How Long Does It Take to Build an App?
Most app timelines slip for reasons that have nothing to do with writing code. Understanding where the weeks actually go — including the ones you control — is the difference between a schedule that holds and one that does not.
The phases, and what each really involves
| Phase | Typical duration | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery & scope | 1–3 weeks | Roles, data, integrations, and constraints pinned down in writing |
| Design | 2–6 weeks | Flows, screens, states — including the empty and error ones |
| Build | 4 weeks – 9 months | The part everyone pictures; varies most with scope |
| Testing & fixes | 2–4 weeks | Real devices, real conditions, edge cases |
| App Store review | 1 day – 2 weeks | Usually fast; rejections add a round trip |
These overlap in practice. Design of later screens continues while earlier ones are being built, and testing runs continuously rather than only at the end.
Realistic end-to-end timelines
Simple app — one user role, no backend, handful of screens: 6–10 weeks from start to submission.
Moderate app — accounts, backend sync, a couple of integrations: 4–6 months.
Complex app — multiple roles, payments, real-time features, more than one platform: 8–14 months.
If a timeline sounds dramatically shorter than these, ask what is being left out. Usually it is testing, error states, or the admin side.
What actually causes delays
- Slow decisions on your side
The single most common cause, and the most fixable. A build waiting three days for approval on every question loses weeks across a project. Name one person who can decide without convening a committee.
- Scope added mid-build
"While we are in there, could we also…" is how four-month projects become seven-month projects. Every addition costs its own build time plus the retesting of everything it touches.
- Content and assets arriving late
Copy, images, legal text, and brand assets are routinely assumed to be someone else's job. Development stalls waiting for them.
- Third-party dependencies
If your app integrates with a partner's system, your timeline now includes their responsiveness. Their API documentation being wrong is a real and frequent delay.
- Undecided edge cases
What happens when payment fails halfway? When the user is offline? These need answers, and they are business decisions, not technical ones.
How to make it go faster
Do discovery properly. It feels like delay and it is the opposite. Time spent deciding before building is far cheaper than deciding during.
Have designs ready, or budget for design. Building without designs means designing in code, which is the slowest possible way to design.
Freeze scope for the first release. Keep a list for version two rather than absorbing changes.
Gather content early. Legal text, onboarding copy, and imagery take longer to produce than anyone expects.
Ship narrower. The fastest way to launch in three months is to want a three-month product. See MVP vs full product build.
App Store review
Review is usually quick — often within a day or two — but a rejection means fixing and resubmitting, which can add a week. The common causes are avoidable if you know them in advance; see App Store review rejection reasons and how to get an app on the App Store.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to build an app?
A simple app with one user role and no backend typically takes 6-10 weeks end to end. A moderate app with accounts and integrations runs 4-6 months. A complex multi-role app with payments or real-time features takes 8-14 months.
What causes app projects to run late?
Most delays are not technical. Slow decision-making on the client side, scope added mid-build, late delivery of content and assets, and unresponsive third-party integration partners cause more delay than development itself.
How long does App Store review take?
Usually one to two days. A rejection adds a round trip of fixing and resubmitting, which can extend it to a week or more.
Can an app be built faster by adding developers?
Rarely, and often the opposite. Adding people mid-project adds coordination and onboarding overhead. Reducing scope is a far more reliable way to shorten a timeline.
How long should the discovery phase take?
Typically one to three weeks. It feels like a delay but reduces total time, because decisions made before building are much cheaper than decisions made during it.
Talk to us about your build
KIDA Studios builds custom software, apps, games, AR and XR across Apple platforms, Windows, Android, web, and embedded. If you have a project in mind, a short discovery call is the fastest way to get a realistic scope and number.
Related: How Much Does It Cost to Build an App? · MVP vs Full Product Build · What Is a Technical Discovery Phase? · App Store Review Rejection Reasons (and How to Avoid Them)