Comments on: So, Exactly How Much do App Developers Make on Their Hard Work?

By: tomwiles

tomwiles — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 01:40:15 +0000

The $35,000 “average” cost to develop an iPhone app seems to be more than a bit high to me. Wasn’t Apple making a big deal about a young kid still living with his parents that developed an iPhone app that made a lot of money from it not that long ago? Also, a lot of app developers have other jobs. It’s possible they are taking “professional” programmer rates and arbitrarily multiplying that figure by the average number of hours it takes to write an app so they can come up with an arbitrary figure in order to make a point.

Even if we take the $35,000 dollar figure as being true, the profound lack of financial success doesn’t seem to be slowing down app development at all.

By: Eric

Eric — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 21:47:51 +0000

As a long time listener and reader of the GNC, and a brand new first time developer of iPhone Apps (Not sure I can call myself a ‘developer’ yet), I will put in my 2 cents.

I made my App in about a month only working on it a couple hours a week here and there. Even if I paid myself well, I don’t think I would come near the $35,000 average. Hell, I even checked with outsourcing and it would have cost me about $600 give or take a little.

That said after a week on the store with no promotion what so ever my app is selling pretty well. Better than I expected is what all I can say. I am not sure if the TOS allows me to say what I make so will play it safe.

The best thing about the Apple Store is that it’s open 24/7 all around the world with a potential for millions of customers. I think I will take those odds

By: susabelle

susabelle — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 21:23:31 +0000

C’mon John…I wasn’t dissing Apple. I was pointing out that app development doesn’t make any money, and that doesn’t have anything to do with Apple’s taking a cut (which they definitely should be doing, IMHO). I don’t have figures for Android apps or I’d have shared them as well. Check out the second article. It’s actually pretty fascinating, if long.

By: John Knights

John Knights — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 21:21:06 +0000

Viva capitalism! That is software and business in general, 80% dross and 80% of the profit generated by the top 20% of achievers.

Contrast with the Google App store where your only reward is minute micro-revenues from Google advertising. Developers are free to set their price so how exactly are Apple any different from any other retailer who take a cut for selling stuff created by other people?

Because they are Apple, that makes them a great target for criticism with some dodgy cobbled together figures in that report (which I have no real desire to pull apart right now).

With the right kind of arguments you can paint any picture you like…