How Much Does React Native App Development Cost in 2026? Complete Pricing Guide

Planning to build a mobile application and wondering exactly how much React Native app development will cost? Whether you’re a startup founder, a business owner, or a project manager, understanding the full cost landscape is one of the most important steps before you commit budget to your next mobile app development project. In this complete pricing guide, we break down every single factor that influences React Native development costs in the UK market, from hiring the right mobile developers to ongoing maintenance, so you can plan with confidence.

What Is React Native and Why Does It Save Money?

React Native is a cross-platform development framework built by Meta that lets developers write one codebase and deploy it to both iOS and Android. Instead of hiring a separate iOS developer and an Android developer and paying double the development time, you engage React Native developers who build for both platforms simultaneously. This is the single biggest reason businesses choose React Native—it cuts mobile app development costs by 30–40% compared with building two native apps from scratch.

Beyond the headline saving, React Native delivers further cost advantages. Because the framework uses JavaScript—one of the most widely adopted programming languages in the world—the pool of qualified freelance mobile developers and app development companies is enormous, which keeps rates competitive. The massive open-source ecosystem means teams spend less time writing custom code from scratch; thousands of battle-tested libraries are available for free, reducing custom app development hours significantly.

Major organisations including Instagram, Shopify, Discord, and Walmart rely on React Native. That level of adoption signals enterprise-grade reliability and a long-term support roadmap, which protects your investment.

UK Developer Rates in 2026

The single largest line item in any mobile app development budget is the development team. Here’s what you can expect to pay for React Native developers across the UK in 2026:

Junior React Native Developer (0–2 years)

• Annual salary: £30,000–£45,000
• Freelance hourly rate: £30–£50
• Suited to: bug fixes, simple screens, app maintenance and support tasks

Mid-Level React Native Developer (2–5 years)

• Annual salary: £45,000–£65,000
• Hourly rate: £50–£75
• Suited to: full feature builds, medium-complexity custom app development

Senior React Native Developer (5+ years)

• Annual salary: £65,000–£95,000
• Hourly rate: £75–£125
• Suited to: architecture, team leadership, app modernisation projects

Lead/Architect (8+ years)

• Annual salary: £90,000–£120,000+
• Contract rate: £100–£150 per hour
• Suited to: system design, mobile backend development strategy

Location Premiums

A London mobile app developer typically commands 20–30% more than the national average. If budget is tight, talented developers in Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, and Edinburgh offer excellent value. Remote engagement removes geographic premiums entirely whilst keeping you within the same time zone and legal jurisdiction.

Project-Based Pricing: What Will Your App Actually Cost?

Simple App/MVP—£15,000–£35,000

Three to five core screens, user authentication, a basic database, and straightforward app UI/UX design. Timeline is eight to twelve weeks. This tier is perfect for MVP development—launch fast, learn from real users, and iterate.

Medium-Complexity App—£35,000–£80,000

Ten to fifteen screens with custom app development features such as real-time chat, payment integration, map functionality, and polished mobile app design and development. Expect a four-to-six-month timeline with a team of two or three developers plus a designer.

Complex Enterprise App—£80,000–£250,000+

Twenty or more screens, advanced security, offline capability, AI or ML integration, and deep mobile backend development. This tier suits fintech platforms, healthcare systems, and large-scale enterprise tools. Timeline stretches to six–twelve months with a full multidisciplinary team.

App Modernisation—£40,000–£120,000

Converting a legacy native or web application into a modern React Native product. Scope includes code migration, feature parity checks, and performance benchmarking.

Engagement Models Compared

Freelance Mobile Developer

Ideal for MVP development or tightly scoped feature work. UK freelance mobile developers charge £40–£90 per hour. You get maximum flexibility but carry the risk of a single point of failure. Great for short sprints; less suited to year-long projects.

Dedicated Developer

A full-time resource assigned solely to your product. Monthly cost sits between £3,500 and £7,000 depending on seniority. The developer builds deep product knowledge over time, which accelerates delivery and reduces onboarding costs as the project matures.

App Development Company/Agency

The turnkey option. An app development agency brings designers, developers, QA engineers, and a project manager under one roof. Project costs typically start at £50,000 and include app UI/UX design, mobile backend development, testing, and deployment. Post-launch app maintenance and support retainers usually run £1,000–£5,000 per month.

Offshore Team

Teams in India, Eastern Europe, or Latin America charge £15–£50 per hour—a 40–70% saving versus UK rates. The trade-off is time zone lag and the need for more detailed specifications upfront. A hybrid model—UK project lead plus offshore engineers—balances cost and communication.

Costs People Forget About

Design adds £3,000–£50,000 depending on complexity. A bespoke app UI/UX design for an enterprise product can rival the cost of the development work itself.

Backend infrastructure—Firebase or AWS setup, hosting, and scaling—costs £100–£1,000+ per month once the app is live.

Third-party integrations such as Stripe, Google Maps, or social media sign-in each add £1,000–£5,000 in development time plus ongoing licence fees.

Testing and QA should consume 5–10% of the total budget. Automated test suites, device-farm runs, and penetration testing are non-negotiable for any production app.

Legal compliance—GDPR privacy policies, terms of service, and IP protection—adds £2,000–£10,000 depending on your jurisdiction and industry.

Post-launch maintenance is the perpetual cost most founders underestimate. Budget 15–20% of the initial development spend annually to cover bug fixes, OS updates, security patches, and minor feature work.

How to Keep Costs Under Control

Start with an MVP and expand in phases. Validate your core idea before committing to the full feature set. Leverage the open-source ecosystem—UI kits, navigation libraries, and state-management tools are free and production-ready. Invest £5,000–£15,000 in a proper discovery phase before writing a single line of code; good mobile app consulting at this stage prevents expensive rework later. And consider a blended team: a senior architect sets the direction whilst mid-level and junior developers handle the bulk of the feature work, keeping the average hourly rate well below the all-senior alternative.

Real-World Examples

A fitness-tracking MVP with workout logging and social sharing cost one client £22,000 over ten weeks with one mid-level developer and a part-time designer. An e-commerce marketplace with vendor accounts, Stripe checkout, and an admin dashboard ran to £98,000 over twenty-four weeks. A HIPAA-compliant healthcare platform with telemedicine, EHR integration, and multi-role access came in at £285,000 over forty-eight weeks—a project that would have cost well over £500,000 as two separate native apps.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is React Native cheaper than native development? Yes—typically 30–40% cheaper because one codebase serves both iOS and Android, halving the need for platform-specific developers.

How much does ongoing maintenance cost? Budget 15–20% of the original development spend per year. A £60,000 app will cost roughly £9,000–£12,000 annually to maintain.

Should I hire a freelancer or an agency? For MVP development under £50,000 with a clear scope, a freelance mobile developer is usually the better value. For anything more complex, an app development company provides the structure and risk reduction you need.

Are there hidden costs? Yes—hosting, third-party APIs, app store fees, legal work, and marketing all sit outside a standard development quote. Always ask what is not included before signing.

Ready to get a transparent quote for your React Native project? Contact us today and we’ll match you with the right team for your budget and timeline.