How to Make an App Like DoorDash? [2024 Guide]

Food delivery has grown exponentially in recent years. The online food delivery market is expected to reach over $1.45 trillion by 2027 while growing at a CAGR of 10.5% during 2023-2027. Many entrepreneurs and businesses are now showing interest in exploring how to make an app like DoorDash. A customized food delivery app like DoorDash gives you an opportunity to tap into a thriving market, reach a wide audience, and generate substantial revenue.

To make an app like DoorDash, careful planning, proper use of technology, and holding all the right features are required. The urge to develop unique apps, therefore, calls for necessary assistance from a food delivery app development company offering custom app development services to make your app stand out in this competitive space.

In this blog, we will show the key steps to develop a food app like DoorDash, explore its main features, and analyze the costs and technologies required for its development. You will get a full understanding of how to create a food delivery app like DoorDash and support competition against such giants as DoorDash by the end.

How to Make an App Like DoorDash? 7 Easy Steps

To make an app like DoorDash, a well-structured development process is required that can cover all the essential steps from planning to launch. Here is a breakdown of the 7 key steps to create a food delivery app like DoorDash:

1. Market Research and Planning

Thorough market research needs to be done before the development starts. It includes identification of your target audience, studying the competitors like DoorDash, Grubhub, and UberEats, and analyzing the current market trends. This way, you will get an idea about the feature and service expectations of users and how you can make your application stand out. The planning will also include a clear vision for the application, a business model selection, and cost estimation.

2. Choose the Right Development Partner

Choosing a qualified on demand food delivery app development company is essential. A professional development team will walk you through each stage, from design to deployment, ensuring that your app meets the highest industry standards. Choose a partner who provides custom app development services, which allows you to personalize the app to your specific needs.

3. Define the Core Features

Identify the essential features of your food delivery app. For example, the DoorDash app has a simple UI, real-time tracking, several payment choices, and easy communication between customers, delivery personnel, and restaurants. Define the features that will improve the user experience and drive user retention.

4. Create a User-Centric Design

A well-designed user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) are critical for attracting and maintaining users. Your software should be visually appealing, easy to use, and responsive across all devices. Focus on simplicity and functionality, ensuring that both users and delivery drivers can use the app without difficulty.

5. Develop the App

Once the design is complete, the development phase begins. Your chosen development partner will create the app’s backend and front end using cutting-edge technology stacks. This stage will cover critical topics such as database administration, APIs, and the integration of third-party services (such as payment gateways and GPS).

6. Test and Optimize

After development, your app must be thoroughly tested to guarantee that it functions properly on all devices and platforms. Functional testing, performance testing, and security testing are critical for detecting defects or vulnerabilities. Before releasing the app to the public, optimize it to provide the greatest performance possible.

7. Launch and Market the App

Once your software has completed all testing rounds, it is ready for release. However, merely launching is not enough. You must invest in marketing tactics that attract people, such as social media advertising, influencer collaborations, and promotions. Furthermore, providing discounts or free delivery alternatives in the early stages might boost downloads and customer engagement.

[Also read: How to Create an App Like Careem]

How Does DoorDash App Work?

DoorDash uses a simple and streamlined order and delivery model to link customers with local restaurants and delivery drivers. Here’s how the app works for three key user types: customers, restaurants, and delivery drivers.

1. Customers

Registration and Profile Creation: Customers sign up for the DoorDash app using their email address, phone number, or social network account. They create a profile with basic information such as delivery address and payment details.

Browse and Order: Once the registration is done, customers can browse through a wide selection of restaurants and food options based on their preferred location. They can filter results by cuisine, restaurant ratings, price range, or even dietary preferences.

Order Customization: After selecting a restaurant, customers can customize their orders, choose delivery or pickup choices, and choose the delivery time. Special instructions can also be included.

Payment: Customers can make payments via various options like credit cards, debit cards, or digital wallets. The DoorDash app incorporates secure payment methods to ensure that transactions run smoothly.

Real-Time Tracking: After placing an order, consumers can track it in real-time. The app displays information such as the status of meal preparation, the driver’s position, and the projected arrival time.

2. Restaurants

Restaurant Dashboard: When restaurants collaborate with DoorDash, they gain access to the DoorDash platform via a dedicated dashboard. Here, they can receive, manage, and handle orders.

Menu Management: Restaurants can change their menus by adding new foods, adjusting prices, and emphasizing special deals. The dashboard gives users complete control over the options offered to clients.

Order Fulfillment: When a consumer puts in an order, the restaurant is notified via the app. They make the meal based on the customer’s orders and package it for delivery or pickup.

3. Delivery Drivers (Dashers)

Sign-Up: Delivery drivers, or “Dashers,” can register through the app. They will be able to accept delivery requests after being validated.

Receive and Accept Orders: Dashers are notified when local eateries/restaurants send out delivery requests. They have the option to accept or reject an order based on their availability.

Pick Up and Deliver: Once the order is ready, Dashers collect it from the restaurant and use the app’s navigation system to deliver it to the customer’s location.

Earnings: Dashers are paid based on the distance traveled, order complexity, and client tips. They can use the app to track their earnings and withdraw money on a regular schedule.

This user-friendly method has made DoorDash popular among customers, restaurants, and Dashers alike. The app provides smooth communication, speedy deliveries, and a consistent experience for all parties involved. You can implement these features to build an app like DoorDash.

[Also Explore: Meal Planning App Development]

Benefits of Creating a Food Delivery App Like DoorDash

To make an app like DoorDash offers numerous advantages, both for the business and its users. Here are some of the key benefits:

1. Increased Business Reach

A food delivery application enables restaurants and food businesses to access a significantly larger audience than traditional dine-in services. Restaurants can attract consumers who would not otherwise visit their physical location by using an app like DoorDash to deliver food to them from a distance.

2. Significant Revenue Potential

The online food delivery sector is flourishing, with millions of customers preferring the convenience of having meals delivered to their homes. Creating an app comparable to DoorDash allows businesses to enter this attractive sector and gain substantial revenue. Delivery charges, service fees, and subscription models are examples of monetization schemes that can be used with the app.

3. Enhanced Customer Experience

Customers benefit from a well-designed app like DoorDash, which provides a seamless and user-friendly interface. Real-time order monitoring, simple payment choices, and customizable menus all make ordering food easier and more fun. Customers are more satisfied when they can personalize their orders, use discount codes, and receive promotions.

4. Data-driven Insights

One of the primary benefits of using a food delivery app is access to vital customer information. Businesses can learn about their customers’ preferences, order patterns, peak hours, and other information by analyzing their activity. This data enables businesses to make more educated decisions, such as offering promotions during slow periods or altering menu items to meet client demand.

5. Increased Operational Efficiency

Apps like DoorDash make meal delivery easier by automating crucial operations like order management, delivery coordination, and payment processing. This enables restaurants to optimize their processes, decrease errors, and manage several orders at once. The app’s backend can be coupled with kitchen management systems and delivery logistics, ensuring a seamless process from order placement to delivery.

6. Brand Loyalty & Engagement

Having a branded app helps to increase consumer loyalty over time. Businesses can engage customers and drive repeat orders by using features such as push notifications, personalized offers, and reward programs. A specialized mobile app also increases the brand’s visibility and keeps it at the front of the customer’s mind.

7. Versatility and Scalability

An app like DoorDash allows businesses to grow and scale operations. Whether the company is growing into new locations, adding more restaurants, or increasing the number of delivery drivers, the app can readily adjust to its changing needs. App-based businesses can also experiment with new services like grocery delivery, catering, and meal subscriptions to diversify their revenue streams. Incorporating grocery delivery app development services can further enhance these offerings.

These advantages make developing a food delivery app, like DoorDash, an excellent investment for businesses hoping to capitalize on the growing demand for quick, on-demand services. With the appropriate features and a dependable development food delivery app development companies partner your app may quickly gain traction and become the preferred platform for food delivery in your market.

Key Features to Make an App Like DoorDash

When you develop a food delivery app like DoorDash, you must integrate the right features to ensure a seamless experience for users, restaurants, and delivery drivers. Here are the key features you should include to make an app like DoorDash:

1. User Registration and Profile Management

Allow users to instantly sign up in the customer app with their email address, phone number, or social network credentials. A strong profile management system should allow clients to save critical information such as delivery addresses, payment information, and transaction history. For delivery drivers and restaurant partners, having a dedicated profile page for managing orders, tracking revenue, and setting availability is critical.

2. Search and Browse Functionality

Your app should include a simple search function that allows users to find restaurants and food options based on their location, cuisine preference, ratings, and specials. Filters and sorting options help clients locate exactly what they’re looking for.

3. Restaurant Lists and Menus

Each restaurant in the app should have its own listing page that includes information such as hours of operation, ratings, and reviews, as well as an updated menu. Customers can create their ideal order by including images of the food and personalization options.

4. Order Placement and Customization

Customers should be able to customize their orders by giving additional instructions, selecting add-ons, or making changes (e.g., no spice, extra sauce). Offering both delivery and pick-up alternatives can reach a larger audience.

5. Real-time Order Tracking

One of the most popular features on DoorDash is real-time order tracking. Customers have comprehensive insight into the status of their order, from food preparation at the restaurant to the delivery driver’s arrival at their location. This transparency lowers anxiety and improves the client experience.

6. Several Payment Options

Integrating multiple payment methods is essential. Your app should accept credit/debit cards, digital wallets (such as Google Pay and Apple Pay), and even cash on delivery if possible. Ensure that the payment procedure is quick, secure, and seamless, with the opportunity for consumers to track payments for later use.

7. Push Notifications

Push notifications are crucial for keeping consumers interested and informed. Notify clients when their order is accepted, when it is on its way, or when there is a special offer. Drivers can also receive push notifications for new delivery requests or adjustments to existing orders.

8. Ratings and Reviews

User-generated ratings and reviews provide vital feedback to restaurants and assist other customers in making informed purchasing decisions. Implement a rating system in which users can submit feedback based on food quality, delivery time, and overall experience.

9. In-app Chat and Support

An in-app chat or customer care tool is essential for providing a seamless user experience. Customers should be able to contact directly with the restaurant or delivery agent if necessary, as well as have easy access to customer service for any difficulties or questions.

10. Delivery Driver Dashboard

A user-friendly dashboard is necessary for delivery drivers, also known as “Dashers”. This feature should show active orders, delivery routes, earnings, and available shifts. Integration with GPS and maps for route optimization allows vehicles to fulfill orders more efficiently.

11. Loyalty Programs and Discounts

Create a loyalty program to reward repeat customers with discounts, free delivery, or special incentives. Offering promo codes and referral bonuses might help to increase user engagement and repeat orders.

12. Administrative Panel

An admin panel is required for controlling the app’s activities. It gives the restaurant owners information about the app’s overall performance, controls users (customers, drivers, restaurants), processes payments, resolves disputes, and so on. This feature contributes to maintaining control and ensuring smooth day-to-day operation.

These key features are essential to ensuring that your food delivery app performs as well as DoorDash. By applying these, you will be able to provide a consistent user experience while still ensuring operational efficiency for restaurants and drivers.

Monetization Model of DoorDash-like App

A well-planned monetization strategy is required to earn revenue from a food delivery app such as DoorDash. There are various ways to monetize a meal delivery network, and each revenue stream is customizable based on your food delivery business strategy. Here are the primary monetization tactics employed by DoorDash:

1. Delivery Charges

One of the primary sources of revenue for a DoorDash-like app is the delivery fee paid by customers for each food order. The app charges a fee based on factors such as the distance between the restaurant and the customer, peak hours, or the size of the order. Customers often pay a flat delivery fee or a dynamic charge that fluctuates based on demand.

2. Service Fees

In addition to the delivery charges, the service fee is often added to cover operational costs like payment processing, customer support, and app maintenance. Service fees are usually a percentage of the order total and help generate steady revenue for the food delivery platform.

3. Commission from Restaurants

DoorDash charges eateries a commission for each order placed through the app. The commission typically runs from 10% to 30% of the order value, depending on the partnership arrangement. These incentives provide small eateries with a low-cost method to reach a bigger client base without investing heavily in marketing.

4. Subscription Plans (Dash Pass)

Another popular monetization technique is to provide membership plans, such as DoorDash’s DashPass, in which consumers pay a monthly fee to receive free or reduced-cost deliveries. Subscription models generate recurring revenue while encouraging customers to use the platform more frequently. DashPass provides perks such as free delivery and discounted service charges for eligible items.

5. Advertisements and Promotions

Advertising adds to the app’s revenue streams. Restaurants can pay for sponsored listings or highlighted spots to improve their visibility within the app and reach more customers. Additionally, DoorDash provides businesses with promotional offerings in which they can pay to offer discounts and attract new customers. This is an excellent strategy for restaurants to improve sales during sluggish periods, while DoorDash gets more money from advertising fees.

6. Price Surge

The software can impose surge pricing during high-demand periods, such as holidays or peak hours (similar to ride-hailing services like Uber). This raises delivery fees, allowing the platform to manage supply and demand while generating more revenue from each purchase during certain times.

7. White-Label Services

Some meal delivery apps provide their infrastructure as a white-label solution for restaurants and other companies. This means that restaurants can use the app’s delivery and logistics system without having to create their own app. By charging a licensing or usage fee for this service, you can generate additional cash.

8. Data Analysis Services

As an app owner, you can use data analytics services to provide restaurants with insights into their customers’ behavior, preferences, and ordering patterns. Restaurants may improve their operations and marketing efforts by giving detailed data reports on user demographics, order trends, and peak hours. These analytics services might be supplied as a premium feature at an additional cost.

The monetization mechanism for a food delivery app like DoorDash is adaptable and multifaceted. You may ensure a consistent and diverse cash stream by combining delivery and service fees, restaurant commissions, and other services such as advertising and subscription subscriptions.

Tech Stack to Build an App Like DoorDash

To make an app like DoorDash you need to choose the right technology stack. A well-designed tech stack ensures seamless performance, enhanced security, and a great user experience. Below is a breakdown of the essential technologies needed to develop a food delivery app like DoorDash.

Cost and Time Required to Develop a DoorDash App

To create a food delivery app like DoorDash, a lot of elements are involved that affect both the cost and time necessary for the project. The cost is mostly determined by the app’s complexity, the features you want to include, the development team’s competence, and the region where the development is taking place. The summarized tables below will give us an estimate of the cost and time required to develop an app like DoorDash, taking into account on-demand app development cost:

Estimated Development Cost Breakdown

Below is an estimated breakdown of the development costs based on the key stages of building an app like DoorDash:

1. App Complexity

The cost will always increase with the more features and functionalities included in the application, like real-time tracking capabilities, multiple payment options, or a complex admin panel.

2. Design and User Interface

Proper UI/UX design is necessary to be able to retain user engagement as well as satisfaction. Personalized and user experience-friendly design is expensive.

3. Platform Selection

Developing for iOS and Android will take more time and be more costly than developing for a single platform. Cross-platform frameworks such as React Native help save costs because you could actually develop for both with the same code base.

4. Development Team

The expense also depends on the region and skills of the development team. Recruiting a North American or Western European team would be much costlier than hiring one from Asia or Eastern Europe.

5. Maintenance and Support

Then after launching the product, the overall cost of building the product will be topped by the addition of a bit of maintenance, update, and customer support costs.

Time Required to Develop a DoorDash Like App

The time required to build an app like DoorDash app varies depending on the app’s complexity, amount of features, and the efficiency of the development team. This is a general estimate:

This timetable can be altered depending on the development technique (Agile or Waterfall) and team availability. If new features like loyalty programs, AI-driven suggestions, or advanced analytics are added, the schedule may be extended further.

Region-Wise Cost Differences

Development costs might vary notably depending on the location of the development team. Here is a comparison.

Choosing a development team from Asia or Eastern Europe can help you save money while keeping quality. Outsourcing to an established mobile app development company such as NineHertz, provides a cost-effective and professional alternative.

Conclusion: Make an App Like DoorDash

The right approach, from the selection of the appropriate features and experience for the users to the choice of the most relevant tech stack and development team, is needed when building an app like DoorDash. Now, being a growing food delivery service market, once businesses invest in custom application development services, they can grab rising demand from customers.

Here, businesses will be able to reach more customers with a reliable and user-friendly food delivery app. It can be used to optimize operations and generate new revenue streams. NineHertz is a well-known mobile app development company that specializes in creating scalable and feature-rich applications tailored to your specific business needs.

Our skilled in-house development team has years of expertise in developing mobile apps and can tailor the best quality, performance, and security to your application’s requirements. Whether you desire simple applications with basic functionalities or a complex solution with advanced functionalities, NineHertz can guide you through the entire food delivery app project.

NineHertz will provide you with a very high-tech food delivery service app and will also maintain it to keep up in the market. From planning to its launch and even after launch, the support and post-launch services also come from NineHertz. Get in touch with us today and take the first step toward success in the booming online food delivery industry.

FAQ’s: Develop an App Like DoorDash

Let us discuss some of the frequently asked regarding how to make an app like DoorDash.

Q.1 How Much Does it Cost to Develop a DoorDash App?

The cost to develop an app like DoorDash depends on how complex and dynamic the application is, its features, and also a factor of the place from which the development team is working. A meal delivery application can range between $37,000 and $90,000. It could be even steeper depending on the stage of design, development testing, and deployment. Other costs can be minimized if it is outsourced to countries with low development costs.

Q.2 Which is the Best DoorDash-like App Development Company?

NineHertz is an excellent choice for developing food delivery apps like DoorDash. With vast experience in food delivery app development, they provide end-to-end services from design to post-launch support, providing a high-quality, tailored solution for your company.

Q.3 How Much Time is Required for DoorDash-like App Development?

The time required to develop an app like DoorDash depends on the app’s complexity and the number of features involved. On average, the development process can take anywhere from 5 to 8 months.

Q.4 What are the DoorDash App Alternatives?

Several food delivery apps serve as alternatives to DoorDash the market. Some of the apps that provides food delivery services include:

• UberEats
• Grubhub
• Postmates
• Zomato
• Deliveroo