Answering this question kinda depends on what kind of app you want to build. For most use cases, I would recommend building a web app over a native app. Think about it - there's almost no reason to build a native app these days. Building a mobile app is more difficult than building a web app, and requires more to get started initially. There's much more documentation and support for writing web apps. Web browsers work across platforms, and the tooling around them is better in general. However, if you still want to build a mobile app, I would recommend using a framework like Expo. The best way to get into it is the official documentation. It will get you started with a good app pretty fast: https://docs.expo.dev/tutorial/introduction/ As you need more functionality, I recommend looking at their official repo of example projects: https://github.com/expo/examples Answer from grlla on reddit.com
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Buildfire
buildfire.com › home › getting started: coding an app
Getting Started: Coding an App | BuildFire
1 month ago - If you want to learn to code, then going through active development steps, testing a list of functions, and getting your feet wet with a new programming environment is fine. But if you want to create an app for real users, using an app maker or DIY app builder is the recommended route.
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Knack
knack.com › home › blog › how to code an app with ai (free and easy guide)
How to Code an App with AI (Free and Easy Guide)
3 weeks ago - It involves several key stages, including ideation, designing the user interface (UI), writing code, testing for bugs, and eventually deploying the app to be used by others. The goal is to create a functional, user-friendly product that addresses ...
Discussions

How do I build an app from scratch?
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🌐 r/learnprogramming
40
36
April 8, 2024
How hard is it to create an app when you know nothing about programming?

That depends entirely on the complexity of the app. If it's something like a simple calculator, a complete beginner could probably get something working in a few days or a week. But a complex app (like YouTube's for example) is going to take a couple years at best. Be careful you don't end up overwhelming yourself.

Also, while it's good that you're confident, keep in mind that aspiring programmers with "good" or "unique" ideas are a dime a dozen. Most of the time, their ideas are either too ambitious, have already been done many before, or there's just nobody interested in. I'm not saying your idea is the same, but please don't set your expectations too high.

More on reddit.com
🌐 r/learnprogramming
31
21
July 19, 2019
Can anyone suggest a step by step guide on how to develop an app?
On July 1st, a change to Reddit's API pricing will come into effect. Several developers of commercial third-party apps have announced that this change will compel them to shut down their apps. At least one accessibility-focused non-commercial third party app will continue to be available free of charge. If you want to express your strong disagreement with the API pricing change or with Reddit's response to the backlash, you may want to consider the following options: Limiting your involvement with Reddit, or Temporarily refraining from using Reddit Cancelling your subscription of Reddit Premium as a way to voice your protest. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/learnprogramming
10
1
June 23, 2023
How to start developing an app?
I might get flamed for this, but ChatGPT is a tremendous resource to learn a new language. It has been immensely helpful for me to learn Swift. If it fits your learning style and you know how to prompt it, it’s great. It was my primary resource for learning Swift coming from Python. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/SwiftUI
38
26
July 21, 2023
People also ask

Can I create an app for free?
You can prototype and build a basic MVP using free trials or limited plans offered by many platforms. However, publishing an app on official app stores usually involves developer account fees and ongoing costs related to maintenance, updates, and compliance.
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appypie.com
appypie.com › how-to-create-an-app
How to Create an App (2026): Step-by-Step Guide to Make an App
How long does it take to make an app?
A simple MVP can often be built within a few weeks if the scope is well defined. More complex apps with integrations, custom logic, and extensive testing typically take several months to complete.
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appypie.com
appypie.com › how-to-create-an-app
How to Create an App (2026): Step-by-Step Guide to Make an App
How much does it cost to create an app?
The cost to create an app depends on factors such as feature complexity, platform choice (iOS, Android, or both), design depth, and backend requirements. Apps built using no-code or hybrid approaches usually cost less than fully custom development projects.
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appypie.com
appypie.com › how-to-create-an-app
How to Create an App (2026): Step-by-Step Guide to Make an App
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freeCodeCamp
forum.freecodecamp.org › t › how-to-create-an-app › 423010
How to create an app - The freeCodeCamp Forum
September 27, 2020 - Hi every one this is just an open question for those who have create app’s I’m currently learning to code because I would like to create an app and now that took a deeper look at all the themes that this site offers, …
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Quora
quora.com › I-want-to-create-an-app-but-I-don-t-know-anything-about-programming-Do-I-have-to-learn-programming-to-create-the-app-or-is-there-any-other-solution
I want to create an app but I don’t know anything about programming. Do I have to learn programming to create the app or is there any other solution? - Quora
Answer (1 of 3): This is a tough question to answer. Not because it’s difficult but rather how to answer. I’ve been programming for over 40 years now. I would love to have something that acts as an intermediary between me and the computer. Unfortunately, to the best of my knowledge, that ...
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Appy Pie
appypie.com › how-to-create-an-app
How to Create an App (2026): Step-by-Step Guide to Make an App
2 days ago - To create an app, define a clear problem, validate demand, select an MVP feature set, design user flows, build using no-code or custom development, test on real devices, publish to app stores, and improve continuously using feedback and analytics.
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GoodBarber
goodbarber.com › blog › popular articles › how to create an app in 2025
How to Create an App - 7 Steps to Make an app in 2025
Natives mobile applications are specific to each Operating System (OS), therefore, skills in several programming languages are required: Objective-C and Swift for iOS apps; Java or Kotlin for Android apps. However, if you have required skills, this option will let you achieve the app you need without any limits. Otherwise, you should start by learning how to code for apps.
Published   July 16, 2025
Find elsewhere
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnprogramming › how do i build an app from scratch?
r/learnprogramming on Reddit: How do I build an app from scratch?
April 8, 2024 -

Hello folks!

I'm thinking about building an app for my personal use and perhaps even share with a larger user-base, if it's come out decent and presentable. There are tons of tutorials online, but I'm having a hard time deciding which one to follow. I would also need some guidance on the IDE to use to start designing the UI/GUI and how to do the backend programming.

I have decent programming skills (SQL, SAS), though perhaps not in languages that might be relevant for this job - please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Couple of caveats:

  • This app will be an Android app to start, but eventually I might want to have a web/desktop version as well.

  • I am somewhat familiar with web programming languages such as HTML, CSS and Javascript. Not sure if that helps, but I wanted to provide this information.

For context, I am a Data Analyst working remotely and have a lot of free time on my hands after work, which I would like to start using productively. Which brings me to my final question. Realistically, I can dedicate between 10-15 hours a week to this and with that, how long would it take me to build a moderately complex app?

Thank you in advance for your help!

Top answer
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Answering this question kinda depends on what kind of app you want to build. For most use cases, I would recommend building a web app over a native app. Think about it - there's almost no reason to build a native app these days. Building a mobile app is more difficult than building a web app, and requires more to get started initially. There's much more documentation and support for writing web apps. Web browsers work across platforms, and the tooling around them is better in general. However, if you still want to build a mobile app, I would recommend using a framework like Expo. The best way to get into it is the official documentation. It will get you started with a good app pretty fast: https://docs.expo.dev/tutorial/introduction/ As you need more functionality, I recommend looking at their official repo of example projects: https://github.com/expo/examples
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For native android development, you’ll want kotlin or java. For native iOS deployment, you’ll want Swift. You can develop and publish android from pc or Mac, but iOS requires a Mac to publish. There are cross-platform languages (flutter), but even with those, you still need a Mac to sign and upload your app for iOS apps. The benefits of a crossplatform language is the idea of ‘code once for multiple deployment’ but native languages gets access to some libraries that may not be accessible through non-native languages. I’m working on an app idea and am using both swift and Java (swift was a hobby language, Java is what I learned in college) to cover both mobile platforms. I found the most difficult part of this project is the UI/UX, not because of the languages, but because I have zero artistic abilities. Designing layout with appealing color coordination and icon/asset art is definitely not my strong suit. Edit: Spelling/Grammar
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Google AppSheet
about.appsheet.com › how-to-create-an-app
How to create an app | Google AppSheet
Create an app in 7 steps without writing a line of code. Here's how.
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Android Developers
developer.android.com › codelabs › basic-android-kotlin-compose-first-app
Create your first Android app | Android Developers
The New Project window opens with a list of templates provided by Android Studio. In Android Studio, a project template is an Android project that provides the blueprint for a certain type of app. Templates create the structure of the project and the files needed for Android Studio to build your project. The template that you choose provides starter code to get you going faster. Make sure the Phone and Tablet tab is selected.
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Flutter
flutter.dev
Flutter - Build apps for any screen
Flutter code compiles to ARM or Intel machine code as well as JavaScript, for fast performance on any device. Try it in DartPad · Build and iterate quickly with Hot Reload. Update code and see changes almost instantly, without losing state.
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CodeWithChris
codewithchris.com › how-to-make-iphone-apps-with-no-programming-experience
How To Make An App – (2024) Create An App in 10 Steps : CodeWithChris
March 25, 2024 - Buy an app template and customize it (or pay someone to): With this option, you’re buying pre-packaged code that contains the core functionality that you’ll need (if you can find a template close to your app idea).
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Natively
natively.dev
Natively
Natively is an AI-powered platform that builds native iOS and Android mobile apps from simple text descriptions. It uses React Native and Expo to create production-ready applications with full source code ownership.
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Make
make.com › en
Make | AI Workflow Automation Software & Tools | Make
September 30, 2025 - Automate your work. Make allows you to visually build, scale and automate AI and agentic workflows. User friendly no-code integration tool. Try it now for free!
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React Native
reactnative.dev
React Native · Learn once, write anywhere
Generate native changes or write your own native code. Use over 50 modules to create your app. Get started quickly with Expo Go, then continue with expo-dev-client: a module that adds Expo’s tools to apps that require native changes.
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Code.org
code.org › en-US › tools › app-lab
App Lab | Create Apps with JavaScript – No Experience Needed
Design an app, code in JavaScript with either blocks or text, then share your app in seconds. ... Extensive documentation detailing specific functionality and use is available for App Lab.
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Apple Developer
developer.apple.com › learn
Learn to code - Apple Developer
If you’re new to app development, try Swift Playground, which includes everything you need to go from your first line of code to building your first app. ... If you’re already familiar with app development, try Xcode, Apple’s powerful, integrated development environment, used by professionals around the world to develop, test, and distribute their apps.
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Visual Studio Code
code.visualstudio.com › docs › getstarted › getting-started
Tutorial: Get started with Visual Studio Code
November 3, 2021 - This tutorial gives you an overview of the key features of Visual Studio Code to help you get started quickly.
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Microsoft
microsoft.com › en-us › makecode
Microsoft MakeCode
Explore MakeCode's library of blocks and extensions which enable endless possiblities for anyone new to coding. Do you already have a grasp of coding concepts? Flip into text-coding mode, and code your next project in Javascript or Python.
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Andromo
andromo.com
Andromo - Mobile App builder for Android and iOS
Andromo is a premium app building platform where you can create professional Android and iOS apps without writing a single line of code
🌐
SAP
sap.com › products › technology-platform › low-code-app-builder.html
SAP Build Apps | AppGyver | Visual Low-Code App Builder
Take the product tour to see how easy it is to create an enterprise application with drag-and-drop simplicity. ... SAP Build Apps has all the features people have come to expect from enterprise low-code app development tools: a visual drag-and-drop environment for building sophisticated, ...