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Cost To Develop A Food Delivery App in 2025 [Detailed Price Breakdown]
Camilla Lawrance
08/13/2025
Looking for a way to level up your food business? Well, the only way in 2025 is to consider investing in technology that not only captivates users but also keeps them coming back for more. Since the ongoing demand for convenience is increasing day by day with the evolution of technology, the preference is comfort over everything else.
Today, users want to select their favorite restaurant, hop on their menu, find the appetizer that matches their mood & taste, and order it at their doorstep all while sitting on their sofa. This level of convenience is not only just a demand but a necessity as well.
The trend of online food industry has been ruling over the market since the time of the pandemic, and now is the high time to invest in it. According to statistics, the online food delivery market is projected to reach $505.50 billion by 2030, which is quite impressive right? This is exactly why you must invest in it right now.
Therefore, if you are willing to serve your special recipes on a plate along with providing convenience to the users, that is certainly considered to be the wise decision that you will make for your business success.
But the very important question is, how much does a food delivery app cost? Well let’s find that out further in this blog.
We will first take an example of Uber Eats, which is known as the leading food delivery app worldwide. The estimated cost to build an app like Uber Eats can range from $70,000 to $300,000 or more.
Moreover, DoorDash dominates about 50% of the market share, and apps like DoorDash can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $150,000 or even more. For the global food delivery app market, it is estimated to take off to $1.79 trillion by the coming year of app development.
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For today’s generation, food delivery apps have become an integral part of everybody's life. With the growing demand for convenience, many restaurants and food service businesses are investing in apps to reach customers directly that not just help them stand out in the competitive market but also generate revenue.
A food delivery app involves creating a digital platform that is available for both iOS and Android that enables users to browse food menus, place orders, make payments, and track the order.
The procedure for food delivery app development includes planning features, selecting the appropriate technologies to work in, designing a seamless interface to give users exceptional experience, integrating payment gateways, enabling order tracking in real-time, ensuring data security and whatnot.
Cost To Build A Food Delivery App in US?
A typical food delivery app can cost between $5,000 - $100,000+ depending on certain factors and features that it includes. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the costs depending upon each city in the US as well as app types.
| Cities | App Type | Cost To Build |
|---|---|---|
| Houston | Basic Apps | $5,000 to $15,000 |
| Intermediate Apps | $25,000 to $80,000 | |
| Complex Apps | $80,000 to $150,000+ | |
| Dallas | Basic Apps | $7,000 to $15,000 |
| Intermediate Apps | $30,000 to $60,000 | |
| Complex Apps | $75,000 to $160,000+ | |
| New York | Basic Apps | $10,000 to $25,000 |
| Intermediate Apps | $50,000 to $100,000 | |
| Complex Apps | $100,000 to $250,000+ | |
| Chicago | Basic Apps | $6,000 to $20,000 |
| Intermediate Apps | $30,000 to $70,000 | |
| Complex Apps | $80,000 to $120,000+ | |
| Los Angeles | Basic Apps | $5,000 to $12,000 |
| Intermediate Apps | $20,000 to $50,000 | |
| Complex Apps | $55,000 to $140,000+ | |
| San Francisco | Basic Apps | $10,000 to $60,000 |
| Intermediate Apps | $60,000 to $120,000 | |
| Complex Apps | $120,000 to $210,000+ | |
| Seattle | Basic Apps | $7,000 to $35,000 |
| Intermediate Apps | $35,000 to $90,000 | |
| Complex Apps | $90,000 to $150,000+ |
If you want to develop a food delivery app in cities like New York, Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco or anywhere in the US then our mobile app development company is here to assist you with the best development expertise.
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Get Your Free Quote NowWhy Is It Important to Have a Food Delivery App?
As we are aware of the fact that convenience is the new currency. And in today’s fast-paced world where technology is ruling the world like no other, people expect everything to be just a tap away, which also includes the ordering of their favorite meal. Having an application is essential whether running a restaurant or offering food deliveries.
Want to know why a food delivery app is important? Here is a list of quick facts that says it all
Consumer Demand Is Sky-High
With busy schedules, remote work, and changing lifestyles, people are prioritizing convenience over everything. Rather than dining in restaurants, it is preferable from the customer’s side to order food online. A food delivery app meets the special demand of the user to order in seconds, track their order, and pay for their order online without jumping into their wallets.
Keeps Your Food Business Competitive
Not having an application for your business can be a red flag that often leads to missed opportunities, especially among mobile-first generations. A sleek and functional delivery app is a key to staying relevant and modern in the competitive digital world.
Improves Operational Efficiency
To streamline the operations of businesses, food delivery apps are essential. These software solutions allow orders to come in clearly while reducing the chance of human error. Integration with inventory and kitchen systems helps the team to stay on track without having any issues in communication.
Saves Your Customer Data
Third-party platforms like Uber Eats or DoorDash can provide exposure, but they own the customer relationship. With the help of a dedicated food delivery app, you can also have full control over users’ data that includes their preferences, order history, and feedback, which stays between both parties.
To have a better understanding, dive into market numbers that are highlighted by the top market analytics.
How Key Statistics Are Shaping the Future of the Food Delivery Industry
- By the year 2029, the global food delivery app market is predicted to reach up to $205 billion.
- More than $302.8 billion in revenue was generated in 2024 and is predicted to grow rapidly in the coming years; this highly reflects the demand of the users worldwide.
- The big flip in mobile app development for food delivery is projected to attain $1.45 trillion in the coming year of 2027.
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Get A Quote Now!Why Is The Demand for Food Delivery Apps Increasing?
The demand for convenience through online food ordering & delivery business has been hyped for many years. But it has reached its peak since 2020.
Rather than hopping onto a popular food delivery app like UberEats, many of the restaurants have now started to develop and use their dedicated apps due to the advantages of online food ordering systems. However, a food delivery app is not just about ordering food from a specific restaurant. People have now started to order groceries, tea, raw food items, and groceries as well through these delivery app solutions. Many food delivery businesses are now investing in cloud kitchen models as well.
Estimated Cost To Build A Food Delivery App Based on Popular Apps
Ever wondered how much popular food delivery apps cost? On a smaller scale, the development of the application might cost around $15,000 - $30,000+. However, it highly depends on factors such as complexities, app features and functionality, & security compliances; therefore, the final food delivery mobile app development cost might exceed $150,000 or more.
Moreover, the initial app requirement gathered from the client plays a vital role. If you are willing to develop an app like DoorDash, Uber Eats, GrubHub, or other popular platforms, then the cost of your food delivery app will somehow look like the given estimation below.
Cost To Build an App Like GrubHub
GrubHub, a well-known food delivery app in the USA, is a popular choice among Gen-Z and established restaurants for their food delivery business growth. A mobile app similar to GrubHub can cost up to $190,000.
Cost To Build an App Like DoorDash
All over the US and Europe, the preferred food delivery platform is DoorDash, which offers a wide variety of features that include multiple solutions inside a food delivery app. Therefore, developing an app like DoorDash can typically cost from $100,000 to $180,000.
Cost To Build an App Like UberEats
UberEats is one of the leading food delivery platforms, and developing a platform like this will cost between $90,000 - $130,000.
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Since the demand for the food delivery app is increasing due to the ongoing market trend and technologies. Therefore, the cost to build a food delivery app can vary according to the features and functionalities, complexities, locations of the development team, and so on. Having an estimation of the food app cost can be projected by our experts at Appingine. Moreover, a strategic plan for developing the app can also be provided, which makes it easy to find the budget for the cost to develop a food delivery app.
Many other factors affect food delivery app development cost, listed are the major ones, ensure to go through them carefully.
Complexity of App
The cost of food delivery app development may increase depending on the number of features included. An app can be made to focus solely on ordering and delivery services. Moreover, it can be expanded to offer additional features that include table reservations or restaurant management and more. The required functionalities will depend on the specific services the platform is intended to support.
Design Complexity
The food app costs are influenced by the complexity and advancement of the app's design. Food delivery apps that are featured with complex visuals, animations, and components tend to be more expensive than solutions with a minimalistic design. Similarly, UI/UX designers often require additional time and effort to create designs according to the users' or clients' requirements, which ultimately increases overall development costs.
Platform Compatibility
The food delivery app development cost can be developed for multiple platforms such as iOS, Android and web as well. Due to the desired platform selection, testing protocols and development needs, the time and the cost to build a food delivery app may exceed, for each platform.
Integration of Third-Party Services
The cost to make a food delivery app can be impacted by integrating third-party services that include payment gateways, mapping and geolocation services, analytics tools, customer support platforms, etc. Most of the third-party services have licence fees that impact the total food app costs.
Security Measures
Food delivery services must have strong security measures in place to safeguard sensitive information, transactions, and user data. This entails putting encryption procedures into place by using safe authentication techniques and sticking to data protection laws. Moving forward to the results, maintaining the app's security increases the time and food delivery mobile app development cost.
Development Team Expenses
While making the food delivery app and measuring the cost of the app development for the food delivery, it is one of the most important determinants. It is important to join hands with a top food delivery app development company or a specialized developer to create a complete mobile app for food delivery services. While hiring developers, designers, testers, project managers, and other experts, ensure to look for the nearest one so the cost of app development doesn't affect much.
Conclusion
The food delivery app market is booming with the growing demand of customers or users for convenience. The development of an app related to your business is a significant part of the growth by increasing visibility, revenue, customer loyalty, and more. The food delivery app costs for basic apps range from $20,000 to $300,000+, while for complex platforms like Uber Eats or DoorDash, it depends on features, design, and location of the development team.
Choosing the right food app development company like Appingine, is essential to ensure that the app perfectly aligns with your app's vision and goals within the timeline and budget. While the investment may seem high, the benefits are unquestionable, such as better customer engagement, improved operational efficiency, and data ownership which make it a wise choice for businesses to stay competitive.
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The food delivery app costs are affected by several factors that include the complexity, design, platform compatibility, features, third-party service integrations, and more. Apps with advanced features like GPS tracking, multiple payment gateways, custom user interfaces, and others may cost more. The development team’s location and expertise are also major factors in determining the final price.
A basic food app, which typically includes features like order placement, payment integration, and delivery tracking, can cost between $20,000 to $45,000. This depends heavily on the location and expertise of the development team. The app's functionality and design also affect the overall cost.
The cost to build an app like Uber Eats ranges between $90,000 to $300,000, while the cost to build an app like DoorDash is from $100,000 to $180,000 or more. These apps are more complex due to their advanced features.
To reduce development costs:
- Start with essential features: Focus on core functionalities like order placement, payment processing, and delivery tracking.
- Consider outsourcing: Outsourcing to countries with lower labor costs can save significant money.
- Use pre-built solutions: Opt for frameworks to save time and cost in early stages.
- Plan for scalability: Build with scalability in mind to avoid costly changes as the app grows.
The cost to develop a food delivery app varies by city. For example:
- In San Francisco, a basic app can cost around $30,000 to $60,000.
- In Houston, a basic app ranges from $20,000 to $40,000.
