This article is for all brands and entrepreneurs who want to update their annual statement to match Snapchat's revenue graph. The app's feature set is the most crucial reason brands continue to be inspired by Snapchat-like apps.
Snapchat was the first social media platform to introduce disappearing messages, and the concept quickly gained traction. Apart from the disappearing content, the introduction of augmented reality (AR) to help customize facial features was also popularised shortly after Snapchat.
The non-complex Snapchat app technical stack is one of the second most important factors driving the growth of several businesses that have been inspired by the brand and are willing to develop apps like Snapchat.
The low complexity of the technology stack impacts app development costs, just as it does on app development costs for apps other than social messaging apps.
The Cost of Developing a Snapchat-Like app.
If you've already decided to create a Snapchat-like app, the first thing to consider is the estimated cost. We say "approximate" because the cost of developing an app is always dependent on various factors. We've compiled a list of factors that influence the cost of an app like Snapchat.
To begin with, the price of your app will be determined by the mobile development services offered by the team you select. For example, if you hire a team from Western Europe or the United States, the hourly rate will be between $60 and $200.
The most expensive option, however, isn't always the best. For example, development companies in Eastern Europe will create the exact app you want, if not better, for $25-50 per hour, which is significantly less than in the United States.
It also depends on the number of people on your team. A legal team should have at least two developers, a designer, a project manager, and a quality assurance engineer. You'll need to hire more people if you want to make a more complex app.
A Platform for Mobile Applications
The type of platform is one of the first decisions to make before developing an app. It goes without saying that if you want your app to be widely used, you should release it on multiple platforms, particularly the most popular - iOS and Android.
When it comes to Snapchat, it's available on all major platforms.
However, because it necessitates a large budget, it's often difficult to include many platforms at first. You can start with just one and work on it until it's perfect, then expand your app once it's successful.
Design
Your needs determine the price of mobile app design services. The more complicated the design, the more hours will be required, and the price will rise. Let's take a look at the fundamentals of app design and try to estimate costs:
- Wireframing can take anywhere from 14 to 140 hours to complete. Using a $50 per hour average, we can estimate a cost of between $700 and $7,000.
- UI design can take anywhere from 14 to 210 hours, depending on the level of difficulty. The approximate cost comes to $700-10,500 based on our average price.
- UX design takes anywhere from 7 to 200 hours, ranging from $350 to $10,000.
Also, keep in mind that the cost of app design is influenced by the complexity of the app and the platform type. Because of its strict guidelines, an iOS app design, for example, is more expensive. However, because Android has so many OS versions and screen resolutions, it can be challenging to design an app.
Aspirations For Your App
We can estimate the app's approximate cost indefinitely, but the most important condition is your app's ambition. If you want to make an app similar to Snapchat with the same features, you'll need a large budget. Creating an identical clone, on the other hand, isn't a requirement.
Conclusion
It's entirely up to you to decide which features to include and which to leave out. We've put together a list of estimated Snapchat features to show how much it costs to make an app like Snapchat. We used an average price of $50 per hour as a starting point for our calculations.
There's no need to start with a great application. Keep in mind that Snapchat began as a simple messaging app similar to Instagram with only a few features. Snapchat's founders had nothing but an idea.
Take inspiration from Snapchat's exciting evolution story and try out your idea. Then, contact a reputable mobile app development company to get started on your project!