The cost of a WeChat mini program splits into two parts: the base costs and the development cost. Between them they cover the whole process, so it is worth going through each line.
Part one: the base costs
1. Account verification
Every mini program needs an account, registered on the WeChat public platform, which is how versions are managed. An account can be registered to an individual or a company; use the company, because the permissions are broader.
Verification costs 300 yuan. If the business already has a verified official account, this fee is avoided, because the mini program can reuse that verification.
2. The domain
A mini program needs a filed domain, or a subdomain of one. It is used for the back end and the interfaces.
Registration runs from 30 to 80 yuan a year. If the domain exists only to serve the mini program’s interfaces, take the cheapest one available; nobody types it.
3. Hosting
This is where the database and the back end live. Either a cloud server or a virtual host, provided the host supports SSL.
With a larger budget, take the cloud server, at around 2,000 yuan. With a smaller one, a virtual host is fine and works the same way.
4. SSL
An SSL certificate encrypts the traffic between the app and the server, which is what the s in https represents. Mini programs require it.
Free certificates are available, and for a small or mid-sized project a free one is entirely adequate. Paid certificates run from about 300 to 2,000 yuan.
Part two: the development cost
This is where the number moves, because it depends on the build method. Custom development starts from nothing: the interface and the code are created for the project. A template modifies a product that already exists, which removes the need to build the basic functions. The price difference between the two is large.
Custom development
The work runs prototype first, then UI design, then the back end. The detail is what you are paying for.
The cost follows the function list: more functions, more money. It has also been falling, because the tooling has improved. A front end can be built native or in H5, and the back end on a PHP framework, which has raised output considerably and brought prices down with it.
Template development
No overall design is needed; only the local parts change, on top of functions that already exist. Many companies have accumulated large amounts of mini program code, and a new project can be connected to it rather than written from scratch, which cuts both time and cost.
That is why a conventional mini program can be had for a much lower figure.
Two other factors
The other things that move the price are less often discussed. One is who you are dealing with: a company or an individual developer. An individual is generally considerably cheaper, because there is no overhead, and also carries more risk. The other is geography: quotes in the largest cities are higher, because the cost base is higher.
Neither is a reason to choose, but both explain why two quotes for the same brief can be so far apart.
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