How much does it cost to make an app like Uber? There’s a growing demand for Uber-like clone applications among business entrepreneurs around the globe. Mostly for taxi apps with slight modifications to Uber business model, though some strive to apply it to other industries as well. Our agenda today – how much does it cost to make an app like Uber.
Those who live in large cosmopolitan cities with busy traffic and lack of parking space, refuse to own cars in favor of rideshare services App like Uber. High demand for personal car rides makes entrepreneurs think how to make an app like Uber and successfully launch it on local markets or even worldwide.
And, indeed, Uber-like app development seems to be a reasonable move not only for entrepreneurs but transport companies as well. The market of ridesharing apps has never been so full as in the recent years. New apps keep cropping up, heated by Uber and its tremendous success, in the desire to grab a piece of a pie.
The companies that received worldwide recognition are always going to be a role model for the ones who make their first steps to success. So if you want to create app like Uber, it’s important to comprehend the company’s approaches to technology and business processes. For this, I suggest you read on to find out how to create an app like Uber and how much it costs.
Things to Know About Uber-Like App Development
Before we move on forward the topic, I would like to stress on the scale of Uber. It currently operates in 84 countries and over 800 cities providing a 24-hour-per-day on-demand connection between riders and drivers through the Android and iOS app. Both parties are aware of each other’s location and concerns over the car arrival time are no longer topical.
Quite impressive, yeah? Uber has captured a great share of the market with its smooth app-user interaction, great marketing campaigns, and rare error reports.
Based on availability, there is a choice of various levels of Uber service:
uberX – the most cost-efficient option.
UberBLACK – classy Uber with chic cars.
UberSUV – when the size matters.
UberLUX – the prime service needs no words.
How Many Apps Do You Really Need?
If you’re striving to create your own Uber app (or its counterpart) there is the need for two apps. The original platform consists of the Driver App designed for drivers partnering with the company and the Passenger App meant for ordinary customers who book their rides. Apart from that, the platform should also come with an admin panel that’s capable of managing and monitoring the platform’s work.
Let’s first consider the basic and advanced features you may implement in the app for passengers.
Basic features to build an app like Uber for customers:
Geo-location and routing.
Payment integration.
Registration and personal data management.
Call or text the driver right from the app.
Push notifications.
Ride cost estimation.
Top-notch UI and UX design.
Advanced features:
Scheduling a ride in advance.
Booking a ride for others.
Splitting a fare with companions.
Now, let’s take a look at the basic and advanced features which you can build in the app for drivers.
Basic features to create Uber app for drivers:
Driver reports.
Advanced route optimization.
Personal profile editing.
'Active / Inactive' option (active drivers are visible on the map, inactive aren't).
Calling to a passenger from the app.
Generating daily / monthly reports of past bookings and earnings.
Advanced features:
Driver destinations.
Free cancellation within a set period of time.
Heat maps.
The admin panel is the last but not the least thing you should consider. Admin panels are typically web-based and demand certain efforts on the part of your web development service vendor. It should give you a convenient overview of business processes as well as provide capabilities of managing payrolls and collecting user data.
Revenue Models for an Uber-like App
Depending on the objectives, your revenue model can differ from the Uber's one. This ridesharing platform doesn’t own a fleet of cars and earns its profit acting as a mediator by bringing drivers and passengers together.
There are a couple of revenue models you can consider if you intend to build Uber app clone or its counterpart:
Charging fees from drivers
Charging fees from passengers
How to Create an App Like Uber: Cost and Development Insights
How much does it cost to build an app like Uber? As usual, it depends on the functionality you are going to fill your app up with and the complexity you will bring to this functionality.
In this part, I’m going to walk you through the development time of basic and advanced features for the passenger app.
At the end of the article, you can find the approximate cost of building an app like Uber and the companion app Uber Driver. All of them are calculated by our business analysts.
Another option is to rely on payment gateway providers that ensure fully supported PCI compliance solutions, like Braintree or Stripe. If you select the gateway provider for the Uber-like app, you can draw your attention to the following criteria:
- Payment gateway should be created specifically for mobile devices since many providers use the web view approach (a web browser masked as an app).
- The service should be easy-to-use and ensure quick user data extraction.
These requirements are met by PayPal group, particularly by Braintree payment gateway provider. So Uber uses Braintree for processing their credit card transactions. Original Uber app also uses the card.io platform to scan card numbers by using camera.
Approximate cost to build payment features for an app like Uber
| Feature | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Payment method screen (add cards, scan card by camera, PayPal, cash) | 67h | $3,350 |
| Select payment | 14h | $700 |
| Info screen | 4h | $200 |
| Total | 85h | $4,250 |
Registration and profiles are the next two basic features for building an app like Uber. It’s necessary for at least two reasons: you can keep track of your users base and your user base gets access to the full-fledged service. In terms of Uber-like app development that involves mobile payments – this feature is a must.
If you want to create an app like Uber, you may offer your customers a quick registration via social media or email. The Uber itself provides for registration via Facebook, Google or email and asks for a phone number in addition.
As for the profiles, they may either contain a minimum of functionality (photo, name and car license number) or be sufficiently complete and feature-rich.
Additionally, it’s a good idea to add rating and reviewing system. This move will make a service a little more client-oriented by letting users know if the driver has a low rate (and vice versa). What’s more, the rates of users can help you identify problems with the service quality before they negatively affect your company reputation.
Approximate cost to build registration & profile features for an app like Uber
| Feature | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | 3h | $150 |
| Email + Password + Phone number + Payment details | 33h | $1,650 |
| Facebook + Phone number + Payment details | 14h | $700 |
| Forgot password | 11h | $550 |
| Total | 61h | $3,050 |
Communication and notifications are basic features that should be considered to make an app like Uber. Despite the fact that communication in ridesharing apps goes without saying, it’s possible to make it even more convenient. Uber users can call or text their drivers without leaving the app.
An essential part of communication with customers lies in keeping them informed. SMS, email or push notifications can help with it and notify users about important events like order confirmation or car arrival.
- Apple Push Notification Service (APN) when you build an Uber-like app for Apple devices.
- Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) when you are going to build the app for Android-powered devices.
SMS notifications demand an additional step to be integrated into the app. You have to contact the telecommunication service provider to grant you such possibility. For example, Uber prefers working with Twilio, but there are more options like Plivo, Nexmo or Sinch.
Approximate cost to build communication & notification features for an app like Uber
| Feature | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Push notifications | 40h | $2,000 |
| SMS integration | 30h | $1,500 |
| Total | 70h | $3,500 |
It’s also a basic feature that shows customers an approximate cost of the ride before they book it. In order to create your own Uber app with this feature under the hood, your software engineers should build an algorithm estimating the price based on the user’s pickup and drop location.
If you decided to follow the Uber’s model app and provide customers with diverse types of cars they can choose from, then you should also consider there are different fares for each type.
Approximate cost to build the ride cost estimation feature for an app like Uber
| Feature | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Ride cost estimation | 26h | $1,300 |
| Fare quote | 14h | $700 |
| Total | 40h | $2,000 |
This is an advanced feature that was introduced by Uber a couple of years ago. It allows customers booking a ride beforehand (within a time frame of 15 minutes to 30 days) and plan their trips more accurately.
Ride scheduling can be a good supplement for the app’s MVP the same as other advanced features that are laid down further in the article. You can add some of them to a feature list and create Uber app with broader functionality.
Approximate cost to build the ride scheduling feature for an app like Uber
| Feature | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule a ride | 110h | $5,500 |
The same as the beforehand ride scheduling, booking a ride for others is an advanced feature for Uber-like app development. It implies that a user can book a ride for a relative or friend through their own account.
As soon as the booking is made, the friend or relative receives the ride details via SMS the same as driver.
Approximate cost to build the ride-booking for others for an app like Uber
| Feature | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Book a ride for others | 240h | $12,000 |
One more advanced feature that’s worth consideration in case you’re thinking over different strategies on how to build an Uber app. It allows users to split a cost of the ride with companions traveling with them.
Approximate cost to build the split a fare features for an app like Uber
| Feature | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Split a fare | 116h | $5,800 |
As usual, a portion of app development costs falls on design. Ride-sharing services are client-oriented and so they have to come with beautiful and easy-to-use UI/UX. Correspondingly, the Uber-like app development cost should involve design expenses.
While a lot of things can be told about what makes a good design, I prefer to minimize this description to two words — simplicity and clarity. You should stick to these two simple principles to make an outstanding design.
Approximate cost to create UI/UX design for an app like Uber
| Feature | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Android UI/UX design | 110h | $5,500 |
| iOS UI/UX design | 130h | $6,500 |
| Total | 240h | $12,000 |
How to Build an App Like Uber for Drivers: Main Features
It’s time to talk about how to build an app like Uber Driver for partners. It’s also a very important part of building business the Uber way. In this section, I’ll include only those features that can be helpful for drivers and effective for business at the same time.
Driver report feature is designed to ensure the safety of both parties: a driver and a passenger. This report is a brief outline covering the driving style of the driver for a certain timeframe (e.g. week or month). If incidents of driving in a careless manner take place and continue to happen, Uber can ban the driver who violates rules.
Advanced Route Building
If you’re planning to build a serious ridesharing business, then considerable investments into the route building functionality are inevitable. The better routes are optimized, the more efficient your drivers will be. Correspondingly, the level of customer satisfaction tends to rise.
Approximate cost to build the route building feature for the driver's app
| Feature | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Route building | 16h | $800 |
The driver destination feature enhances the overall experience for drivers who partner with the company and so you should consider it before creating an app like Uber. Drivers can pick the preferred location and find passengers who need a ride in that direction. This way, drivers can effectively combine work with their personal affairs.
Approximate cost to build the driver destination feature for the driver's app
| Feature | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Driver destination | 42h | $2,100 |
This feature is designed to avoid the loss of time and money that arise when a customer abandons or delays the booked ride. I would say this is a must-have feature for Uber-like app development since it doesn't only minimize risks for drivers but business as well.
How does it work? The first two minutes after the car arrival are free of charge for passengers. If it takes much time for them to get to the car and start the ride, then additional charges are applied. In case passengers have canceled the ride after the set timeframe, they’re obliged to pay a fee which is equal to a base ride fare.
Approximate cost to build the cancellation feature for the driver's app
| Feature | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Ride cancelation | 20h | $1,000 |
The heat map is another feature that greatly simplifies the work of a driver. With its help, drivers can see the parts of the city with the highest demand for the service, drive there to get more requests and, correspondingly, generate more profit for themselves and your company.
It’s pretty hard to estimate this feature without any project details since its development time is dependent on multiple factors.
What Factors Influence the Uber App Development Cost?
There’re a few more things that should be taken into account to create your own Uber-like app. Normally, starting relations with our clients, we expect to know their vision on fundamental issues. Apart from the general concept of the app, estimated budget, terms and requirements, we would like our clients to provide us with their business goals to ensure their achievement.
So let’s view what factors can affect the price before getting to the final cost of building an app like Uber.
A set of features you pick to build an app like Uber is the decisive factor of its price. The development cost will range depending on basic and advanced features you would like to implement in the app.
For instance, Uber and Lyft have both begun with MVPs of their services and were gradually scaling up.
Another truly important factor is the company type. Do you own an established taxi service or want to launch a startup company? In the first case, you may want the mobile application that’s developed with your business processes in mind.
Meanwhile, the creation of a startup company involves building the app alongside the business itself, which provides some flexibility but, typically, the tight budget.
Which platform to choose? This is an age-old question for many entrepreneurs. However, the answer to it is very simple: if you want your app to be widely used
— choose both Android and iOS.
If your budget is tight, which is not an uncommon case, then you may develop an MVP based on either platform depending on your target audience and their preferences.
For example, Uber was launched on iOS first because iPhones were extremely popular in those days having about 80% of the market share (on the US market).
In most cases, it’s more reasonable to develop a native app rather than a hybrid one. The difference between them lies in architecture, programming languages, and many other aspects.
The Final Cost to Develop an App Like Uber
It’s high time to learn the approximate cost to build an app like Uber. In order to make those estimations more useful for you, I’ll specify the size of a development team which typically works on similar projects in our company. Furthermore, I’ll blueprint the technology stack that can be applied for your application.
- Kotlin for Android app
- Swift for iOS app
- Node.js for back-end
- Amazon EC2
- Amazon S3
- PayPal / Stripe
- Twilio
- Elastic email
- Socket.io
- Google Maps
- Google Places
- Google Directions
- Card.io
- APNS
- Firebase
- Facebook SDK
The above-mentioned list of technologies is approximate and may differ depending on your business objectives, app features, platforms, etc. So how much does it cost to develop an app like Uber? Let’s sum everything up.
Approximate cost to build app like Uber
| Feature | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Geolocation-related features | 46h | $2,300 |
| Payment integration | 85h | $4,250 |
| Registration & Profile | 61h | $3,050 |
| Notifications | 70h | $3,500 |
| Ride cost estimation | 40h | $2,000 |
| Ride scheduling | 110h | $5,500 |
| Book a ride for others | 240h | $12,000 |
| Split a fare | 116h | $5,800 |
| Framework and libraries integration for back-end | 137h | $6,850 |
| Framework and libraries integration for Android / iOS | 132h / 123h | $6,600 / $6,150 |
| UI/UX design for Android / iOS | 110h / 130h | $5,500 / $6,500 |
| Total for one app (Android or iOS) | ~1,147h | ~$57,350 |
| Total for two apps (Android and iOS) | ~2,294h | ~$114,700 |
The estimation of the driver’s app development cost is a bit more complicated task. That’s because I’ve only talked about the features that can bring value to your ridesharing business and didn't mention any basic functionality as it can vary significantly depending on your goals and company type. However, you can count for 280 hours of development and more.
And finally, the cost to develop Uber app should include expenses on admin panel creation since it’s a must for every application.
Approximate cost to build an admin panel
| Feature | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Authorization | 6h | $300 |
| Admin management | 50h | $2,500 |
| Driver management | 50h | $2,500 |
| User management | 50h | $2,500 |
| Payment management | 35h | $1,750 |
| Promotion management | 36h | $1,800 |
| Review management | 28h | $1,400 |
| Issue management | 32h | $1,600 |
| Total | 287h | $14,350 |
Summing up everything listed above, the single-platform application that has nearly the same functionality as Uber app will cost roughly $57,000 at $50 per hour rate.
Again, the final cost of your Uber-like app is highly dependent on various factors and your personal preferences. A number of functions and their complexity are negotiable. Use our app cost calculator to find out the cost of other features you’re interested in.
If you need any help in getting closer to your dream, please get in touch with us! Our managers will answer all your questions and provide you with custom project estimation.
Before you leave, you can also watch our video where we compare software development prices in different parts of Europe to help you cut on the development expenses. please feel free to write us back to discuss your idea in detail : abbymories@gmail.com
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