How Much Does It Cost To Build an On-Demand Food Delivery App

How Much Does It Cost To Build an On-Demand Food Delivery App

Food delivery app

It was only time before the on-demand food delivery app became part and parcel of our lives. But have you ever wondered? Is it the food that people truly want, or is there anything else behind the popularity of these apps? The online food segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 25% from 2021 to 2030.

Via: Statista

But what’s driving the growth, and how much does food delivery app development cost? Find out answers to all this and more below.

Food Delivery App Development: What’s driving the growth?

A food delivery app on the phone is similar to having a personal chef. With just a few clicks, people get their favorite food delivered to them within a few minutes. Yes, no more waiting in long lines or dealing with high traffic. Not to forget the attractive discounts on offer during weekdays and holidays.

Moreover, food delivery apps give people the luxury to order and try food from different cuisines-something which was not possible a few years ago. This also helps bridge culture gaps. People can now experience and enjoy popular cuisines from anywhere, anytime, and easily.

In summary, food delivery apps have transformed the food industry. It has made food more accessible, convenient, and diverse. Unsurprisingly, they have become so popular and in demand, as they cater to our busy lifestyles and deliver high-quality food experiences.

What You Need to Consider Before Developing a Food Delivery App

Irrespective of the project’s size and scale, there must be some pre-considerations. It gives you a fair estimate of the cost to develop a mobile app. The primary among these include:

Type of App: A basic food delivery app with simple order and pay features will cost less than one with more complex features.
Type of Platform: On-demand app development costs vary significantly depending on the platform (Android and iOS). Plus, app publishing, update, and maintenance costs also vary from one platform to another.
Type of Team: If you are working with a highly experienced team, you must allocate more budget for salaries and expenses. However, this ensures the app meets the highest code quality and security standards.

App Types in Order of Cost

  • Basic App: Has basic features such as order placement, payment processing, and order.
  • Advanced App: Has advanced features such as smart search, cooking instructions, feedback, and social media platform integration.
  • Cross-Platform App: Is platform independent, build once and deploy across all platforms
  • Web App: Browser-based app that doesn’t need downloads and installation.

Note: The above are just estimates. The actual cost can vary depending on app complexity, UI elements, in-house/offshore development, etc.

Key Features Essential for an on-Demand Food Delivery App

We now understand the different cost factors and have a fair idea about the cost of different food delivery apps. But some features are a must-have in any food delivery app. Let’s take a look:

User-Friendly Web Platform

The success of any food delivery app is determined by customer experience. The food ordering process should be quick and easy. The apps Ul should allow customers to easily browse menus, order from multiple restaurants, and customize their orders.

In-app Ordering

The ordering process should be seamless. The ordering feature in the app should allow customers to easily browse and select food menus, view pricing information, and add special orders or dietary restrictions.

Secure Payment Processing

App users need to be confident that their payment information is handled properly. You’ll need a secure payment method so customers can pay for their orders without worrying about data breaches or identity theft.

Delivery Tracking

Customers should be able to check the status of their order in real time–that way, they know exactly when their order will arrive. Map integration is another feature that makes the overall experience smooth. This technology also helps ensure that drivers can deliver orders faster and provide more accurate estimates of delivery times.

You’ll also likely want add-on features. This could be loyalty programs, customer reviews, discounts, etc. These are not a necessity. Nevertheless, they give app users more reasons to use your product/service. So it’s important to consider those when you estimate the mobile app development cost.

Cross-Platform App Development Benefits

Before we move on to the advantages, let us first understand what cross-platform app development frameworks are.

More people use android phones. Does that mean your online food delivery app will only cater to them and not the iOS users? Well, of course not. You would not want to miss out on the iOS users.

So will you build separate apps for two different sets of users? And what if tomorrow, there is a new OS from Microsoft that outpaces Android and iOS in terms of the user base? Will you make a whole new app again?

Well, that’s not a great business strategy. Especially considering how competitive the online food delivery space is right now.

But don’t worry, there is a perfect solution: Use a cross-platform app development framework. Here are all the reasons why?

Cost savings

Cost-effectiveness is a major advantage of cross-platform frameworks. Build once and deploy everywhere: it’s faster and cheaper to build a single app that works in multiple places rather than having separate apps for iOS and Android.

Quicker time-to-market

The same codebase is used on both iOS and Android platforms. This helps cut development time and allows for faster release of new features and features. This helps your business stay ahead of the competition by releasing your product sooner.

Consistent brand voice

Since you are using the same codebase, the look and feel of your app will remain consistent across different OS platforms and devices. It helps you create a consistent brand and user experience.

Contact DreamSoft4u – The top mobile app development company in USA today!

Connect Now


1600+ Project Launched 15+ Years Experience 1000+ Satisfied Customers
98+ Client Retention

What’s Best? Developing Inhouse or Outsourcing

Hiring a development partner is a wise step for startups or entrepreneurs. It allows you to have a tried and tested talent pool of highly rated-developers. Plus, they can get you an MVP in no time.

Developing an on-demand app development can be time-consuming. The challenges can escalate if you lack the technical resources and expertise with the help of the right tech stack and development team, you can launch your on-demand food delivery app quickly and easily.

Moreover, you must ensure the app is secure, reliable, and user-friendly. To start on the right track, you need to do the following things right:

  • Choose the right platforms/frameworks
  • Hire the right people
  • Build a team
  • Estiate cost and development cycle
  • Ensure user data privacy and security
  • Use analytics, and invest in marketing

Is it a lot of work? Not if you have the right development partner by your side.

Discuss your project requirements with our expert on-demand app development consultants. They will walk you through the entire development process and help you build an app that meets your needs.

Sanjeev Agrawal

Sanjeev Agrawal

My name is Sanjeev Agrawal. I am a Director and Co-founder of Dreamsoft4u, IT Consulting Company. I am having a keen interest in the latest trends and technologies that are emerging in different domains. Being an entrepreneur in the field of the IT sector, it becomes my responsibility to aid my audience with the knowledge of the latest trends in the market.