Building trending apps is at its peak. People are making applications that ease your life and get your work done with just a single click. Well, online shopping is leading this trend due to the transformation brought by e-commerce in the past few years. Thus, people are focusing on developing shopping apps like Wish with multiple functionalities. 

The cost of an e-commerce app like Wish for shopping can start at around $29,000. Also, this cost depends on the UI/UX, features, and functions of the application. 

If you want to build an eCommerce app, then let’s find out the cost of developing an app like Wish, a shopping app. 

What is Included While Developing an E-commerce App?

Do you want to build an app in-house or outsource it to another company? The decision affects the overall development cost. The next task is to decide what types of functionalities you want to add to your application. This procedure includes a complete analysis of the target market and the needs of the user.

To build an app, you may need:

  • Experienced developers’ team
  • Project Manager
  • Market insight on trends
  • Budget-friendly services
  • Tech support

Different Apps Incur Distinct Development Costs 

There are many types of applications, and your preferences must be understood before developing them. Whether you want to build a native app, a hybrid app, or a basic functionality app, the decision is yours.  

  • Native apps: They are platform-specific for operating systems such as iOS and Android. These applications are designed promptly and bring the best possible experience to the user.
  • Cross-platform apps: Hybrid apps are ideal for reaching a wider audience because they function on all operating systems. The applications are created and developed with one code, and they can be used on multiple platforms, which reduces the cost of development and maintenance.  

However, cross-platform apps are not as well optimized as native apps; they do not have access to APIs and offer a distinct user experience. Small and medium-sized communication apps, like lifestyle or gaming apps, are better suited for them.

  • MVPs: The basic applications can be made very quickly with unique and differentiating features but are minimal. Such applications are hard to find on the app store as they are designed for specific uses only. Also, if you find them, they will be viewed as a list of topics to get answers to.

Every application’s development cost varies from one another. Making an advanced online shopping application requires unique features like social media integration, VR/AR support, global ratings, 3D graphics, and more, which can incur significant costs.  

So, you might wonder, then, how much would it cost to build an app like Wish? Let’s find out.

Read: ERP vs. CRM: Understanding the Differences and Synergies

How Much Does It Cost to Make an App?

Making a simple and basic shopping app can start at around $10,000. But if you want to add some complex UI/UX interfaces and features, the cost can go up to $100,000 to $300,000 with a time range of up to nearly 2 months.

It is important to remember that the cost of an app increases with more features and functionality. Some more cost factors to consider during app development are: 

  • Different developers’ rates
  • Project complexity
  • Design 
  • Which platform do you choose?
  • Features 
  • Time to build an app

Hence, you need to sort out all these aspects of an app if you are outsourcing app building to an IT company or building on your own. 

Why Are Shopping Apps like Wish on Trend?

Online shopping apps like Wish are in trend for their excellent user experience for e-commerce transactions. Wish is popular among people for the exclusive low prices of products like clothes, smartphones, and a lot more. It is the second-largest installed app and is easily available in both iOS and Android versions. Along with the best-discounted prices, it builds a lasting rapport between the buyer and the seller, leading to the success of the app. 

These apps are in trend because they are easy to use and convenient. It can be downloaded on any phone with no hassle involved.

Here are some of the main features of an app like Wish:

Create an account – basic feature

The first thing is to provide account creation functionality that gets authorization feature implementation directly with the client-server API. This should be provided at the convenience of the user, like a social media account, a Gmail account, or a phone number.

Shopping/Surfing – to ease down the journey

Ease down the shopping experience by providing different categories. This would help in the easy browsing of the products. Here, two more functionalities can be added:

  • Adding a product to the wish list
  • Buying the product directly

Payment Initiation and Authorization

The user will be safely redirected to the payment gateway page after adding the products to their shopping cart. The page for the payment gateway needs to be effectively designed. Additionally, the developer needs to give merchants and customers a safe way to make payments with multiple payment options.

Confirmation via SMS or Email

Once the payment is received, the user should get a payment confirmation and order confirmation message or mail. This functionality reflects the authenticity of the app so that users can gain trust in it. 

Enable Push Notification

A push notification system is a must for developing shopping apps. Most significantly, it opens up a new line of communication between the buyer & the seller. 

These push notification options are used for all available discounts, offers, festival bonanzas, and trigger notes. It targets the user’s screen directly and aids in preventing them from missing out on deals and discounts.

Customer Care Support

You should add a customer care and support section for the user. It would help in solving all the queries of the customers. It is a must for functionality so that users can get solutions for their issues and challenges. A FAQ section should also be implemented with basic information. 

FeaturesCost (approx.)
Create an account$2500
Shopping / Surfing $6000
Payment Gateway$8000
Push Notification$4500
Help Centre$8000

Let’s take an overview of the cost. This table is subject to the real cost and depends on the specific requirements of the application. 

Wrap-Up 

By now, you must have a clear idea about the cost of developing an app like Wish. We also discussed some complex aspects needed in app development. So, decide your features and build a trending app like Wish.