Over the years with fast-paced lifestyles, the necessities of  our lives have seen a technological advancement. Food delivery applications are one of such advancements making life easier for people, letting them enjoy their favorite cuisines in the comfort of their homes. Investing in a mobile app for food delivery is a brilliant idea if you want to explore the food ecosystem and upscale your business. To help you better understand food delivery app development costs, our food delivery app developers use Deliveroo as an example. The cost to develop a food delivery app like Deliveroo can be estimated at around $35000 to $65000 depending on the details you want to include. 
  
Let’s explore the intricacies and details of food delivery app development like Deliveroo to have a head start on your business idea. 
 

Food Delivery App Market Stats

Before you decide to invest in a custom food delivery app, let’s see what the numbers have to say about the business. 

• In 2024, the revenue from the on-demand food delivery apps market would be around US$1.22tn. 
• With a CAGR of 10.68% calculated from 2024 to 2028, the market volume of on-demand food delivery solutions can be calculated to be US$1.79tn. 
• The number of users for meal delivery applications is going to see a surge by 2028 and reach 2.5bn users. 

These numbers reflect the clear future of online food delivery services and why partnering with a custom food delivery app development company is a great idea. 

Now, let’s explore the food delivery app development cost and the significant factors in determining the final value. 
 

A Quick Look at Deliveroo: A Case Study for On-demand Food Delivery App Development Companies 

Founded in 2013, in London, Deliveroo is one of the most popular food delivery services expanding from Europe, to Asia and the Middle East. Deliveroo has grown as a market leader in multi-restaurant delivery apps over the decade and offers its users the ease to choose from their favorite restaurants. 

With a huge user base, they bridge the gap between diners and their favorite local restaurants. With 1.7 billion USD raised in 13 rounds, the food delivery application has earned itself a strong reputation in the market (Crunchbase Report). With evolving technology, the company has transformed the app by integrating advanced technology, expanding geographically, and generating great revenue.

Factors Determining Food Delivery App Development Cost

As mentioned, the food delivery app development cost can be around $35000 to $65000. The factors determining the cost to develop a food delivery app like Deliveroo include aesthetics of the custom food delivery app, app complexity, features & functions, technology stack, choice of the engagement model, location, etc.  

Let’s explore all the aspects of food delivery app development costs in detail and how they impact the food delivery app services. 

Native/Cross-platform App Development 

Before you hire food delivery app developers for your business, pick the platform you want to start with. You can start with a native application that is available on Android or iOS. You may choose to create a cross-platform application that is compatible with various OS. 

For different platforms, the development process and the tech stack would be different. Cross-platform app development may seem costly but would help you reach a wider audience. 

Hiring Model 

Since you have decided on the platform that you want to be available on, next is building a team. You can hire an in-house app development team or partner with a food delivery app development company to look after the development task. 

Picking an in-house team is a time-consuming, tiring, and costlier alternative compared to outsourcing your development task to an experienced development firm that understands the development process better. 

Location of the On-Demand Food Delivery Solutions Providers 

Now that you have decided to outsource your development task, the next challenge is to decide where to hire from. Create a list of top mobile app development companies you can partner with and then choose the one you think can turn your vision into a functioning reality. 

When hiring food delivery app development services providers, take the following things into account: 

• Time Zone Difference 
• Communication Channel 
• Work Culture and Ethics 
• Reviews on Various Listing Portals 
• Geographical Limitations 

Selecting a food delivery app development company in USA may cost you $95 to $100. The rates for app development services are almost similar in the USA and UK. You can hire one of the food delivery app development companies in USA to help you with your dream project at affordable rates. The food delivery app development cost in India would be around $25 to $35 per hour. 

Team Size 

The team size would determine the Deliveroo-like app development cost significantly.  Your team would need Android app developers, iOS app developers, QA & software testing team, designers, business analysts, project managers, etc. 

Depending on the size and scale of your project you can decide how many members for each department you may need. You may also need experts in advanced technology to integrate AI-based solutions with your application. 

UI/UX Design

The top food delivery app development companies include UI/UX design services on the list. Depending on how you want your application to look and feel, the firm would decide the Deliveroo like food delivery app development cost and time. 

You can integrate engaging elements like gifs and animations that would entice users to connect with your application. Investing in the right food delivery app development company would help you have an application that reflects your business idea in the digital arena. 
 

Features and Functions 

The food delivery app development is majorly defined by the features and functions integrated with your solution. Our app developers can create a food delivery solution with a basic feature set or can create something as complex as Deliveroo. Some of the important features that our experts include with your solution are:

Customer Side Panel 

• Easy onboarding 
• Simple User Interface 
• Smart Search Filters 
• Order History 
• Re-order 
• Real-time order tracking 
• Customer Support 
• Review and Rating 
• Multi-lingual Support 
• Payment Options 

Restaurant Side Features 

• Partner Registration and Management 
• Order Management 
• Inventory Management 
• Delivery Partner Management 
• Performance and Insights 
• Marketing & Promotions 
• Delivery Fee Management 
• Discounts and Loyalty Points 
• Delivery Person
• Accept/Reject Order 
• Navigation and Route Optimization 
• Real-Time Updates 
• Earnings Tracking 
• Availability Settings 
• Delivery History 

Delivery Person

• Accept/Reject Order 
• Navigation and Route Optimization 
• Real-Time Updates 
• Earnings Tracking 
• Availability Settings 
• Delivery History 

And a lot more. 

The food delivery app services experts create solutions that are intuitive and can interact with the users easily. 

Third-Party Integrations 

When looking for solutions that survive the cut-throat market competition, you need to integrate some third-party APIs. The APIs your development team integrates with the solution significantly affect the food delivery app development cost. You’d need API for payments, location detection, app security, restaurant management, etc. For a multi-restaurant app managing inventory and recording orders also needs API aids. 

Payment Gateway

An advanced payment gateway would shake away the hustles of toggling between applications to make payments when placing an order. 

Geospatial Integrations

For route optimization and advanced GPS services, it is important to integrate geospatial integrations with your solutions. This would help the rider and the consumer to track locations and understand the route better. 

Quality Assurance and App Testing 

Before you take your app to the market, rest assured it is flawless and delivers its purpose well. The QA and software testing team checks for the functions and bugs in the app and reports it back to the development team. 

The development team resolves the issue and once they are sure the app is flawless it is deployed to you. 

When availing of food delivery app development services, check if they include the testing services in the package. 

App Maintenance

Another important aspect of food delivery app development, maintaining the app. Ask your service providers if they’d make the desired updates and changes in your application as and when required. This is an ongoing process and one may need constant assistance in this. 

Compliances and Security 

Other important factors in determining the food delivery app development cost are legal compliance and app security. Pick a team that has experience and expertise in food delivery app solutions and is acquainted with the complexities involved. 

This would help you save your time, money, & effort, and help in the easy launch of the application. 

Tech Stack

The technology stack would significantly impact the cost of food delivery app like Deliveroo. Ensure the team you partner with is well-versed with the latest technology and can create solutions that are time-relevant. Entering the market with an app based on an obsolete technology is already a big no. Such applications for a short period may attract users, but gradually they’d move to the application that offers them better services and features. 

Woah! These are some of the major factors that determine the food delivery app development cost. 

Now that we know the Deliveroo-like food delivery app development cost, let’s have a glance at the development process. 

Develop a Food Delivery App Like Deliveroo

Since you are investing in developing a like Deliveroo, it is vital to understand the development process and how it works. 

Market Research 

The process to deliver app like Deliveroo starts with market understanding and competitor study. The food delivery app developers determine the problems in the existing solutions, preferences of the users, changing market trends, and other details before they start the development process. 

This helps in delivering a food delivery application that solves user problems and is a solution to the loopholes in the existing solutions. 

Define App Features and Functions 

As discussed, food delivery app development cost is significantly defined by the features and functions you use in your app. So enlist the features you want to include in your food delivery application for a smooth development process. 

Choose the Tech Stack

Depending on the platform you selected, features, and functions choose a technology stack that can turn your dream project into a working reality. Consider future business expansion scope, integrating more features, and platform compatibility here. 

 App Design 

Let the design team create a prototype of your application that meets your business vision. The food delivery app developers would design an app that isn’t just aesthetically attractive but easy to navigate and use. This would reduce the chances of cart abandonment and add to greater profits. 

App Development

 After the UI/UX design team creates the wireframe, it is time to breathe life into your application. Our food delivery app development team ensures the solutions are user-centric and solve their problems easily. 

With the right tech stack and essential APIs integrated with your food delivery solution our experts can create top-notch solutions for you. 

Testing and Quality Assurance 

The quality assurance and software testing service providers make sure your application is flawless and smooth. Most food delivery app development companies have a team of manual and automatic testers to ensure no stone is left unturned before the product is deployed.

Launch and Deployment  

Once the testing team gives a heads up we move next to deploy your app. With the launch of the beta version, collect the reviews and feedback from the users and make the modifications required. 
Afterward, launch the final version of your food delivery application. 

Most food delivery app development companies offer post-deployment support and maintenance services to ensure your app scales as your business grows. 

Wrapping It Up!

Whether you are looking for restaurant delivery app development or custom food delivery app development, to pick the right partner, list out the top mobile app development companies. Further looking at their portfolio and other details you can choose who to partner with and what perks they bring to the table. 

With expert food delivery app developers, we offer solutions that can help you be at the top of your business game. Our experts are well acquainted with the latest technologies and trends and can implement the same in your solution. 

So, just start your hunt for a reliable food delivery app development team and enter the market with a bang!