What is the cost of Fitness App Development?

The increasing use of the internet and the growth in its users over the last few years have meant that more and more industries have begun offering their services digitally, increasing the supply and demand for mobile app development. A huge example of this would be fitness apps, which have gone from being a select few apps used for specific purposes to being used by most people in their everyday lives nowadays.

This increase in demand for better and more interactive fitness apps has led to an influx of developers looking to build their app and capture a large share of a growing market. As with any business idea, the cost of building such an app is the first thing that comes to mind. And while there isn’t any simple answer to this all-important question, this guide will go through the different factors that influence and increase cost, the core features of any fitness app, cost-saving tips, and an estimate of how much money would be required to build your fitness app with Coding Crafts.

Let’s dive in and find out what the cost of fitness app development is.

What are the Factors that affect the cost to create a Fitness App?

An app’s cost is influenced by a lot of different factors, some of which aren’t in your control. But here are the most significant cost drivers relating to the development of a fitness app:

1.    App Complexity

The complexity of an app is the most significant factor in determining its final cost. A simple app with only a single function or just a few functions is the easiest to develop and takes the least amount of money and resources. This can be a step counter or a simple calorie tracker. A medium-sized app with more functions, such as user login and goal setting, costs more and takes longer to develop. And finally, complex apps, which include functions like real-time coaching through video calls, workout recommendations, and third-party integrations, are the most expensive and time-consuming to develop.

2. Features and Functionality

A fitness app may only have a single function, or have a variety of different functions and offerings, including interactive AI-powered functions. Some of the features that would normally be included in a fitness app are:

·  Workout libraries

·  Progress tracker

·  Push notifications

·  Subscription systems

3.    Platform

The choice of platform has a huge impact on the app’s performance and costs. The development costs associated with iOS are higher than those on Android because of Apple’s strict guidelines. However, Android apps can cost more too, due to the variety of different devices and screen sizes operating on the Android OS. But if you want your app to have a wider market presence and reach more users, you can choose to develop cross-platform apps. This is usually recommended for an MVP, and will help you showcase your app on both platforms simultaneously.
Startups will often build and launch their apps on a single platform (usually iOS due to the higher revenue per user) and then expand to Android as they grow.

4. Design and User Experience

Design plays a huge role in the appeal of an app, and yet is often not given the attention it deserves. A good and interactive design attracts and can potentially retain users.

Design contains the following elements:

·  Custom UI elements

·  Interactive animations

·  Responsive layout for different devices

·  Accessibility features

Spending heavily on design is an investment that pays off in the future by improving user engagement and retention.

How much does it cost to create a Fitness App? 

Several different factors affect the cost of an app. There are different types of fitness apps, and here’s how much your fitness app can cost depending on the level of complexity.

The most basic fitness app is one that is focused on a single functionality or just a few functions. This can be a calorie counter or a step counter and can cost anywhere from $15,000 – $30,000. Its development time will be a few months, depending on whether its features are simple or complex.
An intermediate-level app, which offers a couple of complex features coupled with basic functionalities, takes more time and consequently more money to develop. The costs associated with the complex features increase the total cost of the app, which comes around to between $30,000 –  $60,000.

Complex fitness apps are those usually built by businesses and/or gyms to support their business as well as offer a variety of functions that further drive the cost of the app. These apps also often include third-party integrations and social features, which increase the time and effort required to develop an app. This can elongate the timeline of the project up to 9+ months and its cost up to $150,000+, depending on which features are offered.

These prices should be taken with a grain of salt as they are just estimates, and the real cost of your app varies on a lot more real-life factors as well.

Fitness App Development Cost Breakdown

Here’s a deeper look into how much each development stage costs and how the budget is distributed:

What are the types of Fitness Apps and their impact on Cost?

There are a lot of different types of fitness apps, and they can be characterized by size, complexity, and functions. Here are some of these apps:

Workout/Training Apps

The purpose of these apps is to help people get familiar with different workout routines and regimes. People can use these to work out at home as well as at a gym, and hence, removing the need for personal trainers. Some of the functions offered by these apps include workout videos, progress tracking, and goal setting.

Nutrition Apps

Nutrition apps are designed to help you manage your diet and calorie intake. People log in their meals, track their calories, and eventually try to make up for what they lack. These apps offer meal planners, barcode scanners, and, if the app is a little fancy, barcode scanners that can significantly increase the app’s costs.

Activity Tracking Apps

As the name suggests, these apps track the physical activity of an individual, including exercise and other forms of cardio, such as cycling, walking, or running. This includes tracking steps, heart rate, and other health metrics. Activity Tracking apps are also often synced with wearables, which help to track the metrics better. However, these integration devices, as well as other third-party APIs, can add to the development time and budget.

Sports apps

These apps are built specifically for certain sports, for example, cycling or running. They offer functions such as GPS tracking, training metrics, and performance analytics. These apps are typically more complex due to the different integrations with fitness devices and third-party APIs.

Platform choices and cost differences

The platform you choose for your app plays a huge role in determining the total Cost of app development.

iOS

If your chosen platform is iOS, you should budget for higher development costs. This is because of Apple’s strict guidelines and testing standards. However, you will benefit from Apple’s security and higher revenue per user.

Android

Android apps are generally cheaper to build, but due to the variety of devices operating on Android, additional effort is required. This can result in increased QA and maintenance costs over time.

Cross-Platform

You can also develop cross-platform apps through React Native or Flutter. This requires you to build just one codebase for both iOS and Android. This costs 30-40% less than it would to build two separate apps for both platforms, and reduces the total development time too. The only problem here is that cross-platform apps’ performance is slightly lower and don’t have some limited native features.

The best platform to choose depends on your user base, but a simple strategy would be to initially launch an MVP on a single platform and then expand based on user feedback and your budget.

What are the core features of a Fitness App (Affecting Cost)?

Some common core features of most health and fitness apps are as follows:

• User Registration and onboarding
• Goal setting
• Progress tracking
• Workout libraries
• Calorie Tracker and Meal Plans
• Push notifications
• Analytics and reports
• Payment gateway integration

Each of these features adds to the total development time and Cost of the app. Cost is driven by logic, and a complex logic (tracking workout stats or generating reports) means a higher cost.

Advanced features that increase development cost

Since there are already so many different fitness apps, both new and established brands are adding valuable next-gen features that give them an edge over the competition. These new features might improve user engagement and ultimately retention, but they also raise your budget:

• AI-based workout recommendations and meal plans
• Live-streamed coaching
• Gamification (Badges, Leaderboards, Challenges)
• Health Data Compliance
• AR/VR for immersive workouts

These advanced features add to the effort required by design, development, QA, and testing. As for Cost, they can add from $10,000 to $50,000 to your total Cost.

Cost-saving tips for Fitness App Development

Every business likes to cut costs as much as it can while also putting out a high-quality app. Here are some practical strategies for how you can save costs:

• You should start with developing an MVP with just the core features first. After collecting feedback and validating your idea further, you can look towards building the app.
• Cross-platform tools should be used to build apps if you’re going to launch apps on both platforms. This will help reduce development time and Cost.
• Outsourcing the development of your app to a team from South Asia or Eastern Europe offers substantial cost benefits, without compromising quality.
• You can also use pre-built APIs and SDKs for common features like user login, maps, and payment gateways. This will help save both time and money.

How much does it cost to build a Fitness app with Coding Crafts?

Coding Crafts is a solid choice for app development, with prior experience in developing fitness apps. Their blend of affordability, flexibility, and quality makes them a solid choice. Our satisfied clients trust us due to our fast turnarounds and agile working methodology. We also offer dedicated project managers and teams that work day and night to bring your vision to life. Furthermore, by hiring mobile app developers, you also get free consults on how to reduce costs and avoid unnecessary costs.

Whether you’re building a basic fitness app with a single functionality or a complex app with AI-based recommendations, we offer tailored solutions that will help meet your goals without burning your budget.

To conclude, fitness app development costs can vary anywhere from $15,000 to $150,000+, depending on the scope, features, and platform. But with the right team and strategy, you can bring your app to life without overspending.

Still wondering what the cost of your fitness app development is? Reach out to our team today for a free consultation and price quote.