How Much Does It Cost to Build a Dating App?
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Table of contents
- What Is the Typical Dating App Development Cost?
- How Much Does It Cost to Make a Dating App with SkaDate?
- How Long Does It Take to Build a Dating App?
- How Long Does It Take to Build a Dating App Based on SkaDate?
- Main Factors Affecting Dating App Development Cost
- They Successfully Launched Dating Apps with SkaDate at Minimal Costs
- Must-Have Features to Keep Users Engaged
- How to Reduce Dating App Development Costs?
In one of our previous articles, we gave an overview of the online dating market. In short, the digital dating industry is witnessing substantial growth, fueled by broader Internet access and a growing societal embrace of online matchmaking services. Projections from Statista anticipate that revenues within the online dating segment will ascend to $3.24 billion by the year 2025. This persistent expansion of the dating market underscores a steady demand for innovative and specialized dating apps, opening avenues for creativity and financial investment in the sector. If you are considering developing a dating app, you are also probably thinking about the possible costs it can require. So, in this post, we will try to give a precise answer to the question “How much does it cost to develop a dating app”.
What Is the Typical Dating App Development Cost?
The overall cost of the dating app will depend on many factors, including the app's complexity, technology stack, feature set, and vendor’s prices per hour. We will discuss some of these factors below, but for now, let’s summarize some average prices of the dating app development market.
A native mobile dating app for iOS or Android will cost about $70,000 to $82,000 each. So, if you want to target users in both stores, you will have to allocate about $130,000 (if both apps are provided by one vendor).
A more sophisticated dating platform, like Tinder, can cost about $160,000 to $200,000.
How Much Does It Cost to Make a Dating App with SkaDate?
By offering a ready-made platform with all the must-have features, SkaDate lets you save a lot on development costs. The implementation of the SkaDate platform covers:
- access to the must-have features of a successful dating site (for users, admins, security, monetization, etc.),
- mobile apps for Android and iOS with full setup and submission to stores,
- Progressive Web App (PWA),
- the option to add even more useful functionality to your site with free and paid plugins,
- access to theme templates,
- managed support services.
Many plugins come free of charge, while the advanced ones are served at a way cheaper cost than you would pay to build them from scratch with a development team.
The design of the app can be quickly customized using free templates, included in the offering for your convenience. In total, SkaDate with all the above options included will cost you $2,999 (paid once, no recurrent fees).
Even taking into account the costs of rebranding and design that you might need, you get a comprehensive and competitive dating solution for a very low price compared to custom development. Such huge savings open new opportunities for the growing dating business, as you can quickly enter the market with your idea and become competitive. Read more about SkaDate pricing packages.
How Long Does It Take to Build a Dating App?
Similar to the cost of making a dating app, the delivery time will differ depending on the app's complexity, the team’s expertise, and size. Here are some average time estimations:
Type of work | iOS | Android | iOS & Android |
Web (back-end, admin panel) | - | - | 670h (equal for one and two platforms) |
Mobile development | 619h | 622h | 1241h |
DevOps and meetings | 122h | 122h | 244h |
Demo preparation | 90h | 90h | 180h |
Release to production | 22h | 22h | 44h |
Design | 100h | 100h | 180h |
Total time | 1623 hours | 1626 hours | 2559 hours |
Total cost | $81,000 | $81,300 |
$128,000
|
Some companies provide a lower estimated cost with way longer estimated development time.
How Long Does It Take to Build a Dating App Based on SkaDate?
We thought a lot about how to let business owners reduce the time required from idea to realization, and this was one of the reasons we came up with the SkaDate platform. Though the time needed for the SkaDate setup for you also depends on your project, overall it takes a way shorter period than custom development. Here are some guiding estimates:
- default dating website based on SkaDate: 24 hours;
- default apps: 2-4 weeks for Google Play and up to 2-3 months for Apple Store (because of App Store approval times);
- default Progressive Web Apps: 1 week if you submit all the requested information. Custom development time is always estimated separately.
This time can be extended if you need a custom design, custom features, and 3rd party hosting, however, compared to the estimates of custom development, you can save about 2,300 work hours of a development team.
Main Factors Affecting Dating App Development Cost
Type and Size of the App
The type of dating app significantly affects the development cost because each type implies unique features and a certain level of complexity.
Geolocation-Based Apps
These apps, like popular Tinder and Bumble, use the device’s GPS to find potential matches nearby. Making this type of app involves integrating location services and ensuring they work accurately and efficiently. Additionally, it often requires complex algorithms to show potential matches based on proximity. The cost will also include ensuring user privacy and security, given the sensitivity of location data. This type can be more expensive due to the high-tech features required for smooth geolocation services.
How much does it cost to create a dating app with Geolocation? The cost for such an app can start from around $50,000 to $100,000 for a more basic version, but for more advanced features, security, and scalability, the costs can easily exceed $100,000 to $200,000.
Questionnaire-Based Apps
Apps like eHarmony that use questionnaires to determine compatibility require complex algorithms to match users based on their answers. Development involves creating and managing an extensive database of questions and answers, as well as using machine learning to improve match accuracy over time. While the initial setup of the questionnaire might not be as costly, the backend logic for matching can be complex and, therefore, expensive to develop.
The cost can range from $40,000 to $70,000 for a basic version, with more sophisticated algorithms and analytics pushing the cost to between $100,000 and $150,000.
Traditional Apps
Traditional dating apps tend to focus on profiles and messaging without the sophisticated algorithms of geolocation or questionnaire-based systems. They might be cheaper to develop compared to other types because they rely on basic features such as user profiles, search filters, and messaging systems without the need for advanced location services or matching algorithms.
These apps with standard features such as profiles, search filters, and messaging might cost between $30,000 and $50,000 to develop. If additional features are included, like a more advanced search or better chat functionalities, the cost can increase to between $50,000 and $80,000.
Niche-Based Apps
These apps cater to specific groups of people, such as Grindr or Christian Mingle. The development cost can vary greatly. If the niche requires special features, like compatibility with certain community-based activities or customs, the cost may go up. However, if the niche app can operate with standard dating app features, the costs could be on par with traditional apps.
How much does it cost to start a dating website with a focus on a particular niche? The development costs for niche dating apps can be as low as $20,000 to $40,000 if they are using a standard template with minor modifications for niche features. However, if they require unique features tailored to a specific audience, the costs can be similar to or exceed those of geolocation-based apps, potentially going above $100,000.
Features and Functionality
Certainly, each dating app must incorporate a set of fundamental features to function effectively. For an app to truly distinguish itself in a competitive market, it's crucial to integrate additional, distinctive features, which inevitably raises the development cost. Yet, as expected, a greater number of features correlates with increased development expenses.
To clarify, here are the essential features that any dating app needs to include:
- User Registration and Login: The app should facilitate a seamless registration process, allowing users to sign up directly or via their social media and email accounts.
- Profile Management: Users should have the option to synchronize their profiles and upload photos either through social media or within the app itself.
- Security Measures: To address users' concerns about encountering fraudulent profiles, robust security features must be in place to verify and authenticate user identities. This aspect is not just critical; it's foundational for the app's credibility and user trust.
- In-app Chat: A user-friendly in-app chat feature is essential for encouraging smooth and comfortable communication between users.
These core features form the backbone of a functional dating app. Still, to indeed attract enough users, you will also need more advanced functionality.
Pro Tip
Did you know that SkaDate already includes a comprehensive feature set for starting a dating business? You get features for:
- users (chats, questionnaires, notifications, profile galleries, etc.),
- monetization (paid membership, credits, etc.)
- admins (revenue tracking, features access management, flexible matchmaking system, etc.)
- security (report user, user block, IP block, user content moderation, etc.)
Those are just some of the features included in the SkaDate package at a price of just $2,999. You can also access even more features for free with our plugins and constant updates.
App Design
The design of a dating app is pivotal, serving as the app's face and being paramount in its feature set. The app’s design significantly influences user engagement and the app's overall success, warranting considerable attention during the development phase. Crafting an exceptional design typically requires an investment of 90 to 140 hours, which, in turn, has a notable impact on the comprehensive cost of developing the app. Overall, the app design can cost around $6,000.
Tech Stack
The selection of technological tools and frameworks—collectively known as the tech stack—is a crucial element that significantly influences the dating app development's total expenditure. Several factors related closely to the tech stack influence the time and costs of development.
Development Time and Expertise
Different programming languages and frameworks have varying levels of complexity and learning curves. For instance, a tech stack involving advanced features with Kotlin for Android or Swift for iOS may require developers with specific expertise, which can increase labor costs.
Licensing and Fees
Some components of a tech stack might be open-source and free to use, while others may require licensing fees. Premium databases, specialized development tools, or proprietary software can add to the project's cost.
Scalability and Maintenance
The choice of database and server technologies affects scalability and future maintenance costs. For example, choosing a database like MongoDB can affect how the app scales and how data is managed, which can influence costs as the app grows in users and data volume.
Cloud Services
The use of cloud platforms like AWS or Google Cloud includes costs based on storage, computing power, and data transfer. While they offer scalability and reliability, they also add ongoing operational costs.
Third-Party Services
Integrating third-party utilities like Google Maps for geolocation features or payment gateways such as Stripe or PayPal incurs additional costs due to API usage rates and transaction fees.
Security
Implementing a secure tech stack with encrypted data transfer and secure authentication methods is essential but can be costlier, especially if advanced security measures are required to protect sensitive user information.
Cross-Platform Compatibility
If the app needs to work across different platforms (iOS and Android), it may require additional tools or frameworks like React Native or Flutter, which can influence development time and costs.
Quality Assurance and Testing
It's essential to meticulously evaluate the developed application to confirm it aligns with the predefined requirements and operates correctly. Testing enables any necessary adjustments or enhancements to be systematically addressed before the app’s official release, ensuring a polished and functional final product.
The need to hire experienced testers adds to the development budget. Depending on the complexity of the app and the thoroughness of testing required, this can be a substantial addition to costs. Automated testing tools and the infrastructure needed to support them, such as testing servers and environments that mimic production setups, also represent extra costs. In addition, the identification of bugs and issues necessitates their resolution, which can lead to additional development cycles. This not only extends the project timeline but also increases costs as developers and testers spend more time on the project.
While testing requires extra time and resources, it is a vital step which shouldn't be avoided, especially if you engage in custom development. The cost of losing users due to inadequate testing can be far greater than the cost of thorough testing.
They Successfully Launched Dating Apps with SkaDate at Minimal Costs
Must-Have Features to Keep Users Engaged
Venturing into the fiercely competitive realm of dating apps implies that you need to focus on functionalities that bolster user involvement and ensure sustained engagement.
Crafting Compelling User Profiles
The initiation into any dating app begins with creating a user profile, a process that encompasses entering fundamental details such as gender, age, geographic location, and interests, along with memorable photographs.
To elevate engagement levels, encourage users to be creative and showcase their individuality more vividly. You can even introduce some elements of gamified profile creation, thereby adding some fun and personalization to the profile setup process.
In-App Сhat
Communication features are fundamental in the functionality of dating applications. To elevate the user experience and foster more dynamic interactions, integrating advanced communication options such as voice notes, voice messaging, and video messaging is recommended. Enriching the platform with these interactive tools not only makes exchanges between users more engaging but also significantly improves the likelihood of forming meaningful connections that extend beyond the digital realm.
Icebreakers
Beginning a dialogue post-match may provoke anxiety for many users. Incorporating features such as quick, engaging questions as conversation starters can facilitate smoother interactions, particularly for those new to the platform. These features will help your users be a bit more confident at the start and hence make them more loyal to your dating app.
Enhanced Communication Options
Over time, simple texting gets boring and can lead to a stale user experience. At this point, many users want to go further and talk via video. You can introduce voice and video call capabilities to let users engage in more personal and deep interactions, without sharing personal contacts—all still within the secure environment of your dating app. Depending on user feedback and demand, this advanced communication feature could be offered as a premium addition to the app’s suite of services.
Notifications
Push notifications serve as a pivotal tool for keeping users updated about possible matches. This functionality not only maintains user engagement but also encourages repeat visits to the app, enhancing the overall user experience.
Social Media Integration
Linking user accounts with social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram gives more credibility to user profiles, thereby adding to the app's security level. Leveraging data from these connected social media profiles can facilitate more accurate matching by identifying shared interests and hobbies, thereby improving the matchmaking process.
All these tools are required if you want the dating app to meet the expectations of users. That is why we introduced all these essential components and added much more functionality to make sure that apps based on our platform are indeed competitive in the dating market.
How to Reduce Dating App Development Costs?
At SkaDate, we offer a comprehensive dating platform, with the dating website, mobile apps, and PWA included. SkaDate allows you to get a fully functional dating app in a very short time frame for just $2,999.
The features set covers all the necessary tools for users, admins, monetization, security, and more. In one solution, you get all the must-have features we discussed above and way more features to make a dating app that users really want to try and stay with. You also get access to free Theme templates which you can use to tweak the app’s design to fit your style. However, if you want to go beyond themes and let your brand identity shine through the app's looks, our team with more than 19 years in dating app development can help you create a fully custom and user-friendly design for your site and apps. Additionally, if the included functionality does not meet your needs, you can enhance it with our selection of free and paid plugins, or consult our experienced development team for custom solutions.
SkaDate is a powerful platform for dating services that is already trusted by many successful dating businesses. The next success story can be yours.
