How much does it Cost to Develop a Food Delivery App like Zomato?
“Cost is more important than quality, but the quality is the best way to reduce cost,” quotes Genichi Taguchi, the famous quality statistician, and expert. Entrepreneurs are finding it difficult to crack this code. They need a high-quality product. But they are highly focused on reducing the cost of app development. This dilemma has been prevalent among most of the entrepreneurs nowadays. They are struggling to find a perfect blend of cost and quality.
App development involves proper planning and utilization of resources. In other words, time is money during app development. Food delivery services have been under every entrepreneur’s spotlight for quite some time now. The popularity of these food delivery apps is evident by the increased revenue generated by the market. In this vastly expanding market, you need to develop a high-quality and cost-effective app to boost your ROI substantially. In this blog, let us discuss the economy involved in Zomato like app development.
The growth of food delivery app market:
Now, why should one venture into developing a food delivery app? Let’s take a look at the market stats that can help us conclude,
- The online food delivery market will surpass $400 billion by 2025.
- The online food delivery market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 31.76% between 2019 and 2024.
- According to Morgan Stanley, 65% of people prefer apps over phone calls while ordering food.
- It is to be noted that the market was $260 billion in 2017 and rose to $325 billion in 2020.
- Almost 60% of the restaurants have agreed that online platforms have boosted their sales substantially.
From these facts, it is evident that the market is on an exponential rise.
The development of a food delivery app:
Now, let us assume you are developing an app like Zomato. There are various development stages involved in a Zomato Clone. They include,
- Designing the UI/UX
- Front-end development
- Back-end development
- App testing
- App launch
- App promotion and Support
Each of these stages greatly aids in developing the best food delivery app according to your needs. Let’s discuss each stage and the cost involved,
- Designing an UI/UX: A simple and reliable app can do wonders in the market. Complexity in the app design makes users search for alternatives. Hence, make sure you develop a user-friendly app design. Designing an UI/UX of an app generally takes around 50 hours of development.
- Front-end development: Front-end development involves developing the user app. Users expect best-in-class features from your app. Hence, make sure you provide an app based on the latest market trends. Front-end development is the most expensive stage in app development. Users’ accessibility and engagement greatly depend on these front-end features. Hence, this stage can take around 300-400 hours, depending on the features you are integrating.
- Back-end development: Your foundation or maintenance of the app has to be strong. Your app should withstand high traffic from multiple user engagements. As a result, maintaining your servers and databases is key. The sustainability of your app depends on your back-end development. Hence, back-end app development can take around 100 hours.
- App testing: Testing is an integral part of app development. Testing makes your app bug-free. Glitches in your app can irritate the user experience. Hence, make sure you update your app as and when possible. It is to be duly noted that app testing has to be made synonymous with app development. On average, app testing can take one-third of the time involved in front-end development. App testing usually takes 75-100 hours.
- App launch: The app launch involves launching your app across different digital platforms like Android, iOS, etc. To launch your app across platforms, it should adhere to the license policy of these platforms. Considering technical documentation along with the app launch, this stage can take around 50-75 hours.
- App promotion and support: Your app should reach out to a wider audience to enhance your business to the next level. Hence, you need to promote your app effectively to your target audience. In this aspect, you can hire a digital marketing team, or you can adopt traditional marketing strategies. Moreover, your app needs to be monitored continuously and updated periodically. Management of your app yields fruitful results in the long run. On average, this stage can take anywhere around 50 hours, depending on your promotion strategy.
Development costs based on location:
Various locations across the world offer varied development rates. However, there are certain key areas or hotspots that are well-known for app development. Let’s discuss certain key areas here,
- The UK: App development companies are prominent in the United Kingdom. The development rates vary between $100 - $150 per hour.
- The US: The United States is one of the most popular hotspots for app development. However, it is the most expensive too. The rates vary between $80 - $200 per hour.
- Asia: Popular Asian countries for app development include India and China. The development rates are nominal, ranging between $10 - $80 per hour.
- Egypt, Nigeria: Certain entrepreneurs prefer these African countries. The development rates vary between $20 - $80 per hour.
It is better to reach out to app development companies within your region. This is because these companies tend to know your market better than the rest.
Wrapping up,
Developing a food delivery app can be greatly beneficial and profitable if properly planned and executed. Reduction in cost should in no way affect your app quality. From these development stages, it is clear that it can cost around anywhere between $25,000 - $30,000 for developing an app like Zomato. However, if you aren’t to make such a huge investment, you can always try clone apps. Clone apps are developed by app development companies that can be launched instantly in the market. Moreover, they are entirely customizable, too. Just so you know, a Zomato Clone can cost you only $1999. Either way, make sure you produce a high-quality, thereby increasing your sustainability in the market!
