A Comprehensive Guide to Bolt-like App Development Cost

Is it your dream to create a ride-sharing app like Bolt? To any investor or an entrepreneur; it is always good to know the investment that goes with it.

When you have a goal of launching a new app to compete with others in the market, or to achieve the same level of success as Bolt, it becomes crucial to know “how much does it cost to create an app like Bolt.”

On average – with Bolt-like app development cost can go from $10,000 up to $40,000.

The cost is directly proportional to the features: the more the features, the more the design, the development team, and the technology stack you choose will increase the cost.

But do not worry – we will share all the economic costs and, help you make a better estimation of your idea.

From back-end to geolocation tools, let’s take a look at what influences the cost to create an app like Bolt and how to plan for it.

What is Bolt?

Bolt was founded in Estonia in 2013, formerly known as Taxify is one of the most thriving ride-hailing platforms.

It helps its clients to order a ride using a mobile application and other necessary services to them, including, of course, taxi services, sharing electric scooters, or food delivery.

Bolt is particularly notable for its fairly low price and the absence of significant surge pricing here.

Since it has a straightforward and clear form, Creating a taxi app that is similar to Bolt can be highly profitable primarily in undeveloped areas.

How Much Does Bolt Like App Development Cost?

If you are aspiring to invest in an on-demand ride-hailing business like Bolt, the most appropriate question would be; How much does it Cost to develop a ride-hailing app like Bolt?

Of course, we understand you don’t want to be caught by surprise.

Whichever kind of taxi app you wish to build, small or big, it is crucial to understand the cost to create a taxi app like Bolt.

It is important to realize that all applications are different, they are formed by features and technologies and the market area in which they operate during an investment.

Here is a small breakdown of the Cost to develop a taxi app :

Now, as we speak constantly several factors affect the cost to develop an app like Bolt. Time to know about them:

Factors Affecting the Cost to Create an App Like Bolt

It is crucial to know the cost to make an app like Bolt, depends on several factors.

Below, we’ve broken down the key elements that play a role in determining Bolt-like app development cost:

1. App Features & Functionality

As for the cost to create an app like Bolt, it proves that features are one additional factor that increases the final price.

The more complicated and filled with features your app is going to be, the higher the costs of its development.

Track a ride, payment option, ride-sharing, driver details, rating for the passenger, etc. plays a vital role in the creation.

If you’re adding other features such as in-app communication, or loyalty programs, all those are going to add to the cost to develop an app like Bolt.

2. Platform Selection

When you determine how much does it cost to create an app like Bolt? Then consider platform selection a huge factor affecting the budget.

Of course, if you want your application to reach both iOS and Android, your budget will certainly be a bit higher.

Porting to another application requires completely separate code to be written on each new platform, and so is time-consuming and expensive.

On the other hand, there is a cross-platform app that cuts development costs but may come with issues of performance and functionality.

3. App Design & User Interface

To make users pay attention to your app and use it further, its design must be perfectly smooth and appealing.

The Bolt-like app development cost includes factors like well-quality UI/UX design.

The greater the degree of design complexity and specificity, the longer it takes to design that particular product.

However, investment in design is necessary, because the quality of the interface is one of the main success factors for any top taxi app .

A well-designed app is going to help make the end users involved more naturally and easily, however, these designing processes will add up to the cost involved in developing a ride-hailing app like Bolt.

4. Backend Development

The back end of a taxi app is the working core of the application that makes everything happen successfully.

As with any Bolt-like application, the cost of backend development is the most considerable factor determining the ultimate budget.

If you have a complex server, database management, user management, or employing a payment gateway the backend cost will rise accordingly.

When creating a backend, the more stable and protected it is, then the more time it will take and therefore the higher the expense incurred.

5. Payment Gateway Integration

In essence, every app like Bolt needs a robust and efficient means of payment integration as it is one of the key components.

Customers should be able to make safe payments inside the application either with their credit cards, wallets, or via mobile payment options.

The integration of these payment systems is not easy and could be expensive.

Another aspect that will raise the cost of developing an app like Bolt is if you choose to include several payment options for customers from various geographical locations and preferences.

6. Maintenance & Updates

However, after the launch of a Bolt-like app, there is no full stop. In other words, it does not stop there.

Maintenance and Updates are critical requirements to ensure that the app operates efficiently, is secure, and stays as per current innovations.

Even though this is often seen as an indirect expense not looked at as having an immediate impact, places large importance on the overall longevity of the business.

The cost to create a ride-hailing app like Bolt does not mean that the development costs are set and will not include daily technical assistance, fixing problematic issues, or adding new beneficial features.

7. Development Team Location

The geographical location of your development team is another factor that can greatly influence the Cost to build an app like Bolt.

As a result, hiring a local team from areas such as the US or Western Europe will set you back $100-$200+ an hour, which can be costly.

However, outsourcing it to regions such as Eastern Europe, India or Southeast Asia provides a more cost-effective option and charges as low as $30 an hour to $70 an hour.

Outsourcing teams is a cost-effective strategy though it comes with other issues such as differences in time and communication barriers.

So, these are some of the ways, we conclude how much does it cost to make an app like Bolt. With that, another thing that you need to know is the time taken to develop an app like Bolt.

How Long Does It Take to Develop an App Like Bolt?

Building an app like Uber or Bolt is not something that can be done overnight.

The time frame for creating such types of apps depends on the level of detail in the features, the experience of the development team, and the technology stack they are going to employ.

Normally, building an app such as Bolt may take anywhere between 4 to 9 months.

That being said, these timelines can and do change depending on the project size, the number of people involved in its creation, and the number of iterations made.

Here's an approximate breakdown:

Monetization Strategies for Bolt like App

There are several ways to monetize a Bolt-like app as outlined below. They all can assist in converting your investment into earnings and profits.

Here are some of the most popular monetization strategies you should know about:

1. Ride Commission Fees

The simplest revenue generation model is to receive a commission each time your application is used to order a ride.

For each journey that a passenger makes, you get a fraction of what he or she paid for the service.

This is quite beneficial to the cost of building an app like Bolt since it has a predictable way of creating earnings with each sale.

2. Surge Pricing

With surge pricing, you can set higher prices during some hours of the day, or in some conditions, like bad weather, or events.

This strategy assists in optimizing the revenue-generating process while at the same time, providing adequate drivers, to serve the increasing demand.

Although the development cost might be relatively high as compared to simple taxi’s kind applications it requires better algorithms, surge pricing features will bring the necessary return on investment very soon.

3. Subscription Plans

Provide packages for passengers and drivers, wherein such passengers and/or drivers could have owner or creator pathways; these include prior booking, lower prices, or better options.

This model includes repeat subscription revenue, making it one of the best solutions for balancing the cost to develop an app like Bolt and an assured stream of revenue.

This is especially useful if your app is used quite often by its users.

4. In-App Advertising

Another method of monetization is the placement of ads into an app.

Businesses can promote through the app, for which you get paid by click-through, view-through, or per sale.

Although it surmounts the cost in developing a taxi-like app, it can be a valuable source of income, especially after a considerable number of people have downloaded your app.

5. Driver Ads and Promotions

It is also possible to give back some control to drivers and enable them to market their services in the app.

For instance, a paid promotion list or special offer display helps generate another stream of income. It works in favor of your business as well as the drivers.

This can help offset the kind of cost that may be associated with developing an app such as Bolt, especially during its iteration phase.

All these monetization models can then be used alone or mixed depending on the app’s objectives and targets. Consider how they affect your users’ experience while keeping the development cost of a bolt-like app and considering high profit.

How Techanic Infotech Can Help To Make an App Like Bolt?

The growth of the market of taxi apps is on the steady growth, of people, looking for convenient, effective, and convenient, such as Bolt.

To make an entry into this growing market; there is the need to connect with a reliable app development company.

Techanic Infotech, a professional taxi app development company , provides full service to build taxi apps with the necessities that you want.

By having the experience and a portfolio with many years of development behind their backs, they can deliver the end-to-end solution from the moment of the conception of your app like Bolt up to the moment the product is launched.

At Techanic Infotech, we take pride in helping our clients turn their taxi app ideas into reality packed with amazing features and fantastic user interfaces.

Conclusion

Creating an app like Bolt is very lucrative, but it should be done systematically and with a full understanding of the amount of money and time that is needed.

There is a myriad of things that we need to consider when it comes to how expensive it is to develop an application similar to Bolt.

Knowledge of what contributes to these costs will make one better placed when making a decision.

When choosing what features to implement in your ride-sharing app, whether it is payment options, a map integration, or something else.

The next step is to choose the right team to turn your vision into a reality and Techanic Infotech would be more than capable of doing so.

Thus, make your budget check, know your needs and expectations, and get ready for an awesome time in the future!