Nearly 5 million apps are available in the app stores; still, there’s room for more. Despite market saturation, businesses in Montreal continue developing apps at the same pace. This impressive fact, combined with rising app development costs in Montreal, shows that the demand isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
In Canada, the app market volume is projected to reach $12.50 billion by 2029 at a CAGR of 6.75%. The market revenue will reach around $49 578 million by 2030. Montreal emerged as a top destination for app development in Canada due to cutting-edge experts, affordable talent, and government support.
However, hiring a Montreal development team is an expensive endeavor. It’s essential to know the app development costs in Montreal. This blog will walk you through how much it costs to build various types and sizes of different business needs. Let’s explore!
How much does it cost to build an app in Montreal in 2025?
Building an app in Montreal in 2025 can cost CAD 20,000 to 120,000, depending on app type, app size, tech stack, number of experienced developers, design requirements, and maintenance needs.
When you compare the mobile app development prices in Canada, you will find the App development costs in Montreal are pretty inexpensive as the salaries of Montreal developers are 20 to 30% less than those of Toronto or Vancouver developers. This is why a Website development company in Toronto charges more than Montreal developers.
Besides, the ongoing CITQ program provides 30% tax credits for digital innovation, another reason for making app development cost-effective in Montreal. It indicates getting an app developed in Montreal is a good deal.
Which factors influence the mobile app development cost in Montreal?
Understanding the parameters that impact the app development cost in Montreal will help businesses accurately estimate how much it costs to build an app in Montreal. Let’s dig deeper!
- The app functionalities define what the product is and serve users’ needs.
- The complexity level of functionalities impacts the development time.
- The number of platforms to target and approach to build the app- native or hybrid.
- Business needs technical support after the app launch.
- Several third-party integrations are required in the app.
Detailed overview of app development cost in Montreal by factors
Based on business goals and budget, it’s essential to know app development costs in Montreal. Here, you will know how much you need to pay after partnering with a mobile app development company in Canada.
How much do various development stages contribute to development costs?
When you look at the cost breakdown, each app development stage will take a cut from the budget. Various development phases include- the discovery stage will take 10-15% of the app development budget; the design stage takes 20-25% of the total cost; functionalities development accounts for 40-55% of the price; app testing requires 15-20% of the overall budget; deployment eats up 5-10% of the budget.
App Development Cost Breakdown by Stage (Montreal 2025)
| Development Stage | Cost Range ($) | % of Total Cost |
| 1. Discovery & Planning | 5,000−20,000 | 10% – 15% |
| 2. UI/UX Design | 10,000−30,000 | 20% – 25% |
| 3. Functionalities Development | 15,000−60,000 | 40% – 55% |
| 4. Testing & QA | 5,000−25,000 | 15% – 20% |
| 5. Deployment | 2,000−10,000 | 5% – 10% |
How does the app development approach impact cost?
The choice of app development approach significantly influences the cost of building an app in Montreal.
- Native development ensures building an app for one platform using native technologies and tools, but it’s a little pricey and brings costs from $20,000 to $250,000.
- A cross-platform development approach ensures building an app for two platforms at the cost of one. Flutter and React Native are mainly used frameworks for cross-platform development that bring a wide gap in development cost, which lies between $15,000 and $90,000. The Flutter vs. React Native cost in Montreal lets you know which framework is cost-effective to consider.
- Web app development on all web browsers across mobile devices ranges between $10,000 to $80,000. It’s reasonable compared to Toronto’s web design and development company.
- Progressive web apps that offer native experiences cost between $10,000 to $80,000 in Montreal.
| Development approach | Cost |
| Native development | $20,000 to $250,000. |
| Cross-platform development | $15,000 to $90,000 |
| Web app development | $10,000 to $80,000 |
| Progressive web app | $10,000 to $80,000 |
How does the number of platforms impact cost?
The app development cost in Montreal depends on the number of platforms for which you want to build an app. This means the cost estimation will increase as the number of platforms increases.
- Building an iOS app for Apple devices costs between $30,000 to $200,000.
- Android app development using Java or Kotlin requires businesses to pay between $20,000 and $200,000.
- Windows app development for all MS Windows devices needs $20,000 to $100,000.
| Platform | Cost |
| iOS app development | $30,000 to $200,000. |
| Android app development | $20,000 to $200,000 |
| Windows app development | $20,000 to $100,000 |
How does tech stack variation change app development cost?
Technology stack leverage determines the number of specialists required in the development team, which increases the app development cost. Also, for advanced technology leverage, infrastructure needs to be set up, and tools must be purchased accordingly, impacting the development cost.
For example, augmented reality apps cost CAD 270,000, IoT apps eat CAD 100,000, AI/ML applications consume CAD 120,000, Blockchain app development costs reach CAD 150,000, and more.
| Platform | Cost (CAD) |
| AR app development | 270,000 |
| IoT app development | 100,000 |
| AI/ML app development | 120,000 |
| Blockchain app development | 150,000 |
How does an app’s complexity bring a difference in app development cost?
The number of features and integrations, design comprehensiveness, and security mechanism bring differences in the size and complexity of the app. Mainly, three types of apps based on complexity level influence app development costs in Montreal in 2025.
- Simple app development with minimum features, optimal design, and limited integrations costs between $20,000 and $35,000.
- Mid-sized app development with many features, unique design, and several integrations costs between $35,000 to $80,000.
- Complex app development with advanced functionalities, complex UI/UX design, and unlimited for multiple platforms costs $80,000 and above.
| Complexity level | Cost ($) |
| Simple app development | $20,000 to $35,000 |
| Mid-sized app development | $35,000 to $80,000 |
| Complex app development | 80,000+ |
How does the team engagement model bring stark variation in development cost?
The right team engagement model selection is as important as the right development team selection as it impacts the cost of building an app. Businesses can select three different engagement models- build an in-house team, outsource to an app development company in Montreal, and hire freelancers in Montreal.
The in-house app development in Montreal will increase the simple app development cost to $50,000 because of the associated infrastructure and other overheads. Outsourcing the app development to a mobile app development company in Canada costs businesses around $40,000 and brings benefits like- accountability, seamless communication, smooth project management, quality assurance, and others.
Employing freelancers in Montreal reduces the app development cost drastically, as freelancer charges as low as $20 per hour. However, quality, security, and accountability issues may prevent businesses from choosing this option.
| Team engagement model | Cost ($) |
| In-house development | Around $50,000 |
| Outsourcing | Around $40,000 |
| Hire freelancers | $20 per hour |
What’s the size of your team that influences the app development cost?
The number of developers, designers, architects, analysts, QA & testing pros, and marketing engineers in the development team increases when the project complexity surges and the tech stack becomes advanced. Also, the technical skills and experience of the team members increase the hourly rate.
Consider the list of team members and their hourly rate, which helps you know how much you need to spend to hire a development team, ultimately impacting development costs.
| Team members | Hourly Rate |
| Architect | $45 – $80 |
| Project Manager | $30 – $55 |
| Business Analyst | $30 – $50 |
| Developer | $35 – $55 |
| QA | $30 – $60 |
| UI/UX Designer | $20 – $40 |
What is the hidden cost that potentially impacts app development costs?
The upfront cost is mainly displayed in the app development cost, but the remaining costs are ignored, which is a substantial percentage of the total cost. It includes-
- The app maintenance ensures the app keeps running smoothly with continuous bug fixing, feature addition, tech stack improvement, and other updates. The maintenance cost is 10-15% of the total app development cost.
- design enables creating a difference in the market, which requires hiring UX design specialists, who are expensive to acquire.
- The app submission fee cannot be ignored. The app stores charge $99 per year from the company for app submission, followed by a 15-20% commission on paid apps or in-app purchases.
Conclusion
Businesses are continuously trying to fulfill the unmet needs with innovative app development. It starts with collaborating with a reliable app development partner in Montreal. When the app development cost in Montreal puzzles you, getting a precise cost estimation is essential. The app development cost breakdown will help businesses correctly compute the development price in Montreal. Go through the ways that impact app development cost and calculate it accurately in 2025.
FAQ
How much does it cost to hire an app developer in Montreal?
In Montreal, businesses must pay the developers $100 to $150 per hour based on their role, expertise, experience, and tech specialties.
How to reduce app development costs in Montreal?
There are different ways to keep the app development cost low in Montreal. They are-
– Conduct extensive R&D ahead of development.
– Leverage tech stack judiciously, such as open-source technologies and tools
– Start with MVP and enhance gradually
– Optimize development process
– Contract negotiation
– Others
What are the hidden fees in app development in Montreal?
Hidden fees in app development in Montreal that significantly impact the budget are infrastructure setup, administrative cost, unexpected project changes, support & maintenance, and third-party integrations.
Which is cost-effective- Montreal vs Toronto app development costs?
When you compare the app development costs in Montreal and Toronto, you will find that app development costs are slightly lower in Montreal because of the lower salaries of developers and the low cost of living.
Which is a better option- Offshore vs Montreal app developers?
Hiring Montreal developers is better due to seamless communication, cultural similarity, high collaboration, and a thriving skilled workforce. On the flip side, offshore developers hiring reduces development costs, facilitates scalability, enables access to a large talent pool, etc.
