wireframes, with complexity-driven costs averaging $200 to $1,000.
• UX design focuses on mood boards and final mockups, usually requiring $5,000-$10,000+ based on app complexity.
• Brand identity design involves creating icons and visual assets aligned with brand guidelines, costing $5,000-$10,000+.
• Animation preparation covers screen transitions with costs starting from $10,000+, depending on animation complexity.

Let’s summarize all the necessary data on the Flutter design costs in the table below.

Application development using Flutter can be classified into categories, or types of Flutter applications, each with its own features, target audiences, security requirements, and design considerations, all of which influence the pricing of a Flutter application.

Variations in functionality are common when comparing different types of Flutter applications. Some cross-platform apps require advanced security like multi-factor authentication, while others may not need login or complex backend integration when you build a Flutter app.

The overall cost of Flutter development depends on these choices, with simple apps like a currency converter being far less expensive than complex solutions, such as IoT-based platforms or ride-booking apps. The experience and skill of your Flutter app development team also play a key role in determining overall Flutter pricing and timelines.

For a broader cost perspective beyond Flutter-specific projects, you can also explore our breakdown of how much does a web application cost, which explains how functionality, architecture, and complexity shape overall development budgets.

We analyze the following cooperation models for creating a cross-platform business solution that influences the cost to develop a Flutter app.

• In-house teams. In this case, you manage the entire development process yourself, including hiring and evaluating developers. Choosing an in-house Flutter team also comes with extra costs such as hardware, office space, salaries, and sick leave. As a result, these expenses significantly increase the overall mobile app development cost.
• Outsourcing companies. Outsourcing to top Flutter app development companies, the project refers to the already assembled team of experts with a proven in-depth Flutter development qualification, taking over the creation process. This option is a great way to save development investments and avoid affecting product quality.

Apart from this, outsourcing is a convenient and efficient approach to cooperation. Here are some more benefits you'll receive:

• Vast talent pools. Programming outsourcing gives access to a wide range of experienced specialists worldwide, offering flexible hiring options and the ability to choose the right software architects for your project.
• Cost flexibility. The global market of outsourcing IT companies provides custom software development services at competitive rates, with Central Europe standing out for high-quality talent and cost efficiency.
• Scalability. Programming outsourcing allows teams to scale up or down easily, engaging the right specialists exactly when their expertise is needed.
• Faster product delivery. With no recruitment delays, outsourcing helps accelerate development and control costs by paying only for completed work.
• Technology diversity. Outsourcing teams offer expertise across a wide range of technologies, enabling you to select specialists that best match your project requirements.

Apart from the cooperation models, the location of your development team can significantly affect the cost of Flutter app development. In different regions, developers have different rates. The average developer’s rate in North America is $75-$250/hour, while in Estonia, it’s only $50-$60/hour.

In the table below, you can find developers’ hourly rates and compare them with each other.

If you’re considering outsourcing your Flutter-based app project, we recommend taking a closer look at the CEE region, particularly Estonia. This country is a popular outsourcing destination because of its affordable rates and high level of customer service. Estonia has a vast talent pool, so the quality of the final product built with Flutter will meet your expectations.

The qualification of Flutter engineers plays a crucial role in determining the cost to develop an app.

• Junior Flutter engineers have lower rates and reduce development costs, but may require more guidance and time due to limited experience.
• Middle-level Flutter engineers offer a balance of cost and expertise, contributing efficiently to most development tasks and fitting well into mid-complexity projects.
• Senior Flutter engineers command higher rates but bring deep Flutter expertise, handle complex challenges, optimize performance, and deliver more reliable results.

Nevertheless, in order to develop your Flutter-based cross-platform software, you may need not only Flutter developers, but also other members of the project team.

Flutter app development costs vary depending on the app’s size and complexity, typically ranging from $40,000 to $200,000+. Understanding app size helps estimate investment, timelines, and resources more accurately.

• Cost range: $40,000-$60,000
• Development time: 300-600 hours

Small apps or MVPs usually include essential features and a simple design. The average development time is around 2 months, making them ideal for testing your idea in the market before scaling further. Even with basic functionality, planning an MVP helps reduce wasted effort and keep costs reasonable.

• Cost range: $60,000-$120,000
• Development time: 600-1,200 hours

Medium-sized apps include more advanced features, moderate design complexity, and additional integrations. Development generally takes 3-4 months. Whether using a small team or multiple developers, hours and costs remain relatively consistent.

• Cost range: $120,000-$200,000+
• Development time: 1,200-3,000 hours

Large apps support complex functionality, multiple user roles, real-time features, and scalable architecture. Development usually spans 4-6 months or more, depending on feature complexity and decision-making speed. These projects require careful planning to balance cost, time, and performance.

Now, we’ll draw a conclusion about how app size influences the average Flutter cost and timelines.

We’ve prepared a list of 5 key steps you’ll need to follow to accurately estimate the cost to develop a Flutter app.

The right IT partner makes all the difference. Look for a team with proven experience, solid reviews, and a strong portfolio. A good vendor doesn’t just build your Flutter app they help you optimize costs, refine your vision, and avoid common development and budget pitfalls. Take time to research, ask questions, and compare options. The goal? Find a team that understands your business needs and can turn your idea into a high-quality Flutter app without breaking the bank.

At Cleveroad, we have extensive experience delivering Flutter solutions with advanced functionality while keeping costs under control. For the Australian Rowing Association, we developed Row Nation, a Flutter app that connects seamlessly with rowing machines to track performance and progress. Using our dedicated team's services, we tailored the app’s IoT features to the client's requirements and delivered a cost-effective, scalable solution.

Georgia Beattie, Director at the Association, highlighted the team's smooth collaboration and its ability to balance advanced technical needs with a reasonable budget, demonstrating our expertise in building complex Flutter apps for real-world use cases.

Key challenges Cleveroad’s development team resolved during the Row Nation project:

• Implemented custom IoT integration to connect the app with rowing machines, including real-time data synchronization and performance metrics tracking
• Installed a rowing machine in our office to validate connectivity, monitor data flow, and ensure reliability of the interconnection before client deployment
• Designed a scalable and maintainable architecture while optimizing development costs
• Balanced advanced technical complexity, including sensor data processing and low-latency updates, with project budget constraints
• Delivered a Flutter app capable of real-time performance tracking for multiple users
• Leveraged dedicated team services for smooth collaboration, iterative testing, and efficient delivery of the solution

Here’s what our client, Georgia Beattie, Director at Australian Rowing Association, says about our collaboration on Flutter-based solution Row Nation:

A clear roadmap keeps costs under control. What features does your app need? Who’s your target audience? Do you want to launch on both platforms from the start, or would you prefer to begin with one and expand to the other later? The more details you provide, the easier it is to get an accurate cost estimate. Work closely with your vendor to prioritize must-have features and trim unnecessary extras. This way, you’ll avoid surprise expenses and keep your project within budget.

The complexity of your app directly affects development costs. Do you need basic features or advanced ones like AI, real-time data, or third-party integrations? What about the UI – simple and clean or highly customized? The more complex the functionality and design, the higher the Flutter development cost. Finding the right balance between a great user experience and budget-friendly solutions helps you get the best value without overspending.

Now, it’s time to see how much work your app actually needs. Your vendor will estimate the number of development hours and the size of the team required, including developers, designers, testers, and project managers. A simple Flutter app might take a few hundred hours, while a complex one could stretch into the thousands. Knowing this upfront helps you plan better and allocate your budget wisely.

Once everything is mapped out, it’s time to lock in the numbers. Your IT vendor will give you a detailed breakdown of costs, development phases, and deadlines so you know exactly what to expect. A reliable IT vendor guarantees no hidden fees within Flutter app cost as well as no timeline surprises, providing you with a clear plan to get your Flutter app built efficiently.

We at Cleveroad prepare two project cost evaluations: Rough and Detailed estimates. Let’s learn more about each of them.

A rough estimate is typically the most approximate figure. The client is being provided with the development stages’ rough Flutter app cost data for informational purposes.

We generate two approximate estimates to incrementally refine cost accuracy.

• The first rough estimate is prepared following the Solution Design stage. We establish goals, outline the scope of work, identify complexity levels, assign roles and limitations, anticipate risks, and plan accordingly. We utilize this information to make an estimate and proposal.
• The second rough estimate is formed during the Discovery Phase. We assess business process intricacies, define a detailed feature set, identify key development nuances, and develop non-functional requirements and architectural solutions.

A detailed estimate is the best way to get an accurate cost estimate for Flutter in project management. The product creation process includes developers who will be directly responsible for delivering your Flutter application.

Detailed estimates are compiled after the Discovery Phase and used during the development process. The business analyst prepares a detailed user story for each sprint or two-sprint period as part of an iterative process. After the evaluation of each user story, a detailed estimate can be determined by taking into account the following points:

• Maintaining thorough records of the upcoming software solution, including wireframes, specs, and other written material
• Integrations, recommendations, and other non-developmental activities
• All you need to know about quantities, prices, and rates: for instance, cost-calculating rates

When customers submit a documentation package, we generate a detailed estimate more quickly.

The Flutter app price can rapidly increase and exceed your budget if not managed appropriately. What methods can be used to obtain a high-quality flutter app without exceeding the budget? Begin by following these tips to reduce flutter development costs.

When building a Flutter app, keeping it simple helps reduce overall development costs. A McKinsey & University of Oxford study showed that large IT projects without MVP-style validation run about 45% over budget, finish 7% later than planned, and deliver roughly 56% less value than expected. Moreover, research published in MIS Quarterly Executive found that MVP-driven iterations cut feature waste by 30-50%, helping teams focus development effort solely on features validated by real-user learning.

Choosing to build an MVP doesn’t mean limiting functionality; it means aligning features with target audience expectations and validating the idea early with minimal risk.

Here’s what you get when you start with an MVP:

• Core functionality delivered first: essential features working and tested
• Faster time to market: launch initial product sooner
• Real user insights: data from real users to guide future features
• Lower upfront investment: avoid building costly non-essential features
• Risk reduction: validate assumptions before full-scale development

Consider that it becomes more expensive to make bug fixes the further along the development process the Flutter app is. So, you can use an Agile development methodology that is test-driven and make adjustments as you go.

For example, Cleveroad's software development team works with Agile methodology SDLC to remain flexible and easily make changes to the project. We are always ready to provide you with in-depth consultation on optimizing your project budget for a Flutter app.

Using outsourced services for Flutter app development is an effective way to control costs and timeline. Engaging outsourced Flutter app coders is faster and more cost-efficient than recruiting specialists yourself.

You may also consider outsourcing certain projects to an external vendor to lighten the workload for your in-house coders and engineers. The provider's specialists can offer valuable insights and innovations that could benefit the app if it is intended to have an international presence.

Outsourcing software development can also help you unlock long-term savings with the help of an experienced Flutter app partner - from idea validation to support and maintenance. Moreover, by working with an outsourcing vendor, you can optimize your spending by hiring IT experts worldwide and choosing a region whose hourly rates fit your budget.

We are committed to providing practical solutions, offering the following partnership models to ensure seamless collaboration, convenience, and the ability to reduce Flutter app development cost:

• IT staff augmentation is an effective model for building Flutter apps, allowing businesses to scale their development teams based on project needs. By adding skilled Flutter developers when required, companies can meet tight deadlines and handle complex development tasks.
• A Dedicated Team allows extending your opportunities by hiring developers with experience in the domain of your business. Scale up your in-house team structure by adding team members, assemble an agile-oriented team for a project created from scratch, or support the current team.

Cleveroad is an outsourcing software development company with over 15 years of experience helping businesses create high-performance, scalable, and reliable cross-platform apps. Our team specializes in custom mobile and web solutions, ensuring seamless functionality across iOS and Android while optimizing costs. We also assist with legacy software modernization, managed IT services, and the development of AI-driven solutions.

Here’s what benefits you’ll receive by cooperating with us on Flutter app development:

• Free solution design workshop to define goals, assess feasibility, and explore tailored strategies, completely risk-free, with no upfront commitment.
• 280+ in-house engineers (75% senior and middle level) with extensive expertise in Flutter development, ensuring efficient, high-quality app solutions.
• Custom Flutter app development tailored to your business needs, delivering high-performance, cross-platform applications with a single codebase for iOS and Android.
• Project Management Office (PMO) to keep development streamlined, mitigate risks, optimize resources, and ensure on-time delivery.
• ISO/IEC 27001:2013 and ISO 9001:2015 certifications ensure a structured approach to secure, high-quality software development.
• Flexible cooperation models for you to choose from, based on your timeline and budget considerations, including IT staff augmentation and a dedicated development team model.

To represent our expertise in Flutter-based solutions delivery, we’d like to disclose our recent case – a Software System for Creators and Spectators of Sports Activities.

A US-based company aimed to unite sports teams, spectators, and enthusiasts in a single digital space but lacked the software to make it happen. To bring their vision to life, they needed a reliable Flutter development partner capable of creating a cross-platform solution that seamlessly connected users, facilitated event participation, and enhanced engagement.

Cleveroad stepped in to develop a Flutter-based mobile app where users could align by skills and interests, join events, and interact with teams. Additionally, we built a web-based admin panel that allowed administrators to manage users, oversee activities, and ensure smooth platform operation. We focused on creating a scalable ecosystem with an intuitive UX to maximize user satisfaction.

As a result, our client received the cross-platform app, which is now available in stores, attracting new users and improving retention rates. The web-based admin panel enables seamless management of events and activities, including STEM competitions and challenges. With a well-structured digital ecosystem, the company has expanded its audience and monetization opportunities by facilitating team sponsorships, fundraising, and event participation.

Here’s what John Salmon, owner of Deltasport, says about our mutual collaboration on this project: