How much does it cost to build a recreation app?

Standard price for a recreation app: $12,500

Find out the cost to build your own custom recreation app:

Get Estimate Now

What is a recreation app?

A recreation application is a web or mobile application that enables users to find nearby locations that offer specific recreational activities. Recreation apps typically include interfaces for viewing real-time activity status, requesting pickup and drop-off, and posting reviews of locations after the activity occurs.

Recreation apps are similar to other entertainment apps like social gaming apps, music streaming apps, and video streaming apps. Popular recreation apps include YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, and the Amazon Prime Video app.

Here are some recent recreation app examples built with Crowdbotics:

  • An app that will allow users to dictate the songs of a party/gathering in a group setting.

What is the typical cost to build a recreation app?

A recreation app usually costs $12,500 to build. However, the total cost can be as low as $10,000 or as high as $15,000. A recreation 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 recreation app price quotes from Crowdbotics:

  • $12,500

How long does it take to build a recreation app?

A recreation app usually takes 167 hours to build. However, a recreation app can be built in as few as 133 hours, or in as many as 200 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 recreation apps built with Crowdbotics received the following hourly estimates:

  • 200

How to successfully grow your recreation application

A recreation app for in-person activities such as sports leagues or group fitness classes must also provide a high amount of convenience for users. It's important to encourage users to share the app with others by doing things like offering free passes and discounts to new users who sign up through a referral. A recreation app can also increase customer loyalty by making it easy for users to pay their membership fees right from their phones, and by providing mobile reminders about when memberships are expiring.

Risks and challenges of building a recreation application

Apps that facilitate outdoor recreation can face a number of regulatory and safety risks. These include managing water quality, managing the proper disposal of waste, and ensuring the safety of both users and wildlife. Before launching an outdoor recreation app, you should conduct thorough research into your target market to determine whether there are legal or logistical barriers to developing the app in question.

Want a more detailed estimate?

Get a feature-by-feature breakdown with our cost estimate calculator.

Browse our full library of app cost quotes.

Find pricing info for all other industry-specific apps here.

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