Create A Food Delivery App in 2024: How Much It Costs?

How to create a food delivery app like Uber Eats or Deliveroo? – this would be the first question in your mind whether you are running a food business or planning to start a business. 

During Covid-19, food delivery apps are one such domain that has witnessed skyrocketing popularity. In fact, studies say that 86% of Americans have used a food delivery app. And another report says that the revenue generated from the food delivery app will be expected to hit $1 trillion in 2023.

With these stats, it is fair enough to say that the food delivery app market has a huge potential and still has room for new apps to meet the growing needs of the users. Whether your aim is to develop a food delivery app for your restaurant, establish one for a grocery store, or craft a platform similar to Uber Eats or Grubhub, you’ve landed in the right spot.

To get started with the food delivery app development, you need to watch out this video:

To develop a successful food delivery app that can add an edge to your business, it is important that you have the right team of app developers. So in this blog, we have also covered the tips and procedures to hire the right experts for your project.

Why Food Delivery Apps Are Booming In Demand Like Uber Eats and Deliveroo?

Wondering why on-demand food delivery app development has become a new hue in the market?

Undoubtedly, people will always go after what’s convenient. It shapes our preferences across various aspects of life – from the movies we enjoy and the music we relish to the games we engage in and even our culinary choices. 

And this very inclination is a driving force behind the surge of food delivery platforms like Deliveroo, Glovo, and Uber Eats.

Moreover, the Covid outbreak has drastically changed many things. By choice or by force, a major segment of smartphone users has shifted to mobile apps to manage their essential needs. And one such industry that has witnessed unexpected demand is food delivery apps. 

Time has changed the way people eat. The rapid evolution of food delivery has unlocked multiple opportunities for the startups planning to create a food delivery app in 2024. But to succeed in the fast-growing food-delivery ecosystem will require understanding how to create an on-demand food delivery app.

Image Source: mckinsey

We’ve all seen the headlines recently “Food Delivery Apps Are Booming”.

Important Stats and Facts About Food Delivery App Industry

Before you hire a mobile app developer in India to create a food delivery app, you must be curious to know why these apps are creating a buzzword.

According to the reports, 30% of Restaurants Use Delivery Apps, and gaining tractions.

It is that food delivery segment projected to reach $323.30 billion in 2022. The online food delivery segment is expected to have 2613.2 million users by 2027. 

In addition, the report According to one report in 2017, it was projected that by 2020 about $30 billion dollars was spent annually on food delivery apps like Postmates, UberEats, DoorDash, and GrubHub.

Delivery apps have become incredibly popular in the food industry, with companies like UberEats or Bite Squad revolutionizing the way we get our food. 

With the food delivery app economy expected to reach $103 billion by 2020, it’s no surprise that entrepreneurs are thinking about how they can get in on this growing industry and create a food delivery app. 

Hopefully these statistics are inspiring you to become a part of this thriving food delivery industry.

But before you get to know how to create a food delivery app, you also want to know just how much it will cost to create a food delivery app in 2024. To get complete details about the development process, features, technologies and its development cost, read further!

How To Create a Food Delivery App Like Uber Eats in 2024?

Before you can create a food delivery app, you’ll need to map out your thoughts and make a list of features you’d like your app to have. One way to go about this is to make a flowchart to show how the app will function from start to finish. 

Here’s an infographic explaining the 5 simple steps to create a food delivery app:

Image Source: addevice

But if you are planning to create a food delivery app like UberEats; then you need to go beyond such basic steps to create an on-demand food delivery app:

Step 1: Researching and Analyse the Market

What does a successful food delivery app look like? What features do people want? What exactly are you planning to offer in the app? Here are the few questions that you need to find an answers:

• Who are your competitors, and what are their strategies?
• Who are your potential customers?
• Tips for figuring out how to reach potential customers?
• What are the spending and spending habits of your target demographic?
• Get an understanding of what technology trends your competitors are using to further their app clone.
• How can I make the ordering process simple and hassle-free?
• Would it be possible to add chatbots to chat order as messages?
• Hire the software development company to integrate food delivery apps with smartwatches and other wearables.

Step 2: Understand Your Business Requirements

When meeting the needs of your users, make sure you understand your business goals. There are basically two types of food delivery app models

• The Food Order model
• Service Model: Food Order and Delivery

Still, if you choose to go with the clone of UberEats or Postmates then the Order and Delivery model is a worthwhile option. It will allow restaurants to work together with a delivery company and be able to target a large user segment.

Step 3: Identifying Which Features Should Be Included

While similarities exist among all food ordering apps, some entrepreneurs may desire a customized food delivery app with distinctive features tailored to their business model. In our upcoming guide, we’ll delve into the essential components of a successful food delivery app.

However, prior to embarking on the development journey, it’s crucial to firmly grasp the features you intend to incorporate. The rationale is simple: these features will steer the entire app development cycle. It’s easy to get carried away with enticing yet irrelevant features during the app creation phase.

To stay focused on your primary purpose and business model, identify the essential features that align with your goals. 

“For instance, if your aim is a restaurant-centric food delivery app, employing AppsDevPro lets you integrate the Menu Order System plugin, allowing you to craft diverse menu categories. Subsequently, specific food items can be seamlessly added to each menu category.”

Step 4: Naming the App:

 If you don’t already have one picked out, this is an important decision. Make sure it’s something simple and easy to remember. You can hire a software developer in India to help you choose the best name of your app. 

You don’t want to get stuck with having to change your name down the line because someone else has taken it on as their own business’ name. 

Step 5: Find Developers: 

To create an on-demand food delivery app, you need to look at an app development company that provides a complete team under one roof. Make sure you hire app developers in India with a minimum 5+ years of experience.

Step 6: Creating user profiles: 

Set up profiles for customers so they’re able to order quickly without having to provide any personal information. Be sure to also set up profiles for drivers so they know who’s expecting them when they arrive at their destination. The last thing you want is for someone who ordered a meal to open the door only to find no driver waiting there.

Step 7: Pricing structure: 

How much will it cost to create a food delivery app like UberEats? There are many different pricing structures that work well, but they all depend on two main factors: what your goals are and how much risk you’re willing to take on. 

Do you want a flat fee each month with unlimited transactions, or would you rather charge a transaction fee each time someone uses the app? For example, some companies charge $0.25 per transaction while others charge $5 per month with no transactions allowed. 

In a nutshell: To create a perfect food delivery app that can shake the world, you need to plan well in advance. Also you must have that special ingredient in your app that helps you grab the attention of the users. So here are the features and functionalities that will be a big part of how to create a food delivery app that ensures success. 

Must-Have Features to Create a Food Delivery App in 2024?

How to create a food delivery app like Uber Eats? Surely, after witnessing its success, your concern will be the same. But before you dig deep into knowing the features to create a food delivery app like Uber Eats, it is worth understanding that there is no use of creating a replica. 

The uniqueness and hassle-free functionality of your app can easily attract users. All you can do is hire an Android App Developer in India that can understand your requirements and help in integrating the best features.

Here’s the most important features represented in the below infographic. 

Image Source: vilmate

However, when you are planning to create a food delivery app like Postmate or Doordash, then you need to create four app panels: User Panel, Restaurant panel, and Delivery Boy panel.

Features for Customer Panel

The user has to register after downloading the food delivery app. Typically, the following sections need to be there in the app:

• Login: Allow Users to log in the app by using a simple and quick interface. You can provide an option to log in by using email id, phone number or any social media account.
• Location: Allow users to add their location manually or automatically using the in-app GPS feature for setting the pickup or delivery point from the map
• Homepage: To create a food delivery app make sure you have an attractive homepage with a search box, so that users can quickly sort their search.
• Menu: Define the menu of each restaurant under a defined category to make it easier to access. You can hire a dedicated developer in India for specific app customizations.
• Cart selection: Let users quickly add the food item to their cart without leaving the current page.
• Payment options: Make sure you integrate multiple payment options and provide the flexibility to pay using various payment methods. It may include credit card, paypal, debit card, Google Pay and more.
• Reviews And Ratings: Based upon the app experience, allow users to share feedback and provide ratings to the driver and restaurant.
• Track Order History: Allow users to track their past history and help them reorder the food items without having to research the items from the starting.
• Discounts and offers: Keep your users engaged with your app by using push notifications and let them know about the promo codes and discount offers.
• Support 24*7: Allow users to raise their query on the app in case of any assistance. Also you can hire an Indian mobile app developer to create AI-driven chatbot for instant assistance.
• Tracking the delivery: To create your app successfully, make sure you have a feature to track time location of the food delivery.

Make sure you integrate as many features in user interface as possible to delivery seamless onboarding experience. 

Features for Restaurants

Features we would want our app to have in the restaurant panel section:

• Upload Menu: Allow restaurants to upload detailed menus with prices and items on sale currently.
• Track Order History:  To create a food delivery app like UberEats make sure you have a feature of order history of all past orders. 
• Advanced Search Option: Add filters and search options, so users don’t have to scroll through every dish if there’s not enough time before close. 
• Ratings and Review: Allow restaurants to view all the reviews from people who eat at this restaurant regularly, such as Yelp reviews. 
• GPS Maps: Integrate maps to help you find your way to the nearest location of the order. 
• Seamless order System: An online ordering system should be easy to access, which allows users to put in your order by tapping or swiping the screen. 
• Accept Multi-Payment: Have a feature in the app to accept payment through multiple payment modules such as Apple Pay or PayPal via Apple Wallet. 
• Tax Calculation: Add a feature to automatically calculate the tax and add it into the billing amount when paying. 
• Order Tracking: To ensure seamless food delivery services, let restaurants keep tracking orders on a map until they’re delivered. 
• Set Order Reminders: You should be able to set reminders for when you need food again or have an order coming up soon.
• Referral points: Customers get points for every dollar spent on their account, redeemable for freebies and deals at local stores. 

The choice of features can go beyond this list depending on the budget and complexity of the app.

Features For Delivery Boy Panel

In order to be able to deliver for one restaurant to pick up from another restaurant, the delivery person must first download the app, complete registration and verification with the restaurant and service provider, and upload to his own panel:

• Login: Allow them to login the app with the credentials provided by the admin panel. The credentials should be issued once they are done with a background check.
• Order request: Depending upon their availability, provide them a flexibility to accept or reject the order request.
• Order delivery: Once the order is confirmed, share the delivery address details with them to ensure seamless food delivery services.
• Order history: Make sure to add a feature in the app to keep a track of their orders delivered till date.
• Chat/Call: Ensure seamless communication by offering in-app chat or calling options. 
• Push Notifications: Have a feature in the app that keeps them informed about the order request, delivery details, order completed, payment received and more.
• Google map navigation: With the help of this feature, they can easily locate the pickup and delivery location. Also they can pick the shortest way to ensure fastest delivery.

These are the common features and functionalities to look for when you are planning to create a food delivery app for your business. Let’s look for the technologies that you need to create an on-demand food delivery app.

Tech-Stack To Create a Food Delivery App

In order to create a successful on-demand food delivery app like UberEats or Doordash, you need a smooth backend, an engaging frontend, data management on the server, and so on. with the right technology, the app will provide consumers with a seamless experience of ordering food.

So here are a few technologies that can help you create a food delivery application for your business:

• Programming Language for Android and iOS: React Native, Flutter, Kotlin, Java
• Development of the backend: Node.js, Express.js, MongoDB, Nginx, Sockets
• Frontend development: ReactJs and Material UI
• Third-party APIs: Twilio SMS, Google Maps
• Registration: Google Sign-In, Facebook Login SDK
• Payment Integration: Stripe, Square, PayPal, Google Wallet and WePay
• Restaurant Listing: Foursquare API, Grubhub API, Yelp Fusion API
• Analytics: Google Analytics, Localytics, Apple Analytics
• Maps and Locations: Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, Mapbox, Mapkit JS

By integrating all these technologies together, app designers are able to create an app that suits your business needs perfectly and allows you to stand out from your competitors.

Read more: Top backend programming languages for the Android App Development.

App Development Team Required To Create a Food Delivery App

No matter whether you are planning to create a food delivery app with basic features or with complex functionalities, you need to have the right app development team. The expertise and skills of understanding your requirements.

To create an on-demand food delivery app, you need a team consisting of:

• Hire Android App developers in India as well iOS developers if you are building an app for both native platforms.
• With the complexity of delivering food, we recommend you to hire two developers. 
• In order to meet the deadline, you should hire developers who specialize in back-end development (building your servers and API) as well as front-end development (building what users see). 
• We also recommend two QA testers, one operations manager, and a project manager who can lead the team. 
• To design flawless interfaces of the app, you can hire a UI/UX designer.

The average cost to hire dedicated developers in India will be starting from $15 per hour and can go above $50 per hour. To know the cost to create a food delivery app, you need to decide the complexity of the app. Accordingly you can get to know the hourly cost of the hour. 

How To Monetize Your Food Delivery App and Make Profit?

There are many different monetizing models you can use for your food delivery app. If you are planning to build an on-demand food delivery app like UberEats, DoorDash or Postmates, then you can choose a commission fee model. Here below how much do these popular food delivery app charges:

Image Source: zoplay

Apart from just using a commission fee monetization strategy, you can go through these below strategies to make money from food delivery app:

• Paid Subscriptions: some apps charge users on a monthly or yearly basis, with benefits like access to exclusive content, no ads, and more 
• Premium Features: some apps charge users a one-time fee for premium features like expedited deliveries or special menus 
• Sell products: many food apps also sell their own branded products as well as products from other companies 
• Marketing contracts: some companies will pay an app company money just to have their logo on the home screen -Marketplace: some apps allow people to order food for pickup at restaurants instead of delivering it themselves, meaning they’ll get paid by both parties 
• Sponsorships: often local restaurants will sponsor events hosted by the app company and receive advertising exposure in return -Content subscriptions: some food apps give away free recipes in exchange for access to videos and articles 
• Freemium model: some apps offer a free version but also offer optional features for purchase that only work with the full version. They might advertise this feature as features available for all levels, which refers to the freemium model

Choose your monetizing model wisely so that you can make the best profit from your food delivery app.

Also Read: Top Mobile App Development Trends in 2024

How Much Does It Cost To Create a Food Delivery App?

Predicting the cost to create a food delivery app without even knowing the business requires is like asking an invalid question to the experts.

Estimating a mobile app development cost is more like buying a new car. The car’s cost depends on the model, its features, machinery and more. In the same way, cost to create a food delivery app vary depending on different factors.

Majorly app’s creation will depend on how it is designed. Costs will vary, depending on factors such as if the app is a native or hybrid app, or what services are offered. Typical food delivery app like UberEats would cost around $20,000+ and require an investment of $500-$1,000/month for hosting and maintenance. 

The entire process can take up to four months from start to finish and includes. The process may include: conceptualizing the idea for the app; creating a team of three-five members (UI/UX designer, developer, project manager); developing the UX; building prototypes; wireframing; designing graphics and icons; coding (native and hybrid apps). 

In general, costs may range from $10,000 to $12,000 for a basic food delivery app. Larger enterprises with more resources and funding may spend upwards of $25,000 to create their own custom app. 

Further cost estimations may include the cost to advertise the app . For example, Facebook ads ($300-$500 per day), TV ads ($7,500+ per 30 seconds), and print ads ($5,000+ per full page) which can be significant expenses. 

The startup cost for a food delivery service ranges from $5,000 -$15,000. It is worth starting with an MVP solution and later scale it up with advanced features.

Conclusion: How Does AppsDevPro Can Help You Create a Food Delivery App Under Budget?

Looking for ways to become a part of this thriving food delivery industry? Hopefully this blog has answered all of your questions. 

AppsDevPro is a globally recognized software development company in India, equipped with 500+ developers. They can help you transform your app idea into a perfect solution that gives a perfect boost to your business. You can hire a mobile app developer in India at AppsDevPro to build a food delivery app integrated with the best technologies and features. 

All you need to do is to discuss your app idea with our experts, they will develop a roadmap and provide you a cost estimation. If you have any specific query or requirements, then you can contact us or drop your query below.

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