“How much does an app cost?” is one of the questions we hear most. A few years ago, the answer rarely started below CHF 20,000. Today, with no-code and vibe coding (building an app by describing it to an AI), an entrepreneur can launch a first version for the price of a monthly subscription. Here is how, and where the traps are.
What is the cheapest way to build an app?
| Method | Indicative budget | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vibe coding (Lovable, Bolt, v0, Claude Code) | Subscription of about USD 20 to 50/month | A few days | Prototype, internal tool, MVP |
| No-code (Bubble, Glide, Adalo) | Monthly subscription, depending on usage | A few weeks | Management apps, simple marketplaces |
| Freelancer / studio using AI tools | A few thousand CHF | 1 to 4 weeks | Serious project without a tech team |
| Traditional custom agency | Tens of thousands of CHF | Several months | Complex, high-traffic products |
Start with a web app, not an App Store app.
It works on every phone, updates instantly and has no publishing fees. Move to the stores once the idea has proven itself.
How do you build an app step by step?
- Write down in 5 lines the problem the app solves and for whom.
- Pick ONE main feature (book, order, track, calculate…).
- Build a prototype with a vibe coding tool and test it yourself.
- Show it to 5 real potential customers and note what gets in the way.
- Add user accounts, payments and data only when needed.
- Put it online, back up the code (GitHub) and measure usage.
Learn to build your own tools with AI
One-to-one vibe coding course by video, on your own project, from a studio that uses these tools every day.
Mistakes that blow up the budget
- Wanting every feature in the first version.
- Choosing a closed tool that does not let you export your code.
- Forgetting security: exposed API keys, unprotected customer data.
- Not testing on mobile before launch.
- Paying for several subscriptions instead of mastering one tool.
When should you hire a professional?
Vibe coding is more than enough to validate an idea. As soon as your app takes money, stores personal data (nFADP in Switzerland) or has to handle many users, a developer review costs far less than a security hole or an outage.
Rather have us build it for you?
Website, app or internal tool: Klickstudio builds your project with the same AI tools, reviewed and secured by professionals.