How much does it cost to build a collaboration app?

Standard price for a collaboration app: $20,000

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What is a collaboration app?

A collaboration application is a web or mobile application that enables users to share information and work on documents, spreadsheets, presentations, etc. Collaboration apps often include features for sharing files with others (along with tools for protecting confidential data), synchronizing changes made by multiple users to the same file, and reviewing approval status of changes made by other users.

Collaboration apps are similar to other group messaging apps with special features for project management, such as task apps and enterprise social networking apps. Slack is a popular example of a collaboration app.

Here are some recent collaboration app examples built with Crowdbotics:

  • A collaboration app built for the Forestry service that includes a scheduler, event planning, and tips for planting trees and maintaining build sites.

  • An online classroom app built for a driving school that allows users to complete tasks, collaborate on assignments, take preparatory quizzes.

  • A simple survey app built for a nonprofit that has users answer survey questions that admins can view, aggregate the data, and point users in the right direction of the resources they need.

What is the typical cost to build a collaboration app?

A collaboration app usually costs $20,000 to build. However, the total cost can be as low as $5,000 or as high as $50,000. A collaboration app with a low number of features (also known as a "minimum viable product", or MVP) will be more affordable than an app that includes all intended functionality.

For example, here are some recent collaboration app price quotes from Crowdbotics:

  • $15,000

  • $35,000

  • $10,000

Here are some considerations that may impact the cost of a app:

How long does it take to build a collaboration app?

A collaboration app usually takes 267 hours to build. However, a collaboration app can be built in as few as 67 hours, or in as many as 667 hours. The exact timeline mostly depends on how complicated your app is. As a general rule, it will take longer if you require highly custom designs, niche features, or non-standard release platforms.

For example, the most recent collaboration apps built with Crowdbotics received the following hourly estimates:

  • 200

  • 467

  • 133

How to successfully grow your collaboration application

A collaboration app can grow rapidly by helping users accomplish tasks in their personal and professional lives. Collaboration apps are especially valuable to users when the app allows them to find other people that they can work with. For example, an electronic medical records platform may allow physicians to find doctors that work in the same hospital, or a food ordering app may allow users to connect with other people who love dining at the same restaurants. These connections help collaboration apps to grow through viral referrals, as well as through increased conversion, retention and revenue.

Risks and challenges of building a collaboration application

Collaboration apps can face intellectual property and privacy risks related to the unauthorized sharing of content and company information. Collaboration apps should be designed with security measures to prevent unauthorized access to files and data, such as single sign-on capabilities and strong user authentication mechanisms.

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Some of the descriptions on this page were completed with AI assistance. Learn more here.