How much does it cost to make an app like Uber

As of 2019, over 2 million apps are available for download on the Google Play store, while 1.83 million apps are available on the Apple App Store. And study shows that apps pertaining to gaming, renting taxis and video streaming are the ones leading the market. The present generation wants everything to be accessible from the palms of their hands.

Especially, the demands for taxi booking apps have been on the rise ever since 2009, i.e post the advent of UBER. This application has made the lives of a common man much easier by making cabs available at an affordable rate and at any given point of time.

To build an application like Uber and operate it globally there has to be a great deal of detailed planning and disciplined execution and not to mention a good amount of financial backup. In this article we will be discussing- how much it will cost, to develop a ride hailing and taxi booking application like Uber.

Before getting into all the details of estimating the costs, one should know what the features that the application should incorporate are. This will help in planning, developing efficiently, and also in allocating the funds per requirement.

Main features of a Taxi Booking App

Depending on who is operating the application, these features can be divided into three major parts,

1. Dashboard for Passengers
2. Dashboard for Drivers and
3. Dashboard for an Admin

And to develop these user dashboards, the below pointers have to be kept in mind from a consumer point of view.

1. Satisfactory user experience
2. User-friendly Interface
3. Uninterrupted Navigation
4. Apt Visuals and Animations
5. Real-time Tracking System

One has three options with respect to developing an application,

1. Developing it on one’s own
2. Developing it by hiring a tech team or
3. Buy an uber clone script and then enhancing it

All these have their own pros and cons. You can choose how to make an app like Uber depending on how much time, technological resources, and money you have at your disposal.

But the answer varies depending on the complexity of the functionalities you are going to incorporate in your app. Hence, depending on how you choose to execute your plan and the above factors the cost will be estimated.

The major components that make an application are,

1. Backend Development:
2. Web Development
3. Native app Development (Android/iOS)
4. Design
5. Management and Quality Assurance

Backend development is the first stage of any app development, the fundamental connection between all the elements in that application. This is the founding stone of the mobile application. And hence the majority of the time is consumed in developing this part of the application.

Usually, Node.js, Python, Java, PHP, Ruby on Rails are the preferred technologies they use to develop backend applications. Uber clone apps use GPS as part of their basic functioning. For Android, they usually use Google Maps and Google Location Services and for iOS devices, they usually use MapKit or CoreLocation framework.

At present, it is always best to develop your application for Android and iOS environments. It is true that you can save money if you are native to only one platform but, given the wide range of user base you will acquire this will definitely be a winning investment for a ride-hailing application.

The core factors that influence the cost of making an uber clone are,

1. Application Design
2. Application Features
3. Platform Development
4. The Marketing time
5. In-House vs. Outsourced development
6. Regulations & Compliance fees

The price range varies from region to region.

Below are the average costs per region.

• India — $15-80 per hour
• Western Europe — $40-100 per hour
• Eastern Europe — $20-120 per hour
• United Kingdom — $50-150 per hour
• North America — $60-200 per hour

Taking into account all the factors mentioned the cost to completely build an app like Uber may range between $55,000 and $115,000; iOS and Android respectively. And additionally for an admin panel, approximately $10,000.

Below is an approximate breakup of the amount per feature.

1. GPS, Maps, and Routes:

It usually takes an approximate of 130 hours to integrate location & routing features into an app. If we further break it down,

• Geolocation – 30 hours
• Creating a ride – 30 hours
• Tracking the ride – 70 hours

Taking an average price of $50 per hour for app development services in our region, we can estimate the cost – $6,500.

2. Registration and Match system:

Integrating registration and profiles will roughly take about 110 hours.

• Sign in/out – 5 hours
• Authorizing through email – 20 hours
• Registration through social media – 5 hours each
• Registration using phone number – 30 hours
• Profile editing – 40 hours
• Reviews and ratings – 10 hours

Hence, the cost will come up to $5,500 for such a simple feature at a rate of $50 per hour.

3. Notifications and Communications:

Push notification integration needs around 30 hours & SMS alert around 40 to 50 hours of development time respectively.

• Push notifications – 30 hours
• SMS integration – 40 to 50 hours

Thus, you will need at least $4,000 at $50/hour basis.

4.  Payment System:

Integrating payment gateway in an app is one of the most time consuming and complex processes and so it costs more.

• Payment gateway integration – 50 hours
• Add or scan a card – 30 hours
• Fetching price – 20 hours

Total 100 hours will cost you $5,000 at a $50/hour rate.

5.Design:

The designing time cost may begin from just 48 hours for a simple design and can extend up to 100+ hours for a unique one.

• Wire framing – 20+ hours
• User Interface design – 30 hours
• User experience design – 15 hours

We can add another $4,000 to your expenses list.

To build an application like Uber, established application development companies will bill you a considerable amount. For instance,

1. Arc touch: $150,000 to $300,000
2. Mage Spider: $8,000 to $30,000
3. Plastic Mobile: $100,000 to $250,000
4. Lexington Creative: $150,000 to $300,000

There are other marketplace platforms that offer you white-labeled application software scripts at a much affordable rate (approximately $2,000). Some of the best in the market are,

1. Taxi Hawk
2. Zoplay
3. GenX
4. Taxi Anytime
5. UberAppClone etc.

Hope you have gained a wholesome picture regarding the pricing and the factors influencing the costing to build your own uber-like application.

In case of any queries don’t hesitate to reach out to us!

PS: All details pertaining to Costing and Time Estimations are only approximated and will differ from your final billing amount.