What is application development?
Application development is the process of creating software that supports a business function.
Essentially, app development involves crafting software that serves a particular function. It consists of tasks relating to each of the seven stages of the application lifecycle. This starts with planning and gathering business requirements; continues with designing, development, testing, and deployment; and ends with the maintenance of your finished software application.
Stages of app development
The process of application development can be divided into 7 key stages to ensure success:
1. Conceptualization and Planning: The foundation of a successful application begins with identifying the need, setting objectives, and conducting market research. This stage also involves determining the scope, resources, budget, and timeline for the project.
2. Requirements Analysis: Detailed requirements are gathered and analyzed, including user needs and functional/non-functional criteria. Clear and precise documentation is created with input from stakeholders such as business analysts, project managers, and potential users.
3. Design: The architecture and design of the application are created, including UI and UX. Technical architecture, data models, and system workflows are also developed in this phase.
4. Development: Actual coding and building of the application occur using relevant programming languages and tools. Multiple iterations and efficient development practices like Agile or DevOps may be employed.
5. Testing: Thorough testing is conducted to ensure a bug-free application that meets the initial requirements. This includes unit testing, integration testing, system testing, and UAT. All issues are identified and fixed before the app is released.
6. Deployment: The application is deployed to the production environment, such as app stores, web hosting, or distribution for desktop applications. Activities like beta releases and phased rollouts may be included.
7. Maintenance and Support: Ongoing maintenance is crucial for the app's success. This includes updating features, fixing bugs, enhancing performance, and ensuring compatibility. Regular monitoring and user support are provided to make the app effective and efficient.
Each stage of the application lifecycle is vital for the app's success, ensuring it meets requirements and remains relevant over time.
Check the latest application development best practices in 2025
Application development: Build or buy
Should you build or buy software?
Off-the-shelf applications provide all (or at least most) of the functionality needed to implement all the business processes you might wish to support. On the other hand, if an organization has unique requirements (or uses digital technology to generate business advantage), creating in-house software is a better bet.
However, US Labor statistics suggest the tech talent shortage amounts to 40 million skilled workers globally, so software engineers are a scarce and expensive resource.
To learn more about when you should build versus when you should buy software, take a look at the report Build or Buy Software? Choosing a Strategy for Success.
How much does it cost to develop an app?
The cost of developing an app varies significantly depending on various factors, from the complexity of the app to the platform you’ll use to develop it and the level of experience and expertise required.
For example:
- Simple apps: These are basic apps with minimal features, often involving standard UI components, simple feed functionalities, and very few backend services
- Moderate complexity apps: These apps include more advanced features like custom UI/UX designs, more sophisticated backend services, integration with APIs, and mid-level data management.
- Highly complex apps: High-end apps feature advanced functionalities like third-party integrations, complex backend development, real-time user interactions, and custom animations. These apps also often require extensive planning and research.
For an accurate estimate tailored to your specific app idea, consult with our sales team. They can provide a detailed estimate based on your app's unique features and requirements. Visit our pricing page for specific details.
Main app development methodologies
The next challenge is to decide what application development methodologies you should use.
1. Waterfall development
Waterfall development.
Traditionally, all organizations deployed the waterfall approach where teams would define everything at the start of a project, then build it, then give it to customers. The waterfall approach has pros and cons. It is meticulous: a lot of work goes into defining and scoping projects requirements, and a project manager oversees the entire process. But it also requires large teams and is slow: long lead times mean that business requirements or the competitive environment might have completely changed by the time the application is launched.
2. Rapid application development (RAD)
Rapid application development.
Rapid application development was created to address some of the problems of waterfall development. It emphasizes rapid prototyping and the creation of a minimum viable product: this is then rapidly iterated to add features and functionality and address any issues. This approach gets software to market quickly, requires only small teams, and enables those using it to pivot quickly to respond to changing requirements.
On the downside, RAD relies upon highly skilled and adaptable software developers who, as we’ve seen, are in short supply. Additionally, the small team size means it’s difficult to apply RAD to large projects. It also requires a lot of input from end-users. While this makes it ideal for software that is driven by the desire to create a great user interface, these customers may be hard to find or may not have the expertise to provide the necessary information.
3. Agile app development
Agile development.
In many ways, RAD is the forerunner of the Agile development methodologies now used by more than 70% of companies.
Like RAD, Agile is highly iterative, but rather than focus on complete applications, it concentrates on creating functional capabilities that can be aggregated together to fulfill business requirements. Agile is based on 12 principles, including simplicity, customer focus, and embracing changing circumstances.
A popular agile framework is Scrum. It guides app development and utilizes ‘sprints’ in which a diverse team focuses on delivering a particular function within a finite time. Agile is closely associated with DevOps: more than a methodology, DevOps is a mindset that seeks to accelerate application delivery by breaking down the barriers between the development function and the users it serves.
4. Low-code/no-code development
Low-code and no-code development.
Low-code and no-code are software development approaches that enable the delivery of applications faster and with minimal hand-coding by providing a visual development environment. Although they use similar approaches, low-code and no-code are slightly different.
Low-code tools are good for developing standalone mobile and web apps and portals that require integration with other systems and several data sources. It can be used for just about anything. The most advanced low-code platforms are catered to pro-developers while promoting collaboration with business users.
No-code tools, by contrast, should only be used for front-end use-cases and are usually associated with citizen developers. So, unless you’re developing only the simplest applications and require little in the way of customization, a low-code platform is likely the better option.
5. Mobile application development
Mobile app development.
Mobile app development is the process of creating software applications specifically designed to run on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. It involves a combination of technical skills, creativity, and problem-solving to transform an idea or concept into a functional and user-friendly mobile app. Companies that invest in the development of mobile applications can tap into the vast potential of the mobile market, reach a larger audience, and provide customers with convenient and personalized experiences.
The future of application development
Application development is entering a new era. The focus is no longer on delivering faster, but on intelligence and efficiency.
AI is becoming a critical component of modern app development. Businesses are exploring ways to integrate artificial intelligence seamlessly into their development processes to automate tasks, personalize user experiences, and gain a competitive edge. In fact, according to a recent report, 31% of organizations interviewed say that AI-assisted development is already an integral component of their app development practices.
Alongside AI, low-code platforms are redefining how applications are built. Together, AI and low-code are making the development process more accessible, intuitive, and collaborative, setting the stage for a new era of innovation.
"We built the sanction compliance service not to sell software licenses, but to deliver superior outcomes for our customers. That’s what OutSystems enabled us to do.”
Darren Temple Vice President of the Insurance Unit, NTT Data UK
How can OutSystems low-code support app development?
OutSystems is an AI-powered low-code development platform that combines visual, model-driven development with AI, DevOps, and cloud to address your needs for enterprise applications and software that makes the difference in your business.
Our platform empowers developers to build robust and feature-rich applications with reduced development effort and time. It enables faster time-to-market, promotes collaboration, and supports the development of both web and mobile applications.
The OutSystems visual development environment, extensive component library, integration capabilities, and application lifecycle management tools make it a powerful solution for accelerating app development.
If you’re looking for a platform to deliver your application development needs, why not take OutSystems for a test drive? Schedule a demo to learn more.
App dev frequently asked questions
Key skills include programming knowledge (languages like Java, Swift), understanding of user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design, proficiency in cross-platform frameworks (if necessary), problem-solving, debugging, and sometimes back-end development skills.
Development time varies depending on the app's complexity, features, and resources. Simple apps might take a few months, while complex ones can take a year or more.
Typically involves planning, design (UI/UX), coding, testing, and deployment. Ongoing maintenance and updates are also crucial.
Commonly used languages include Java and Kotlin for Android, Swift and Objective-C for iOS, and JavaScript for cross-platform frameworks like React Native.
Involves running the app in various scenarios to find bugs or issues. Developers use debuggers, emulators, real devices, and testing frameworks to ensure app quality.
Yes, apps can be developed for both iOS and Android using cross-platform frameworks like Flutter, React Native, or Xamarin. This approach can be more efficient than developing separately for each platform.
These include dealing with different device specifications, maintaining a consistent UI/UX, ensuring app performance and security, and keeping up with platform updates and regulations.
Effective strategies include app store optimization, social media marketing, influencer collaborations, paid advertising, and gathering user feedback for continuous improvement.