With hundreds of millions of daily users, an e-learning app like edX rapidly became the best choice for users. They have set a great example for others to follow in the business with their amazing growth since they started.
As the demand for online education continues to rise, many businesses and entrepreneurs are considering building their own e-learning platforms similar to edX, Udemy, or Coursera.
However, one of the most frequently asked questions during the planning phase is, “How much does it cost to build an education app like edX?” The answer is somewhat complex and relies on the app’s features, platform choice, and development method.
So, if you are one of those, then you should deep dive into the blog. This blog will cover the cost to develop an app like edX, along with factors, features, and other aspects.
Let’s begin!
What is an edX App?
The edX app enables students to take online classes from some of the best colleges and schools in the world. This app enables students to learn about various subjects while on the go.
Users can watch video lessons, do homework, participate in discussions, and get certificates, all from their phones with the edX app. It is one of the best educational mobile apps for students.
It supports open learning, which means you can attend classes at your convenience, from anywhere. No matter if they want to learn something new or advance their task. The edX clone app makes it easy and enjoyable to access information and lessons from the world’s top teachers.
Future Predictions & Projections of the Education Industry
Source: Statista
- Over 71 million people around the world use Duolingo, making it the most popular education study app on Android.
- With a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.20% from 2025 to 2029, the market is estimated to be worth US$279.30bn by 2029.
- The Online University Education market is forecasted to be worth US$136.80bn in 2025.
- In terms of world comparison, the United States will bring in the most money ($99.84bn in 2025).
How Does an edX App Work?
Students can easily use the edX app to learn online from top universities and other schools around the world by following these easy steps. From their phone, they can use edX to learn a new subject, get a certificate, or get better at something they already know.
1. Download & Sign Up
Users start by getting the edX app from Google Play or the App Store. They can use their email, Google, Apple, or Facebook account to sign up.
2. Explore Courses
Users can look through thousands of classes in business, coding, science, and other topics. Filters let them find top university courses that are either free or cost money.
3. Enroll in a Course
Found a favorite course like? Tap “Enroll.” Users can start learning right away or save it for later. Some online course hubs offer verified certificates for a small fee in tutor app development.
4. Learn Anytime, Anywhere
They can watch video lectures, read course content, take quizzes, and participate in discussions, all from their phone or tablet. Users can even download content for offline learning.
5. Track Progress & Get Certified
The classroom communication app lets them keep track of their progress. After completing a course, they can earn a certificate to showcase their skills if they opted for the verified track.
Cost to Build an Education App like edX
The cost to build an education app like edX can range between $10000 – $25000 or more. But your edX app development cost can fluctuate as per project requirements. Let’s look at the table of the cost to.
Education Apps like edX | Total Cost |
Simple edX like App | $10000 – $15000 |
Medium edX like App | $15000 -$20000 |
Complex edX like App | $25000+ |
The final cost to create an education app like edX depends largely on the specific features, design complexity, and functionality required for your platform. Additionally, whether you choose a simple MVP or a fully-featured platform with advanced features can also impact the total edX app development cost.
To ensure the academic app meets your needs, it’s best to work closely with an education app development company. Based on your unique needs, they can give you a detailed, personalized cost to make an education app like edX.
Factors Affecting the Cost to Develop an Education Application like edX
The edX app development cost is a huge undertaking that requires careful consideration of various factors to ensure it meets the needs of learners, educators, and administrators. Below are the key factors that influence the edX education app development cost.
1. App Features and Functionalities
The longer and harder it is to create an app like Udemy, the more functions it has. It is important to have basic features like the ability to register users, show courses, stream videos, and make quizzes.
But if you want more advanced tools like discussion forums, live classes, tracking of progress, certificates, or AI-powered suggestions like edX, the cost to build an education app like edX is higher and takes longer to build. Based on your business aim and the audience you want to reach, choose features.
Specific Features | Estimated Development Cost |
User Registration & Login | $1,500 – $2,000 |
Course Creation & Editing | $2,000 – $4,000 |
Course Catalog & Browsing | $2,500 – $3,000 |
Enrollment & Payment Integration | $1,500 – $3,000 |
Video Streaming Integration | $2,000 – $3,000 |
Interactive Quizzes & Assessments | $1,000 – $3,000 |
Assignment Submission & Grading | $1,000 – $3,000 |
Progress Tracking & Analytics | $800 – $2,000 |
Push Notifications | $1,000 – $3,000 |
2. Platform Selection
The platform you want the app to run on is also very important and can raise the mobile app development cost. The cost to develop an education app like edX that works on both Android and iOS will be higher than making one classroom communication app that works on just one device.
For cross-platform programming, you could also use tools to save time and cost of developing an education app. Choose a site based on where you think the people you want to reach are most likely to be.
Platform | Estimated Cost Range |
Native iOS App | $12,000 – $25,000+ |
Cross-Platform App | $8,000 – $20,000+ |
Web-Based App | $10,000 – $22,000+ |
Hybrid App | $15,000 – $25,000+ |
3. UI/UX Design Quality
It’s easy for people to get involved with your educational apps like Masterclass if it look good. A clean, simple interface with fun features like animations, icons, and small activities can make learning more enjoyable.
Custom designs, the cost to develop an education app like edX will be higher because they need more development time and skill. A nice-looking and easy-to-use design like an edX clone app is important to keep people interested in the app and encourage them to keep using it.
Feature/Phase | Estimated Cost |
Discovery & Research | $1,500 – $4,000 |
Wireframing & Prototyping | $3,000 – $4,000 |
UI Design (Visual Design) | $4,000 – $7,000 |
Interaction Design & Micro-interactions | $2,000 – $5,000 |
Usability Testing | $1,000 – $3,000 per round |
Design System Creation | $3,000 – $5,000 |
4. Technology Stack
This is where your classroom communication app’s engine lives. It stores data, manages courses, streams videos, keeps track of users’ progress, and more. Choose safe and scalable technologies like Node.js, Python, AWS, or Firebase by taking help from an educational app development services provider.
It has an impact on both the speed and cost to build an education app like edX. A strong backend makes sure that the classroom communication app works well even when a lot of people are using it at the same time.
Technology Layer | Specific Technologies |
Frontend (Web) | React, Angular, Vue.js, HTML, CSS, JavaScript |
Frontend (Mobile) | Swift (iOS), Kotlin (Android), React Native, Flutter, Ionic |
Backend | Python (Django, Flask), Node.js (Express), Java (Spring), Ruby on Rails |
Payment Gateway Integration | Stripe, PayPal, Braintree |
Video Streaming | AWS Media Services, Mux, Vimeo API, Agora |
Search Functionality | Elasticsearch, Algolia, Solr |
5. Location of the Development Partner
It depends on how big your education app developers team is and where they are based. Developers in North America or Europe usually charge more than those in Asia or Eastern Europe.
A bigger kids learning app development company speeds up development, but the cost to develop an education app like edX more. Make sure the programming partner you pick has built e-learning platforms before and has a history of providing good education app development solution.
Location | Average Hourly Rate |
Western Europe | $90 – $180+ |
Eastern Europe | $30 – $100+ |
India | $15 – $30+ |
North America | $70 – $120+ |
United Kingdom | $80 – $160+ |
Australia | $90 – $170+ |
Best 5 Education Apps like edX
If you are planning to create education apps like edX, then you should look at your competitors. We have listed down the most popular edX alternatives. So, let’s have a look at edX alternatives.
Top Education Apps like edX | Available Platforms | Downloads | Ratings |
LinkedIn Learning | Android | iOS | 10M+ | 4.7 |
Skillshare | Android | iOS | 1M+ | 4.2 |
DataCamp | Android | iOS | 1M+ | 4.6 |
Udemy | Android | iOS | 10M+ | 4.4 |
Khan Academy | Android | iOS | 10M+ | 4.5 |
10 Key Features of edX App Development
When you build an application like edX, it is vital to focus on key features that can help increase user involvement and make learning more fun. The following are the most important features you can integrate to your app to make it more useful for your students.
1. User Registration
Set up single sign-on (SSO) options, email, social media accounts, or other easy ways for people to sign up. After logging in, students can make profiles that show their learning progress, accomplishments, and personal tastes.
2. Course Catalog
You can offer a lot of different classes in many different areas, like business, technology, healthcare, and more. Users should be able to sort courses in the catalog by topic, level, or instructor to quickly find what they need.
3. Course Progress Tracking
This feature can cost to build an education app like edX clone more but helps those keep track of their work as they go through a course. The on demand app development solution could have visual aids like progress bars, percentage finish marks, or milestones.
4. Quizzes and Assignments
Each lesson or module should end with a quiz, task, or test to help students remember what they’ve learned. These tests can be multiple choice, short answer, or hands-on to see how much you know and how well you can use it.
5. Certificates of Completion
Give digital certificates to people who finish classes successfully. Users are more likely to finish their studies and get professional recognition if they can download or share these certificates on professional networks like LinkedIn.
6. Push Notifications
Your app can send push notifications to alert people of due dates, new course starts, or course events. You should hire education app developers who can add features that keep people interested and tell them to keep learning or finish their work.
7. Multi-Device Syncing
Users should be able to access their courses and content from different devices, like desktops, smartphones, and tablets, so they can learn at any time. Sync your work across devices to make the experience go smoothly.
8. Personalized Recommendations
Your online learning app must offer unique course suggestions based on the user’s likes and past classes. ML can help users find the best classes for them, which will improve their learning path and keep them interested. If you integrate this feature, the education app development cost will increase.
9. Interactive Video Lectures
Any online learning app needs to have video-based learning. As per the mobile app development company, interactive video lectures let students interact with the material, stop and restart videos, and make notes right on the video player to use later.
10. Offline Learning Mode
Users can download course content like videos, papers, and notes in an offline mode so they can keep learning even when they’re not connected to the internet. People whose internet connection is slow or unreliable will find this feature very useful.
How to Monetize Your Education App Similar to edX?
Monetizing an education app similar to edX offers several opportunities for generating revenue. By implementing various strategies, you can make your platform profitable while providing valuable educational content. Here are the effective monetization models you can use to earn money from your education mobile app development.
1. Freemium Model
If you use the freemium approach, you can offer basic features for free and charge for more advanced or premium content. Beginner classes and basic learning materials can be used for free by users.
But they have to pay a subscription fee to get access to advanced lessons, certifications, or personalized learning experiences. This method works well for the best education applications. It gets many people to use your EdTech app, and once they see how useful it is, they’ll probably pay for an upgrade.
2. Subscription-Based Model
Subscription-based models let users access premium material and special features by paying a regular fee. This education mobile app development model works really well for ongoing learning, where new information is added all the time.
You can create an app similar to edX that can give you access to all classes, special certifications, live sessions, and forums where you can talk to other people.
If the user needs it, you can also charge different amounts, like a simple package for people who just want to learn for fun and a premium package for people who really want to learn.
3. In-App Purchases
With in-app purchases, users can get extra material or features whenever they want from a similar app like edX. With this plan, you can give people basic access for free and then charge for extras like study materials, specialized courses, or even one-on-one tutoring sessions.
In-app purchases are great for people who only want to buy what they need with educational app development solutions. They offer an open way to pay that can bring in steady income from a large group of users.
4. Certification Fees
To get certified, many education apps offer classes. Users can pay a fee to receive a certificate upon completing a lesson. The certification can be an extra incentive for people who want to improve their work skills for their resumes.
It’s okay to charge more for certificates if they are related to industries or give well-known credentials. You could also add more credibility and value to your certifications by forming partnerships with companies or educational institutions.
Final Thoughts
That’s why eLearning is the way of the future and has so many perks. That being said, let’s say you want to make an app like edX. If that’s the case, now is the ideal time for educational companies or entrepreneurs to start generating revenue by developing e-learning apps.
Your dream of making a great eLearning app will only come true with the help of a skilled eLearning mobile app development company. They will ensure you don’t have any problems during the educational app development process.
Dev Technosys is your one-stop destination! Get in touch with us right away to make your dream of e-learning app development solutions a reality and enjoy a stress-free process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How Long Does it Take to Develop an Education App like edX?
The edX education app development timeline depends on the app’s complexity, features, and educational platform. On average, it may take anywhere from 2 to 6 months to build an app like edX, with additional time for testing and quality assurance.
Q2. How Much Does it Cost to Build an Education Application like edX?
The cost to make an app like edX varies based on factors like features, design, platform, and the development team’s rates. The edX app development cost can range from $10,000 to $25,000 or more, depending on these variables.
Q3. How Can I Monetize an Education App like edX?
You can monetize an education similar app like edX through subscription models, in-app purchases for courses, advertising, paid certifications, or by offering premium content and features to users.
Q4. What Are the Essential Features Needed to Make an Education Application like edX?
- Course catalog
- Video lectures and multimedia content
- Quizzes and assignments
- Discussion forums and peer interaction
- Certification management
- Payment integration
- User progress tracking
- Notifications and reminders
Q5. How Can I Improve User Engagement in an Education App?
- Gamification elements
- Interactive content
- Social sharing options
- Personalized learning paths
- Push notifications for reminders
- Regular updates and new course offerings