How Much Does It Cost To Develop a Fitness App?

Factors Influencing Fitness App Development Costs

App Complexity

The cost of a fitness app depends on its complexity. Apps with more features and advanced design elements cost more to develop. Basic apps with simple functions are less expensive.

Platform Choice

Choosing between iOS and Android affects the development cost. Developing for both platforms costs more than picking just one. iOS development can sometimes be pricier due to strict guidelines.

Development Team

Deciding between an in-house team or outsourcing impacts the price. Hiring your own team gives you control but can be costly. Outsourcing can reduce costs but requires careful oversight.

Geographic Location

Where your development team is located affects costs. Developers in different regions charge different rates. For example, hiring developers in India can be more affordable.

Breakdown of Fitness App Development Costs

Initial Costs

The first expenses include market research, planning, and prototyping. Market research helps you understand user needs and competition. Planning sets the roadmap for development. Prototyping creates a basic version of the app to test ideas.

Development Costs

This covers design, programming, and testing phases. Design involves creating the app's look and feel. Programming is writing the code to make the app work. Testing ensures the app runs smoothly and fixes any bugs.

Post-Launch Costs

After launching the app, costs continue. You need to market the app to attract users. Updates keep the app current and fix issues. Maintenance ensures the app remains functional over time.

Futures that a basic fitness app should have

A basic fitness app should include several essential features to provide a solid foundation for users to track and improve their fitness. Here are the key basic features that make a fitness app user-friendly and effective:

#1 User Profile and Goal Setting

• A personal profile where users can input their age, gender, weight, height, and fitness level.
• Goal-setting options to allow users to specify what they aim to achieve, such as weight loss, muscle gain, or endurance.

#2 Workout and Exercise Library

• A library of exercises with detailed instructions, images, or videos, covering different types of workouts like strength, cardio, and flexibility exercises.
• Ability to search or filter exercises by difficulty level, body part, or type of equipment.

#3 Progress Tracking

• A log to track workout history and progress over time.
• Visual progress indicators like graphs or charts to help users see improvements (e.g., weight change, distance run).

#4 Activity Logging

• A feature to log and track various types of activities (e.g., running, cycling, weightlifting).
• Option to manually enter workout details, such as reps, sets, duration, and intensity.

#5 Reminders and Notifications

• Push notifications to remind users of scheduled workouts, goals, or daily activity reminders.
• Encouragements or motivational notifications to keep users engaged.

#6 Basic Analytics and Insights

• Insights on weekly or monthly activity summaries, calorie estimates, and goal progress.
• Simple analytics to show total workouts, calories burned, or hours spent exercising over time.

#7 User-Friendly Interface

• A clean, intuitive layout that makes it easy for users to find and access key features.
• Simple navigation and clear labeling, with minimal setup to get started.

#8 Community and Social Sharing (Optional)

• A simple way for users to connect with friends, join challenges, or share achievements.
• An option to share progress on social media platforms.

How Much Does it Cost to Create a Fitness App?

Different types of training apps will cost different amounts of money. But for your convenience, we will take a look at the fitness app development costs of some top apps like MyFitnessPal, Strava, and Peloton. Typical fitness app development costs can range from a few thousand to more than $100,000.

I have typed in the usual features of these apps into an AI software cost estimator to see how much they would cost and how long these fitness applications would take to make.

How much does it cost to make a fitness app like MyFitnessPal

The estimated cost to develop a fitness tracking app similar to MyFitnessPal ranges from $80,000 to $110,000. This budget covers the complete development process, including design, analysis, development, quality assurance, deployment, and handover.

The projected timeline for the project is 25-33 weeks, accounting for the complexity of the app, which includes features like user registration, food, and exercise logging, goal setting, subscription management, offline functionality, and fitness device integrations.

You can read the full assessment here.

How much does it cost to make a fitness app like Strava

The estimated cost to develop a fitness-tracking social network app similar to Strava is between $86,450 and $95,000. This budget includes the entire development process, from design and analysis to deployment and handover, and accounts for the complexity of building a feature-rich app for both iOS and Android platforms.

The projected development timeline is 25-27 weeks. This period covers key features such as user authentication, activity tracking, GPS mapping, performance analytics, social networking functionalities, subscription management, and offline capability.

You can read the full assessment here.

How much does it cost to make a fitness app like Peloton

The estimated cost to develop a fitness streaming platform similar to Peloton is between $88,000 and $95,000. This budget includes the full development process, from design and analysis to deployment and handover, and considers the complex features required for a high-quality streaming platform.

The estimated timeline for the project is 23-28 weeks. This period covers essential features such as user registration, subscription management, live and on-demand workout streaming, video streaming with real-time metrics, progress tracking, community features, offline downloads, and third-party integrations.

You can read the full assessment here.

Examples of Popular Fitness Apps

Many more fitness and workout apps on the market are gaining users, not just Myfitness Pal, Strava and Peloton. Here are some other examples to get you started:

• Fitbod – Uses AI to generate personalized strength-training workouts based on your performance, goals, and available equipment.
• Nike Training Club – Offers a variety of guided workouts, including strength, endurance, yoga, and mobility, with customizable plans and progress tracking.
• JEFIT – Ideal for gym-goers, this app has a large exercise database, workout tracking, and features to help users plan, log, and analyze their training routines.
• 8fit – Combines workouts and meal planning to help users achieve fitness and nutrition goals, offering personalized workout routines and healthy recipes.
• Sentio – An AI-powered app for emotional well-being that helps users track, understand, and improve their emotional health through mood tracking, motivational quotes, and personalized mood-lifting colors.

Monetization Strategies for Fitness Apps

Overview of Potential Revenue Streams

App in the fitness app market can earn money in several ways. Subscriptions charge users a fee for access. Ads generate income by showing promotions within the app. Selling premium features offers extra content for a price.

Impact of Monetization on Development Costs

Your revenue model affects development costs. Subscriptions need secure payment systems. Integrating ads requires extra coding and partnerships. Building premium features adds to development time and expense.

Final thoughts

If you're developing a fitness app, it's important to understand both the features and the costs involved. The basic apps with essential features like workout libraries and progress tracking are a must, but costs can vary a lot.

Apps similar to MyFitnessPal or Strava will set you back between $80,000 and $110,000. These costs cover the whole development process and make sure all the key features are included, such as tracking, user profiles, and device integrations. If you want a more comprehensive feature set or customized functionality, the cost may be a bit higher.

Before you start a fitness app project, it's a good idea to evaluate the market, monetization options, and competition. With the right approach, fitness apps can be profitable and provide long-term user engagement. Success depends on offering valuable, user-centered features, solid functionality, and a smooth user experience.

References

Statista, Leading fitness and sport apps worldwide in January 2024, by revenue