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I have been introducing me in the world of mobile apps development , and in every site of freelancing I have entered the clients request that the app work for Android and iOS too.

I know that exist frameworks like PhoneGap, Titanium, etc, that allow you to develop using HTML, CSS and JavaScript to various mobile platforms avoid to re-code the app to iOS or Android, but I hear too that this frameworks have limitations relative to the platforms and it's better using the native language.

I have a client that offers me jobs of this kind, I means app to run over Android and iOS on the same time, more specifically business app. My question is :

How I can measure the cost for this business apps if I decide to develop it in Objective-C and Java, for iOs and Android respectively?

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  • You can create 1 app in phonegap, and charge them 2 times the amount spent for 1 app and not let them know- It not unethical, its business smart, as long as you keep the source! Because sometimes there are bugs in iOS that need fixing and sometimes on Android, even in Phonegap!
    – WillyWonka
    Apr 10, 2014 at 22:35
  • go through the blog for cost estimation : blaze-core.com/much-cost-develop-app-game
    – Hemant Metalia
    Dec 15, 2014 at 9:57
  • go through the blog for cost estimation : blaze-core.com/much-cost-develop-app-game
    – Hemant Metalia
    Dec 15, 2014 at 9:59

3 Answers 3

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Coding in Java is different than coding in an HTML environment and porting it through an application to have it in java.

Ethically, i would not bill a client for hours coding in a language i was not coding in.

So if you code in HTML, that what i would bill. If you then convert it to Java through a program, certainly bill for the time it took you to convert over, but not as if you programmed it yourself in java.

Sorry if i misunderstood the intent of your question.

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  • Making an iOS app natively, and then porting it to Android takes roughly the same amount of time as making the android one from scratch.
    – Amelia
    Feb 1, 2014 at 23:37
  • I understand that... my only concern was "doubling" the billable hours by stating: HTML Hours: 5 Java Hours: 5.... when the reality is HTML: 5 and Port through app: 1... so the true billable was 6, but they stated 10..... that was my impression by the question, and if not the intent my answer is irrelevant, but if it was the intent, i do not believe in billing for hours not worked. Sorry about the last comment cut short... work. =)
    – rathor1622
    Feb 7, 2014 at 16:56
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Because you are bound to run into specific issues related to each platform (no different than web sites and the IE-vs-everything else concerns) maybe you should bill hourly. It makes for less risk because you don't control OS releases, which can actually become a factor between the time you start developing and the time you finish.

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You are asking about how to measure the cost of apps where you have to code Android/iOS part? If so, then just count additional hours needed to code this part. You may use your own hourly rate for such coding.

What is the problem by counting extra work hours you spend coding mobile parts of web site? Is the client willing to finance this? As he should since it's a decent amount of extra work.

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  • Yes, my question is about how to measure the price of mobile apps when you have to code for both, Android/iOs.
    – Victor Sigler
    Jan 22, 2014 at 12:58
  • See edit. Does it help now?
    – Peter MV
    Jan 22, 2014 at 17:22

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