App developers build and maintain iOS, Android, and cross-platform mobile apps for startups, small businesses, agencies, and sometimes other developers. Invoices usually cover discovery and design work, development sprints or milestones, QA and app store submission, and ongoing maintenance or retainer hours after launch.
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Invoice_1001_Client_2026-10-14.pdf
Most independent app developers bill hourly for open-ended or ongoing work, and use fixed-price milestones for projects with a clear scope. Hourly billing suits feature work, bug fixes, and projects where requirements will change. Fixed-price bids work when you have written specs and screens, and they are usually split into milestones such as discovery, design approval, beta build, and App Store release, with a deposit up front. After launch, many developers move clients to a monthly retainer that covers OS updates, dependency upgrades, crash monitoring, and a set number of support hours. Third-party costs such as Apple Developer Program fees, Google Play fees, cloud hosting, push notification services, and paid SDK licenses are typically passed through at cost, or billed to the client's own accounts directly. Rates rise with specialization, such as native Swift or Kotlin, health or fintech compliance, or Bluetooth and hardware integration.
| Service | Priced | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile app development (freelance, mid-level) | per hour | $65-130 |
| Senior or specialist developer (native, architecture, security) | per hour | $110-200 |
| Discovery and technical scoping | flat fee | $1,500-6,000 |
| MVP app build (simple, single platform) | flat fee | $15,000-50,000 |
| App Store / Google Play submission and release setup | flat fee | $300-1,200 |
| Monthly maintenance retainer (updates, monitoring, bug fixes) | per month | $500-3,000 |
| Code audit or app rescue review | flat fee | $1,000-5,000 |
| API or third-party SDK integration | per integration | $800-4,000 |
Typical US ranges. Rates vary by region, experience, and job size.
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milestone 2: Core features build (user login, profile, push notifications) - iOS | 1 milestone | $6,500.00 | $6,500.00 |
| Backend API integration (REST, Stripe subscriptions) | 18 hours | $105.00 | $1,890.00 |
| QA testing and bug fixes on TestFlight build 0.9 | 10 hours | $90.00 | $900.00 |
| App Store submission, metadata, and screenshots setup | 1 flat fee | $500.00 | $500.00 |
| Third-party: push notification service plan (April, at cost) | 1 month | $49.00 | $49.00 |
| Total | $9,839.00 | ||
Notes: Payment due within 14 days of invoice date. Late balances accrue 1.5% per month. Accepted by ACH or card. Source code and App Store Connect transfer occur upon final payment per the signed agreement.
Ties each charge to the signed scope or statement of work so the client's accounts payable team can approve it without questions.
Clients on hourly billing often ask what the time went to, and a breakdown heads off disputes.
Shows which deliverable the charge covers, such as TestFlight build 0.9 or version 1.0 release.
Apple and Google fees, hosting, and SDK licenses should be visible as pass-through costs, not buried in your rate.
Work outside the original scope should point to the written change order or email that approved it.
Mid-size and enterprise clients often will not pay without a purchase order number on the invoice.
A line noting that code ownership or account transfer happens on full payment reinforces the contract and gives you leverage on unpaid balances.
Developers commonly collect 30 to 50 percent upfront on fixed-price projects, then bill remaining milestones on approval, with final payment due before the app is published or the source code is handed over. Hourly clients are usually invoiced biweekly or monthly in arrears, and retainers are billed at the start of the month. Net 14 or net 15 is common for small clients, while larger companies often require net 30. Late fees of 1 to 1.5 percent per month are typical if stated in the contract. ACH and wire transfers are preferred for large amounts, while cards work for smaller invoices if you accept the processing fee.
App projects slip because of client feedback delays, App Store review times, and changing requirements. Billing on approved milestones keeps your cash flow from depending on a launch date you do not fully control.
Ask clients to create their own Apple Developer and Google Play accounts and add you as a team member. This avoids messy transfers later and keeps platform fees off your invoices.
Scope creep is the main cause of unpaid overruns in app work. Use a short change order with an hour estimate, and get written approval before starting.
Bug fixes after launch, new iOS and Android versions, and library updates keep arriving. Offer a maintenance retainer or define a short warranty period, such as 30 days, after which support is billed.
Do not submit to the store or hand over the repository and signing keys until the last invoice is settled, unless your contract says otherwise.
Bill hourly when the scope is unclear or likely to change, and fixed-price when you have detailed specs and designs. Many developers combine both, using a fixed fee for the defined build and hourly rates for changes and support.
Yes, if your agreement says so. Many developers bill calls, planning sessions, and code reviews at their normal rate or a slightly reduced one. List them as a separate line so clients can see them.
The client should, and ideally on their own accounts. If you pay for something on their behalf, such as a hosting plan, invoice it at cost with a receipt and state in your contract whether you add a markup.
Pause further work, send a written reminder citing the contract terms and late fee, and withhold store submission, source code, and signing keys if your contract allows it. For larger amounts, consider a demand letter or small claims court, depending on your state's limits.
It depends on the state and on whether the deliverable is treated as custom software, a service, or a digital product. Some states tax custom software or SaaS and others do not, so check your state's rules or ask an accountant.
Send a App Developer estimate for approval, then turn it into an invoice when the work is done.
App Developer estimate template