Whether planning a feast for any special occasion or ordering a quick dinner on a busy weekday, food delivery apps provide great convenience and accessibility. According to Statista, The Global Online Food Delivery Services market was valued at USD 60.18 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18.7% over the forecast period (2024-2031). This demonstrates that there is potential for corporate expansion.  

So, if you also want to build an app like Blue Apron but are concerned about the cots, read this blog. It will explore the app’s development cost, factors affecting the cost, and ways to reduce the cost. 

 

What Is The Blue Apron App?

Blue Apron is a New York-based food delivery app that offers users pre-measured ingredients and recipes to cook at home according to their taste. For people who like cooking, the Blue Apron mobile app is for them as it gives a wider range of recipes, including both the instructions and ingredients. This app is aimed to make it easy for users to order pre-made food kits and prepare recipes that otherwise take up much effort.

 

Source: https://www.blueapron.com/

As a result, this app is gaining huge popularity, which makes it a lucrative business opportunity. Hence, with the help of the food delivery app development company, most businesses have enjoyed this business opportunity and created the Best Meal Kit Delivery Apps to extend their business. 

 

How Much Does It Cost Build an App Like Blue Apron?

Many entrepreneurs ask, “What is the cost to build a food delivery app like Blue Apron? Well, you have to understand that we can’t expect a fixed blue apron app cost. For a basic estimation, you can consider $8000 – $26000 as the cost to develop a meal kit app like Blue Apron. However, due to different factors and the overall app’s complexity, this cost can vary as per the table below:

 

Cost to Build An App like Blue Apron

 

App Development	Estimated Cost	Time Frame
Simple App Development	$8000 – $14000	3 to 6 Months
Medium-Complex App Development	$14000 – $22000	6 to 9 Months
High-Complex App Development	$26000+	10+ Months

 

 

As you can see in the table, the cost to create an app like Blue Apron depends on the app’s complexity, which in turn, is based on technology integration, feature sets, and app design. However, for a final cost estimation of your Blue Apron Android app, look for the assistance of a mobile app development services provider. 

 

5 Factors That Impact the Cost to Build an App Like Blue Apron

If you do not know what factors can impact the development cost of food ordering apps like Blue Apron, you must consider the following points:

• Features and Functionalities
• App Platform 
• Development Team 
• Security Measures
• Maintenance Cost

 

 

1. Features and Functionalities

The cost to create a mobile app depends on the number of functionalities and features in your app. Additionally, adding rich features requires a heavy investment, which increases the cost of developing recipe meal Kit app like Blue Apron.

 

2. App Platform 

Different platforms require different resources, which affects the cost to develop an app like Blue Apron. For instance, choosing the Android app development platform will be more costly than iOS app development because the Android app platform has to run on multiple hardware.

 

3. Development Team 

The location and development team have also had a big impact on the cost of the cloud kitchen app. For instance, if you hire experts from another region with high skills and talent, they will command a high hourly rate, increasing the overall app development cost. 

 

4. Security Measures

A trustworthy app requires security to process user data efficiently, so you must also ensure that your app can keep users’ sensitive data safe. Implementing strong security measures will increase the cost to develop meal Kit delivery app like Blue Apron.

 

5. Maintenance Cost 

Apart from the app development cost, your also consider the maintenance cost of mobile app. It can be 15 to 20% of the overall app development cost. It includes an expanse for monitoring app performance, adding new features, updating the software, and many more. 

 

Read More: Top Apps for Healthy Habits

 

5 Strategies to Reduce the Cost to Build an App Like Blue Apron

The on demand app development soluions providers across the world have stated some of the best cost-reduction strategies to reduce the cost of food delivery app:

• Prioritise Core Features 
• Cross-platform Development Tool
• Open-source Solutions
• Remote Talent Pool
• Design a Simple UI/UX

 

 

1. Prioritise Core Features 

You can begin with an MVP (minimum viable product) that offers the most significant features, including recipe browsing, food ordering, and delivery. Later, if required, you can use advanced features to make your app unique.

 

2. Cross-platform Development Tool

This cost-reduction technique allows developers to write code single time and deploy it across various platforms. Hence, there is no need to create separate iOS or Android projects that reduce the app development cost. 

 

3. Open-source Solutions

You can use free, open-source libraries for several functionalities, like user login and payment processing. This reduces dependency on costly custom coding, automatically reducing the cost of food delivery app development solutions.

 

4. Remote Talent Pool

Try to hire food delivery app development services providers from the area or region with competitive hourly rates. This will reduce the cost of building a food delivery app and ensure that the hired Food delivery app development company has the skills required for successful app development. 

 

 

5. Design a Simple UI/UX

If app design demands a heavy investment, build a simple but effective UI/UX. This will reduce the time and cost to develop an app like HelloFresh or Blue Apron while improving the user experience.

 

Wrapping Up! 

Hopefully, this blog will help you understand the cost to build an app like Blue Apron. If you find it a good business opportunity to grow your business, consult with a food delivery app maintenance services provider or hire food delivery app developers. Professionals will not only help you build a cost-effective food delivery app but also take your business to the next level. 

 

FAQs

 

Q1. What Is the Cost and Time Period To Build An App Like Blue Apron?

On average, the cost to build an app like Blue Apron is $8000 – $26000, and it takes 3 to 10 months. However, the cost and time can be changed according to the project’s requirements. 

 

Q2. What Are the Key Features That Make the Food Delivery App Successful? 

To make your online meal Prep delivery app like Blue Apron successful, be sure to consider the following features:

• Security measures
• In-app messaging
• Effective payment integration
• Push notification 
• Multiple language options

 

Q3. How Can Businesses Earn Money With Their Food Delivery App?

If a business build an app like Blue Apron, it can earn money with the following app monetization strategies:

• In-app purchase
• Subscription model
• Affiliate marketing