Have you a brilliant idea for social media app development that you think will change the digital world. However, before you start the journey of social media app development, understand the cost of bringing your idea to life. 

Social media apps have revolutionized communication with instant messaging, video calls,and global connectivity, reshaping how people interact and share information. As per a study, The projected value of the global market for social media analytics in 2021 was $7 billion USD. Growth of 8.5 billion dollars in 2022 and over 26 billion dollars in 2028 were projected. The data depict the potential of social media apps, attracting businesses that look to capitalize on the vast user base and exceptional engagement opportunities. However, social media app development cost is a major concern for entrepreneurs, making it significant to explore cost- reduction approaches. 

This blog will explore everything you want to know about social media app development cost, factors that impact the costs, strategies to reduce cost, and monetization techniques. 

 

What Are Social Media Apps?

Social media applications are online platforms that connect people with others online. It’s like a digital square where we can share pictures, news, messages, and videos with our families, friends, or others worldwide. Social media apps are all about user-generated content, which means we, you, and others create the information being shared. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are famous social media apps that have changed how people communicate.

 

 

They can be a great way to stay connected; however, be careful about the information you share and consume. If anyone is interested in building social media platform, they should consult with a Mobile App Development Company for a better outcome.

 

Market Stats of Social Media Apps

• The social networking industry is anticipated to yield a total revenue of US$129.60 billion in 2022.
• Total revenue is anticipated to increase at a CAGR of 7.30 percent between 2022 and 2027, resulting in a market volume of $189.50 billion by that year.
• It is projected that by 2022, the social networking industry’s in-app purchase (IAP) revenue will amount to $20.48 billion.

 

Source: Statista

• By 2022, paid app revenue in social networking is anticipated to reach $0.03 billion.
• Advertising revenue on social networking platforms is anticipated to total 109.10 billion US dollars in 2022. 

With more than three billion monthly active users, Facebook has emerged as the market leader and was the initial social network to amass one billion registered accounts. Facebook (primary platform), WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram are the four most prominent social media platforms under the ownership of Meta Platforms, each boasting 1 billion monthly active users. Facebook’s monthly core family product users amounted to four billion, the company disclosed during the third quarter of 2023. 

 

Top 5 Social Media Platforms 

Here is a list of the best social media apps you must study. It will help you to understand what social media apps are offering their customers and how they can give you a competition.

 

 

Social Media Platforms	Available Platforms	Ranking	Downloads
Facebook	Android | iOS	3.8	5B+
Instagram	Android | iOS	4.0	5B+
WeChat	Android | iOS	3.2	100M+
TikTok	Android | iOS	4.2	1B+
Meetup	Android | iOS	4.3	10M+

 

How Much Does It Cost To Build A Social Media App?

The cost to make a social media app like Instagram can vary depending on the app’s capabilities, chosen development platform, design, development team, and other factors. The average cost to develop a social media app ranges from $9000 to $26000, but this can fluctuate based on different factors. 

 

Social Media App Development Cost

 

Social Media App Development	Estimated Social Media App Development Cost	Time Frame
Simple Social Media App Development	$9000 – $14000	3 to 6 Month
Medium Complex Social Media App Development	$14000 – $22000	6 to 9 Month
Complex Social Media App Development	$26000+	10+ Month

 

 

It’s just an idea, the final cost to build a social network app can only be determined after an expert consultation. Hence, you can get assistance from an iPhone or Android app development services provider that can help you make a budget for social media app development. Ensure the hired social network development company knows what type of app you need and what amount to invest. 

 

5 Factors Affecting the Social Media App Development Cost

Social media and video streaming app development has become a thriving industry, with numerous apps and grab users’ attention in such a crowded market. However, if you want to dive into such an exciting world of social media app creating, let’s look at 5 key things that can change the social networking app development cost:

 

 

• Development Team
• Core and Advanced Features 
• Tech Stacks
• Platform Compatibility 
• Types of Social Media Apps

 

1. Development Team

Hiring an experienced and skilled chatbot development company with expertise in different platforms and technologies to build the best social network apps. However, at the same time, it also increases the cost of creating social network apps due to higher hourly rates and overhead expenses. 

 

Developers Experience level	United States	United Kingdom	Southeast Asia	Eastern Europe
Junior-level	$15 – $25	£14 – £24	$12 – $22	$10 – $20
Mid-level	$30 – $50	£27 – £44	$25 – $35	$25 – $33
Senior-level	$60 – $80	£50 – £65	$40 – $55	$40 – $50

 

2. Core and Advanced Features

First, think about what exactly you want from your social media app. Are you okay with just basic functions, or want to add a range of advanced features? Every feature requires more effort and resources, contributing to the increased social network app development cost. 

 

Basic Features	Estimated Cost	Advanced Features	Estimated Cost
Multimedia Sharing	$6,000 – $9,000	Multi-Language	$4,000 – $7,000
Notifications	$4,000 – $7,000	Real-Time Messaging	$3,000 – $5,000
Security Features	$8,000 – $12,000	Advanced Security Features	$10,000 – $14,000
Payment Gateways	$7,000 – $11,000	Disappearing Messages	$7,000 – $10,000
Feed Display Settings	$10,000 – $12,000	Viewing and following	$10,000 – $15,000

 

3. Tech Stacks

This is one of the most crucial factor that can highly impact the overall social media app development cost. It contains various paid tech stacks, businesses have to pay the cost as yearly or monthly. So, choose the open or free tech stacks to reduce the cost of development.

 

Cloud Storage	AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud	$1,000 – $3,000
Backend Development	Django, PHP, Nodejs	$4,000 – $10,000
UI/UX Design	Sketch, Adobe XD	$4,000 – $7,000
Payment Gateway	PayPal, Stripe	$4,000 – $8,000
Security	SSL, Biometric, Two-factor Authentication	$1,500 – $4,000
Project Management	Jira, Trello, Asana	$1,000 – $3,500

 

4. Platform Compatibility

Social media applications often need to be compatible with several platforms- Android, iOS, and web browsers. Hence, different platforms require special attention and add to the development cost. So, you are supposed to choose the one, matching your budget so that cost to develop social network can be reduced.

 

Development Platforms	Estimated Cost
Web Apps	$15,000 – $22,000
Native Apps	$20,000 – $30,000
Hybrid Apps	$18,000 – $27,000

 

5. Types of Social Media Apps

This last factor causes the cost of social media apps to fluctuate greatly. Different types of apps contain unique functions and features. These apps can change businesses’ overall development budgets, so they need to prepare a plan for them.

 

Type of Social Media Apps	Cost Estimation
Image Sharing Networks	$8,000 – $15,000
Discussion Forms	$18,000 – $25,000
Social Networks	$15,000 – $22,000
Bookmarking Networks	$12,000 – $20,000
Blogging and Publishing Networks	$20,000 – $28,000

 

 

Different Types of Social Media Apps Cost

Nowadays, social media apps are very popular worldwide, and every business wants to build a social media app to expand its business.

Let’s start by discussing various popular social media apps, which contain different functionalities and workings. Of course, their costs can also be different from each other. So, here we provide the different types of social media apps cost:

 

Type 1: Apps Like Instagram

There was a time when Instagram was launched, and no one knew about it. Those who knew thought it was just a photo-sharing app. Now, it is one of the most popular social media apps that allows users to post photos and videos. Most people don’t know about that the first appearance of Instagram was a web app called “Burbn.”

 

Essential features of your app like Instagram:

• User Feed
• Communication Channels
• Likes and Comments
• Story 
• Post Photos and Videos
• Followers and Followings
• Tags and Mentions

 

Features	Estimated Development Time
User Feed	110 – 180 hours
Communication Channels	80 – 110 hours
Likes and Comments	60 – 80 hours
Story	90 – 150 hours
Post Photos and Videos	60 – 90 hours
Followers and Followings	80 – 150 hours
Tags and Mentions	90 – 140 hours

 

Type 2: Apps like WhatsApp

Whenever people talk about text messaging apps, the first name that comes to their mind is WhatsApp. It is one of the most used and famous text messaging or social media apps. With time, many changes have been made in WhatsApp, such as adding status, messages disappearing, not showing last seen, and security encryptions.

 

Essential features of your apps like WhatsApp:

• Real-Time Messaging 
• Sharing Contact
• Status
• Voice and Video Calling
• Security Encryptions
• Group Conversations
• Faster Playbacks

 

Features	Estimated Development Time
Real-Time Messaging	70 – 90 hours
Sharing Contact	10 – 20 hours
Status	50 – 80 hours
Voice and Video Calling	75 – 90 hours
Security Encryptions	90 – 110 hours
Group Conversations	20 – 50 hours
Faster Playbacks	40 – 70 hours

 

Type 3: Apps like Snapchat

Long ago, no one knew Snapchat very well. People started using Snapchat because of its attractive features, such as sending snaps, making streaks, seeing friends’ locations on Snap maps, and disappearing messages. Many people do not know that Snapchat was the first social media app to add the feature of disappearing messages.

 

Essential features of your apps like Snapchat:

• Messages Disappearing
• Lenses
• Snap Map
• Real-Time Messaging 
• Video or Audio Calls
• Geofilter
• Story

 

Features	Estimated Development Time
Messages Disappearing	110 – 160 hours
Lenses	80 – 100 hours
Snap Map	120 – 170 hours
Real-Time Messaging	105 – 140 hours
Video or Audio Calls	70 – 90 hours
Geofilter	10 – 30 hours
Story	100 – 150 hours

 

Type 4: Apps like Tik-Tok

TikTok is one of the most popular short video-making platforms in the world. It allows users to create videos between 3 seconds and 60 minutes. Within a year, it created a base of 100 million users, and more than 1 billion people used to watch videos in a day. Apart from normal people, famous personalities also make videos on TikTok.

 

Essential features of your apps like TikTok:

• Video Feed Screen
• Registration
• User Profiles
• Collage
• Discover Peoples
• Notifications
• Settings

 

Features	Estimated Development Time
Video Feed Screen	120 – 170 hours
Registration	50 – 70 hours
User Profiles	80 – 90 hours
Collage	40 – 70 hours
Discover Peoples	20 – 30 hours
Notifications	40 – 70 hours
Settings	30 – 60 hours

 

Type 5: Apps like Clubhouse

Clubhouse is a completely different social media platform. It gives people the feeling of a conference hall because the creator of the chat room decides who will speak first. Many talks happen inside the clubhouse, including what is going on in society, entertainment, daily routine, and politics.

 

Essential features of your apps like Clubhouse:

• Feed 
• Clubhouse Rooms
• Profiles
• Clubhouse Clubs
• Activity 
• Notifications
• Invite

 

Features	Estimated Development Time
Feed	130 – 180 hours
Clubhouse Rooms	100 – 130 hours
Profiles	60 – 90 hours
Clubhouse Clubs	80 – 100 hours
Activity	100 – 130 hours
Notifications	90 – 100 hours
Invite	80 – 90 hours

 

So, here we provide a quick cost estimation of different types of social media apps:

 

Social Media App Types	Cost Estimation
Apps Like Instagram	$20,000 to $28,000
Apps Like WhatsApp	$18,000 to $26,000
Apps Like Snapchat	$19,000 to $27,000
Apps Like TikTok	$15,000 to $23,000
Apps Like Clubhouse	$13,000 to $20,000

 

5 Incredible Ways to Reduce Social Media App Development Cost

Podcast app development can be an exciting journey; however, the cost of developing a social media platform can be daunting for you. Hence, here are 5 effective ways  that help you to develop a cost-effective social media app:

 

 

• Prioritize Feature 
• Adopt Agile Methodology 
• Look For Simplicity
• Consider Outsourcing 
• Minimal Viable Product (MVP)

 

1. Prioritize Feature 

First, you have to plan and define the features that are critical to your app.  It will help you avoid unnecessary feature inserting. As a result, it requires less effort and energy which reduces the cost to create a social media app automatically. 

 

2. Adopt Agile Methodology 

When it comes to develop an app like TikTok, agile methodologies streamline the procedure by breaking down your project into smaller and more manageable tasks. Hence, they lead to a fast app development process and better adaptation to evolving requirements that rescue the cost to create a social network app.

 

3. Look For Simplicity

As you know, excessive animation and complex design require many resources that add to the social media app development cost. So, according to social media app development services providers you should focus on a user-friendly and clean interface, keeping users engaged without unnecessary distractions.

 

4. Consider Outsourcing 

You must hire a skilled android or iPhone app development company that can offer competitive rates while committing to meet your project’s requirements. Additionally, ensure seamless communication and clear development, maintaining quality when saving on in-house social media app development cost. 

 

5. Minimal Viable Product (MVP)

Don’t try to develop everything at once. You must focus on key functionalities, providing real value to users. It will let’s you analyze the market, collect feedback,and illiterate efficiently before utilizing the resources in advanced features. So, it directly contributes to reducing the cost to make a social network app.

 

Read More: Best Apps Like Wizz

 

Tech Stack For Social Media App Development

For a robust social media app development, you must need to observe the tech stacks for handling interactive features and automated operations. So, here we provide the list of the incredible tech stacks:

 

Category	Tech Stack	Description
Frontend	React Native, Flutter, Swift, HTML, CSS	These powerful platforms build robust user interfaces.
Backend	Spring Boot, Django, Ruby on Rails, Node.js	Powerful backend frameworks build robust applications.
Database	PostgreSQL, MYSQL, Firebase Realtime Database, MongoDB	Securely stored massive data and organized structured data.
APIs	REST, GraphQL	Sharing data between applications, systems, and devices.
Authentication	OAuth, JWT	Verifies the user’s identity and access token from a trusted server.
Cloud Services	Google Cloud, Azure, AWS	Allowing apps to access resources in the cloud.

 

5 Effective Ways to Monetization Your Social Media App

Did you know you can earn money by monetizing your social media platform like Meetup, Facebook, or Instagram? Well, according to the social media app development company, if you are not familiar with app monetization techniques, look at the following strategies:

 

 

• Freemium or Subscription 
• In-app Purchasing 
• In-app Advertising 
• Sponsored Content 
• Affiliate Marketing

 

1. Freemium or Subscription 

It’s also known as a pay-to-use monetization strategy that allows users to sign up for the app for free and to be used. However, it offers limited functionalities and features for free. If anyone wants to get full access to the platforms, they have to subscribe. 

 

2. In-app Purchasing 

With this app monetization strategy, you can introduce digital assets or premium upgrades that users can buy in your app. It includes emojis, filters, stickers, and other virtual gifts that enhance self-expression and user interactions. 

 

3. In-app Advertising 

You can use targeted advertisements in your social media app. As per on demand app development solutions provider, to do this, advertisers will pay you to display their ads to your users, and you can earn based on clicks (CPC), impressions (CPM), actions (CPA), and actions (CPA). 

 

4. Sponsored Content 

You can collaborate with influencers and brands to promote sponsored content on your platform. This includes sponsored posts, events, and stories that resonate with your target audiences. Additionally, maintain transparency to retain your users’ trust and authenticity. 

 

5. Affiliate Marketing 

It’s one of the most common app monetization strategies in which you can integrate affiliate links or referral programs into your social media app like Twitter. Here, you can recommend services or products relevant to your audience to earn commissions. 

 

 

How Much Does it Cost to Maintain a Social Media App?

When considering the social media app’s maintenance cost, different elements such as push notification, server management,and payment gateway comes into play.  As per entertainment app development services provider, on average,  to estimate the cost to maintain a social media app, you can expect to invest nearly 15 to 20% of the overall social media app development cost to keep it running optimally.

Additionally, expenses for user acquisition and marketing should also be included in overall app maintenance costs. If you want to maintain your social media app for a long time period that can keep users engaged, you are advised to hire a mobile app maintenance services provider. Experts know very well what type of updates your app needs and how to retain user’s attention on your app. 

 

Wrapping Up!

Messaging app development is very exciting but also costly at the same time. To complete the journey of social media app development, businesses need to understand impacting cost factors to implement cost-effective strategies accordingly. Furthermore, by exploring diverse monetization strategies, businesses can ensure revenue generation.

Social media app development is appealing to enterprises because of its vast user base and engagement potential. Collaborate with an experienced social media app development company to streamline the process.

Dev Technosys is one of the best messaging app development services providers, offering insight into strategic planning and cost optimization. With careful budgeting, Dev Technosys ensures efficient app development and long-term success in the current competitive landscape.

 

FAQs On Social Media App Development Cost

 

Q1. What Is a Social Media App? 

Social media apps refer to online space, connecting users with others. It allows users to share ideas, information, and content (videos, images, even live streams)  with a group of people. 

 

Q2. What is the Cost To Develop A Social Media App?

Typically, the social network app cost estimate is $9000 and $26000, depending on its feature set and complexity. This social media app development cost can be high or low based on different factors.

 

Q3. How Long Does It Take To Develop A Social Media App? 

Businesses can expect to develop a social media app in 3 to 12 months, depending on the project’s requirements and complexity. 

 

Q4. What Role Does AI Development Services Play In Social Media App Development?

AI development services are critical to enhance social media platforms with intelligence features such content moderation, personalized recommendations, and chatbots.