91 / 100

Bilibili, often called the “YouTube of China,” is a highly popular video-sharing platform with over 330 million monthly active users as of 2023. Originally created for anime, comics, and gaming content, it has now expanded into various entertainment genres, including eSports, live streaming, and user-generated videos.

The global demand for interactive video-sharing platforms like Bilibili is growing rapidly. It is expected that the market will grow at a CAGR of 18.5%, going from $811.37 billion in 2025 to $2,660.88 billion by 2032.

With millions of users looking for engaging and personalized content, the demand for anime app development is one the peak. Thus, if you are planning to develop an app like Bilibili, you need a clear roadmap covering aspects like features, costs, monetization strategies and other aspects.

So, let’s begin!

What is Bilibili App?

The Bilibili app is a video streaming platform mainly for anime, comics, and gaming content. It began as a place for anime fans to gather, but now it also has movies, plays, documentaries, and videos made by users.

Similar to an app like Crunchyroll, it is also famous for the bullet comments that show up on the screen while users watch videos and make the experience more engaging.

Millions of people around the world use it to stream live TV, read books, and play games on their phones. It has both free and paid memberships. Paid memberships get you information without ads and special benefits.

Future Predictions & Projections of Anime Industry

In Japan in October 2024, a survey found that 2.6% of men and 2.3% of women watched more than 40 hours of anime each month.
In 2024, the anime market was worth $29,10 billion. It’s expected to reach $63 billion by 2034, growing at a rate of 8.1% per year from 2025 to 2034.

Source: Vision Research Reports

By 2023, the Action & Adventure section had more than 28.5% of the anime market, making it the biggest.
The Merchandising segment had more than a 24% share of the anime market in 2023, making it the biggest in the business.

How Does A Bilibili Anime App Work?

Now you are aware of the anime market, it is time to know about the working process of Bilibili app. So, here is the step-by-step functioning of Bilibili app explained by a video streaming app development services provider.

1. Download and Install

Users first download the Bilibili app from the app store and play store. Now they can open the application and make an account by filling in the information like email ID, number or social media account.

2. Explore and Search Anime

Once the bilibili comics app is downloaded, users can use the search bar to identify specific anime titles and browse different categories like new release shows etc.

3. Watch Anime with Subtitles

Now they can choose the preferred anime and start watching. They can offer different video resolutions and subtitle options in their preferred language.

4. Interact with the Community

Users can also join discussions, leave comments and read real-time floating bullet comments while streaming. They may also like, share and follow creators for more anime-related content.

5. Save and Customize Experience

Users can now bookmark their favorite anime, make watchlists, and receive notifications about new episodes. They can even adjust playback settings for a smother viewing experience.

Step-by-Step Process to Develop An App Like Bilibili

Creating an anime Bilibili live streaming app requires thorough expertise and planning. So, we will discuss the anime streaming app development process in simple steps.

1. Do Research & Planning

Before you start to create an anime streaming app similar to Bilibili, take the time to research the market and understand what makes Bilibili popular. Bilibili is known for its anime, gaming, and entertainment content, along with interactive features like real-time comments (danmaku).

Analyze your target audience, do they prefer anime, gaming, or another niche? Study competitors to see what features work well and where you can improve.

Once you have a clear vision, plan your bilibili movie app’s features, tech stack, and development timeline. Decide whether to develop an MVP first or go for a full-fledged app.

What are the key features and functionalities that make Bilibili popular among users?
Who is the target audience for an application like Bilibili?
What tech stack is top suited for developing a Bilibili-like app?

2. Know Competitor Apps

Studying competitor apps like Bilibili, YouTube, and Crunchyroll gives you understanding into what functions and what doesn’t. Determine their strengths and weaknesses to distinct your Bilibili app development and offer a unique user experience.

Analyzing other apps like bilibili helps in understanding their content strategies, user engagement methods, and revenue models. The comic app development company can use this research to build features that set your bilibili tv app apart like interactive comment sections, live streaming, and AI-based content recommendations.

What are the top competitor apps like bilibili to watch anime, and how do they compare in terms of user engagement?
What unique features do competitor apps offer that could be integrated into a Bilibili-like app?
How do competitor apps monetize their platforms, and what strategies can be applied to a similar app?

3. Create a Feature List

Once you understand the market and competitors, the next step is to decide on the key features of your bilibili anime app. A well-defined feature list ensures that developers know exactly what to develop an app like Bilibili.

Some essential features of a video streaming application like Bilibili you need to integrate are user registration & profiles, video upload & streaming, comment & interaction section, AI-powered recommendations and so on.

The video streaming app development company play a crucial role in implementing these features efficiently. This ensures smooth functionality and an engaging user experience.

What are the essential features require to build an app like Bilibili?
How can you integrate live streaming and community interaction in a Bilibili-like app?
How can monetization strategies be implemented in a Bilibili video platform clone?

4. Develop an MVP Version

Instead of building a fully-featured app from the start, it’s smarter to develop an MVP first. This enables you to test your anime application with real users and collect reviews before investing in actual anime streaming app development.

The entertainment app development company can develop an app like Bilibili for MVP quickly by focusing on core features like video uploading, streaming, and user interactions. Once you receive user feedback, you can refine and expand the Bilibili streaming app based on their preferences. This approach saves time and money while increasing the chances of success.

What major features must be added in the MVP version of an application like Bilibili?
How may you assure a smooth user experience in the MVP phase?
How do you validate user feedback to improve the MVP version?

5. Test and Launch

Before launching the app, thorough testing is necessary to ensure it functions smoothly. Developers conduct multiple tests, including performance testing, security testing, and user experience testing, to fix any bugs or glitches.

After testing, the bilibili comic app is ready for launch on the respective app stores. Developers can assist in optimizing app store listings, improving SEO, and implementing marketing strategies to attract users.

How can you effectively test an application like Bilibili to ensure seamless performance across devices?
How can beta testing improve the user experience of a Bilibili-like app?
What strategies help ensure a successful app launch in a competitive market?

Key Features of Bilibili Mobile App Development

If you’re planning to build an app like Bilibili, it’s important to integrate key features that make your application unique and engaging. So, we have listed down some of the must-have attributes that you must add in your Bilibili movie app clone.

High-Quality Video Streaming

Your Bilibili like app should support HD video streaming that allow users to enjoy their favorite show with a seamless viewing experience. If you want to help your users, you can also provide adaptive streaming to adjust video quality as per internet speed.

Interactive Danmaku Comments

You must provide real-time floating comments which is called as danmaku. It enables users to interact directly on their screen that can enhance engagement and community discussions.

Personalized Recommendations

Personalized recommendation system is the best feature every app must have. So, you should integrate AI-based algorithms to recommend content as per user preferences and history. It will assist you in retaining users by showing them preferred videos.

Anime and Manga Library

Bilibili provide vast collection of anime, manga and other animated shows. You can also offer vast collection of licensed anime series, original shows and even read manga within comic app development solution.

Content Upload & Sharing

You should enable users to put their videos and share them with the people. A good content creator ecosystem will assist you Bilibili clone application grow faster and keep users engaged.

Premium Membership

You can introduce a VIP membership model with exclusive perks like ad-free streaming, early access to content and special rewards. Your Bilibili clone application enable creators to make money through different ads, tips and fan support.

Live Streaming with Real-Time Chat

You can also enable content creators to go live and interact with their audience through real-time chat feature. Besides, the short video app development will help you boost engagement and make a huge userbase.

Offline Viewing

With offline viewing feature, users can easily download the movies and shows and stream them without any internet connection. This will make it convenient for travellers and remote areas.

Multi-Language Support & Subtitles

Now you should also provide a multiple language options with different language subtitles. This will help users to access your bilibili manga app in different language and attract wider audience from different regions.

Gamification & Rewards

Your Bilibili clone app must introduce points, badges and daily login rewards to boost user engagement. Besides, the gamification feature will help you in user retentions to your bilibili similar apps.

5 Top Anime Streaming Apps like Bilibili

To make an app like Bilibili, it is vital to know about the best anime streaming apps or competitors in other term. So, here are the most popular Bilibili competitors that you must take into consideration.

Top Bilibili Alternatives	Available Platforms	Downloads	Ratings
Crunchyroll	Android \| iOS	100M+	4.4
Hulu	Android \| iOS	50M+	3.9
Netflix	Android \| iOS	1B+	3.7
Tubi	Android \| iOS	100M+	3.8
iQIYI	Android \| iOS	50M+	4.2

Why Should You Invest in Anime App Development?

If you are thinking to create an app like Bilibili, then you must know its benefits. Here are the benefits you will get from investing in anime app development. So, let’s have a look at them:

1. Growing Global Popularity of Anime

There are millions of fans of anime all over the world, of all ages and from all over the world. As the number of people who want to watch anime grows, an anime app gives users a place to watch, download, and talk about their favorite shows.

By putting money into making anime apps, companies can reach a huge, passionate following and make money through subscriptions, ads, and merchandise sales.

2. High Revenue Potential

Anime video services make billions of dollars every year from different ways of making money. An anime app can make money in a number of ways, such as through subscription services, in-app sales, streaming with ads, and paid memberships.

Businesses can get more customers and make more money by giving them access to special material, episodes early, or interactive features.

3. Community Building and Fan Engagement

Anime fans love to meet other people who like the same things they do. An anime app might have chat rooms, fan clubs, and comment parts where people can talk about episodes, share fan art, and suggest new shows.

This sense of community keeps people using the app and makes them want to spend more time on it, which makes it a good place for brands and marketers to put their ads.

How Much Does It Cost To Build An App Like Bilibili?

The cost to develop an app like Bilibili can ranges between $10000 – $25000 and go beyond depending on your business requirements. The cost to develop an anime app totally relies on the factors like app complexity, features, tech stack and design.

All these together can fluctuate the Bilibili clone app development cost. So, it is essential to first set a budget for your project by doing market research and then do further project planning. You can also calculate the cost to build a video streaming app similar to Bilibili with the below formula:

Total Bilibili App Development Cost = Developers Rate * Development Time

Now we will look at the different factors that can affect the cost to build an app like Bilibili.

2. Platform Choice

Will your Bilibili like application be for iOS, Android, or both? Developing a Bilibili clone application for one platform is cheaper, but if you want to reach more users, you’ll need both. This means higher Bilibili app cost because Android app development services provider need to create and optimize the application for different operating systems. So, it is vital to choose cross-platform development that is cost-effective solution.

Platform Type	Cost Estimation
Android App	$13000 – $25000
iOS App	$11000 – $20000
Cross-platform App	$8000 – $18000

2. App Features & Functionality

The more features you integrate in your Bilibili video streaming clone app, the higher will be the cost. A simple video streaming application with user registration, video uploads, and comments will be more reasonable. However, if you add more advanced features with customizations like AI-powered recommendations, or interactive content, the Bilibili app development cost will rise.

Features & Functions	Cost Estimation
User Registration	$800 – $1000
Offline Viewing	$1000 – $1500
AI-powered Recommendation	$3000 – $4000
Multi-language Support	$1000 – $1500
Real-time Chat with Live Stream	$1500 – $2500

3. UI/UX Design Complexity

A simple and visually appealing design is cost-effective and budget-friendly, however, if you want an eye-catching animations, custom themes and a seamless user experience, the anime app development cost will go high. So, when you create a mobile app, it is vital to keep the design minimal with user engagement will be your first priority.

UI/UX Design	Cost Estimation
Wireframing	$3000 – $5000
Prototyping	$2000 – $5000

4. Development Team Location

The cost to build an anime app similar to Bilibili depends on where your on demand app development company is situated. For example, if you employ developers from Canada, Australia, Europe, then the cost will be higher. However, if you hire mobile app developers from cost-effective countries like Asia, then your cost to develop an app like Bilibili will be less.

Location of Development Team	Cost Estimation
North America	$50 – $100
Australia	$30 – $70
Europe	$40 – $80
Asia	$15 – $25

5. Maintenance & Updates

Your live streaming application is not a one time expense. You need to update regularly, fixing bugs, and add new features in your anime application like bilibili for a smooth performance and better user engagement. However, all this maintenance and updates can increase the cost of Bilibili app development cost.

App Maintenance	Cost Estimation
Security Checkups	$500 – $800
Bug or Error Fixes	$1000 – $2000
Feature Enhancement	$1000 – $3000

How To Monetize Your Anime Streaming Application Like Bilibili?

If you have already built an anime streaming application like Bilibili, you need effective monetization strategies to maximize your revenue while keeping users engaged. Let’s now look at the multiple streams to generate income from your Bilibili clone app.

1. Subscription Plans

A subscription model is the best way to earn money from your free apps like bilibili to watch movie. You can provide users with different subcription plans like monthly, quarterly or yearly. Also, do not forget to include ad-free streaming, early access to new episodes and original content to premium users.

Besides, you can facilitate a freemium model where users can simply watch free content. But they require to pay to use the premium features.

2. In-App Advertisements

The next factor is to run advertisements to earn money. This specially works if you have a huge user base. You can easily add different types of ads like video ads, banner ads and sponsored content.

Similar to an app like MangaToon, you can enable users to skip ads after a few seconds or provide an ad-free experience to premium users for keeping them satisfied. Just ensure the ads are relevant to your users.

3. Virtual Goods & Microtransactions

Anime fans love customizations and unique experiences. So you can sell virtual items like character avatars, stickers, emojis or special badges.

Another great method to earn revenue is by enabling users to send virtual gifts to content creators that boost user engagement while boosting revenue. This is one of the popular way to earn a greate amount of revenue.

4. Pay-Per-View & Exclusive Content

One of the best way to earn money is to offer pay-per-view content which is a profitable strategy. You may charge your audience to stream special anime episodes, movies, or behind-the-scenes content.

Similar to an app like WEBTOON, you should also provide limited-time exclusives and premium-only content that can create a sense of urgency. This motivate users to make purchases from your Bilibili anime clone application.

Let’s Create an App Like Bilibili!

Creating a Bilibili anime streaming app clone requires careful planning, innovative features, and seamless user experience. From video streaming to interactive communities, every aspect must be optimized for engagement.

To turn your vision into reality, hire a webcomic website development company with expertise in video streaming and social media website development.

Expert mobile app developers assures high performance, safety, and scalability. This makes your anime app stand out in this growing market. Start your journey today and build a next-gen video platform like Bilibili!

Frequently Asked Questions!

Q1. How Much Does It Cost To Make An App Like Bilibili?

The estimated Bilibili app development cost ranges between $10000 – $25000. However, the actual price can affected by multiple factors like app intricacy, features, designs and so on.

Q2. How Long Does It Take To Create An App Like Bilibili?

The time to make video streaming apps similar to bilibilican take around 2 – 7 months. But it may vary according to your business needs. So, it is best to take a consultation call with a reputable Bilibili app development company.