Uber offers its services in more than 80 countries in 900+ cities. The company’s global net revenue amounted to USD 17,455 million in 2021, according to investor.uber.com Uber’s model can be followed by smaller companies to design similar ride-sharing apps, to attain a loyal customer base.
Are you thinking of building a ride-sharing app similar to Uber? However, you don’t how to go about it. I am not a certified app builder, however, by doing extensive research, I am providing you an overview of what has to be done.
Designing an iPhone App like Uber? Tools and Requirements
Taxi app development is impossible if you don’t have a development team. You will require an all-rounding team with an all-rounding strategy to develop and run the app successfully. Give below is a list of people your team should consist of:
- iOS app developer
- UI/UX designers
- Backend developer
- Quality Assurance Analyst
- Business Analyst
- Project Manager
Step-by-Step Development Process for an App Like Uber
Requirement Analysis – This is the stage of getting to understand your clients, analyzing their requirements, as well as designing a solution.
Documentation & Blueprint – This is the stage about laying the foundation for the app, i.e., documenting scope, timelines, milestones, and also creating wire-frames, initial system designs, etc.
App Development – Your software development team builds the ride-sharing app using their coding skills. At every stage, you will review the milestone achieved, the solution is updated according to your feedback.
Acceptance Testing – This involves testing all the features as well as the final solution.
Deployment – Deployment Day is the most exciting day; it is the stage where the app will be deployed on the app store and reaches your target audience/user base.
Support & Maintenance – This stage involves enhancements along with fine-tuning of the app based on the changing needs as well as feedback.
How much does it cost just to design an App like Uber?
The Uber application is an amalgamation of 3 different interfaces/apps. The Driver app, the Rider app, and the Admin panel. The Admin panel manages as well as monitors the app’s functioning.
The cost of building an application depends on multiple factors, for example, the number of features, the geographical location of the app development company, and hourly rates, among much more. A few of the crucial factors on which the pricing of taxi app development depends are:
- Native Android/iOS
- Technology used
- Number of features & functionalities
- Rates and abilities of the development team
- Integrations
- Designing
- Maintenance Plan
The complexity, features, along with platform specifics you select will affect the overall development cost, they will also affect the timeline estimate.
Essential Features of Rider/Passenger Interface
Registration – Riders can register or sign in via email as well as social media. They could also select different payment methods.
Taxi Booking – The users can book a taxi, enter their address, select the type of car, they can also adjust the pickup location.
Fare Calculator – The fare for traveling from point A to point B will automatically be calculated based on the factors such as the number of kilometers, the type of car chosen, fuel rates, estimated traffic, etc.
Ride Tracking – The driver’s location will be tracked in real-time based on which timely updates on traffic, travel routes, as well as the estimated time of arrival will be provided to the rider.
Payment – Cashless as well as in-app payment features are at the user’s disposal. They could choose from various available options, including credit cards, debit cards, net banking, PayPal, etc.
Messaging & Calling – Messages along with calls to the user to provide the status of their ride.
Driver Rating & Analysis – The user can choose to provide the driver rating based on the journey, taken route, car comfort, driver’s behavior, etc.
Travel History – The track record of the previous rides as well as transactions.
Ride Cancellation – The rider has the option of canceling the ride, however, the cancellation requires to be done within a specified time limit to avoid paying the cancellation fee.
Split Payment – Riders also have the ability to opt to share a ride with other passengers.
Schedule for Later – The feature will allow the riders to book a ride in advance.
Essential Features of Driver Interface
Driver Profile & Status – The feature provides the complete information of the driver, for example: if they are verified or not, their license, car insurance, etc. The driver’s availability status will also be displayed through this feature.
Trip Alert – The driver will be notified of incoming ride requests, information on the destination, pickup location, and travel route, along with any rider’s necessary details.
Push Notifications – Notifications will be received when the ride commences, any change in the travel route, heavy traffic ahead as well as on the completion of the ride
Navigation & Route Optimization – The driver can use this feature to navigate the traffic, and opt for the shortest way to the destination by utilizing Google Maps
Reports – This feature provides insights regarding trips as well as earnings on a daily/weekly/monthly basis
Waiting time – The rider will be charged extra if the waiting period exceeds the company minimum of 5 minutes.
Next Ride – The ride is notified of an upcoming ride while they are still completing the previous one.
Essential Features of Admin Interface
An Admin panel is crucial for the proper integration as well as the smooth functioning of the system.
The basic features and functionalities of an Admin panel can be classified as:
- Customer and Driver Details Management (CRM)
- Booking Management
- Vehicle Detail Management (if self-owned)
- Location and Fares Management
- Call System Management
- Communication
- Ratings and Reviews
- Promotions and Discounts
- Payroll Management
- Content Management
- Customer Support and Help
Generally, the hourly cost to Build an app like Uber and uber app development costs around 25$ to 55$ hourly, it would take nearly 500 to 1500 hours to develop a taxi app from scratch. The average cost of developing an app like Uber can range from USD 33,000 to USD 70,000.
How much does it cost to run and maintain an app like Uber?
The maintenance cost of the taxi app is generally 15 to 20% of the total app development cost. After the app is developed, it will also require maintenance. Few app building companies provide free 6 months of maintenance and some apply charges. Few app building companies provide free 6 months of maintenance with some applied charges. The more features you want to add to the app, the more it will cost you.
How many days will it take to design an app like Uber?
Normally an uber like taxi app development takes around 13 to 18 weeks to develop an MVP Version of the app. After that, you would need to keep a maintenance check on apps like uber as well as even other apps. So, the basic time needed to keep the app ready to use is a maximum of 20 weeks.
This time limit also varies from company to company, even person to person also depending on their experience.
What skills and human resources are required to design and develop an Uber-like app?
Well, it is understandable that freelancers are less expensive than technology companies, however, there are many downsides to hiring freelancers over a technology team.
One of the major drawbacks of hiring freelancers is that you cannot be 100% sure about their success. On top of that, finding good freelancers and hiring them at competitive rates is way too taxing and time-consuming.
If you really wish your Uber-like app to be successful in the market, it is better if you hire a professional team of developers. Technology companies have solid roadmaps for development that help guarantee success.
On the contrary, though tech companies might charge you a little more than freelancers, they typically cover expenses for managing their project management, quality control, developers, and office space, among much more.
The good part is that tech companies offer security for your project’s success, which is highly crucial.
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