How Much Does It Cost To Develop Dating Apps?

Meeting someone in person and getting to know them bit by bit is an old school nowadays. Instead, having some information beforehand and then approaching a person seems convenient and more reliable. This trend has paved the way for mobile dating apps. Currently, dating apps are a rage among millennial. The global market is filled with free dating apps like tinder, Happn, Bumble and such like. These have been admired in the market for some time now.

Unified Infotech, a mobile and web application development company has been associated with the development of dating apps in recent years. We are the best in class dating app creators who have been popular across different geographies. We understand the intricacies of creating and implementation of dating apps. Developing a dating app requires a lot of research and effort. Our team of dedicated and skilled developers understands the updated market trends. They develop and design applications that are in line with the same. We provide the market best that satisfies business needs and caters to the upcoming trend requirements. Best dating apps have certain unique features as follows.

Characteristics of an Exceptional Dating App

User Centric Profile Creation

We provide a convenient picture and detail upload feature for the app users so that the profile can be created in a whiff. Our application includes a personality detection feature as well. The user can upload a bio about him or her through a series of fun questions and preferences. There is an option for clearly justifying the physical appearance as well. There is another interesting element to the profile as well. One can also set the match preferences. The application will return results that are in line with the preferred characteristics only.

We provide complete customization in this segment as per business preference. The questions related to the physical preference can be set according to need. Even in the case of match preferences, the questions, their type, and the number count can be altered. In short “app as per business” approach is taken.

Suitable Matches and Connecting

The application shows the most relevant match profile based on the information provided by the user. From the list of suitable matches, the user can send a chat request to the desired person for further communications. There is a cool feature wherein the user can swipe right to send a connection request to another user or swipe left to ignore. Within the suitable match list, the user can view the profile picture of another user as well. It also displays the number of people liking that picture.

The screen for suitable matches can be designed in different formats. No matter how quirky or casual you want, we can get it done. Similarly, for sending the connection requests and for chatting, the conditions can be altered according to need. We can style it in whichever way you want. We will create a dating application that is personalized according to your interests.

In the case of matching profiles, several criteria can be given. The matches can be based on profession, hobbies, interests and much more. You tell us your requirement and we will design the app accordingly. There can be certain security measures inserted as well. These can be related to privacy such as addresses, workplaces or any other details so that the user does not face any unwanted disturbances or privacy breaches.

Location Based Search

This is an interesting feature added to our dating apps. There is a location-based search option in the application. It shows other users of the app within a specific range. Additionally, one can also see the distance between himself and other users.

The location-based search option helps in matching profiles that are in close proximity. So, there is a chance that the people in the matched profiles have visually met while they travel for work or go for a walk or any other scenario. This adds a little personal touch to the matching process. Users will be comfortable with meeting a person in this scenario.

Smart News Feed

The user can view the thoughts shared by people who are connected to him or her in the News Feed section. The user can also share own views. There is an option for commenting on shared thoughts.

The News Feed can also be customized according to need. It can showcase the number of common interests between users along with other details. The option for liking and commenting on the thoughts can be added or removed. Other activity features can be added in this segment as well according to the business need. The look and feel of this screen can be altered as per request.

Health Verification

We understand in today’s world, health issues and security are a critical affair. Our application has a unique health condition verification pointer. One needs to upload and renew an AIDS-free health certificate at specific time intervals. Failing to do so results in profile cancellation and the user is blocked.

This segment can also feature additional health certificates. If the company wants to display additional details related to health, it can be done. Information like blood group, surgery history, and medical records can be added to the user profile. These can be also linked to the verification process. All in all, there is an opportunity for complete customization.

Industry Scenario

The revenue generation from the online dating segment is estimated at USD 1.14 billion in 2018, in comparison to USD 1.07 billion in 2017. It shows that growth is 6.3%. It is predicted that the revenue will increase at a CAGR of 4.8% by 2023 and reach USD 1.44 billion by then. User penetration currently stands at 5.2% in 2018, which is likely to reach 6.2% by 2023. The average revenue generated per user is approximately USD 4.30 and the United States is the highest revenue generator for this segment. It contributed USD 555 million to the industry in 2018.

Among other statistics, most of the dating app users fall in the age group of 25 to 34 years with a share of more than 40%. By gender, male users constitute close to 65% of the user base for dating apps. By income group, the high-income group constitutes almost half of the user base for the segment.

Prominent app development companies have already developed such applications and many are eyeing for dating app startup ventures. Hence, it is quite evident that dating applications are gaining steady popularity in recent times and it is set to rise in the coming years.

Best Dating Apps in the Market

Tinder

Tinder is one of the best and by far the most popular Android and iOS dating apps currently available in the market. It is like “Cupid Himself Falling in the Lap” as said by some people. It has a detailed profile creation section along with the option to upload up to 6 images. There is an option to link Facebook and Instagram accounts as well. It is laden with the market best user interface that caters to the younger generation.

In 2017, Tinder launched an additional feature to premium subscription Tinder Gold. This functionality allows the user to view the people who have already liked him or her. This feature was launched with an intention to show and distinguish the people who are genuinely interested in casual swiping tendencies. This feature is instrumental in creating more reliable matches. Another interesting feature launched last year was “Top Picks”. This feature provides a more streamlined set of potential matches to the users. These are categorized based on education, profession or hobbies, and interests. This information is used to group users into specific categories. This combined with the user’s previous swapping tendencies is then used to feature the “Top Picks”. It is interesting to note that Tinder is currently one of the top-grossing dating apps globally. It paid subscriptions have been on a steady rise ever since.

Bumble

Bumble has similar functionalities as Tinder but there is a fun twist to it. When two people of opposite genders match, the woman needs to message the guy first within 24 hours. Otherwise, the connection disappears. The guys can extend the match for another 24 hours if they hope to hear from the lady. For same gender matches, any one of the pairs can message. The profile can be created using the Facebook account or phone number.

Bumble has a user base of more than 40 million people. There are three modes of connectivity that Bumble supports. In the case of Bumble Date, women make the first move towards dating. Then there is Bumble BFF which helps to make friends when someone is new in the city or looking for expanding his or her circle. In Bumble Bizz mode, there is an opportunity to expand the professional network. One can find mentors and career opportunities. Bumble is a free app to download. However, optional paid packages are also available for this dating cum socializing application.

Happn

Happn has a unique way of linking individuals. It shows the profiles of other individuals’ pinpointing the last location and time they were nearby each other. So the matched profiles are the ones who have crossed paths at some point. This helps in understanding the common interests to some extent. There is a special “Charm” button that shows one is interested.

There are certainly attractive features to this dating platform. There is an option to send a Secret Like to someone the user fancies. The identity never gets revealed unless the other person also likes the user. Security and confidentiality are the key features of this application. The location of the members is never revealed. There is a small game also to play known as the CrushTime. It allows the user to guess who liked the profile among the ones crossed path with. The app is free for download. But for sending “Hi” to another profile, credits are charged.

Hinge

Another dating app that has similar functionalities to Tinder is Hinge. However, it has a dependency on Facebook to make the matches. It allows a connection between friends of friends. The matches are made based on common friends all well as common interests. This is done by answering questions related to their interests. It aims at creating smart matches among people so that users can have natural and meaningful conversations among themselves.

The application does not post anything on the Facebook timeline without the user’s permission. The initial usage of the app is free. In order to access advanced preferences and other benefits, there are subscription plans available for various time periods.

Budget Costing for Development of Dating Apps

The budget break-up for dating app development is as follows:

Planning, Information Architecture	$2,000
UI/UX Design	$4,000
Back-End Development	$8,000
Web Services Development	$5,000
iOS app development	$15,000
Android App development	$15,000
Testing	$3,000
Project Management	$2,000
Project Management	$2,000
Total	$50,000-$55,000

So a dating application with all the standard bells and whistles in both native ios and native android platforms would cost in the region of $50,000-$55,000

For a Hybrid app solution, the same would cost around 30% less. i.e around $35,000-$40,000.

The costs provided are on the basis of our experience in engineering similar kind of mobile applications.

Want to develop a dating app? Get in touch at [email protected]