- Is it the right time to develop a Social Media app?
- Latest Social Media Trends and Statistics 2023
- Top Social Media Apps of 2023
- Type of Social Media Apps to Develop in 2023
- Social Media Application Development Cost Based on Features
- Social Media App Cost: Must-Have Features
- Social Media App Development Cost: Advanced Features
- Social Media App Development Cost: Additional/Hidden Costs
- Total Time of Social Media Application Development
- Outsourcing Social Media App Development - Finding the right agency
- Total Social Media App Development Cost: By Region
- Conclusion
Undeniably, checking our social media is the foremost and the last thing we do in a day. Social media has turned into a necessity helping us stay updated with what’s going on in the world. The dialogue around social media may be biased depending from person to person. However, it has helped unite people on a global level during catastrophes, and individual rights, and to raise a voice against social injustice. Amidst that, Social media apps are on the rise more & more entrepreneurs are pondering over the question “How much does it costs to build a social media app?”.
From sharing our thoughts, and staying up-to-date with the latest gossip and news, to dating someone, social media apps have given us numerous advantages. This is why entrepreneurs and startups are tussling with new ideas and the associated social media app development cost. In fact, even angel investors are enthusiastic about creating the next Facebook or Instagram.
With the stunning success and ever-growing stardom of this most promising market, nobody wants to miss the opportunity to become part of the fastest-growing digital-savvy world.
Is it the right time to develop a Social Media app?
According to reports, more than 90% of millennials are social network users, and 80% of companies use social networks for marketing. With the power of growing social networking the expected user base of social media is around 4.89 billion worldwide.
In fact, the US e-commerce market is expected to surpass $50 billion in 2023, as mentioned by Business Insider.
During the Pandemic, people confined themselves to their own four walls. Social media helped them stay connected with their family, friends, and even neighbors via text, chat, video calls, etc. In fact, social media became a source for singles to find a date and younglings & aspirers to learn new skills.
No matter where in the world someone resides, they were able to stay in touch with their friends and family. Charities and NGOs use social media regularly to raise awareness of certain issues and and took revolutions like “Black Lives Matter” post the incident of George Floyd.
Considering the current statistics, it is fair enough to say that the global usage of social media apps will likely rise in the coming future. So, the question is how much does it cost to develop a social media app in 2023?
Talking about the figures, the typical cost to build a social media app can get you between $30,000 to $1,00,000+.
The cost of social media app development depends on multiple factors such as:
- Design
- Complexity of features
- Compatibility with devices
- Security
- Testing
- Maintenance etc.
If you’re looking to shape up a new idea and turn it into an opportunity amongst the best social media apps? In this article, we’ll be covering the social networking app development cost in a structured manner. Apart from that, we have also covered the latest social media app cost by features, trends, and types of social media applications, to choose from.
Latest Social Media Trends and Statistics 2023
Let’s get started with some eye-opening statistics of the growing popularity of social media apps with some quick social media trends. Here are the key statistics of the social media market that you need to know.
Top Social Media Apps of 2023
Social media has turned into an inherent part of contemporary society. Right now, an estimated 4.9 billion people around the world are social media users. It’s a gigantic number that truly explains the extent to which social media is a part of our life.
To give a better idea, we have listed the top social media apps that have sustained the largest user base in 2023. These are:
1. Facebook
With a user base of 2.91 billion people, Facebook is the topmost contender in the list. It is amongst the first social media platforms that pioneered the idea into mainstream. The platform has been renamed to Meta, however, its popularity is still sustained by its older name.
2. Youtube
Started off as an idea to create a platform for archiving videos, it truly stands out amongst the top social media apps. Youtube allows anyone to upload personal videos and content for the world to consume. The platform is so powerful that it has created a series of content creators that made an entire career out of it. Currently, Youtube has a user base of around 2.56 billion people.
3. Whatsapp
A much more well-versed version of applications like Ebuddy, BBM chat, etc, Whatsapp is the best social media app used peer-to-peer messaging service. The service utilizes the power of the internet across the world to connect people via contact numbers as the identity. Whatsapp has been one revolutionizing social media platform with an existing user base of 2 billion.
4. Instagram
Instagram has been a part of the social media ecosystem for a while. However, it has gained a lot more prominence recently. The platform allows users to upload pictures and videos that can be seen by everyone or a group of people based on the privacy settings. Instagram is also a part of the Meta ecosystem with a user base of 1.47 billion.
5. WeChat
WeChat was amongst the first standalone applications to cross over $1 billion users in 2018. It is a Chinese mobile application developed by the minds behind PUBG i.e. Tencent. Currently, the platform consolidates a total strength of 1.26 billion.
Type of Social Media Apps to Develop in 2023
If you are looking for the best mobile app development companies for your app idea, the very step is to define your goal and find your niche, clear vision, and get to an ideal app category. Let’s find out the different social media app categories, and costs charged by the software development companies in the USA to build them, and get started with identifying the target audience, and list out competitors.
App Type | Features | Examples | App Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Social Networking App | Share ideas, photos and videos, posts, and inform others about online or real-world activities and events with people in their network. | Facebook, LinkedIn | Around $115,000 |
Media Sharing Networks App | Users can share photos, videos, and live videos. | Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube | Around $70,000 |
Social Content Publishing Platforms App | Blogging | WordPress, Medium | Between $35,000 to $50,000+ |
Discussion Forums App | Start a discussion, ask questions, and get answers from experts. | Reddit, Quora | Between $20,000 to $80,000. |
Content Sharing Networks App | Bookmarking apps | Pinterest, Flipboard | Between $5,000 to $11,500 |
Consumer Review Networks App | Let users share their reviews about brands, products, services. | Yelp, TripAdvisor | Around $15,000 |
Whatever the app you’ve selected for your business, make sure, it satisfies the below criteria -
Social Media Application Development Cost Based on Features
The cost of developing a social media app greatly depends on app features and functionalities. When you’re creating a Social Media app, it's more reasonable to start off with an MVP with basic app features and gradually adding more complex features to it.
MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is created from the collection of real data from users' feedback.. To stand out from its competitors and play safe, launch an MVP version of the social media app to gather feedback or make future investments in your app idea.
The primary advantage of MVP is that things get simpler. You spend less money to build Social Media Apps skeleton before actually launching it. With MVP, you can track and analyze user reactions, and make informed decisions without investing much of your money. Sounds safe!
Social Media App Cost: Must-Have Features
Here’s a list of must-have app features for your social media app development.
Must-have Features | Description | Back-end development | iOS development | Android development | Development Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sign in/log in | Creating a profile, adding Facebook,or Google SDK. choose Amazon services like Amazon SES (signup via phone number) or Amazon SNS (SMS verification). | 22 hours | 18 hours | 18 hours | $750+ |
Profile editing | Create, edit, customize various profile information like name, phone, email, etc. | 72 hours | 116 hours | 116 hours | $650+ |
Search | Comfortable search bar for flexible research | 38 hours | 39 hours | 39 hours | $900+ |
Real-time Chatting | Social networking app for sending messages, photos, or video files. | 104 hours | 169 hours | 169 hours | $1,750 |
Add post | Create posts with different content (photo, video, or text). | 12 hours | 130 hours | 130 hours | $2,000 |
Push notifications | Notify users while new messages update, a reaction or comment. | 15 hours | 15 hours | 15 hours | $650 |
Location Sharing | Geolocation and GPS Feature. | 10 hours | 12 hours | 12 hours | $1,250 |
Multi-media sharing | Sharing media files including audio, video, text. | 15 Hours | 45+hours | 45+hours | $2,250 |
Voice Call | Access to in-app voice calls, calls using wifi or mobile network data. | 75+ hours | 75+hours | $3750+ | |
Video Call | Allows facetime with friends online. | 110+ hours | 110+ hours | $5,500+ | |
Photo Editing | Add filters, cropping, rotating, setting up, straightening of image. | 300+hours | 300+hours | $1,6500+ |
Also Read: Mobile App Development Cost in 2024
Social Media App Development Cost: Advanced Features
Building an ordinary social media app with limited features and functionalities is not worthy To stand out in the era where apps like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter are already ruling the app market, one has to be disruptive and novel. It becomes crucial to develop a social media app that has all existing features such as AR filters, filters, location-based personalization, etc. Adding to it, the app also requires innovative features such as metaverse integration or new ideation of features never seen before.
To develop a social media app, here’re some advanced features you can add to your overall Social Networking Application Development Cost. Let’s move to its development cost/time in 2023.
Feature | Description | Back-end develdevelopment | iOS development | Android development |
---|---|---|---|---|
Filters | Integrate various filters and effects to the photo or video. To add AR filters to the social media app.(Deve lopers use ML Kit and ARCore.) | 5+ hours | 80+ hours | 80+ hours |
Editing | Crop and rotate images, create a collage, remove unnecessary objects, and more. (Developers can integrate editing feature FFmpeg) | 60+ hours | 60+ hours | |
Location-based content | Users can add their location to the photo or video. (Developers can use Google Places to add location-based content features.) | 10+ hours | 10-15 hours | 10-15 hours |
Social Media App Development Cost: Additional/Hidden Costs
Here are some additional features of an app that affects the overall Social Media Application Development Cost. It includes the Admin Panel and Design.
Feature | Description | Time |
---|---|---|
Admin panel | User Management Features like add, remove, block users, and help in making informed decisions. | Around 135+ hours. |
Design | Creating an attractive UI/UX design with user-friendly and spontaneous app designing. | Around 150+ hours. |
Total Time of Social Media Application Development
Considering all the app features mentioned above, we took a round breakdown that includes all the factors that contribute to Social App Development Cost. Let’s get to the overall development time required to build compelling social networking applications by features.
Feature | Back-end development | iOS development | Android development |
---|---|---|---|
Basic features | 300 hours | 600 hours | 600 hours |
UI/UX design | 150 hours | 150 hours | |
Quality assurance | 120 hours | 120 hours | 120 hours |
DevOps services | 40 hours | 35 hours | 35 hours |
Advanced features | 14 hours | 150 hours | 150 hours |
Admin panel (one for all platforms) | 130 hours | ||
Frameworks and libraries integration | 30 hours | 40 hours | 40 hours |
Project management | 80 hours | 90 hours | 90 hours |
Outsourcing Social Media App Development - Finding the right agency
Building a social media app is not easy. It requires expert hands that include social media app developers, software development companies, Project Managers, Back-end developers, designers, testers, etc. To develop a social media app for iOS and Android, hire a top mobile app development company to develop an intelligent app for your business. Here are the top reasons why you should outsource your app development.
Team | Function | Cost/hr |
---|---|---|
Project manager | Assembles the team, assigns duties, divides schedules and resources to ensure timely completion of the assigned app. | $20+ |
Developer | Creates maintains and executes the source code to develop mobile apps. | $30+ |
Back-end developer | Maintains secure transparent communication between the application, the database, and the server and ensures the app runs flawlessly. | $25+ |
Designer | Works on the app interface, making an app look good. Defining app specifications, designing visual designs, and creating a fully-functional app. | $15+ |
Tester | Develops test cases and prioritizes testing activities. Tracks and monitors app design, functions, and working uses. | $20+ |
Total Social Media App Development Cost: By Region
How to calculate the total cost of social media application development? The final cost of developing a social media app can cost you between $90,000 for iOS or Android and $150,000 for iOS and Android (at the rate of 50/hr).
Region | Total Cost | App development Rate/Hr |
---|---|---|
Eastern Europe | $150,000+ | $50/h |
North America | $300,000+ | $100/h |
Western Europe | $250,000+ | $90/h |
Australia | $300,000+ | $100/h |
Conclusion
With this, we have come to the end of this article - How much does it cost to make a Social Media App? We have included all the factors that contribute to the overall Social Networking app development cost.
- The type of social media app and your target audience.
- Main features and functionalities to focus on.
- Add-on features based on the complexity of the app.
- The need for an app development team to build a social media app at the best price/quality ratio.
Creating a social media app can be demanding and enjoyable. A well-organized approach to app development can promise you a successful social media app. So, where to start?
If you have a great app idea, tap the top mobile app development companies to evaluate your business demands and recommend the best solution with an accurate pricing model and get exactly what you desire with a social media app.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sr. Content Strategist
Meet Manish Chandra Srivastava, the Strategic Content Architect & Marketing Guru who turns brands into legends. Armed with a Masters in Mass Communication (2015-17), Manish has dazzled giants like Collegedunia, Embibe, and Archies. His work is spotlighted on Hackernoon, Gamasutra, and Elearning Industry.
Beyond the writer’s block, Manish is often found distracted by movies, video games, AI, and other such nerdy stuff. But the point remains, If you need your brand to shine, Manish is who you need.