Dating apps have been around for a while and most of us have either been on one or know someone who has. They are the new way of meeting new love interests and even friends. That being said, the dating app mobile market has tremendous growth potential, as exhibited by the growth of the new player, Bumble. But what makes it different from other social networking apps and how to account and budget for one? Here’s a checklist for you to follow:

Features of a Dating App

Amongst the many features of a dating app, a few are rudimentary. Like creating a profile, being able to swipe right or left based on interest and contact them if you like them via the app. But what are more such features that a dating mobile app can have? Here’s a list below.

• Sign up & Sign in*
• User Profile Setup*
• Profile Verification
• Geolocation Based Suggestion*
• AI-Based Match Algorithm*
• Swipe to Match Feature*
• AI-based Suggested Chatbots
• Explore Events and Meet-Ups
• Profile Recommendation
• Gamification

These are features that are necessary for the MVP of any dating app.

Tech stack behind a dating app

Choice of Programming Languages like Java, Kotlin or Swift

These languages are used by programmers to communicate with the computer. These languages allow them to give the system a set of commands, instructions and other syntax use to create a software program.

Choice of In-Memory Database like Redis, MongoDB or PostgreSQL

An in-memory database (IMDB) stores data in a computer's main memory instead of a disk drive to produce quicker response times. Accessing data stored in memory eliminates the time needed to query data from a disk.

Choice of Cloud Storage Facility like Amazon S3, Oracle Cloud or Google Cloud

Cloud storage facility provides object storage through a web service interface. They allow information to be accessed via cloud services across the globe.

Choice of Web Servers like Nginx, Caddy or Envoy

Web servers are computer programs that distribute web pages across devices & locations. They host/store, process & deliver web pages to the users.

General Utilities like Google Maps, Google Analytics and Twilio

These are app integrations that help enhance the user experience and add to the ease of use like finding where your date is located, calling via the app, etc.

Payment gateways like Stripe & PayPal

Payment gateways enable users to safely & easily pay for premium subscriptions and other services that they may avail themselves in your app.

Costs involved

The first and foremost thing to plan and develop needs to be the MVP or the Minimum Viable Product. Just the basic 4-5 features for a dating app can cost anywhere between $16k – $40k depending on the hours required to develop these features. Another factor that hugely affects these costs is the location of your tech team. The charges vary drastically with geographical location.

A primary factor also is whether you’re creating the API’s and app design from scratch or are using available templates. A completely customized app will cost you more in terms of time and money versus an app built using available templates.
Keeping these factors in mind and adding the other key features to the MVP, the app might cost you a total of 30k – $40k.

The user’s experience on dating apps should be easy, engaging & fun. Simple to navigate and the focus is on discovering a suitable match. The UI/UX optimization and using AI for better suggestions becomes super important for a seamless experience and loyalty. For end-to-end expert solutions for dating mobile app development, you can reach out to us at Valere and for an estimate of the budget, you can use our App Development Cost Calculator.