How Much Does It Cost to Develop an App Like Deliveroo
By idea2appAdmin
August 29, 2025
Table of Contents
The food delivery industry has been growing rapidly, changing the dining experience for millions. The reasons for this are our busy lives, the growing demand for diverse food choices, and the increasing emphasis on contactless services. As consumers increasingly seek convenience in eating at home, those entering the food delivery industry are at the forefront of the latest innovations and opportunities. A good food delivery app will yield significant advantages over the next decade. Deliveroo is the only company that can navigate the constantly evolving food delivery landscape. Customers can place orders on the go and track their food at any time. According to a study, the global online food delivery market is projected to reach $483.9 billion by 2032, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.5%.
If you’re contemplating creating the first food delivery app to compete in this booming market, it is a wise decision. However, when it comes to developing a food delivery application, cost is a significant issue for both businesses and startups, as their budget constraints limit their options.
In a world where food delivery on demand becomes increasingly competitive, creating a mobile app with innovative features that will set your app apart from competitors will require a significant investment. This is why it’s essential to be aware of all the factors that influence the cost of developing an app in the food delivery sector.
In this article, we’ll cover the various aspects that can help you estimate the price of your app’s food delivery service, as well as useful tips to reduce the cost.
Food delivery app like Deliveroo provide customers with a range of well-known restaurants and deliver orders to their doorsteps. Users can browse menus and track orders on the go, as well as place orders and select from a variety of payment options using their smartphones or any other internet-connected device.
It connects users with local eateries to provide quick delivery and simple food ordering. Most of the time, this is an app for food delivery that has restaurant partners as well as an efficient logistics network. It’s a user-friendly app for food delivery, allowing users to browse menus quickly. It is a reliable logistics system that guarantees timely delivery, along with a GPS tracker for tracking deliveries. Apps for food delivery are offered with secure payment options, including credit or debit accounts, digital wallets, and net banking.
In the current online shopping-based world, models for food delivery can be classified into three categories: restaurant models, aggregator models, and platforms that contain logistical models of assistance.
An aggregator model that combines multiple aggregators is ideal for those seeking to minimize their investment in fixed assets. A model for aggregators provides the necessary technology to build an online delivery model. In such a scenario, you build an online platform that allows restaurants to interact with customers, but does not provide the logistics to support this interaction. Delivery services are offered by an independent organization, over which the company has no control or interest.
The model being developed is an enhanced version of the one the company provides its customers, offering a platform that manages logistical aspects. The platform offers logistical support, and the parent company provides various choices on its platform. It receives requests from clients, handles all logistics related to delivery, and ensures that all parties are satisfied with the outcome. This is a redesigned version of the model designed for restaurant aggregators, as they don’t have to concern themselves with order fulfillment.
Restaurant models are when each restaurant or cafe has its own app, serving its own food exclusively. Restaurants can extend their reach and appeal to a greater audience, and also target customers who can’t physically visit the restaurant. Delivery can be handled by the restaurant or outsourced to various aggregators. If you own a restaurant, check out our detailed article on how to create an app to take away food from restaurants.
The on-demand, order, or delivery of food in the online industry has been flourishing for many years. Particularly, following the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for delivery increased dramatically. People use mobile apps to search for food items and place orders online. Nowadays, people prefer using food delivery apps to buy food online.
Restaurants can also utilize their apps to order food, taking advantage of the benefits of online ordering. Today, however, food delivery services aren’t limited to foods that can be eaten. Customers can now purchase tea, groceries, raw food items, and other food products. Food delivery companies are investing in cloud kitchens to offer catering services. Startups in the technology sector for food are focusing on developing a range of apps for online food ordering. This is why the number of food delivery apps has grown significantly over the past few years.
Currently, many customers order food online to try new items or meals for the sake of time-saving or convenience. This presents a fantastic chance for entrepreneurs to see their businesses expand and achieve the next standard of performance by investing in an app for food delivery development. That’s why we have presented the advantages below:
Developing an app like Deliveroo could help you make money from an enterprise driven by growing demand for quick and efficient eating. With the worldwide shift towards online food ordering, the potential for massive returns is clear.
Integrating your investment in food delivery services enhances your brand’s visibility and credibility. Partnering with local eateries and providing a seamless customer experience will solidify your brand as the preferred choice, fostering trust and loyalty among customers.
The rising demands for mobile-based lifestyles have led to an increase in the demand for food delivery. A well-designed app can benefit from this development and gain a significant market share by adapting to the evolving consumer habits.
You can avail the latest technology features by investing for the food delivery application. Real Time Monitoring, Personal Recommendations, & AI analysis User experience enhanced and your business competitive in the most aggressive market.
A well-structured food delivery application can generate multiple revenue streams that extend beyond the delivery cost, including subscription models, restaurant partnership fees, and targeted advertising. Diversifying income sources can ensure longevity.
The food industry is constantly evolving, so choosing an app that is adaptable to the needs of food delivery allows you to adapt to changing trends quickly. And for introducing new trends, meeting taste trends to suit dietary requirements, and concerns as such as rice sustainability, the ability to keep up with the latest trends means remaining competitively current and profitable.
Let’s examine the last advantage: applications that provide food aid in processing orders and logistical support for delivery. They utilize highly automated processes to minimize human errors, such as tracking order status, managing order fulfillment, providing live tracking, optimizing delivery routes, and maintaining user profiles. These automated tasks will help companies create more nutritious food products.
Are you interested in learning about the latest or additional apps that offer food delivery? With the assistance of a highly experienced mobile app development company, you can get the most impressive or unique features of the app:
Most people dislike filling out lengthy forms. Therefore, ensure that users have an easy registration process. You can register by simply offering a phone number and an email address, and through social media like Facebook.
A user-friendly interface is vital to the success of a food delivery service. The user´s surfing pleasure is guaranteed thanks to the simplicity of the layout. And so it is that users can easily look through a list of eateries, choose dishes that they like, and submit an order in next to no time.
The incorporation of real-time order tracking enhances customer transparency and satisfaction. Live updates on the progress of their orders, from preparation to delivery, ensure that customers are kept informed and actively involved throughout the entire process.
People are more likely to trust a company that has rigorous security measures in place for online transactions. This increases your customers’ confidence in your application, which, in turn, encourages them to continue doing business with you. Secure payment gateways protect your financial information.
An extensive menu of restaurants within the area, with comprehensive reviews, menus, and prices, is essential. The variety of options caters to a broad range of tastes and preferences, while also attracting more customers to your app that can deliver food.
The capability to build custom profiles with preference history, order history, and payment details streamlines the ordering process. Customized profiles enhance the customer experience by streamlining the process and delivering tailored services that align with individual preferences.
Now customers are continue, to eat through the lens of smartphone with the introduction of AR menus. This is a cool little interactive user experience. And it all leads the customer to make an educated purchase that will assure shit orders never go down and add a cool little fun feature to the app.
Voice-activated commands are used to ease the ordering process and provide an alternative that doesn’t require manual input. Users can make orders for items and personalize their preferences. With its voice commands, the app also be operate, by users. This is better for anyone tech-savvy. This also improves access to the app or software.
Sophisticated algorithms allow for more efficient delivery routes. And of course, it can contextually maximize deliveries during a trip by re-optimising in real-time based on live traffic, to get you your delivery the fastest. This feature is not only able to improve the customer experience but also to offer delivery services for the company.
The responsiveness of your helpline within the app is crucial in assisting users with questions and resolving issues promptly. Implementing features such as live chat or a telephone number allows users to get help quickly, which boosts overall customer satisfaction and increases the popularity of your food delivery application.
Developing an app like Deliveroo that includes food delivery to your doorstep costs from $40,000 to $300,000. The costs associated with developing app like Deliveroo can be influenced by various factors. Regarding the costs of developing apps for food delivery solutions, the app’s capabilities can be a significant factor in determining the overall cost.
The complicated user interface, as well as the features, add to the cost. Thus, you need to efficiently evaluate the app’s features.
The estimated costs for creating an app like Deliveroo.
Food delivery apps in high demand have development costs that may vary depending on several factors. Several factors influence the cost of developing an app for food delivery. If you consider these factors and meticulously plan the design process, you’ll be able to calculate and estimate the costs of developing a food delivery application that works effectively.
As you expand the options that you want to offer in your app, the more you’ll have to spend on features, the higher the cost. The food delivery app offers a range of choices. It may be focused solely on the delivery and ordering of food items. It can also provide table reservations, restaurant management, and food ordering. Based on the service that you provide, the app you create will need to be able to perform the features. So the creation of these functions will influence the overall cost of developing a food delivery app.
Teams located across different time zones may offer cost savings, but they could also pose difficulties in the coordination process, as well as the time-bound delivery. Alternatively, local teams might help you more efficiently coordinate your schedule and manage communication, even if they’re generally more expensive. Considering these options and setting up glass walls of communication is important if you plan on outsourcing a part of development or for a portion of development, for that matter, to make it work like a well-oiled machine across areas.
The distinctiveness and complexity of the application’s design affect the cost. Simple, minimalist designs are less expensive compared to an application that is complex in terms of graphics, animations, and branding elements. Customized designs typically require more effort and time from UX/UI designers. This leads to higher prices.
The prices on food delivery app development will vastly vary depending on your tech stack for apps. Some technologies will have licensing costs associated with them, or be less cost-effective in terms of maintenance and development. Furthermore, in case of specialized/advanced technology, it may be necessary to recruit the appropriate expert due to the complexity/heterogeneity of their expertise. The full cost of building the app for delivery of food.
It is likely more expensive to build apps for multiple platforms (iOS, android, web) than a single platform. Each device has unique UI/UX guidances, development requirements and testing procedures which add to the timelines and costs of development. It’s also good to keep in mind that dual screen support may raise issues, like resolution and screen size and cost.
Integrating third-party solutions, such as payment gateways, geolocation and mapping apps, analytics tools, or customer service platforms, can impact the development costs of the food delivery application. You might have to pay license fees or API usage fees for some of the external services. That may have broader development expense implications.
Ensuring user data and transaction are secured and never compromised, is a top priority for food delivery firms. This includes the use of encryption protocols to secure transactions and safe authentication methods, and compliance with regulations regarding data protection (such as GDPR or HIPAA). Therefore, ensuring that the app is secure could make it more expensive for the mobile app to deliver food and cost.
Your app goes live does not mean you are done. The ride continues with maintenance and support. You don’t want to build an app that’s in the Play Store or App Store ad nobody ever download anything from you. That’s why you need to secure and make your app viable. This is in addition to the development costs given, so how much does it cost to make a food delivery app like Deliveroo can include ongoing bug fixes, feature updates, and support. Typically, it’s somewhere around there depending on the specific costs and it comes in between 15 and 20 per cent in the first instance. Costs could rise or fall with changes and needs.
To give you a one-liner idea about the cost of building an app like Deliveroo (or any other similar food delivery service app) we first should outline the stages of successful application development. There are many things to inspect and follow the particular sequence for getting the right cost estimation for food delivery app development. Here, we have outlined some proven tactics that may help you understand the right price for food delivery on your mobile app.
Develop a detailed work plan that lists all the features, functional and technical specifications for the app. Wireframes, mock ups and user stories (describing the design and functions of your application) should appear throughout the document. This should allow developers to predict costs more accurately and be a guide for future projects.
Explore the available food delivery applications to learn more about their features, performance, and pricing options. There are many famous apps, such as DoorDash, Grubhub, Uber Eats, Postmates, and others, that generate significant revenue for businesses in the food delivery services industry. Therefore, you should assess your strengths and weaknesses to identify areas of differentiation and improvement in your app. This will enable you to see what your app require and estimate the cost more accurately.
Hire dedicated Developers or food delivery app development companies. They will be able to provide you with more details on the cost elements that are specific to your project’s needs. It is possible to discuss the app’s specifications, features, and preferences with them to receive expert advice and estimates for developing your app, including food delivery costs.
There are many online calculators and applications, which allow you to calculate an approximate cost of creating an app for food delivery based on certain elements (features, platforms, etc.) Although rough estimates, these tools are good ways to budget projects.
We are aware that the price of developing apps for food delivery isn’t cheap. Especially for early stage tech-enabled food companies or startups, it’s very hard to build a full-blown food delivery service without the budget. As a popular app development company and a reputed Food Delivery firm that develops apps, we can lead you to best cost on how to save in building an app.
The primary reasons customers will require are searching menus for food items, making orders, and tracking the delivery dates. Begin with a minimum viable product. If there is sufficient user reaction, that could change with more feature complete tools. This way, the app can be built at the least possible cost.
Numerous open-source, free, and trustworthy frameworks and libraries are available for developing food delivery applications. These can save you money on licensing fees as compared to proprietary software.
Development apps for iOS and Android are costly. It is possible to launch on only one platform initially, before transferring to the other when necessary. It may also be advantageous if you intend to create content on both platforms.
Designing your application for food delivery with an eye on the future is crucial to keep expenses to a minimum. An adaptable design enables your app to keep pace with increasing demand and add new features without requiring an overhaul.
Although MVP isn’t a requirement, it is a good investment that will largely assist you. Let’s clarify: MVP app development is a simplified version of your application that has been developed with the most important features, allowing you to gather feedback on your concepts. This way, you can further enhance your app’s design without introducing any complexity or requiring subsequent updates.
Various methods enable you to break your project down into distinct stages. This not only accelerates development but also reduces costs. This allows you to spend less time on tasks that are not essential and decreases the likelihood of investing your time in unnecessary features, ultimately reducing the cost of creating a food delivery application built around these capabilities.
A well-planned method of managing projects is vital to reducing both development costs and time. This way, you can set deadlines and milestones so that you don’t end up slowing the development process to the point of no return. This can help you improve resource management and reduce the costs associated with developing food delivery apps.
The cost of hiring a food delivery app development company will vary depending on the geographic area. Therefore, outsourcing to regions where the hourly rate can be higher is a good option. However, you should not compromise the quality of service or communications.
Cloud-based and serverless architectures enable you to expand your application efficiently without incurring significant initial infrastructure costs. Cloud-based services can be integrated into your food delivery software.
Generating a profit for an online food ordering application is essential for its sustainability and expansion. Here are a few income streams to take into consideration:
The majority of food delivery companies use a commission-based model, where restaurants are required to pay a percentage of the total cost to the platform. The amount that the app pays to the app can vary; however, it is usually between 15 % and 30%. This incentive system enables the platform to boost restaurant sales.
The customer is charged for each order. It can vary based on size, distance, and demand (e.g., prices increase during peak hours). The cost is directly credited to the costs of transportation, staff, and logistics.
Offer a subscription plan that allows customers to pay a monthly or annual fee to access benefits such as discounted prices, complimentary delivery, or additional discounts. This creates a constant income stream and encourages users to remain loyal.
Examine customer behavior and sales data to gain a deeper understanding of restaurants and food brands. This can include featured ads or banners. You can also offer discounts or specials for restaurants that want to increase their web visibility.
It could also sell other features or services from within the app – which it cannot currently, for instance, it could pay for priority delivery, to have it all neatly in a special wrapping or to access to a menu only users can access. This will create value to users and generate the extra income for the websites.
Review the sales and customer behavior to gain valuable insight regarding restaurant and food brands. Selling aggregated data can be a profitable source of income since businesses typically seek information-driven data to help improve their operations and marketing strategies.
Make arrangements with food manufacturers or retailers to offer special discounts or products that are only available for your app. This could create a new income stream while also offering customers exclusive products and services.
The service could be extended to cater to larger events as well as large-scale business purchases. The idea of charging a service fee for these larger purchases could increase the number of revenue streams you can earn.
Create loyalty program that makes your customers to repeat their purchase. While it may seem like you’re giving a discount, doing so could eventually raise your customer retention and increase their per-order amounts by bringing higher overall profits.
On the other hand, app like Deliveroo have seen the largest share of the market’s growth, and are at the top of the list. However, there is limited competition, and there’s ample space for expansion. The demand from consumers for efficient delivery services is growing, making it the perfect time to launch a company on the market with an app that delivers food, app like Deliveroo.
Designing an app for food delivery involves a plethora of considerations. It’s directly related to the quantity of work that software engineers need to get done and can vary from 1,500 to 8,760 hours. Pricing will be based on the area you live in and the level of experience you have, so it is difficult to give an estimate of cost ahead of time.
We now know that the typical cost of developing an app for food delivery is around $600. We hope that this guide has helped you determine the price of your app-based food delivery service. A variety of factors can significantly impact the price of constructing an app that delivers food. As it requires in-depth knowledge of the subject and a deep understanding of the business, it is highly recommended to consult an experienced developer of food delivery apps for your business to help design and estimate the costs of your venture.
The cost of creating a food delivery app like Deliveroo is never fixed, it will depend on different factors such as the company that made the app, the number of features, and the design. To get an idea of the size of the project, it’s possible to estimate between $40,000 $300,000. We invite you to contact our application developers to receive a precise estimate tailored to your business’s specific needs.
The time needed to develop a food delivery app Delivery app like Deliveroo depends on its complexity and feature sets. For an extremely complex app with lots of features, development may take up to 9 months to one year. But a stripped down app can be built in 3 to 6 months.
There are numerous options you can integrate into your app for food delivery, including simple registration and payment gateway integration, real-time updates, order management, profile management, and more.
The features of apps for food delivery can vary depending on the type of application. The more features you can get, the higher the price will be. Incorporating more features than typical ones will take greater time and energy, which could increase the cost.