How Much Does It Cost to Build an App Like Airbnb

Introduction

The concept of a home away from home has tugged into the hearts of many. The world got introduced to Airbnb’s global platform back in 2007. One of the most prominent, apartment-providing services and travel app attracting people from all genres of life. Whether that be travel enthusiasts, corporates travelling for work, or remote workers living and working from anywhere, Airbnb became a global phenomenon and a household name, to say the least.

Apps like Airbnb don’t just happen. It’s a combination of several factors including a strong messaging appeal, a global presence, and the right emotion, at the right time and place. Statista reports Airbnb demographics statistics project 45.6 million Airbnb users by 2022. Considering all the above factors, don’t you think there is merit in making an app like Airbnb? But before you get started, the important question here is what does it cost to build an app like Airbnb?

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We can sense your curiosity, so without any further ado, let’s take a look at the core features needed to build an Airbnb app clone and cost approximates for the same.

Table of Contents

Feature list to build an app like Airbnb
Cost to Build an App Like Airbnb
Team & Tech Stack for your Airbnb Clone App

Feature list to build an app like Airbnb  

The Airbnb app panel is divided into three parts 1) Host/Owner User Panel 2) Traveler/Guest User Panel 3) Admin Panel. The most important factor in determining the cost of your app will be the features it comprises.

The Host Features

Host log-in

Just like the guests, hosts should also be given the option to log in via their email addresses or social media profiles.

Listing

In this section, the host and owners share all the necessary information about their property including a detailed description of the accommodation, its location along with the address, property type, ( studio apartment, villa, guest suites, hostels, etc.) its price per night, number of

people it can accommodate. You must provide hosts with the options to upload photos and videos and an opportunity to make the perfect pitch for their stay.

Push Notifications

As soon as a guest requests a stay, the owner will receive an immediate notification with details about the guests, their requirements, and the date of reservation. Once the host approves and the guest makes the payment, the host will also receive a transactional message for the same.

Reviews

The host profile should also have an inclusion of reviews and ratings gathered from previous guests who stayed at their property.

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The Guest Features

Log-in/Sign-Up

To start their travel journey on an app like Airbnb, guests would require to register themselves with their email address or simply log in with social media profiles.

Search & Favorites

The search filter is indispensable for making an app like Airbnb. Guests must have the option to search the stays they are looking at along with essential filters like areas, price, dates, etc. With favorites, guests have the choice to easily bookmark any property they love and revisit it before they are planning their next trip.

Live Chats

Live chats allow guests and hosts to communicate on a one-on-one basis and discuss all the details related to the stay, its experience, suggestions like nearby places to visit and so. The chat must include options for the host to share property pictures.

Booking Window

Needless to say, the booking feature is absolutely essential when making an app like Airbnb. The users/guests can book the accommodation type they like as per their travel dates and make the payment for the same.

Payment Gateway

Platforms like payment gateways should be simple to use, secure, non-complicated, and hassle-free for the guests to make their bookings in the most seamless manner.

3. The Admin Features

Admin Dashboard

A helicopter view for the system administrator to manage expenses view third-party companies running ads on the app, controlling all outsourcing company and their operations, all of this on a single page, at the disposal of the admin.

Also Read: Technology Stack For Mobile App Development: How To Choose The Right One

Cost to Build an App Like Airbnb

A number of factors influence the cost to build an Airbnb clone. While there are numerous features you could include in your app, remember that the addition of each feature along with its technical complexity and how long will the developers need to bring these features to reality will have a huge impact on your cost. Another thing to consider is the number of platforms you wish to bring your app on. For example, iOS or Android development. These decisions should be made beforehand, depending on your target audience, market research, and the latest trends. Next, your design requirements will also determine the cost. If you wish to include unique visuals and custom design, instead of a standard layout, then this is sure to raise your price quite a bit.

For calculating the final cost to build an app like Airbnb, you will need to multiply the total number of development hours * per hour development charges. Let’s take a look at the approximate hours for creating all your app features.

1. The project prep stage includes the overall strategy, setting the technical base, implementing the API and various services and libraries will take around 60 hours.
   
2. Next, the registration and login feature which includes all policies, terms, and conditions for the app usage will take around 12 hours.
   
3. Building the user profiles, for both the guest and the host, with their details and personal information including name, gender, contact number, etc. will take close to 15 hours.
   
4. Setting up the push notification features for updates and the payment gateway will approximate around 24 development hours.
   
5. Followed by the filtering element, that gives guest the options to narrow down their search on the basis of their requirements. This feature will take another 24 hours.
   
6. The live chat feature wherein the guests and host can converse about all the details of the stay will take close to 40 development hours.
   
7. The favorite or wishlist feature for the guests to bookmark their desired stay will take around 10 development hours.
   
8. One of the most crucial elements for making an app like Airbnb is the integration of maps to pinpoint the exact location of the property. Implementing this will take 24 hours.
   
9. The host features enable the owner to list their property and provide details for the same. This includes running ads for listed stays and hence will take about 100 hours.
   
10. Description of the listed property by the host, which includes details about the stay, its amenities, house rules, images and videos, reviews and rating, and so on. Developing this chunk of the app will take the longest time, close to 150 hours.

Now that we have taken a look at the total number of development hours, let’s go through the per-hour development cost for different regions across the globe.

• USA/Canada-based dev teams - $50 to $250/hour
• Western Europe - $30 to$170/hour
• Eastern Europe - $20 to $150/hour
• Australia - $50 to $150/hour
• India - $10 to $80/hour

Please note, the cost to develop the admin backend, including the entire server creation part will take around 300 hours.

Costs will also vary depending upon the platform you choose to develop your app on. It’s important to remember that Android app development costs more than iOs development. The former will take 1500 hours while the latter will take up to 1200 hours.

Needless to say that the final cost for making an app like Airbnb is dependent on a lot of variable factors and will fluctuate fairly on the basis of your business requirements. However, the average cost to get you started on your Airbnb clone app development will range from $30,000 - $60,000 plus.

Also Read: Identify Your Mobile App Development Budget With These Quick Tips

Team & Tech Stack for your Airbnb Clone App

To give you a headstart on your development journey, we have listed down the team of technical specialists needed to build a feature-rich, faultless and responsive app.

• Project Manager
• UI/UX designer
• Android developers
• iOS developers
• Front-end developers
• Back-end developers
• QA engineer

Confused between an array of modern technologies to choose from? Let us help you out. The following tech stack will make things a lot easier and simple for you to understand.

Programming languages (Mobile app development)

• Swift -iOS
• Kotlin - (Android)

Programming languages (Web development)

• JavaScript
• Ruby

Frameworks

• React
• Ruby on Rails

Web Server

• Nginx

Cloud Hosting

• Amazon EC2

Cloud Storage

• AWS EB3
• Amazon S3

Also Read: 12 Best Frameworks For Android Application Development in 2020

Wrapping Up

The travel and tourism industry continues to soar with a lot of scope for future growth. With more and more travellers looking to choose service providers with a focus on customer experience and safety, building an app like Airbnb is sure to be a profitable venture and something worth investing your time and resources into.

We hope this article has motivated you to create a travel app of your own and be a part of the booming gig economy. However, if you’re still confused with the features you must include and the exact cost to build an app like Airbnb, then worry not. We have got your back!  Here at Third Rock Techkno, our team goes out of their way to fully understand your requirements and provide you with the best solutions. Let us help you bring your app to reality.

Krunal Shah

Krunal Shah is the CTO and Co-founder at Third Rock Techkno. With extensive experience gained over a decade, Krunal helps his clients build software solutions that stand out in the industry and are lighter on the pocket.

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