How Much Does it Cost to Develop a Messaging App Like Snapchat?
Snapchat has become one of the most popular messaging apps worldwide, with over 375 million daily active users. It has garnered tremendous success with its user-friendly interface and ultimate features & functionalities.
Snapchat is also a real pioneer in bringing augmented reality to its users through interactive lenses and filters. The app also allows users to share multimedia messages that disappear after 24 hours.
The success story of Snapchat has inspired hundreds of entrepreneurs to create their own messaging apps and invest in a social media app development company that understands the app development market.
However, one of the most frequent questions that arise when building a messaging app is — How much does it cost to develop a messaging app like Snapchat?
In this article, we will discuss in detail the cost to develop a messaging app like Snapchat, along with the factors that impact the overall mobile app development cost. So, without further ado, let’s get started.
Cost of developing a social media app like Snapchat
The cost to develop an app like Snapchat depends on a variety of factors, such as the complexity of the app, the hourly rate of the developers, features and functionalities, and more. Below are a few factors that can impact the cost of developing a Snapchat-like app.
1. App platform
One of the first things to keep in mind when you make an app like Snapchat is the type of platform. If you want your app to be widely used, it’s imperative to develop it for both iOS and Android platforms. If we speak particularly about Snapchat, it is available on both platforms.
But if you are a startup with a minimal budget, it is better to develop your app for one platform. Later, you can expand to other platforms.
2. Design
The cost of mobile app design services depends on your business requirements. The more complex the design is, the more hours it will take to develop the app, and the costs will be higher as well.
Let’s look at the basic points in app designing and try to estimate the cost to develop an app like Snapchat -
- Wireframing — This usually takes from 20 to 140 hours. For an average price of $45 per hour, the approximate cost will range from $950 to $6,000.
- UI design — This process usually takes from 20 to 120 hours. The average cost of UI design is generally from $900 to $9500.
- UX design: The process of UX design requires 7 to 200 hours, so the cost varies from $300 to $9000.
Apart from the complexity, the choice of the platform also affects the cost of app designing. For instance, the iOS app design is more expensive because of its strict rules and regulations. Android app design can also become tricky because it has a lot of OS versions and a wide range of screen resolutions.
3. Features & functionalities
Another major factor that affects the Snapchat messaging app development cost is the features list. It was Snapchat that first introduced the concept of disappearing messages in social media, and soon it was adopted by other social media platforms. Other than this feature, the introduction of AR for facial feature customization is also something that took center stage right after Snapchat introduced it.
So, in order to determine the Snapchat messaging app development cost precisely, it is crucial to understand the complete list of features that go into the making of the popular social media app.
Here are some of the basic features that can be incorporated into the development of a Snapchat-like app. The more features you add, the more will be the cost to build a mobile app like Snapchat:
- Registration
- Contacts integration
- Real-time messaging
- Disappearing messages
- Stickers
- Video/audio calls
- Story
- Lenses
- Geofilters
- Admin panel
- Location sharing
4. Location of software developers
Location is another factor that plays a pivotal role in deciding the final Snapchat app development cost. For instance, if you hire a development team from a country like the US, then the hourly cost of the developers for building the best social media apps will be different from software development companies in India or Ukraine.
This is due to the fact that services around the world vary significantly in terms of cost and quality.
5. Technology additions
Snapchat app development cost can vary greatly depending on what latest technologies you choose. The more technologies you add to your application, like machine learning, blockchain, artificial intelligence, and cloud, the more will be the mobile app development cost.
Total cost to build a mobile app like Snapchat
Summarizing the above points, we can say that the average mobile app development cost to build an app like Snapchat varies from $40,000 to $300,000.
Below is an estimated cost breakdown of Snapchat messaging app development based on the complexity -
How to create an app like Snapchat?
Below are a few simple steps that you can follow to create an app like Snapchat -
- The first step to take into account when creating apps like Snapchat is to research the market to identify your competitors and their offerings.
- When creating apps similar to Snapchat, the next step is to know your target audience and identify their needs.
- Next, you need to create a list of features to build apps like Snapchat.
- Set your budget and define for what platform to build your app first.
- The next step to consider when building the best app like Snapchat is to hire a software development company.
- Craft a marketing strategy when planning to build apps similar to Snapchat.
- Launch your app and keep upgrading and maintaining it.
Conclusion
So, there is no single answer to mobile app development cost or Snapchat-like app development cost. As discussed above, the social media app development cost varies depending on the features you wish to add, the tech stack and app platform you choose, the location of software developers, and more.
However, in order to get a rough estimate of Snapchat-like app development, it’s advisable to contact experienced and trusted mobile app development companies. The experts can help you build apps similar to Snapchat within your budget and guide you through the entire process of app development.
