The level of digitalization in the modern world is growing rapidly, digital technologies are no longer limited to just creating a website, they provide extensive opportunities for their owners and all users. Applications became one of these tools; they quickly won the trust and favor of users, firmly taking their place in their smartphones. And when a leader appears on the app market, everyone wants to repeat his success. Or even surpass. In the taxi app market, that's Uber. How much does it cost to create a taxi application of this type - let's figure it out.
How do developers determine the cost of a taxi app?
The cost of developing an application for a taxi is calculated quite simply: we multiply the time spent by the cost of an hour - and voila. But in fact, everything is not as simple as it seems. After all, these two key factors depend on many others.
So, for example, the cost of an hour of work of a specialist depends on his level: Junior, Middle, Senior - they receive differently, and this is not surprising. You can justify this factor with experience, but there is another catch: two middle developers can have different experience, and they will also cost differently, although the level is considered the same. Another important point is the specialty itself. It also depends on who you need - a designer, a tester, a developer - how much the taxi application costs, because the cost of an hour of work is different for each. Moreover, even within the same specialty, there are significant differences: a designer can specialize in UX or UI, or both; the tester can work manually or with the use of automation; and the programmer's hour of work, in addition to dividing into Front-end and Back-end, also depends on the technologies that he owns.
When we talk about time, its volume depends on the functionality that needs to be implemented, the level and experience of the developer - how quickly he can complete his tasks, as well as your involvement and participation, because customer feedback is an integral part of the development process, without which sometimes it's just not possible to move on.
But the main factor that determines the required level of a specialist, and the technology stack for development, and the time it takes to implement your project, and hence the cost of creating a mobile application, are the features of the application itself.
Features of the taxi application - the main factor affecting the cost
When we talk about features, first of all, it is necessary to emphasize the number of features being implemented. Obviously, each of them requires a certain amount of time and effort to implement. The structure and architecture of the application is also important, because complex relationships complicate the work of the development team.
Let's take a look at the functionality of the Uber app to understand what features you need to allocate resources to. But remember that you don't have to implement all the features from competitive apps, nor should you be limited by them, it's a good idea to add some unique feature that will make you stand out. However, back to our example.
It is worth noting that architecturally the application has three subspecies: for the client, for the driver and for the administrator. The functionality of each of them is significantly different, but everything intersects in a single database. We will consider the functions of each subspecies separately.
Client Application
- Registration
When the user opens the app for the first time, they must register. This step is common to all users, but we will only mention it here. It is this feature that divides the users of the application into three categories: drivers, customers, and administrators. The data that the user enters during registration is stored in the database and used to further identify him.
- Vehicle selection
Before the user orders a taxi for himself, he must be able to choose the type and class of car he will drive. To do this, it is necessary to have a database of cars with a clear division into types and classes, as well as indicating additional features of the car that users may need: a child seat, a large trunk, and so on. A specially developed algorithm will show the user's order only to those drivers whose cars fit all the parameters.
- Order a trip
When a car is selected, the user can book their trip. To do this, you must select the place of departure and the place of arrival. The taxi application allows you to do this using a map, or by entering the exact address in the input line. It is also necessary to integrate the GPS module so that the user can call the car to his current location.
- Fare calculation
All calculations in the application are also carried out automatically, the cost depends on the route, as well as on the selected type and class of car. It is important that when calculating the cost, discounts, promotions and promotional codes can also be applied, which must be taken into account when creating a calculator.
- Estimated time of arrival
The estimated time of arrival at the place is also calculated automatically, based on the route and traffic conditions along the route, for this the application integrates with maps. It is important to take into account at the time of arrival also the time that it takes for the taxi car to reach the client, and not start counting from the moment of order.
- Real time tracking
When a driver accepts a customer's order, the user's geolocation becomes available. This allows you to track the speed of arrival of the car to the passenger, as well as calculate the time of arrival at the destination in real time.
- Payments
Payment is provided in various ways: in cash to the driver after arrival, or by bank transfer through the application. To do this, it is necessary to integrate certain banking modules that will allow the user to link their bank card to the application for automatic payment debiting. It is also possible to pay using Google Pay or Apple Pay, so that the user can select a card for payment each time and confirm the payment manually. To do this, you also need to connect the appropriate modules.
- Pop-up notifications
Push notifications are one of the best ways to keep in touch with your users at all times, and it has found its way into taxis as well. So, even when the user minimizes the application after placing an order, he will receive a notification that the order has been accepted, that he has arrived at the place, debited, and so on. You can also notify users about receiving bonuses and the availability of promotions.
- SOS panic button
A safety tool in case an emergency occurs on the trip - this button allows you to instantly call for help in any situation.
- Rating
The rating feature is an opportunity for passengers and drivers to make the experience of their colleagues even better. They can leave ratings and even reviews for those they just shared a ride with. Thanks to this, the taxi service improves, and the user experience becomes even better, which positively affects the reputation of your application.
Driver app
- Document upload
First of all, the driver must have the necessary documents in order to provide taxi services. Among them are a driver's license, as well as the necessary vehicle insurance and so on. Without the appropriate documents, the driver will not be allowed to serve passengers.
- Availability
Since drivers are on the road most of the time, the app needs to be designed in such a way that it does not distract them from driving, but still allows them to take orders and manage their workflow.
- Navigation system
Integration with maps, as well as access to the current location of the driver, allows you to display the meeting point with the passenger and lay the most optimal route to it, as well as follow the route for delivering the passenger to the destination.
- Earnings
The application allows the driver to receive a cashless payment from the user, and also maintains the entire calculation of earnings, which is very convenient for tracking efficiency and profits.
- Rating
The driver's rating allows him to take even more orders, and the ability to rate passengers improves the experience of your colleagues, as well as your own on further trips.
Admin Panel
- Profile check
The administrator is concerned that all information in the profile is true. First of all, this concerns drivers and their documents, as well as data about the car. This is necessary to provide quality service. But the phone numbers of both drivers and passengers, their email and so on are also checked so that the service is accurate and of high quality, and any trip is safe for both parties.
- Checking the transaction
All cashless transactions must be subject to verification in order to protect the safety of the driver, as well as to resolve all issues if suddenly the payment does not go through. The task of the administrator is to settle any financial issues, and the application must create all the conditions for this.
How much does it cost to run an app like Uber?
As you can see, the cost of a mobile application for a taxi depends on many factors. And the main one is the functional and architectural features of the application. Further, based on these criteria, the optimal technology stack is selected, as well as the necessary development team.
It is not possible to say right away how much it costs to develop a taxi app, but its cost can be set as soon as all the requirements for the application are agreed. We always provide our clients with a detailed roadmap, where we describe how much time, what specialists, and, accordingly, how much financial resources will be required at each stage. We try to fully justify the cost even before development begins, so that our customers know what they are paying for. However, be warned that the cost may change along the way if you make changes to the requirements of the future application during the development process. However, we also warn about this immediately.
IoT company has experience in creating services for a taxi service - these are solutions that simplify the work of employees, provide detailed statistics and transparency of business processes. In one of our cases, we built a system of three mobile applications with server-side logic. The Passenger App is available for both Android and IOS.