Progressive web apps enable websites to function more like native mobile apps in exchange for some flexibility. You get native mobile app functionality (or close to it) without all the overhead of app store approvals and tons of platform-specific native code.
Users can install a progressive web app to their home screen and launch it just like a native app. However, the app is launched into a pseudo-app frame that has some restrictions and only allows access to pages that are sub-paths of the initial path of the progressive web app. They also must be served over HTTPS.
The core of a progressive web app is the service worker, which is effectively a client-side JavaScript daemon. Service workers can listen for a few kinds of events and react to them. One of the most commonly supported events is the fetch event, which can be used to cache web content offline as explained below.
Many websites fit just fine within the rules and restrictions of progressive web apps. Instead of waiting for Apple or Google to approve and push out native app updates, progressive web app updates are fetched by a service worker following standard HTTP caching rules.
Plus, progressive web apps can now use many native APIs like geolocation, camera, and sensor APIs that only native mobile apps used to be able to take advantage of.
In this article, we will provide insight on how to create a progressive web app or even convert your existing website into a web app.
- How do I Create a Progressive Web Application?
- How Much Does it Cost to Build a Progressive Web App?
- What Are The Pros and Cons of PWA?
- How do You Make PWA From Scratch?
- What is Progressive Web App Example?
- Is PWA Builder Free?
- How Much Does It Cost to Develop an App?
How do I Create a Progressive Web Application?
PWAs use progressive enhancement to load the most important content first, then add presentational and functional extras as required, meaning that all your users get the same core experience as quickly as possible. If you want to reach the widest possible audience, PWAs are the way to go.
Read Also: Which Are The Top PWA App Development Companies?
Though Progressive Web Apps bring a lot of benefits and functionality to the web, they don’t require rewriting your entire application. Any app can be converted to a PWA by adding a few extra layers to it.
For best results, you’ll want to put a strong emphasis on performance from the beginning – but that’s true of any web app. Here, we’ll walk through the steps to make your app progressive.
If you want to build a smooth-running site, make sure your web hosting is spot on and use a decent website builder.
1. Serve over HTTPS
Let’s be honest: you should be doing this anyway. SSL adds an extra layer of security to the web, helping your users feel secure in using your site. With PWAs, HTTPS is essential for using service workers and allowing home screen installation. You can purchase an SSL certificate from your domain registrar at little expense and then configure it through your hosting service.
2. Create an application shell
Your app shell is the first thing that loads – the first thing the user sees. It should exist entirely in your index HTML document, with inline CSS, to ensure it appears as fast as possible and your user isn’t staring at a white screen for longer than necessary.
The application shell forms part of the pattern of progressive enhancement. Your app should give the user content as soon as possible, and then progressively enhance it as more data (likely JavaScript) loads.
The example below is taken from a React.js application. The user is presented with an outline of the app and a loading indicator in the index.html. Then, once the JavaScript loads and React boots up, the full application is rendered within the shell.
<!--index.html-->
<body>
<div id="root">
<div id="container">
<div class="inner-container">
<div id="header">
<img src="https://i0.wp.com/megaincomestream.com/assets/icon.png" alt="logo" />
<h1>Chat</h1>
</div>
<div id="loading-container">
<img src="https://i0.wp.com/megaincomestream.com/assets/icon.png" alt="logo" id="loader"/>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</body>
// index.js
ReactDOM.render(
<App />,
document.getElementById('root')
);
3. Register a service worker
To tap into the full spectrum of PWA goodies (push notifications, caching, install prompts) you will need a service worker.
Luckily, they’re pretty easy to set up. Below, we first check if the user’s browser supports service workers. Then, if so, we can move ahead with registering the service worker file, here called service‑worker.js. Note that you don’t need anything special inside that file at this point – it can be blank.
In the example below, however, we show how to tap into the three key service worker lifecycle events. These are ‘install’, when the user first visits your page; ‘activate’, right before registration completes; and ‘fetch’, when the application makes a network request. The last one is relevant for caching and offline capability.
<script>
if ('serviceWorker' in navigator) {
window.addEventListener('load', function() {
navigator.serviceWorker.register('service-worker.js').then(function(registration) {
// Registration was successful
console.log('Registered!');
}, function(err) {
// registration failed :(
console.log('ServiceWorker registration failed: ', err);
}).catch(function(err) {
console.log(err);
});
});
} else {
console.log('service worker is not supported');
}
</script>
// service-worker.js
self.addEventListener('install', function() {
console.log('Install!');
});
self.addEventListener("activate", event => {
console.log('Activate!');
});
self.addEventListener('fetch', function(event) {
console.log('Fetch!', event.request);
});4. Add push notifications
Service workers allow your users to receive push notifications via the web Push API. To access it, you can tap into self.registration.pushManager from within your service worker file. Since the sending of push notifications relies heavily on your backend setup, we won’t dive into it here.
If you’re starting an app from scratch, Google’s Firebase service comes with Firebase Cloud Messaging for relatively painless push notifications (remember: make sure you keep your design files safe in cloud storage). The code below shows how to register for push notifications via the Push API.
navigator.serviceWorker.ready.then(function(registration) {
if (!registration.pushManager) {
alert('No push notifications support.');
return false;
}
//To subscribe `push notification` from push manager
registration.pushManager.subscribe({
userVisibleOnly: true //Always show notification when received
})
.then(function (subscription) {
console.log('Subscribed.');
})
.catch(function (error) {
console.log('Subscription error: ', error);
});
})5. Add a web app manifest
In order to make your application installable, you need to include a manifest.json in the application’s root directory. You can think of this as a description of your application, similar to what you might submit to the App Store. It includes icons, a splash screen, a name and a description.
There’s also some configuration for how your application appears when it is launched from the user’s home screen: Do you want to show the address bar in the browser or not? What colour do you want the status bar to be? And so on. Note that a proper manifest.json should include a full spectrum of icon sizes for various devices. The code below is a preview of some of the properties your manifest can include.
{
"short_name": "Chat",
"name": "Chat",
"icons": [
{
"src":"https://i0.wp.com/megaincomestream.com/assets/icon.png",
"sizes": "192x192",
"type": "image/png"
}
],
"start_url": "/?utm_source=homescreen",
"background_color": "#e05a47",
"theme_color": "#e05a47",
"display": "standalone"
}6. Configure the install prompt
When a user visits a PWA with a service worker and manifest, Chrome will automatically prompt them to install it to their homescreen, given the following: the user must visit the site twice, with five minutes between visits.
The idea here is to wait until the user demonstrates interest in your application, and then ask them to make it a fixture of their device (this is in sharp contrast to the native app approach, which asks for that investment up-front).
But there may be cases where you want to show the install prompt in different situations, such as after the user takes a particular useful action. To do so, we intercept the beforeinstallprompt event and save it for later, then deploy the prompt when we see fit.
window.addEventListener('beforeinstallprompt', e => {
console.log('beforeinstallprompt Event fired');
e.preventDefault();
// Stash the event so it can be triggered later.
this.deferredPrompt = e;
return false;
});
// When you want to trigger prompt:
this.deferredPrompt.prompt();
this.deferredPrompt.userChoice.then(choice => {
console.log(choice);
});
this.deferredPrompt = null;7. Analyse your app’s performance
Performance is the heart and soul of PWAs. Your app should be fast for users on all network conditions. Caching and offline capability help a lot, but at the end of the day, your application should be speedy even if the user does not have the browser to support service worker technology. This is the definition of progressive enhancement – providing a great experience for everyone, regardless of device modernity or network conditions.
To do so, a useful set of metrics is the RAIL system. RAIL is what Google calls a ‘user-centric performance model’ – a set of guidelines for measuring our app’s performance.
The acronym stands for Response (how long it takes for your app to respond to user actions), Animation (keeping animation speed at 60fps), Idle (using time when your app isn’t doing anything else to load and cache additional assets) and Load (loading your app in one second or less).
8. Audit your app with Lighthouse
Google is the biggest champion pushing Progressive Web Apps as the future of the web. As such, it has supplied a useful tool for guiding your PWA development.
Formerly called Lighthouse and supplied as a Chrome Extension, as of Chrome 60 it’s a part of the Chrome DevTools, under the ‘Audits’ tab. What Lighthouse does is run your application under different conditions and measure its response and success according to PWA guidelines. It then gives you a score out of 100. It can also score your app on web best practices at the same time.
The following text is a list of the values Lighthouse measured. In use also shows descriptions.
- Registers a Service Worker
- Responds with a 200 when offline
- Contains some content when JavaScript is not available
- Uses HTTPS
- Redirects HTTP traffic to HTTPS
- Page load is fast enough on 3G
- User can be prompted to install the Web App
- Configured for a custom splash screen
- Address bar matches brand colours
- Has a <meta name=”viewport”> tag with width or initial-scale
- Content is sized correctly for the viewport
How Much Does it Cost to Build a Progressive Web App?
You can never be really sure about the cost of PWAs. Several things go into the web app development process. That said you can always come up with an approximate figure. Three basic things that you need an account for while designing progressive mobile apps:
- Layout Design complexity
- Total time needed to make a layout
- The number of realizable features
A website costs between $3,000 to $10,000, while a native app costs between $20,000 to $80,000. A progressive web app costs between $6,000 and $20,000. Given that progressive web apps provide both the features of an app and the functions of a website, which makes it a powerful and useful tool for the users. So, if your business only plans to develop PWA, it’s not a bad idea as you need to spend on developing a site or a native app separately.
What Are The Pros and Cons of PWA?
Study the table below to know how PWA features outweigh the features of those of native apps and responsive apps.
PWA Pros
1. Better Engagement
As it turns out, an increasing number of customers are using PWAs over mobile websites.
There are several good reasons why customers are turning their backs on mobile websites and turning toward PWAs.
A few mobile engagement statistics from Google’s research:
- The average load time for PWAs is 2.75 seconds. This makes it eight times faster than an average mobile landing page.
- The average bounce rate of a PWA is 42.86%, which is lower than a mobile website.
- Mobile sessions on PWAs go up by 80% on average
- Brands with PWAs admit their page views propelled by almost 134%
- General engagement increased by 137%. For certain brands, it’s 400% more.
All-rounder: The progressive principles used for creating PWAs enable it to work on all browsers and all screen sizes: be it desktop, mobile, tablet, or any upcoming device.
Imitates native apps: PWAs can be used just like your native apps, both in terms of interaction and navigation.
Up to speed data: The information is always up to speed in PWAs, thanks to the data update process offered by service workers.
Secure: Follows the HTTPS protocol, so the information cannot be displayed or altered.
Indexed by Google: As these are web applications with URLs similar to that of a website, it can easily be indexed by search engines. Plus, SEO techniques are also applicable to PWAs, just like in the case of any website.
No Installation process: PWAs can directly be downloaded on your mobile devices. You don’t have to visit the app stores for the same. Directories such as Outweb.io and PWA rocks have a set of PWAs in one place.
Linkable: Shareable via URL without any need for installations
Connectivity independent: These apps are accessible offline and on low-quality networks, as well. An API called ‘service workers’ employs the data cached upon in the last interaction from the internet, to make it available offline as well. So, when there is limited or zero connectivity, PWAs are still accessible.
Push Notifications: Push notifications are generally linked to native apps, but they are an integral part of PWAs as well.
Good App Store Traffic: Previously, PWAs had no place at the app stores. No more! Currently, PWAs can be uploaded to all three app stores. This means you get to draw in the traffic of all the three app stores as well.
PWA Cons
Drains battery power: Given that they are written in complex codes, the phones have to work harder to interpret the code. That’s why PWAs consume more battery than native apps. So, users are no more worried about their battery power and may not have to download this kind of app.
Unable to access various device features: PWAs fail to access several features on your device, which makes it lag behind native apps. PWAs do not have access to the device’s NFC and also the device’s Bluetooth, advanced camera controls, and so much more. All this makes the app less than ideal for users.
How do You Make PWA From Scratch?
Step 1: Use React
React is known as a JavaScript library for building user interfaces. It is supported and maintained by Facebook and Instagram and a community of individual developers and companies.
There are some kinds of React, but in Omertex we use ReactJs cause: 1) we can trust its creators and millions of people around the world, who use this kind and create their apps without any circumstances;
2) we can easily convert PWAs in native apps or desktop apps, using ReactNative.
For each component, the user interface is created of, and can be displayed both on the app or browser (using ReactNative or Node.js, respectively).
Components are made of JavaScript and it’s easy to use them again. ReactJS supports both regular and JSX JavaScript (JSX is an XML-like syntax for writing JavaScript code).
Step 2: Use Polymer templates from Google
Polymer Project was created to make “the web better”. According to high modern standards, libraries and tools, they make it possible to save your time, during PWA creation. Google’s open-source project often is updated to synchronize new apps and existing ones.
What concerns apps’ design, Polymer template automatically uses Google’s Material Design.
Step 3: Create dependency graphs using Webpack
Polymer is a great start. The further process and code are up to your skills, or the skills of your team.
For the next actions, you can use a Webpack – a special package of modules for Apps running on JavaScript.
Thanks to Webpack, the creation of dependency graphs became much easier. You don’t need to link to all the JS files at the bottom of an HTML page; the number of calls to the server decreases and the speed of your final product increases.
Step 4: Manage Model-View-ViewModel(MVVM) bindings between HTML and JSd HTML with Knockout
Knockout is a platform that runs just on JavaScript, which can work with numerous platforms and browsers.
It’s an open-source free tool, that would be helpful for MVVM bindings. Thanks to Knockout, you can simplify the process of JavaScript coding. The benefit of the Knockout library is that it can also integrate with existing websites without any remarkable changes.
If you are a newbie in PWA development, it will be easier for you to work with it due to a package of attributes, that you would have to write Knockout is easy enough for a novice developer to learn quickly. And it comes with many attributes that would otherwise need to be written in competing frameworks.
Step 5: Use AMP from Google to compress Images / JS
AMP (Accelerated mobile pages) is an open-source HTML framework. It allows you to load web pages quickly in circumstances of low network speed.
Moreover, Google supports AMP Cache Lastly, Google supports AMP Cache for AMP items that can be used for free. In addition, Google raises AMP-based sites in search results.
Step 6: Test code with Lighthouse from Google
The last part but significant one is testing of your app.
In this way, Google’s Lighthouse is an open-source, automated tool for improving the performance and quality of your web apps. You can install it as a Chrome plugin (moreover, you can find a guide there).
After Lighthouse is installed, you can get the report, which contains a lot of details.
It should give you information about:
- Page speed (ideally high speed)
- The site is a progressive application.
- Full security of the network connection
- Possibility to download an app
- The user-installed app will update automatically
- The same design for all devices
- Mobile-friendly design
Each of these points give you additional information about specific technologies you can add or change to improve your PWA performance.
What is Progressive Web App Example?
To deeply understand how a Progressive Web App differs from conventional responsive websites, the best way is to look at some good examples of PWAs.
1. Starbucks
Aiming at providing accessible, user-friendly online ordering to all of their customers, Starbucks built a PWA of the ordering system on the web, which delivers a similar experience to their existing native app.
In other words, with its capability to run in offline mode, Starbucks PWA allows its customers to browse the menu, customize their orders, and add items to their carts – all without consistent access to the internet. Once online, they can view location-specific pricing and place their food and drinks order.
As most of the PWA is available without a network connection, it’s great for on-the-go customers who may go in and out of connectivity throughout the day or in emerging markets like rural communities where the connection is less reliable. By launching the new ordering PWA, Starbucks has already seen significant results.
The PWA is 99.84% smaller than Starbucks’ existing iOS app, making the web app a favorite amongst its users. As a result, they doubled the number of web users who place orders each day, with desktop users now ordering at about the same rate as mobile users.
2. Debenhams
When talking about brands that are transforming their shopping experience in the fashion industry, you can’t miss out on Debenham. The famous UK brand realized that even though its old website had increased mobile traffic, the mobile conversion rate wasn’t growing.
So they concluded that it was time for a digital transformation, otherwise, their digital and overall growth would slow down soon. The brand looked for a solution that can offer a smooth experience for users, especially on mobile devices.
PWA was the answer for the team at Debenhams. After transforming their old website into a PWA, their effort surely paid off. They have improved the customer experience by removing blocks on a customer journey – slow pages, hard-to-navigate structure, and complicated checkout process. Overall, Debenhams enjoyed a 40% increase in mobile revenue and a 20% increase in conversions.
3. BMW
As a pioneering brand in the car industry, BMW proves that they aren’t shy away from new technologies, be it with their cars or their website. In order to improve the customer experience, the brand sought to provide quality and engaging content, which reflects their values.
The new BMW’s PWA definitely delivers users a ‘wow’ experience. The first thing that anyone would notice is the high-resolution images and videos, and the web loads pretty much instantly with all of these features (4X times faster than the old site).
Their reports also showed other impressive numbers following the establishment of the PWA: 4X increase in people clicking from the homepage to a BMW sales site; 50% growth in mobile users and 49% more site visits compared to the old site.
4. Flipboard
As the world’s most popular social magazine, Flipboard allows readers to keep up with all topics, news, and events they care about, from one single place. Based on the user’s interest, the platform brings news and stories from around the world together in a magazine format.
Flipboard users can follow their favorite sources and save stories, images, and videos into their own Flipboard magazines to read later or share with others.
Flipboard is one of the best examples of PWA for online news. The PWA minimizes data usage to deliver a slick and fast browsing experience, in a beautiful interface.
Until the launch of their PWA, Flipboard was a mobile app, which only presents on mobile devices. Hence, now the PWA allows Flipboard to deliver a similar experience to their fully-featured native app on the web, making it available for desktop users as well.
5. Soundslice
Soundslice is the advanced music education software on the web that revolutionizes how musicians learn and practice music. The company makes use of PWA to deliver the finest music creating and learning experience. The PWA-based software makes the process of learning a piece of music easier and more efficient for self-taught musicians with an innovative music player.
The Soundslice player allows users to learn a piece of music while reading and hearing it on any device, whether it’s a phone or a large-screen desktop. On top of that, music teachers can utilize the tool to create interactive music lessons. With a focus on learning from recordings, Soundslice also has a store that sells lessons and transcriptions.
6. 2048 Game
The puzzle game 2048 was originally released as a free app for Android & iOs in 2014. It immediately became a viral hit with more than 4 million users in less than a week after launch. The game is simple and addictive. Described as “Candy Crush for math geeks”, its goal is to combine blocks with the same numbers to ultimately total 2048.
An official PWA version is made available at 2048game.com so players can get instant access from any web browser. With smooth transitions and a full-screen view, it’s hard to tell the PWA apart from its native app counterpart. Plus, the 2048 PWA can be fully played in offline mode.
7. MakeMyTrip
The MakeMyTrip.com site is a great example of PWA. India’s leading travel company has about eight million visitors to its site on a monthly basis, with mobile traffic accounting for two-thirds. As mobile became the most preferred channel for booking among MakeMyTrip customers, they developed a PWA that led to a fast, reliable and polished mobile-web experience.
The new PWA experience has tripled its conversion rate by reducing page-load times by 38%. Compared with their previous mobile site, MakeMyTrip drove a 160% increase in user sessions and lowered the bounce rate by 20%.
8. Uber
As the company expands to new markets, its Uber web was rebuilt from scratch as a PWA to offer a comparable booking experience to the native mobile app. The Uber PWA is designed to make car booking viable on low-speed, 2G networks.
Built around the concept of an app-like experience that is accessible on all modern browsers, The PWA is great for riders on low-end devices, which may not be compatible with the native Uber app.
By bringing the native experience in a super-lightweight web app, Uber has enabled quick ride requests regardless of location, network speed, and device. The core app of only 50kB allows it to load within 3 seconds on 2G networks.
9. Kopa (Padpiper)
Kopa (formerly called Padpiper) is the platform to help students easily find trusted housing for school terms and internships, and allow landlords to quickly find suitable tenants for their spaces. In fact, the platform now supports 9000 schools and has over 100 listings on its PWA. They have verified landlords and listing reviews to save time for students in finding their best fit.
Once students have added the work address, they can look up directions to work from each listing in the results page. The web app can also connect students with others who are working near them or find out where their classmates are on co-op.
10. Pinterest
With a focus on international growth, Pinterest started its new mobile web experience from the ground up as a PWA. The social network found that only 1% of their mobile users convert into sign-ups, logins or app installs, due to poor performance on mobile.
Onto realizing that the opportunity to improve the conversion was huge, so they rebuilt the mobile web using PWA technology, which led to several positive results: Time spent is up by 40% compared to the previous mobile web, and user-generated ad revenue is up 44% and core engagements are up 60%
Is PWA Builder Free?
Build a progressive web app (PWAs) without writing any code or having any idea of how to build one. The PWA app builder lets you build progressive web applications that work online and offline on any modern browser – web browsers that are compliant with the appropriate web standards. Why go for native apps, when one app can work on all the devices and screen sizes.
PWA builder makes app development easy, fast and cost-effective for IT developers, business entrepreneurs and enthusiasts to build progressive web apps that empower your teams. They’ve got everything you need to get your app built and run. Here’s what they have to offer you.
Builder Now: Builder now, an instant app prototyping tool that lets you spec your app idea in 10 minutes or less. It’s free and can be used to create instant app prototypes for PWAs or any other native apps.
Builder Studio: Build progressive web apps without writing code with Builder Studio, a no-code app builder. The app builder doesn’t build your app from scratch but assembles your app from building blocks (our library of reusable features) with the help of human talent. Reusability of codes makes your app 3 times cheaper than the custom code. So, what are you waiting for? Start building your PWA today!
Builder Cloud: Lets you cloud on any public cloud platform under one account. Access to AWS, Azure, DigitalOcean or Alibaba Cloud using the prepaid cloud wallet. Builder Cloud gives you all the cloud you need to run your PWA, at the best possible price.
Builder Care: Their aftercare service ensures your PWA stays updated and running throughout the year. The AI detects the outdated code, APIs, and other third-party tool integration in your app and updates it whenever required.
How to build your PWA?
- Decide on your type of software: You want to build a PWA? Simply select ‘web app’ to start developing your progressive web app.
- Choose the most similar app to your idea: This gives us a headstart on choosing the features you’ll need. For example, pick Accuweather, if you want to build something for weather forecasting.
- Select the features you want: Go with the auto-suggestion from our AI-powered library of features for your PWA, create your own app-like experience by adding any extras or custom ones you want in your application.
- Select the launch platform: We offer iOS, Android, Desktop OS (Windows or Mac) or web. Select launch platform ‘web’ for building a PWA.
- Select your team and delivery time: Choose the team from the global time zone you prefer and your delivery time (how quickly you want your PWA developed).
- Launch the app: You’re ready to launch your PWA. They’ll help you prepare for a successful launch.
How Much Does It Cost to Develop an App?
According to Clutch, the average cost of creating an app is $171,450, whereas you can build an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) for $10,000 to $20,000. This significant difference in costs of app development is contingent on the complexity of the product, the density of features, the location of the vendor, the operating system or platform, and several other factors.
Let’s break down the application types and calculate their average cost.
Basic app
Basic apps like calculators, clocks, and small games are the cheapest applications to develop. These are solutions that do not require a network connection or backend development and take about a month to finish. Obviously, these kinds of apps are not very popular nowadays.
Basic app development cost: $10,000 – 15,000
Examples: A classic To-Do application where users can write down all the things they want to accomplish. A quiz app that allows users to practice and test their knowledge by answering questions.
Data-driven app
Data-driven apps are, for example, calendars, maps, weather solutions, etc., that receive a lot of information, analyze it, and share it with users. These kinds of applications have been losing their value in the last few years and are mostly launched as byproducts. How much does it cost to develop an app that processes data?
Data-driven app development cost: $15,000 – $20,000
Example: a simple calendar app
Apps with user authentication and personalized data
An example of an authentication app is a loyalty app where users have to log in to get access to the features. The application stores user data and shares information across devices. This is a more sophisticated and thus expensive project that will require user management.
Authentication app development cost: $40,000 – $80,000
Example: McDonald’s Loyalty app
Social network app
Social network apps are self-explanatory – Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc. They have to handle millions of interactions, chats and allow users to share information. All of this requires a solid backend infrastructure and a larger investment. How much does it cost to make an app for social networking?
Social network app development cost: $60,000 – $300,000.
Example: Facebook
eCommerce app
eCommerce apps include Amazon, Alibaba, and other marketplaces. They require an extended list of features like user registration, social interactions, catalogs, product pages and descriptions, payment options, etc. The cost estimate that we provide is for a small eCommerce application.
Simple eCommerce app development cost: $60,000 – $300,000.
Example: EastBay
On-demand service app
On-demand apps like Uber or Grubhub connect service providers with end-users and satisfy people’s immediate needs. These types of apps combine the features of social network solutions and eCommerce applications and require significant funding. How much does it cost to make an app for on-demand services?
On-demand service app development cost: $80,000 – $150,000.
Example: Uber
Marketplace app
Applications like TripAdvisor are referred to as marketplace platforms that incorporate the functionalities of eCommerce and on-demand apps. Unlike eCommerce apps, marketplace solutions offer a variety of different services and provide immediate access to the service provider of the user’s choice. How much does it cost to develop an app for a marketplace?
Marketplace app development cost: $150,000 – $300,000.
Example: Booking
Vendor type and location
An average app development cost is also contingent upon the location and type of the development service provider, as well as its size. Here we will talk about three main types of vendors: small independent firms, specialist companies, and large agencies.
Small firms usually consist of freelancers who are fully capable of creating an application but might lack the in-depth knowledge when it comes to complex solutions. They offer the lowest mobile application development costs.
Specialist companies focus on software development and will walk you through the entire process. Their services are usually more expensive than those of small firms, however, you will probably receive a much better result.
Finally, large agencies will deliver a great product due to their experienced staff and their wide spectrum of services. On the other hand, they tend to have a less personalized approach, are usually less flexible, and charge the highest app development prices.
The app development cost will also differ depending on the type of service. If you know what product you are in need of, and require a team of developers to build you an application from scratch, you should consider end-to-end mobile development.
In case your requirements and scopes are not fully defined yet and you want more flexibility in the process, take a closer look at dedicated development teams. These are professionals who compensate for the skill gaps in your in-house teams and become a part of these teams for the duration of the project.
The vendor’s location also plays a vital role in the mobile app development cost estimate. The average developer’s rate in the US ($100 – $150 USD/hour) or Western Europe ($65 – $100 per hour), will be much higher than in Eastern Europe ($40 – $60 per hour).
This can be explained by the cost of living in these countries. If you decide to outsource, hiring a remote team from Eastern Europe or some Asian countries will save a big portion of the budget.
Complexity and the number of app features
The number of features itself drives up the cost of developing an app, however, the complexity of the features plays an even more important role. Basic features like login and subscription take 20 to 25 hours to develop, whereas more advanced functionalities such as payment systems integration and visual analytics require 150 to 250 hours, and come with a higher price tag.
API integrations drive up the cost of mobile app development, and advanced technologies such as Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence put an additional burden on the budget. Even something users have gotten used to, such as geolocation, for example, costs extra. Overall, you should assess the necessity and feasibility of a feature before spending valuable resources on it.
Complexity of UX/UI design
The entire software development market has shifted its focus to the users, their needs, and their user experience. With the abundance of applications, customers have the opportunity to choose and to go for a solution with a clear design, simple navigation, and high performance. This is why putting aside a good amount for building design is a vital step in the app development cost estimation.
Custom app development cost includes personalized UI/UX design that involves buttons, icons, fonts, and other elements. UI/UX designers are expensive, but experienced design specialists will make your app look aesthetically pleasing and provide a great user experience.
Development approach
How much does it cost to create an app for both iOS and Android? Is the Android app development cost higher than iOS? You can also do both at the same time and build a cross-platform solution.
Native mobile app development usually delivers a better user experience and overall performance, hence it comes with a higher price. But how much does it cost to build an app that will run on both operating systems?
The average cost of developing an app lies around $50,000-$170,000, regardless of the platform. Both native Android or iPhone app development costs are usually higher than cross-platform solutions development. It is simply because native app development requires having two separate source codebases for Android and iOS.
On the other hand, native products give developers direct access to built-in functions like GPS and the camera, which allows them to build more complex applications. With cross-platform development, you need to use some extra libraries or coding for such function implementation.
The bottom line is that if you need a complex app with a number of sophisticated features, then native app development is your choice, but if you are aiming towards a product with basic functions, a hybrid solution will suffice.
Ongoing maintenance and support
The app development price does not end with the application launch. If you abandon the app right after the release and fail to continuously monitor it, you might end up with outdated software. Without constant maintenance, updates, bug fixing, and adding new features, your customers will lose interest and make a choice in favor of a newer and more innovative solution on the market.
Read Also: How is a Progressive Web App Beneficial for Your Business?
The average cost of app maintenance should be around 15% to 20% of the entire project app development budget.
The app development cost in the USA, Western Europe, Australia, etc., has much higher prices.
| Feature | Description | Duration | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| User registration | allows users to get an account using their email addresses or social media accounts | 20 hours | $800 – $1,000 |
| Payment gateways | Lets users pay for their purchases with a credit or debit card | 50 hours | $2,000 – $2,600 |
| Search engine | allows users to search for a certain entity using a built-in filter | 10 hours | $500 – $600 |
| Chat | allows users to interact with each other and with service providers. It could include sending images, messages, and receiving push notifications. | 80 hours | $2,500 – $3,200 |
| Geolocation | provides tracking of vehicles and packages. | 50 hours | $1,500 – $2,000 |
| Google Maps integration | makes tracking visual and helps users discover new service providers near them. | 20 hours | $1,300 – $1,600 |
| Offline mode | allows customers to use the app even without an internet connection. | 40 hours | $3,500 |
| Video/audio streaming | provides users with video or audio content. | 30 hours | $2,300 – $3,000 |
Conclusion
We have seen how amazing PWAs can be. By adding a web app manifest file and a service worker, it really improves the user experience of our traditional web app. This is because PWAs are fast, secure, reliable, and – most importantly – they support offline mode.
Many frameworks out there now come with a service worker file already set up for us. But knowing how to implement it with Vanilla JavaScript can help you understand PWAs. And you can go even further with service workers by caching assets dynamically or limiting the size of your cache and so on.
