Finding developers on Upworks?

A big part of the cost of developing any app is back end support. I'm not sure about web apps, but many Android and iOS apps need a server for the apps to connect to. The server and getting it set up can be pretty expensive.

Also consider what us non-developers would consider an easy app, might actually be pretty complex to implement correctly.

My own personal opinion is that $300 is pretty cheap, and I'd question the quality of work you'd get for that price.

Here's an article that can probably better explain the different price points for web app development and what you can expect for those prices:

Web Development Cost, Rate Comparison - different types of custom web application development companies

I would suggest Upwork.

It's not great, but it's the best of a bad lot of freelancing platforms.

For web based apps I've found the best mix of value + experience from freelancers in China.

My advice would be to have clear milestones and dates when you need things done by. Without this, things drag on, there's no urgency or accountability.

$300 is about 10 hours work, not a lot involved.

My advice at this stage would be to:
- Have specs and parameters of what you want app to do. Screenshots / mockups are great, freelancer knows exactly what to do
- Post project on Upwork as hourly.
- Specify you prefer fixed price project and will discuss with "promising candidates"
- Send specs to 2-3 good candidates and have them estimate cost and time. They'll tell you if they need server access or anything

This will give you an idea of the budget. Proceed if you like the quote and freelancer.

With Upwork (unlike other platforms) there's no risk involved in posting project, no fees for posting project, you don't have to hire etc. Just do it

I don't think you're going to get a quality app for $300. I'd increase your budget by 10x to be honest.

You may be able to find some cheap oversea labor to do it at that price, but like others have posted above, I'd question the quality and uniqueness of the work.

If you want to get the best price on an app, I'd steer clear of the freelancing sites and go directly to the source. The best place to find app developers is where app developers hang out. Lots of forums and message boards where you can find plenty of young people just getting in to the market who will probably take on your project in exchange for a spot in their portfolio. Be patient with them, as they are rookies, but that's where I'd go to find the best possible price.

Upwork is a good source. Another is outsourcely and staff.com. You can also place ads on craiglist.

Project payments depends on complex the project will be, the duration of planning, coding, implementation and maintenance. You can also ask the price for per project basis, per month or per hour. Your choice.

Thanks Guys!!

One thing to know is that almost everyone quotes high.

I recently posted a simple project and the majority of quotes were $250-$380. I ended up getting it done for $100.

Often I will send someone a message and just say...Your price is nuts. Thanks anyway. That's what I did with everyone on the last project, except the lower more reasonable ones, which most I told them there price was high. Then you will find out who is will to negotiate, as may will reply back and ask you what you think is fair or they will just drop their price.

The person that said that $300 is about 10 hours work. I would disagree. I have never in my life paid anyone $300 per hour. Many programmers live in countries where $30 per hour is mad money and will work for a fraction of that price.

If you only speak English, make sure who you choose has excellent comprehension. If not, you can end up explaining something over and over to get them to understand. I always specify this in the description of the project.

I also always say to use the word "????" at the beginning of their proposal, so you know who really read it VS who just posted an automated reply.

In my opinion, trust no one until they prove themselves. Many freelancers will just tell you yes to anything, to get you to award them the project. So never pay anything upfront ever, always set clear/specific milestones and never pay unless you are 100% satisfied!!!

Try and be very detailed in your specs. The very first program that I had developed, I didn't do this. So while I got what I wanted, it didn't have the exact functionality that I was expecting. This is because I was vague in my specs and the programmer had to interpret my assumptions that I thought were obvious, because how else would you do it. Well it turned out there were other ways.

Once you find someone you can trust, is quick and fair on pricing. Stick with them. My main programmer has worked with me for about 19 years. Some small amount of things he doesn't do and that's when I have to use freelancer sites.

You will certainly get people who will develop a web based app for you at 99designs but the cost will be a little over the roof.

If you want a cheap one, I can refer you to a designer but will need to browse through my Skype for the name which I can't remember now.

I would suggest learning programming on your own. After some time, if programming is a struggle for you, then consider outsourcing. Even if you get the app done, you might still need to upgrade it over time. Not to mention, potential bugs that might need to be address.

Think about the potential cost down the road. You might need to rehire the same programmer for continuous work on your app.

vedremo's instructions are great.
I've used upwork for about 2 years with good results but I could be just lucky.

I would guess a browser based app would be around $800 or so by a quality programmer.
There are always changes you'll think of and other stuff that will need to be done while the job is being worked on which adds to your cost.
Than of course it will need updating as things change etc...

Don't be afraid to throw your job into the ring and see what response you get.