How Much Does It Cost to Develop an App Like Careem?

With the logo of ‘Everyday life, made simple’, Careem is fulfilling its promise to make the lives of UAE people much simpler and easy by providing them with efficient and cost-effective transportation and online taxi booking services. The application of Careem is feature-rich and highly user-friendly which draws the attention of masses across the nation. With the integration of technologies and extended use of digital platforms, the demand for online taxi booking applications is at a boom.

Not only the transportation industry but almost all business sectors are experiencing a huge need and demand for on-demand applications as it helps to get customers across the globe with minimum cost and time. While looking for a taxi app development company in Dubai, the first name that hits people’s minds is Careem because of the vast customer base it has. To have a seamless ride-hailing experience, users prefer booking a taxi through the Careem app.

If you are also fascinated with the lucrative revenue of the taxi booking industry and interested to build an app like Careem then this blog will surely assist you. But before hiring a taxi booking app development company in UAE, you must get insights about the cost to make an app like Careem so that you can make a wise decision based on various factors.

Why Careem is so Popular and Profitable?

Presently, the transportation sector has experienced a massive digital improvement and extended customer base because of the on-demand taxi booking applications. In the past few years, such applications have made lives easier and transportation businesses flourish. On one hand, it made it economical for the users to reach from one destination to another, and on the other hand, it had given huge business to the car rental industry. As per the data, Careem has approximately 48 million users. This ride-hailing app is extremely popular and is widely used by customers because of its user-friendly services and technology-integrated features.

(Source: Zawya)

Careem has seen remarkable growth in the past few years and in the year 2021 only, there is a record of completing 5 million trips which is approximately a 28 percent hike from 2020 data. This shows the popularity of the Careem taxi booking app.

Working Model of a Taxi Booking App like Careem

Whether you are learning about how to create an app like Careem or any other on-demand taxi app, it is essential to understand the basic working model of these applications. This section will help you gain knowledge of how a taxi booking app work by understanding the steps involved in booking a taxi through on-demand taxi apps. If you are also looking forward to building a taxi booking app like Careem then you can go through the following steps:

Step 1: Firstly, the users need to enter the location where they want to have the taxi i.e., the starting point, and they need to enter the destination where they want to reach. This can be done either by adding the locations manually or by pinning them on the map. At the time of booking, the users can select a vehicle type as per their convenience and requirements. Once the vehicle is selected, the charges are calculated accordingly.

Step 2: Once the location and the data are verified, the ride is confirmed.

Step 3: After the request for a taxi booking is placed by the user, it is passed on to the nearby available driver. Once the driver accepts the ride, the users are provided with the driver and vehicle information including the estimated time of arrival (ETA).

(Note: It is completely dependent upon the driver whether they accept or reject a particular ride.)

Step 4: Once the driver reaches the location, the ride is started. When the ride is finished, the payment will be either deducted from the Careem Pay wallet, integrated debit, or credit card, or the payment is done via cash.

Step 5: Once the payment is done, the user gets a notification or pop-up window where they can provide ratings for the ride taken.

For developing a Careem-like app with such a seamless and user-friendly working model, one must hire a company that offers reliable taxi booking app development services in UAE.

Features of Careem-like On-Demand Taxi App

There are so many features needed to be integrated while developing an online taxi booking application. The following section will help you understand the various features of a taxi booking app based on 3 different panels:

1. Customer Panel

This panel includes the must-have features for the customers that they need for booking a taxi application. Check the following:

• Registration: To use the app, the customers need to first register themselves by creating an account or signing through an email id or mobile number, or any social media account.
• Request for Taxi Booking: The users place a request for taxi booking by entering the starting point and destination.
• Estimation of Total Fare: As per the vehicle selection and total distance, the total estimated fare is shown to the riders.
• Tracking of Driver Location: The users can also track the real-time location of the driver so that they can check the ETA and can also assist if there is any problem that occurs in finding the exact location.
• Notifications: There are several notifications related to booking confirmation, promotion alerts, payment offers, ride ending time, and other updates.
• Payment Gateway Integration: To provide hassle-free payment options to the users, there is an integration of multiple payment gateways.
• Chat & Call: There are also in-app chat and call options available for the users to get instant support. For the resolution of any query and to contact the driver, this feature is used.
• Reviews & Ratings: For every trip taken, the users can rate and review the trip experience and the driver for the service provided.

2. Driver Panel

In this panel, several features are used by the drivers at the time of using the applications to accept and complete a ride. Check the below-mentioned features in the driver panel:

• Registration & Login: For being a driver, there is a little more authentication needed from the driver’s end. It includes both personal and vehicle authentication.
• Availability Status: When any ride request comes, then this feature allows the drivers to reject or accept any ride as per their availability status.
• Chat & Call: With in-app chatting and calling the drivers can contact the riders for knowing the location and can also get support from the help desk in case of query or emergency.
• Notifications: There are real-time alerts that comprise information for the ride-booking request, ride ending, rating, and other important updates.
• Navigation: There is the integration of a real-time map that suggests the best possible route to reach the correct destinations.
• Profile Editing: This feature helps to edit the profile details of the driver including information such as vehicle image, vehicle number, email id, personal picture, address, and contact details.
• Fare Estimation: Once a ride request comes, the drivers can check the approximate fair estimation of the ride they accept.

Read Also: How to Develop an E-commerce App like Noon?

3. Admin Panel

This panel is for the admins to manage the day-to-day operation and functioning of the application. Let’s discuss the features:

• Driver Management: It comprises the verification of the drivers, their account request approval, and account deactivation, and includes the management of the drivers’ daily rides taken.
• Passenger Management: In this, there is the management of customer accounts to provide them with a user-friendly experience. The ride request, finding driver partner, etc. are managed by the admin through this feature.
• Complaint Handling: In case of concerns and queries raised by the customers, those complaints are handled so that proper resolutions of issues can be done.
• Notifications: The notifications are sent to the passengers and the drivers related to rides, offers, and promotions.
• Revenue Management: All the transactions are tracked and managed to check the total revenue earned by the drivers daily.
• Reports & Analytics: In this feature, proper reports are generated, and analysis is done to track the daily activities of the drivers. Also, real-time data is extracted to make reports.

Read Also: How Much Does It Cost to Develop an App like RTA Dubai?

Factors Affecting the Cost to Make an App like Careem

Forecasting the total cost of development is always the most significant and needed step to be done while carrying out a project. While you build an on-demand taxi booking application following are some of the most crucial factors that can impact the total cost to create an app like Careem. Let’s discuss:

1. Technology Stack

The technology stack is a crucial and highly influential factor when it comes to calculating the cost of building an app like Careem. For building a scalable and responsive app all the latest technologies and frameworks must be used for its development. When the tech stack chosen is adequate then it speeds up the development process as well as saves cost in long run.

Let’s check the tech stack required for Careem-like taxi booking app development:

The above-mentioned are the basic technology stack required for Careem-like app development. There might be many other tech stacks needed as per the integration of features and business requirements.

2. Platform Selection

The first and the foremost factor that determines the cost to develop an app like Careem is the platform selected for its development. As per the business type, size, and target audience, you need to select a platform for your business. The requirements and your budget decide which platform you will select such as Android, iOS, or cross-platform. If in case, you have just entered the market and working as a start-up then the most adequate is to choose one platform for your application, and with time and business expansion you can also shift the application to multiple platforms too.

3. Feature Integration

Integration of features is another key element while forecasting the cost to make an app like Careem. If you integrate only basic functionalities and features then the cost is on the lower side but with the integration of both basic as well as advanced features, the cost tends to increase. To make the application responsive and rich, you must have a combination of both basic and some advanced features and for this, you can look for an experienced mobile app development company in UAE or hire a mobile app developer in Dubai to complete your project.

4. Selection of Taxi App Development Company

The primary factor that can impact the final cost of taxi app development is the type of mobile app development company UAE you hire. If you hire an experienced company with a versatile portfolio, then there are chances that the cost to develop a taxi app like Careem will increase. But that can help you get a scalable and feature-integrated application that can surely help your business reach new heights. But if you look for an app development company that has less experience with fewer resources, it may impact the quality of the solutions you receive. Thus, this factor is a major deciding factor when it comes to both the quality and cost to develop an app like Careem.

5. UX and UI

The UX and UI are considered vital in determining the cost and forecasting the growth of the Careem-like taxi application. The elements such as any sort of customization, push notifications, and various other icons are required to be there in the application are the top factor for successful mobile app to make it more appealing and creative to fetch the attention of the users. For such work, it is good that the businesses hire dedicated taxi app developers so that their experience and knowledge can help to build more responsive applications in terms of design. It is another way to keep the users engaged. However, it might put the bar on a higher side when it comes to the cost of building an app like Careem.

How Much Does an App like Careem Cost?

After taking into consideration all the factors affecting the cost to develop an app like Careem would be approximately $10,000 to $15,000 but with basic features and design. With customization, icons, cross-platform development, and more advanced functions, this cost will be increased and may range between $15,000 to $30,000.

Summing Up

There is no doubt that the on-demand taxi booking sector holds a promising future and there are huge possibilities for growth and high revenue generation. In UAE, there is a great demand for online taxi booking services because of long distances and the growing working population. Thus, seeking the market demand, it is good to enter this market and provide services of mobile app development.

If you are looking to develop an on-demand taxi booking app like Careem then you can contact SemiDot Infotech as it is a reliable and leading mobile app development company in UAE that implements a correct approach while developing app solutions. The company is well known for its high-quality deliverables within set deadlines. There is a team of experts and professionals that can meet the business requirements of the clients.