Our daily lives have gotten more comfortable due to mobile applications; everything from hiring a taxi to ordering supper has become as simple as hitting a few buttons on a smartphone. On-demand grocery delivery is one such industry where mobile applications are gaining momentum. These applications alleviate the agony of traveling for purchases, being lost in traffic, seeking parking, navigating busy stores, waiting in long check-out lines, and exhausting simplified procedures!

While buying delivery through mobile seems simple, significant effort goes on behind the scenes to ensure the procedure operates well. From ensuring that the relevant items are picked based on real-time availability to ensuring that payment checks the correct accounts and that the delivery person has the accurate location. Due to the rising complexity of on-demand food delivery apps.

Apart from the list below of must-have features, the creation of an on-demand grocery app is contingent on several elements, as detailed below:

1. Documentation Techniques:

Technical documentation encompasses all written documents associated with developing the mobile application, outlining the application’s architecture, business requirements, underlying processes, key features, user personas, analysis and scoping, techniques used to develop the mobile application, timeframes, and budget.

2. Cost of UI/UX design:

Usability, user interaction, attractiveness, and user experience are all UI/UX design factors.

3. The complexity of the application:

The complexity of an application depends on several distinct functions incorporated therein. The more features there are, the higher the development cost. For instance, incorporating a geo-location function takes around 32–48 hours, while integrating a social login feature costs approximately $500 per social network link.

4. Deployed Model Architecture:

A supermarket on-demand app must load data from a server or sync with a database, store data, connect with other app users, and submit photographs, among other things. Back-end development is divided into custom development and backend-as-a-service (BaaS).

In Custom, customers get their architecture, but in BaaS, clients may choose from various pre-built back-end server providers, such as Firebase and AWS. On average, connecting a server to your app through an API costs $10,000 and $24,000, whereas developing a bespoke solution costs more.

5. Integration of Third Parties:

The app must interface with third-party applications (APIs), such as payment getaway, to provide seamless services.

It takes around 600–900 hours to develop a small app with fundamental capabilities, such as a simple back end and a pre-defined template with typical analytics capability. At the same time, it takes over 1600 hours to design mid-level software with high-level functionality such as custom animation, media processing, and real-time sync.

6. The platform of Choice:

Android is the world’s most popular mobile operating system, followed by iOS. While the cost of building an app for Android or iOS is similar, there is a significant difference in the screen size, quality, and hardware capabilities available on the Android platform. Moreover, which may not be the case with iOS.

You may choose to develop the app only for Android due to its greater range. However, if you want to reach broad demography of the audience, creating for both operating systems is great. This will have a big fiscal effect.

7. Quality Assurance & Testing:

Quality Assurance testing includes non-functional needs such as performance, security, automation, usability, integration, and acceptance testing.

Additional cost Factors

Some additional factors that are responsible for the cost of a grocery delivery app are mentioned below

The Development Team’s Size

The size of the development team closely correlates with the volume of work accomplished. The on-demand grocery store demands an exact blend of HTML and CSS, which may raise the development cost.

Costs are calculated by the presence of specialized app developers and experts. A freelancer or a small business with a staff of between five and ten employees will charge less, whereas large-cap firms would price more.

Development Location:

The cost of developing an app depends on the development team’s location. Development expenses are calculated hourly and incrementally as we proceed from Asia to Europe to North America.

• India: between $15 and $25 per hour
• Eastern Europe: $30 and $100 per hour
• United States: $70 to $150 per hour.

Cost Analysis of Grocery Delivery App Development.

It would take around 1800 to 2500 hours to develop an on-demand grocery delivery app. This may then be multiplied by the development rate (which varies by region) to estimate the development cost. As a result, we can estimate that the cost of developing an on-demand grocery delivery app in India would range between $18,000 and $40,000. Similarly, it might cost between $40000 and $200,000 in Europe and the United States.

Please remember that this is not the final cost. Importantly, several things will affect the budget apart from the core development.

The cost of establishing an on-demand food delivery app is crucial since it ultimately relies on the complexity level; a very sophisticated app with a tech stack would cost more than $50000.

FAQs

1. How much does it cost to develop a grocery delivery app?

The cost of developing an on-demand grocery delivery app varies widely based on complexity, features, platform, and development region. In India, costs typically range from $18,000 to $40,000, while in Eastern Europe and North America, it can go up to $200,000. The total cost is calculated by multiplying the development hours (estimated at 1,800–2,500 hours) by the hourly rate of the development team.

2. What are the key factors that affect grocery app development cost?

Several variables influence development cost, including:

• UI/UX design quality
• App complexity (e.g., features like geolocation, social logins)
• Backend architecture (custom vs. BaaS)
• Integration with third-party services (e.g., payment gateways)
• Platform choice (Android, iOS, or both)
• Team size and experience
• Developer location and hourly rate
  

3. Which features are must-have in a grocery delivery app?

Core features include:

• Real-time inventory and product availability
• User registration and social login
• Payment gateway integration
• GPS-based delivery tracking
• Order scheduling and management
• Admin dashboard and analytics
• Push notifications

These baseline features ensure a functional MVP and improve customer experience.

4. How does platform choice (Android vs iOS) impact cost and reach?

Developing for Android alone may cost slightly less and provides broader device reach, especially in emerging markets. However, developing for both Android and iOS maximizes user base and revenue but significantly increases cost due to separate testing and optimization for each OS’s requirements.

5. How long does it take to build a grocery delivery app?

Timelines depend on app complexity:

• Basic apps take about 600–900 hours
• Mid-level apps may take over 1,600 hours
• Full-featured, custom apps may exceed 2,500 hours

These hours include development, design, integration, and testing phases.

6. What is the cost of backend architecture and server integration?

Integrating a server via API may cost between $10,000 to $24,000. A custom backend solution is more expensive but highly tailored. Alternatively, backend-as-a-service (BaaS) platforms like Firebase or AWS offer a quicker, cost-effective option with limited customization.

7. Does UI/UX design significantly affect the overall cost?

Yes. High-quality UI/UX improves usability and retention but also requires skilled designers and iterative testing. Costs scale with design complexity, animations, and responsiveness, especially across devices with different screen sizes and resolutions.

8. How do development team size and expertise influence pricing?

Larger teams or those from established agencies may charge more but bring expertise and faster delivery. Freelancers or smaller firms (5–10 employees) offer lower rates but might lack scalability or deep domain experience. The hourly rates also vary:

• India: $15–$25/hour
  
• Eastern Europe: $30–$100/hour
  
• USA: $70–$150/hour
  

9. What additional costs should be considered beyond development?

Beyond development, budget for:

• Ongoing maintenance and updates
• Third-party APIs and licensing fees
• Marketing and user acquisition
• App Store/Play Store listing fees
• Customer support tools
• Infrastructure (hosting, cloud storage)

These post-launch elements are essential for app longevity and performance.

10. How do you estimate the final development cost of a grocery app?

Estimate the total cost by:

1. Defining all required features
2. Calculating total development hours (1,800–2,500 for a full-featured app)
3. Multiplying by the development team’s hourly rate
4. Adding additional costs for design, integrations, QA, and maintenance

Example:

 For a mid-complexity app built in India:
2,000 hours × $20/hour = $40,000 (excluding post-launch operations)

Planning to develop grocery delivery app? contact mobile app development company & get a free quote today!