Bhaktapur, Nepal · Est. 2022
Mobile App Development Company in Nepal
Antbytelabs is a mobile app development company based in Bhaktapur, Nepal building cross-platform iOS and Android apps with Flutter and React Native. We work with startups and enterprises across Nepal — apps start from $1,500, with full source-code ownership and a fixed-price quote after a free call. We build for the connection people actually have, so an app keeps working when the signal drops and syncs once it returns.
Reviewed by the Antbytelabs engineering team · Last updated September 2026
How much does it cost to build a mobile app in Nepal?
A cross-platform app starts from $1,500. Most production apps land in the NPR 300,000–1,500,000 range, set by features, backend complexity, and third-party integrations. You get one fixed quote after a free discovery call — and one codebase that ships to both iOS and Android, which keeps cost down.
How the build actually runs
Five stages, in order. You see something running on a real device at the end of every second week, not a status report.
01
Scope and quote
A call to work out what the app has to do, then a fixed price. If a mobile site would serve you better we say so here, before anyone is committed.
02
Screens before code
Clickable screens you can tap through and argue with. Changing a flow at this stage costs a conversation; changing it after the build costs a sprint.
03
Build in two-week cycles
A testable build on your own phone at the end of each cycle, so you are never waiting until the end to find out it is wrong.
04
Testing on real devices
Not just the newest iPhone. Mid-range Android on a weak connection is what most of your users actually hold.
05
Store submission
We prepare the listing, screenshots and review responses, and submit under your own developer accounts. Apple rejections are normal; handling them is part of the job.
06
Handover
Source code, design files and the store accounts, all in your name. Maintenance afterwards is optional, not a lock-in.
What the app gets built with
Mainstream, well-documented tools, chosen so another developer can pick the code up later without us.
Framework
- Flutter
- React Native
- Expo SDK
- Swift / Kotlin
Backend
- Firebase
- Node.js / NestJS
- REST API
- GraphQL
State & storage
- Riverpod
- Redux Toolkit
- SQLite / Hive
Tooling
- Xcode
- Android Studio
- Fastlane
- Sentry
Taking payments inside a Nepali app
If your app charges for anything, this is the part that decides the timeline, and it is the part every other page on this subject leaves out. eSewa, Khalti, IME Pay and Fonepay each have their own flow, and a mobile app adds a problem a website does not have: the payment happens outside your app, in a browser or another app, and your app has to survive being backgrounded and come back knowing what happened.
The failure everyone hits is the same one. A user pays, the bank confirms, and the phone kills the app before the callback lands, so the order looks unpaid. It is handled with server-side verification and idempotent order state rather than by trusting the redirect. Ask whoever quotes you what happens in that exact case.
There is a second trap on iOS. If you sell digital content used inside the app, Apple requires its own in-app purchase and takes a commission. Physical goods and services delivered in the real world can use a local gateway. Getting that distinction wrong is a rejection, and it is cheaper to know before the build than during review. We wrote the detail in what eSewa and Khalti integration actually involves.
Work you can open
Every one of these is live. Click through and use them.
Blurkart eyewear store
Next.js and Prisma storefront with an eye-test booking flow, and payment isolated in its own service so a catalogue change cannot take checkout down.
Read the case study →Tour and travel booking
Search, availability and booking for a travel operator, built to stay usable on a weak connection.
Read the case study →Why build your app with Antbytelabs?
Built for load
We design for load from the schema up: indexed queries, background jobs off the request path, and a caching layer before you need one.
Offline-first when it matters
Apps that keep working on a weak connection and sync later — critical for Nepal's network conditions.
One codebase, both stores
Flutter / React Native gives native-quality iOS + Android from a single codebase, lowering cost and time.
Full ownership + support
You own the source code; we offer post-launch maintenance and store updates if you want them.
Need a website too? See our web development in Nepal page, or explore the full software company in Kathmandu overview.
What the stores charge, before anyone writes code
Development quotes almost never mention these, and they are not optional. Both are paid in USD to Apple and Google directly, not to your developer, and both are in your company's name rather than ours.
| Account | Cost |
|---|---|
| Apple Developer ProgramRecurring. Stop paying and your app leaves the App Store. | $99 / year |
| Google Play ConsoleOne payment, for the life of the account. | $25 once |
| D-U-N-S numberNeeded to publish under your company name on iOS, not as a person. | Free |
So the first year costs about $124 in store fees alone, then $99 every year after. The part that catches Nepali businesses is not the amount, it is the payment: both take an international card, and getting one issued against a company account here takes longer than most people plan for.
The D-U-N-S number is free from Dun & Bradstreet but is issued on their timeline, not yours, and Apple will not approve an Organization account without it. Start it the week the project starts. We have seen finished apps sit waiting on paperwork that could have been filed a month earlier, and it is a frustrating way to miss a launch date.
Mobile app development in Nepal — frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to build a mobile app in Nepal?
A cross-platform mobile app in Nepal starts from NPR 150,000 (from $1,500 for international clients), with most production apps in the NPR 300,000–1,500,000 range depending on features, backend, and integrations. Antbytelabs gives a fixed-price quote after a free discovery call.
How long does mobile app development take?
A simple app takes 8–10 weeks; a feature-rich app with a custom backend takes 12–16 weeks. We work in two-week sprints with a testable build at the end of each sprint, so you can try the app on a real device as it grows.
Do you build for both iOS and Android?
Yes. We build cross-platform apps with Flutter or React Native from a single codebase, so you get native-quality iOS and Android apps at a lower cost than building each separately. When a project needs it, we also build fully native (Swift / Kotlin).
Can the app work offline?
Yes, where the workflow demands it. An offline-first app keeps working when the connection drops and syncs once it returns, which matters for field work, delivery and anywhere outside the valley. It costs more to build than an online-only app because conflicts have to be resolved when two devices edited the same record, so it is worth deciding early whether you need it.
Do you publish the app to the App Store and Play Store?
Yes. We handle the full submission to the Apple App Store and Google Play, including store listings, screenshots, and review compliance, and we support updates after launch. The store accounts themselves stay in your company's name, not ours, so the app is yours if you ever change developer. Budget for the store fees separately: Apple charges $99 a year and Google Play $25 once, both paid directly to them in USD.
What does it cost to publish an app from Nepal?
About $124 in the first year and $99 a year after that: the Apple Developer Program is $99 annually and a Google Play Console account is $25 once. Both are paid to Apple and Google in USD, not to your development company, and both need an international card, which is usually the slower part for a Nepali business. To publish under your company name on iOS rather than as an individual you also need a D-U-N-S number, which is free from Dun & Bradstreet but takes time to issue, so apply for it at the start of the project rather than at the end.
Will I own the app's source code?
Yes. Full source code, design files, and documentation transfer to you on final payment — no vendor lock-in. You can maintain, extend, or move the app freely.
Flutter or React Native — which should I choose?
Flutter gives pixel-consistent UI and strong performance; React Native lets you share code and people with an existing JavaScript or React web codebase. We usually recommend Flutter for a new app and React Native when your team already works in JavaScript. Either way it is one codebase for both stores.
How is the app maintained after launch?
Maintenance is optional and quoted per app. It covers OS compatibility updates each time Apple and Google ship a new release, security patches, crash monitoring with Sentry or Firebase Crashlytics, and small feature additions. If you would rather maintain it yourselves, the handover includes everything you need.
Have an app idea?
Book a free 30-minute call. We'll scope your app, recommend the right stack, and send a fixed-price quote within three business days. No obligation.