How Much Does it Cost to Build a Food-Delivery App like UberEats or GrubHub?

Due to digital transformation and people changing their habits, the popularity of UberEats, GrubHub, DoorDash and Zomato has increased a lot. They create a link between restaurants and their customers, so users can view menus, purchase food, pay and receive it at their home.

If you intend to launch a similar solution, one of the main factors you should consider is the cost of building a food delivery app. The features needed, the brand new ideas, and the team members' experience decide the development budget. We will tackle the main factors in building a strong food delivery app and explain their impact on the overall cost.

Understanding the Scope and Features of a Food Delivery App

Before we dive into the cost, it’s essential to understand what a full-fledged food delivery app entails. A platform like UberEats or GrubHub consists of multiple components:

1. Customer App – where users browse restaurants, view menus, place orders, and track deliveries.

2. Restaurant App – allows restaurants to accept or reject orders, update menus, and manage delivery logistics.

3. Delivery Partner App – used by delivery personnel to receive orders, navigate, and manage deliveries.

4. Admin Dashboard – the backend system used to manage users, restaurants, commissions, payments, and analytics.

Each component requires different sets of features, UI design elements, and technical infrastructure, all of which contribute to the overall food delivery app development cost.

Key Factors That Influence the Cost of Developing a Food Delivery App

The cost of developing a food delivery app will vary from project to project. This knowledge allows you to estimate your expenses more precisely.

1. App Features and Complexity

The higher the features, the more expenses you’ll face. Some main features of a basic MVP include users signing up, restaurants listed on the website, checking orders, making payments and tracking deliveries. However, if you plan to add artificial intelligence for recommendation, loyalty rewards, chat in the app, several payment choices or live analytics, the expenses for development will be higher.

2. Platform Selection

The type of mobile development chosen can influence the expenses and the time needed. Since different platforms need their own apps, creating a native app often comes with a higher price tag. Using a cross-platform solution can help you save resources, primarily in the early phase of development.

3. UI/UX Design

Good design should be straightforward and fun so that users keep visiting the app. The more detailed and personalized you need your interface to be, the greater the cost will be for UI/UX design. If a business applies a user-centric design approach, customers can easily use the app to order and make payments, making the development more costly.

4. Development Team’s Location and Expertise

Generally, you will have to pay more to hire a food app development company in North America or Western Europe than in Asia or Eastern Europe. Still, picking the best balance of cost and quality is extremely important. Going for an experienced company with a reliable track record is more valuable than paying a lower hourly rate.

5. Backend Infrastructure and APIs

Apps for food delivery depend widely on adding maps, payment systems and options for SMS/email notifications from third-party services. For these integrations, you must manage the API setup and servers on the back end. It is important to factor in the costs for cloud hosts and data-bases each month.

6. Maintenance and Support

After the game is released, the support process involves handling changes, bugs and managing the servers. They are costs that appear once every year and usually total between 15% and 20% of the initial budget.

Estimated Cost to Build a Food Delivery App like UberEats or GrubHub

Now, let’s look at the average cost estimation:

• Basic MVP App: $5,000 – $10,000 Includes essential features for customers, restaurants, and delivery partners with a simple UI.

• Mid-Level App with Advanced Features: $10,000 – $20,000 Adds real-time tracking, ratings and reviews, promo codes, and notification systems.

• High-End App with Custom Design and AI: $20,000 – $25,000+ Includes rich UI, AI-based recommendations, analytics dashboards, multiple payment systems, and high scalability.

Please note that these are general estimates and the actual cost can vary based on your specific business model and requirements. Customisation, branding, and legal compliance also add to the cost.

Choosing the Right Food Delivery App Development Company

The partner you choose in technology is very important. Working with such a company will ensure specialized expertise in business strategy, UI/UX, coding, testing and maintenance. Look for a provider that offers end-to-end food delivery app development services and has a strong portfolio in building similar on-demand apps.

Before making your decision, it helps to review the company’s skills, past clients' experiences, delivery commitments, and communication style. Having the right development partner will allow you to get your product into the market faster and avoid future costs.

Importance of On Demand Food Delivery App Development in Today’s Market

After the pandemic, the popularity of the on-demand sector has soared. Both restaurants, cafes and grocery stores are realizing the need to go digital. Developing on demand food delivery apps expands a business’s customer base, cuts down on manual mistakes and improves customer satisfaction.

Ideally, launching a meal delivery app allows startups and businesses to try out new income channels, improve how they operate and make their customers feel appreciated.

Conclusion

Creating an app like UberEats or GrubHub involves systematic planning, detailed development work and maintenance to ensure it functions properly. Even though the expenses can change, you should plan to invest from $5,000 to $25,000+ depending on the project’s scope.

When you choose a skilled food app development company for your project, it will be executed quickly, on time and within the budget you agreed upon. As more companies enter the food delivery business, creating an app with great performance and useful features is necessary to stay successful for a long period.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How long does it take to build a food delivery app like UberEats?

The timeline typically ranges from 3 to 9 months depending on the app’s complexity, number of features, and the development team’s expertise.

2. Can I build an MVP version to test the market first?

Yes, launching an MVP is a smart strategy to test your concept with essential features and gain user feedback before scaling further.

3. Should I develop the app for iOS, Android, or both?

Ideally, you should target both platforms to reach a wider audience. Cross-platform development can help reduce cost and development time.

4. What are the ongoing costs after launching the app?

Ongoing expenses include server hosting, app maintenance, third-party API usage, marketing, and customer support.

5. Can I integrate third-party delivery partners into my food delivery app?

Yes, most food delivery platforms support third-party logistics integration. Your development team can set up APIs for such partnerships.