What’s The Cost to Develop an App Like Kayak?

Travel apps have completely changed travelling making it more accessible and easy.

There happen to be many travel apps like Kayak that have made a significant name in the market and ensure that one can book all the facilities including booking flights, hotels, and much more.

This is why Kayak made this app so famous and as a result, people look forward to developing similar apps.

And what they constantly ask is “How much does it cost to develop an app like Kayak?”

Well, the cost can be anywhere between $10,000 to $30,000. However, these factors can increase or decrease the app development cost.

We are going to talk about factors in this blog, but before that let’s start with the basics.

How Does the Kayak App Work?

Let’s start with the basic- Kayak App.

Kayak is a top travel app that helps users find and plan trips, flights, vacation rentals, and much more all in one place.

This app is available on both Android & iOS.

Started in 2004, its success stems from the popularity of the app for aggregating results from different travel websites, allowing users to compare prices and lock the best deal.

Additionally, it also has filters as per date and location. People looking for a streamlined booking process can use this app as their go-to option.

The demand from users for such apps has made investors curious to move forward and invest in the market.

Why You Should Invest in a Travel App Like Kayak?

Despite this, if you have any questions as to why you should invest in a travel app like Kayak, then below you can see some amazing reasons:

♦ Market Demand

Due to the growing demand for travel booking apps, Kayak-like apps can make you one step ahead in the competition.

By 2024, it’s estimated that travel market revenue will reach $916.00 and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 3.99%, resulting in a market volume of $1.114.00 bn by 2029.

This shows the growing demand of users for more apps like Kayak.

♦ User Convenience

Due to the growing penetration of mobile phones, being online has become the new standard.

Whether you want to book a new service or find their flight, it’s convenient for them to do it with some taps on the phone.

So, if you plan for travel app development, you can attract these users by staying ahead of the competition.

♦ Making Profits

If you have a feature-rich app with an eye-captivating design, you can attract a huge customer base and provide them with an amazing experience, resulting in a loyal customer base.

You can utilize this engagement through different monetization models that include advertising, premium services, and more.

♦ Customize Travel App Experience

Apps are getting smart, and so are the users.

By collecting data, you can customize the user preferences in the app for continuous loyalty and engagement.

This can be one of the profitable ways that will make the Kayak-like app development worth it.

We believe these are some of the best reasons that can make Kayak clone app development the best investment for you. Let’s get to know what feature you can use for your app.

Key Features of a Travel Aggregator App Like Kayak

Features have the capability to make your app look good or bad. After all, it can affect user experience at a huge level.

So, if you want to go for travel app development, let us help you with the best features:

1. User Registration

Easy & Quick User registration is one of the important features to have in Kayak-like app development.

Users don’t like to wait for hours to get inside your app and check its capabilities.

So, make sure you provide them with easy ways to register on the app including phone number, registration, or via social media apps such as Facebook.

2. Flight Search & Booking

Similar to Agoda-like app development, Flight search & Booking is something people look forward to in travel booking apps like Kayak.

This feature should include an easy search of flights from one location to another, showing some exciting flight offers, and complete information.

It will make it easy to harness the benefits of the app.

3. Various Filters

Filters are something that will allow users to shortlist as per their preference.

So, you must provide this feature in your app through which users can filter based on price comparisons, reviews, etc.

This will ensure that it is easy for users to find what they are looking for.

4. Reviews and Ratings

As usual, reviews and ratings are usually the part that users and others experience. This way, they can make better decisions.

Their feedback can be helpful for businesses to comprehend their users, and improve where they are lacking.

Other than that, such features can be helpful to build trust and confidence.

5. Chatbot

You can integrate features like Chatbot to push your app ahead in the competition.

This allows improving the customer experience without investing a lot. Besides, this lets users connect with experts in case of any confusion.

Chatbots can be a great way to lend customer support service after all your representative can’t be everywhere.

6. Booking History

Booking History can be helpful for a user to check their financial spending from time to time.

This way, they can keep track of their past booking about how much they have spent on hotels and other. Sometimes, users rebook based on the given history.

7. Descriptive Listing

When you utilize descriptive listing in your app. Users tend to book and confirm their booking fast.

These listings can include photos, videos, descriptions, facilities, reviews ratings, and more. This helps users to know in and out, making it more money-spinning for users.

8. Various Payment Gateways

Do you want to ensure users confirm their booking? Don’t you?

So, make sure to add multiple payment gateway integrations to your app. Users should be able to make payments through credit cards, debit cards, and eWallet, or through any of their preferred choices.

This way users will be more confident and willing to complete the payment.

9. Easy Hotel Booking

Kayak app provides users with the comfort to book hotels of their choice.

Besides, they provide users with all the necessary details, which makes them confident to make the booking ASAP. A similar feature can be seen in the hotel booking app development.

A user-friendly interface is the need of the hour, through which users can easily see, compare, and book their hotel.

10. Price Alerts Warnings

It can be a great feature to have in your kayak-like app development.

Price Alerts Warnings feature can serve as a reminder for users which can also act as a push to confirm their booking. This will result in saving huge chunks of money and improving customer engagement.

So, make sure to integrate this into your app.

Now, with this out of the way, let’s focus on the next important thing that is:

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

One of the many questions that might be in your mind is: “How much does it cost to build an app like Kayak?”

Well, as you know cost is a variable factor. On average, the kayak-like app development cost can be somewhere between $10,000 to $30,000.

Several factors can affect the travel app development cost which we will be discussing in the next section.

Here is a quick breakdown of the cost:

Note: As we said this is just a travel app development cost estimation. To get to know about the right cost, it is best to say that you need to consult with a top mobile app development company.

But, before that, get to know about the factors that affect the development cost:

Also Read: Cost to Develop an App Like Expedia

Factors Affecting the Cost to Develop an App Like Kayak

Several factors are dedicated to determining the overall cost.

Knowing about these factors will help you make better decisions. Let’s get to know them in the section below:

• Complexity

This might be the most common factor that affects your cost to build a kayak-like app.

Breaking down for you, if your app idea is complex then it will surely increase the cost. So, make sure to keep the idea simple, and approach minimalistic to target users.

The less complex it is, the more users will connect with it.

• Design

UI/UX design is a factor that affects the cost to build an app like Kayak.

There are different types of designs available, from basic designs to animation. If you go for basic design, it will take less time, resources, and cost.

On the other hand, working on high-quality & customized UI components needs more iteration as well assistance of professional designers.

So, make sure to understand your requirements and design your app accordingly to keep the cost intact.

• Features & Functionalities

Features and Functionalities have a huge impact on your app in every possible way.

Basic features don’t cost much, But integrating advanced features can make you spend a lot on the app development process.

So, we highly suggest you focus on basic features first, then as per user suggestion you can incorporate more features in it.

• Security

App Security is one of the key elements as you know the growing cyber-attacks can harm the app’s reputation and user data.

Although integrating security measures can impact your development cost, it is an important element that can’t be ignored.

Make sure to take security measures, this will enhance your user trust and transparency in the application.

• Platform Selection

Your choice of platform can affect the development cost.

Native app development i.e. Android and iOS app development can double the development cost.

It also requires expert assistance to work on different OS and extensive testing to ensure that it is running properly.

Whereas, cross-platform app development can be a cost-effective way to develop an app with a single codebase and reach more users without breaking the bank.

• Expertise/Location Of Development Team

The location of your team is a key cost driver.

Hiring mobile app developers from countries with high costs of living and wages such as the USA and the UK will surely be more than regions with low costs of living such as Asia.

While considering the team, make sure to keep in mind & overcome the communication challenge so that you can collaborate with them easily.

Similarly, experienced developers will have high charges, as they will work for high-quality solutions much better than novices.

So, these are some of the factors that affect the Cost to build a kayak-like app. With the foundation being laid, let’s talk about the time to build a travel app.

How Long Does it Take to Build a Travel App Like Kayak?

Are you wondering, “How long does it take to create an app like Kayak”

The factors that affect the cost are the same ones that affect the development time. On average, the time taken can be 2-8 months.

If you work on a basic app with simple UI, it might take around 2-4 months, for a medium app that has some good features, top UI and more can take 4-6 months to build. Whereas, planning for an advanced app with customization can take 6-8 months and more.

So, make sure to comprehend what you want and convey your requirements accordingly.

Development Process for a Travel app like Kayak

As much as it is rewarding to create an app like Kayak, it requires a proper and strategic development process to turn your idea into reality.

Here are the following processes given for your help:

• Proper Market Research
• Analysis and Planning
• UI/UX Design
• App Development
• Testing
• Launching your App
• Post Launch and Support

Step 1: Proper Market Research

Proper market research can help clear your vision, and keep the guesswork out.

It will give you an overview of the market and your competitors. This way you can understand travel app development challenges, the pain points of users, and where your competitors are lacking.

Then you can decide on a USP for your kayak-like app and strengthen your app idea.

Step 2: Analysis and Planning

This is where your idea turns into a digital solution.

Analysis and planning are important when you seize the requirements of your project. It includes recognizing the requirements of your app and making a roadmap as per that.

This roadmap consists of planning for the future and ways to achieve the goals you have set.

Step 3: UI/UX Design

UI/UX design is one of the important phases of the app development process.

You need to work on wireframes and prototypes to ensure you get what you want. Also, ensure to keep the UI/UX simple and user-friendly to offer a seamless experience.

If it is not eye-pleasing to users, then they might abandon your app, don’t forget to test it on different screen sizes.

Step 4: Begin Coding

This is the step where you start coding to develop your travel app like Kayak.

You will work on the front end which is known as the “face of the app” and the back end is the “behind the scenes’’ which shows you how well the app can work.

Your developer should maintain and follow best coding practices. One of the important things investors shouldn’t miss is proper communication with their team to get what was planned.

Step 5: Testing

If you are developing a travel app like Kayak, then you shouldn’t avoid testing.

Testing helps to find and fix bugs, errors, and technical issues that might hinder the user experience. We suggest you do multiple tests that include functional, unit, and performance testing.

If you skip the rigorous testing then it might lead to the failure of your dream project and that for sure you don’t want.

Once it’s done, time to move to:

Step 6: Launching Your App

Now, the time has come when you make your travel app like Kayak visible to your customers.

You can launch or publish your app to the respective store. One thing to pay attention to is that it will take some time to review your app, from hours to weeks (2 weeks).

Till then, you can plan some marketing strategies to increase the app downloads.

Step 7: Support and Maintenance

Once you publish your travel app, your work is not over. Now, you need to ensure proper support and maintenance.

See, user requirements are constantly changing, and to stay in the trend you need to integrate new features and functionalities in, a timely update. Plus, don’t forget to keep track of bugs and issues and fix them to maintain the app’s performance.

We hope you got your answer about how to develop a travel app. Now, time to understand different money-making models to help you get the best returns.

Monetization Strategies for a Kayak-Like app

Investors look forward to investing in money where they can get amazing returns. And, to enjoy returns from your travel app, you will need top monetization models for a Kayak-like app.

Here are some of the best monetization models:

➤ In-App Advertising

One of the best and tested models are “In-app advertising”.

Why we call it best because it allows you to target those users who are not paying for any subscription or premium plans.

But, make sure to keep a balance between your ads and user experience to not push them away from your app.

➤ Freemium Model

The Freemium Model includes free and premium models.

This means users can download and understand the capabilities of the app, then they can pay to enjoy advanced features.

➤ Commission-Based Revenue

If you are going for Kayak-like app development, then make sure to utilize a commission-based model.

Through this model, every time a user books any service, you can get a fee or percentage of the amount as your commission. This is usually leveraged by many apps like Expedia, Kayak, and others.

➤ Subscription Model

A subscription model is one of the monetization models that you can look forward to! Through this, users will need to buy subscriptions.

Basically, the subscription model in a travel app offers different benefits for the app starting with constantly recurring revenue. Who wouldn’t want that? Right.

➤ Listing Charge

Travel apps can charge from service provider a subsequent fee to promote services on the app. Or, to put their name on the app.

This listing charge can be a great money-making model.

How Nimble AppGenie Can Help You to Develop an App Like Kayak?

To make an app like Kayak in the market, you need expert hands on your project.

So, take the help of the best travel app development company i.e. Nimble AppGenie & get a solution that not only enhances user experience but also ensures that you find a stable place in the market.

Our experts, designers, and developers have ample years of experience to provide you with a great solution.

If you are ready to take steps ahead, we are here to help!

Conclusion

In essence, make sure to plan ahead for the future.

You need to use the best features, provide an instinctive user experience, and have a strong backend infrastructure to create a similar app like Kayak.

There is a lot of competition in the market; doing so will provide you with an edge over your rivals.

If you are planning to create an app like Kayak then make sure to take the help of the best company for a smooth launch.

So, what are you waiting for? Get Started Today!

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Niketan Sharma

Niketan Sharma is the CTO of Nimble AppGenie, a prominent website and mobile app development company in the USA that is delivering excellence with a commitment to boosting business growth & maximizing customer satisfaction. He is a highly motivated individual who helps SMEs and startups grow in this dynamic market with the latest technology and innovation.