Whether you’re building a B2B service or a consumer-facing application, understanding the overall cost to build an app in the Netherlands is advantageous. The knowledge about the cost is essential as that will help you plan the budget, timeline, and feature expectations more closely match your business objectives.

Introduction

Planning a digital product begins with the first question: What will it cost to develop our app? This is even more important if you are developing for a platform with a wired and mature technology market, such as the Netherlands. As one of the most advanced digital economies in Europe with a highly experienced pool of developers, solid infrastructure, and a strong start-up community, the Netherlands is not short on quality, but is more expensive as a result.

Whether you are building a simple utility app or a complex enterprise platform, there are many factors (project scope, tech stack, UI/UX, team structure) that determine the cost of the project. This article outlines these factors in order to set expectations and, more importantly, help you in formulating your budget.

Hourly Rates for Developers in the Netherlands

Curious about your app’s development cost? The hourly rate of your development team plays a key role in deciding the final price tag.

When evaluating the app development cost, the hourly rate of the professionals takes center stage. Developer rates can vary widely as per their experience level, technical specialization, and whether you’re working with a freelance professional or a mobile app development company in the Netherlands, .

Here is a closer look at the general pricing landscape:

Developer Hourly Rate Breakdown

Junior App Developers

• Profile: If you are planning to develop a simple app or have senior developers to guide, you can hire Junior developers. These developers are typically just starting out or have up to 2 years of experience. If you’re building a basic MVP or internal tool, hiring junior talent can help reduce your overall app development cost.

• Hiring Insight: You can hire app developers with junior-level skills from freelancing platforms or through local development companies.

• Rate: €50 – €70/hour

Mid-Level App Developers

• Profile: Mid-level developers have around 3 to 5 years of experience and the ability to handle various app development cycles while being comfortable in tackling intricate integrations. They can work independently on moderate to high-complexity apps and offer a balanced mix of affordability and expertise.

• When to Hire: If you're looking to develop an app like Canva or a similar mid-range application, mid-level professionals are often the ideal choice. You may also select to hire dedicated developers at this level to uphold project continuity and cut down overhead.
  Rate: €70 – €100/hour

Senior App Developers

• Profile: Senior developers bring advanced coding skills and architectural understanding to the table. These developers have a knack for performance optimization, cloud integration, and scalable backend systems. If your goal is to build an enterprise-level or high-performance application, it is recommended to hire senior app developers.

• Hiring Tip: If you are seeking developers who are able to handle the technical challenges, execute advanced technologies, and lead teams, it’s worth the investment to hire iOS app developers or full-stack experts at the senior level.

• Rate: €100 – €150/hour

Freelancers vs. Agencies: What to Expect & What Not to

• Freelance Developers: You can expect to offer lower hourly rates from freelancers. But this liberty might come with limitations like restricted availability, lack of team support, or delayed timelines. This model can work well for short-term projects or maintenance work.

• App Development Agencies or companies usually charge on the higher end of the spectrum. This falls around €100 to €150+ per hour. But, these rates reflect not just coding but also value-added services like project management, UI/UX design, quality assurance, deployment support, & even post-launch maintenance.

Working with a top app development companies might feel like an expensive decision in the beginning. But the structured processes, accountability, and team coordination they provide often lead to faster delivery & better outcomes for your project.

The Cost of App Development in the Netherlands

Let’s break down the average cost estimates based on app type:

1. Simple App Development Cost

Simple apps come only with limited features. For example: Calculators, note-taking tools, or timers. Such apps are the easiest and most affordable to build. These apps typically don’t demand a complex backend or integrations.

• Estimated Cost in the Netherlands: €5,000 – €15,000

• Best option for: MVPs, internal tools, startups with a tight budget

• Who to Hire: You can easily hire app developers with minimal experience for platform-specific development.

To reduce cost and development time, consider working with a dedicated developer or a top app development company offering pre-built components.

2. Moderately Complex App Development Cost

This category includes feature-rich apps that demand user login, database integration, geolocation, or third-party API usage (like weather data or social media login). Here are a few examples: Fitness apps or restaurant finders.

• Estimated Cost in the Netherlands: €15,000 – €50,000

• Best option for: Consumer-facing apps with personalized experiences

• Pro Tip: Still on the fence about how to hire app developers? Consider teaming up with a mobile app development company that provides end-to-end project management, from wireframing to deployment.

This level of intricacy typically needs collaboration between UI/UX designers, backend developers, and QA testers.

3. Complex App Development Cost

Planning to build an app that involves real-time features, custom UI/UX, in-app payments, and multi-user functionality (like marketplaces or fintech platforms)? If yes, then your budget needs to scale accordingly.

• Estimated Cost in the Netherlands: €50,000 – €150,000+

• Best option for: E-commerce platforms, food delivery apps, streaming apps

• Hiring Tip: Seek dedicated app developers for hire with expertise in advanced technologies like AI, AR/VR, and real-time data handling.

Team up with a top app development company that makes sure of quality, scalability, and a secure backend that can tackle complex operations.

4. Enterprise App Development Cost

Enterprise-grade apps are precisely personalized to internal business operations. These include CRMs, ERP systems, employee portals, or logistics management platforms. Because of its extensive integrations, data privacy regulations, and custom backend architecture, these apps are the most resource-intensive.

• Estimated Cost in the Netherlands: €100,000 – €500,000+

• Best option for: Large businesses & corporations

• Who You’ll Need: You’ll likely need to hire dedicated developers across multiple skill sets- frontend, backend, DevOps, and cybersecurity- to bring these apps to life.

If yours is an enterprise-level project, it is non-negotiable to partner with a mobile app development company experienced in scalable cloud architecture, GDPR compliance, and long-term maintenance support.

The Ending Note

For startups and corporations in search of superior app development, the Netherlands continues to be a desirable location. App development cost varies greatly depending on the complexity of the app, and whether you choose to hire a freelancer, have an employee develop the app in-house, or have a premier app development company do it for you. Regardless, developing an app should be considered an investment. A good app development company delivers not just a functional app, but also a scalable, secure, and long-term valuable app during development. Before you begin spending resources, plan, research, and ask for expert opinions.