How Much Does It Cost to Develop an App Like Uber? A Quick Guide

Quick Summary: Uber is a leading brand in the online taxi booking industry. Making an app like Uber can be an exciting idea, but you need to get answers to some critical questions like the cost, features, and steps to build an on-demand taxi service app like Uber. This blog will explain in detail how much it costs to build an app like Uber with a complete cost breakdown.

Uber is a leading service-based model in the online taxi industry. From the USA to Australia, India, Canada, Brazil, and many more countries, this brand has literally changed the way people commute. As of early 2023, the monthly users of Uber were 130 million.

One reason for its huge success is that Uber provides various taxi options to its users that include:

• UberX – Standard ride
• UberXL – Rides for larger groups
• Uber Black – Luxury taxi service
• Uber Black SUV – Premium rides for groups
• Uber Comfort – Enhanced comfort and features
• Uber WAV – Wheelchair-accessible vehicles
• Uber Pet – Pet-friendly rides
• Uber Connect – Package delivery service
• Uber Green-Electrical vehicles
• Uber Hourly- Rent a car on an hourly basis
• Uber Intercity- Book rides between cities

With so many options available, users can book a car, two-wheeler, or auto at their comfort and whenever needed. It further ensures that Uber’s customers get a seamless experience every time they ride with them.

Seeing its success, many startups, as well as established taxi companies, want to make an app like Uber. Are you also planning to build an on-demand taxi service app like Uber? But do you know how much does it costs to build an app like Uber?

On average, the cost to create an app like Uber can vary between $15,000-$60,000. This cost can further fluctuate depending on several factors like app features, design, taxi app development time, and the team. 

Wondering why developing an app like Uber costs so much? This blog will explain in detail the cost estimation with a complete breakdown of features, design, and development.

Uber Like App Development Cost

Cost to make an app like Uber is majorly affected by the features and app design. Adding more features and complex designs will add to a higher development cost. To explain it better, we have described the cost in more detail in the next section.

Cost Breakdown of Uber Features

Features play a crucial role in the app’s success. To build an app like Uber, you need to develop a separate app for customers, drivers, and admin, each with its necessary features and functionalities. 

Below is the breakdown of each feature, along with the time needed to develop and the estimated cost to make an app like Uber.

1. Customer App

Registration and login: It enables users to set up an account and securely access the app.

Development time: 60-150 hours

Estimated cost: $3,000 – $7,500

User profile: A user’s profile stores and displays customer choices and information.

Development time: 50-60 hours

Estimated cost: $2,500 – $3,000

Geolocation, routing, and direction: This feature determines the user’s location, chooses the optimum route as well as provides detailed directions throughout the ride.

Development time: 120-500 hours

Estimated cost: $6,000 – $25,000

Payment: The payment feature empowers consumers with a variety of secure payment options to pay for their rides.

Development time: 100 hours

Estimated cost: $5,000-$6,000

Push notifications: It helps users with immediate updates and alerts about the status of their rides, promotions, and other crucial information.

Development time: 80-120 hours

Estimated cost: $4,000 – $6,000

Rider-driver communication: This feature enables smooth communications between passengers and drivers through messages or calls during the ride.

Development time: 60-120 hours

Estimated cost: $3,000 – $6,000

Ride scheduling: It allows consumers to arrange rides in advance for upcoming days and hours.

Development time: 120-160 hours

Estimated cost: $6,000 – $8,000

Booking rides for others: With this feature, customers can reserve rides on behalf of other people by using this service.

Development time: 150-200 hours

Estimated cost: $15,000-$16,000

Splitting fare: It lets app users split the cost of the ride among several riders.

Development time: 120-150 hours

Estimated cost: $6,000 – $7,500

Ratings and reviews: With ratings and reviews features, users can rank and comment on their ride and driver experiences.

Development time: 100-200 hours

Estimated cost: $500 – $2,500

Help and support: It gives customers access to customer care for help with any problems or questions.

Development time: 80-100 hours

Estimated cost: $500-$2,500

2. Driver App

Registration: Drivers can join the app as registered drivers by registering, which enables them to create an account.

Development time: 90-150 hours

Estimated cost: $4,500 – $7,500

Personal profile: This specific feature saves and shows information about the driver, including availability, vehicle details, and personal information.

Development time: 50-70 hours

Estimated cost: $2,500 – $3,500

Push notifications: Provides drivers with immediate updates and alerts on ride requests, client comments, and other crucial information.

Development Time: 80-120 hours

Estimated cost: $4,000 – $6,000

Ride cost estimation: With this feature, before accepting a ride, drivers are given an estimate of the rate.

Development time: 20-40 hours

Estimated cost: $1,000 – $2,000

Driver reporting: It enables drivers to report any problems or occurrences during the trip, such as passenger misbehavior or accidents.

Development time: 20-40 hours

Estimated cost: $1,000 – $2,000

Route optimization: Improve drivers’ routes by offering the quickest route to the client’s location.

Development time: 30-70 hours

Estimated cost: $1,500 – $3,500

Active/inactive option: Drivers can choose whether to accept or reject ride requests by changing their availability status to active or inactive using this feature.

Development time: 30-60 hours

Estimated cost: $1,500 – $3,000

3. Admin App

Admin profile and privileges: Gives the admin the ability to maintain their own profile and assign particular capabilities for various administrative duties.

Development time: 50-80 hours

Estimated cost: $2,500 – $4,000

Adding and deleting admins: This feature provides the ability to add and remove administrators from the system.

Development time: 40-60 hours

Estimated cost: $2,000 – $3,000

Drivers’ verification: Before a driver is permitted to offer services, their credentials, licenses, and background checks are verified by the drivers’ verification system.

Development time: 60-100 hours

Estimated cost: $3,000 – $5,000

Managing drivers and passengers: With this feature, admin can control driver and passenger information, such as registration, profiles, and account settings.

Development time: 80-120 hours

Estimated cost: $4,000 – $6,000

Configuring price rules for rides: The configuring feature lets admins define and modify pricing rules, such as surge pricing, discounts, and pricing for extra services, by configuring price rules for rides.

Development time: 40-60 hours

Estimated cost: $2,000 – $3,000

Advanced analytics and reporting: It gives the admin access to in-depth analytics and reports on user activity, revenue, and other vital indicators for enhanced insight and decision-making.

Development time: 100-200 hours

Estimated cost: $5,000 – $10,000

Check out the complete steps to develop your Uber-like app with our guide: How to Develop a Taxi Booking App in 2023? (Complete Guide)

 Design Consideration and Cost

Design is a critical stage to consider when building an app like Uber. The Uber taxi app itself provides an engaging UI/UX to its users, making it simple and attractive to use. The design needs to be taken care of for both the user and driver app so that there is a smooth flow between the two to provide seamless services.

1. Design cost for passenger app

Wireframes (UX): 80 to 100 hours roughly. To provide a seamless user experience, the fundamental design and interaction flow of the passenger app is sketched out at this stage.

Mockups (UI): 60 to 70 hours for UI mockups for a single platform (iOS or Android). It requires transforming the wireframes into aesthetically pleasing screen designs emphasizing user interface components.

2. Design cost for the driver app

Wireframes (UX): 40 to 60 hours. The primary functionality and user paths are mapped out during the UX wireframing process for the driver app.

Mockups (UI): Similar to mockups, 50 to 70 hours for one platform. The UI mockup stage converts the wireframes into concrete visual designs while considering the features and interactions unique to drivers.

3. Design cost for admin app

Wireframes (UX): 60 to 80 hours roughly. Drawing up the user interface and admin app’s functional elements at this phase will help to handle drivers, rides, and user data effectively.

Mockups (UI): 40 to 60 hours. During the UI mockup stage, the wireframes are converted into aesthetically appealing screen designs tailored to the admin’s requirements, such as data visualization, reporting, and user management.

So, How Much Does it Cost to Build an App Like Uber?

The above sections provide a detailed answer to Uber app development cost. Though the price can be between $15,000-$60,000, it can vary based on the number of features, design, and taxi app development time. 

Cost component	Estimated cost range
Concept and planning
Idea validation	$1,000 – $3,000
Market research	$300 – $1,000
Requirement analysis	$700 – $2,000
App design
UI/UX design	$4,000 – $10,000
App icons and graphics	$300 – $1,000
App development
Frontend development (passenger app)	$10,000 – $20,000
Frontend development (driver app)	$8,000 – $15,000
Frontend development (admin app)	$6,000 – $12,000
Backend development	$15,000 – $30,000
API development	$6,000 – $12,000
Real-time features (maps, notifications)	$3,000 – $8,000
Payment gateway integration	$1,000 – $5,000
Testing and QA
Functional Testing	$1,500 – $4,000
Usability Testing	$1,000 – $2,500
Launch and deployment
App store fees	$50 – $200
Server setup	$500 – $1,500
Post-launch
Maintenance and updates	$2,000 – $5,000/month
Marketing and promotion	Varies
Total estimated cost	$40,000-$80,000

 

Want to consider some other options over Uber? Read our blog: 9 Uber Alternatives: Top Options for Your Taxi App Startup

Top 5 Factors that Affect the Cost of Building an App Like Uber

Why does the cost of building a taxi booking app like Uber fluctuate so much? Below are the top five factors for it.

1. App complexity and features: The amount and complexity of features you wish to include in your taxi app will significantly impact the pricing. Real-time location monitoring, route optimization, multiple payment methods, fare computation, driver ratings, and trip history are a few features that might raise the cost and complexity of taxi app development.
2. Mobile platforms: The costs of developing an app for different operating systems (such as iOS and Android) or adding a web version can vary. Design and development efforts are necessary for each platform, which might increase overall costs.
3. Map and location services: An essential part of a taxi app is integrating map and location services for real-time tracking and navigation. Utilization fees for integrating APIs like Google Maps may apply.
4. User authentication and security: Implementing secure user authentication, data encryption, and user data protection measures is essential for gaining the trust and compliance of users. These security precautions necessitate more effort during creation and could raise prices.
5. Backend development and scalability: It is crucial to build a robust backend infrastructure to manage driver management, ride requests, user accounts, and payment processing. Costs associated with developing a scalable backend that can handle increasing user demand without sacrificing performance can go up.

Build an Uber-like Taxi App in Your Budget

Now that you know how much it costs to build an app like Uber, you may search for a company that can fulfill your dreams within your budget.

ValueAppz is the perfect taxi app development company for your brand. Our years of experience have helped various clients turn their app ideas into reality. The best part? All these projects were delivered on a budget that didn’t hurt their pockets.

A lower price doesn’t mean that we compromise over the quality. Our groundbreaking technology and best resources help us create apps that meet the desired results and provide the exact solutions that users need.

So, get in touch with us now and let’s build your Uber-like taxi app quickly.

Key Takeaways

• Cost range: Cost to build an app like Uber can range from $15,000 to $60,000 to create an app similar to Uber, depending on the features, design, time required for development, and location.
• Feature breakdown: Separate apps for consumers, drivers, and administrators each have their own unique features, requiring different considerations in terms of development time and cost.
• Design impact: A compelling UI/UX is essential. Wireframes and mockups are used in the design process for the admin, driver, and passenger interfaces.
• Cost aspects: Separate cost aspects should be considered for idea planning, design, frontend/backend development, testing, launch, and post-launch maintenance.
• Cost-affecting factors: Backend scalability, security, mobile platforms, map integration, and app complexity play a role. Effective cost management is aided by expertise.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q1. How to develop an app like Uber?

Yes, building an app like Uber is possible. You can follow the following steps to build an app like Uber:

• Research the market, competitors, and Uber model
• Design the app to make it more engaging 
• Choose the monetization method
• Develop the taxi booking app
• Test, launch, and market the app

Q2. How much would it cost to start a business like Uber?

The cost to create an app like Uber can range between $15,000-$60,000. This cost can vary further based on the features, app complexity, design, platforms, and location of the development team.

Q3. What is needed to create an app like Uber?

To develop an app like Uber, you will need technical expertise in mobile app development, GPS and mapping integration, server infrastructure, payment integration, and much more.

Q4. What factors influence the cost of developing an Uber-like app?

Several factors that affect the cost of building an app like Uber include the number of features, design complexity, the number of platforms the app is to be created for, and the location of the app development team.

Q5. How can I estimate the total cost for my specific app idea?

Estimating the total cost for the app idea requires analyzing various factors like app complexity, features, platform (iOS/Android), design, development time, backend infrastructure, and ongoing maintenance.

💡 Editor’s Note: This blog entry was originally published on Aug 29, 2021, and is updated on May 16, 2024.