Why does developing a mini program cost so much less than developing an app? The answer is structural rather than a matter of effort, and it comes down to three multipliers.
One platform instead of two
A mini program is built once, against a single framework. An app has to be built for both iOS and Android, which means two codebases, two sets of platform conventions and two rounds of testing. That is not a modest increase in work; it is close to doing the project twice.
Weeks instead of months
The development cycle follows from that. A mini program typically takes two to five weeks. An app, because of the two platforms, takes around three to four months.
The difference is not only the calendar. A shorter cycle means less of everything: fewer people for fewer weeks, which is where the bulk of the cost sits in any software project.
One review instead of a dozen
An app has to be submitted to a dozen or more app stores, each with its own materials, its own review standards and its own reasons for rejection. Managing that process is a job in itself, and each store is a separate point of failure.
A mini program goes to one platform. Approve it once and it is live.
What the saving buys
Because the technical requirement is simpler, a business spends less of its budget on the build and can put more of it into operating the product, which is where the return actually comes from.
That is the useful way to read the difference. The cheaper build is not a lower-quality app; it is a product that needs less to exist, so more of the money can go into what happens after launch.
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