How To Build A Food Delivery App Like Postmates: Benefits, Features and Cost

The food delivery market is expanding, and with numerous food delivery apps published every second, the competition will become intense. 

The food delivery sector is anticipated to generate revenue of around $24 billion in 2026 and $1.8 trillion in 2028, a considerable surge in the figures. 

If you are an enthusiast looking to kickstart your food delivery business, you are on the right page. The food delivery market is not just growing but also becoming more competitive. You need to break new ground and bring something unique to the table to stand out. 

Choose to build a food delivery app like Postmates that sells groceries, retail purchases, office supplies, and other convenience items, meeting last-minute needs. This versatility makes it stand out in a crowd. Thus, you can blaze a trail holding the caliber that can drive a wider customer base and boost order frequency, opening the doors wide for seamless business growth. 

Let’s sail into this blog post and discuss how to build an app like Postmates, benefits, features to consider, monetization strategies, and every essential aspect that can help you surface with a successful solution. 

What is a Food Delivery App Like Postmates?

A food delivery app like Postmates bridges the gap between restaurants and other vendors, easing food ordering and the delivery of various other goods on demand. 

Postmates witnessed about 2.7 million visits in the US to its website as recorded in January 2024

With useful options for real-time order tracking, easy pick-up or no-contact delivery, and more, the food delivery app is grasping recognition, increased global reach, and improved brand visibility. 

How does a Food Delivery App Like Postmates work?

Postmates connects restaurants, customers, and couriers to provide a flawless on-demand experience: 

Customer Side

1. Browse & Order

Users browse their favorite restaurants and food stores and their dishes or menus within the app. They can search by applying filters per their choice, such as the type of cuisine, distance, or specific items, and add their picks to their carts.

2. Checkout & Payment

After customizing their food orders or other essentials, users proceed to the checkout page. They securely pay via integrated payment modes, such as digital wallets and credit cards. 

3. Real-time Delivery Tracking

The app shows the estimated delivery time and lets users track their orders in real-time on the provided map. 

4. Delivery & Review

On the arrival of orders, users get them and can rate and write their experience with the restaurant, food quality, and delivery. 

Restaurant Side

1. Order Management

On the other edge of the app, the restaurants receive orders through the app, confirm them, and prepare the food. 

2. Courier Pickup

When the order is ready, the restaurants hand the orders to the assigned courier service. The restaurants and couriers can communicate directly through the app, streamlining the order pickup process. 

3. Payment & Reconciliation

Restaurants receive payments via the app system, deducting the platform fees (if any). Using the app, they can manage their revenue and reconcile the orders.  

Courier Side

1. Order Acceptance

Independent contractors serve as delivery drivers. They use the app to check the available delivery jobs and accept them based on their preferences, location, and potential earnings. 

2. Pickup & Delivery

The courier picks up the order from the specified restaurant and delivers it to the mentioned customer’s location. The app helps the courier easily navigate to the customer’s place and facilitates communication between both parties.

3. Payment & Earnings

Couriers receive payment for completed order deliveries, deducting platform fees. The app flawlessly manages their revenue and payout schedules. 

The Platform’s Role

The app platform is a facilitator that connects customers, restaurants, and couriers and ensures seamless transactions. By charging a commission on every order, the platform generates revenue for the services it offers. 

The platform also manages functionalities like:

• Matching Orders & Couriers
• Real-time Tracking
• Communication & Support

This is how the food delivery app Postmates works. 

Benefits of Building an App Like Postmates 

Let’s dig deeper to know why you should choose the development of food delivery apps like Postmates. 

Benefits for Users

• Save Time and Effort: A food delivery app saves customers time and effort by offering them easy access to numerous restaurants and stores.
  
• Increased Choices: Customers can come up with their choice of food from a wide range of options offered by their favorite restaurants and cuisines.
  
• Real-time Tracking & Transparency: The app allows customers to track their orders in real-time, allowing them to check their delivery progress and expected arrival times.
  
• Secure and Smooth Payment Modes: The app offers safe and easy payment options, diminishing the need for users to hunt for cash at the time of delivery.
  
• Review & Recommendation System: Check the review and rating section to make informed choices accordingly for restaurants and stores.
  

Benefits for Businesses (Restaurants & Stores)

• Streamlined Order Management: Offers a simplified system for receiving, handling, and tracking order delivery electronically.
  
• Increased Sales and Revenue: Expand customer base and reach new customers who have yet to visit their physical location.
  
• Marketing and Customer Engagement: Offers a platform to market their special offers and menu launch and engage directly with customers.
  
• Customer Data and Valuable Insights: It offers easy access to customer data and ordering patterns, helping restaurants and stores optimize their promotions and offerings.
  
• Diminished Operational Costs: There is no need to hire in-house delivery staff, which reduces restaurant operational costs. 

We mentioned the benefits of separately building a food delivery app like Postmates for customers and businesses to let you better understand the possible revenue streams. 

Must-Have Features For Developing A Food Delivery App Like Postmates

While you build an app like Postmates, you need to incorporate the basic features for every app user to make your solution useful for all. 

For Customers

For Restaurants/Stores

For Courier 

These were the must-have features you could consider while developing a food delivery app like Postmates, segregated per the app users, customers, businesses, and couriers. 

Advanced Features To Consider For Food Delivery App Development Like Postmates

After you find your app expanding and generating the expected revenue, you should add advanced features to keep your app ahead of the curve, meeting trending needs with modern technologies. 

Step-by-step Process For Food Delivery App Development Like Postmates

To build an app like Postmates, you need to ensure that your project stays on track and leads to the development of an anticipated product that meets your core vision. 

We have unveiled the food delivery app development process that you must follow sequentially to create an app like Postmates and unlock varied revenue streams. 

1. Market Research & Planning

First and foremost, you should conduct deep food delivery market research to know what’s trending, analyze your competitor’s strategy, notice their strengths and weaknesses, and surface with a unique plan that can let you take your business a step ahead of others. 

Create a blueprint for your app’s features, functionalities, target audience, and what you want your app to achieve. 

2. App Design & Prototyping

Create panels for each user, the customers, restaurants/stores, and couriers, ensuring an intuitive experience with a user-friendly interface. 

Craft app prototypes to witness its functionalities and accumulate user feedback for interactive enhancements. 

3. Technology Stack Selection

Choose the apt technologies to develop a food delivery app like Postmates. It may include programming languages, frameworks, front-end and back-end tools, location services, database solutions, and more. Remember to consider your app needs to save you from any issue because of a wrong pick later. 

4. Development & Integration

Now, using the tech stack you chose, build your app’s core functionalities across every platform (customer, courier, and restaurant). Integrate payment gateways, real-time communication, push notification features and every functionality you initially planned. 

5. Testing & Quality Assurance (QA)

Now that you have a fully developed food delivery app, it’s time to conduct rigorous testing to identify the issues (if any) and fix them, ensuring it runs seamlessly and offers an improved user experience. Check the compatibility across different devices and operating systems and confirm a glitch-free and secure app set for launch. 

6. Deployment & Launch

Deploy your app following the guidelines on the respective app stores for which you built a food delivery app like Postmates. Once approved, your app will be launched for the end users. 

7. Maintenance & Updates

After your app launches, you will receive reviews and ratings from users who have tried it. Your job is to work on that feedback and ensure users get what they expect from the app. 

With time, consistently upgrade your app with security patches, add new features, and keep your app well-maintained even after the launch. 

You learned about the food delivery app development process, following which you can build an app that can thrive in the market and drive increased revenue.  

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

If you plan to build an app for food delivery services, you want to know how much it costs to build an app like Postmates. Mobile app development considers several factors during the building phase. The average cost to build an on-demand food delivery app ranges from $20,000 – $200,000 and rises as per the complexity and features clients demand.

Numerous factors affect the cost of developing an app like Postmates. To know the estimations, read the considerations below: 

1. Design 

The cost of UX/UI design affects the entire app development cost. The more complex visual effects you need in the application, the more time it will take. At this moment, the more time it takes, the more clients have to pay. 

2. Development 

The development stage includes many things, like listing the features, adding the functionalities, adjusting the UI elements, and much more. If the app is too complex during development, it will also cost more. 

3. Quality Testing 

There are a number of developers who charge separate costs for quality testing. If you are getting the application quality tested, it might cost you more than usual. 

4. Post-Deployment Cost 

Clients expect post-deployment support and maintenance, which will also add extra cost for the project. If you want to take support services after the application launch for 3-6 months, it will also demand additional costs. 

5. Cost as per Hourly, Monthly, or Project and Location 

The on-demand food delivery app development companies charge costs for the project according to hourly, monthly, or for the entire project in a moment. Therefore, the cost depends on the developer’s charges and location; every location also costs differently. 

Top 5 Alternative Apps of Postmates

Convenience is key in the world of delivery apps and companies. Consumers have a plethora of options, each offering unique benefits. Among these, Postmates has been popular for on-demand delivery services. However, several other apps provide similar or even superior services. Here, we explore five top alternatives to Postmates: Grubhub and DoorDash.

1. GrubHub

GrubHub is the fastest and most convenient way to get food at home. It is one of the best food delivery apps, ensuring great meals from the best nearby restaurants at your doorstep. Customers can search for their favorite cuisines, great menus, and excellent nearby restaurants. Get what you are exactly looking for through GrubHub. 

2. DoorDash

DoodDash is an excellent food delivery app service provider that delivers everything you crave. Customers also get free delivery on DashPass orders, 5% back on pickup orders, and many other offers. Additionally, the application works on the grocery delivery service concept. So, it is a complete package for your day-to-day services. Avail it now. 

3. GoPuff

GoPuff works on the mission to bring new customers. The application believes in constantly serving new innovative services so that customers will receive much better service and the app will grow rapidly in the market. Customer service is available to update and serve clients whenever they need food delivery services. Although the drivers are professionals and take orders safely from clients. 

4. Deliveroo

Deliveroo is a food delivery app that ensures you quickly get your favorite meals at your doorstep. By partnering with nearby restaurants, Deliveroo offers both pick-up and delivery options, making it convenient and efficient. The app provides real-time updates on your order status, ensuring timely delivery. With a wide range of restaurant options, Deliveroo caters to various tastes and preferences, making it easy to enjoy delicious food without leaving home.

5. Seamless

Powered by Grubhub, Seamless is an online food delivery service that delivers food from local spots and national chains and also meets grocery deliveries. Customers can opt for the pick-up option at their ease. The food delivery app offers $0 delivery fees to eligible delivery orders from Grubhub+ merchants. 

Factors to Consider Before Postmates Kind of App Development 

If anyone wants to build an app like Postmates, then a few factors are mandatory to consider which are:

1. Do In-Depth Market Research 

Before you start building or connecting with the development team, it is important to research and evaluate the market. You must know what the market is demanding, the targeted audience, and how the food supply chain works, and an overall understanding of the entire functioning is what is required the most. It is better to analyze the concept of food delivery apps to build your own application better than competitors. 

2. Find Something Innovative and Unique from On-Going Market Standards 

You must know what exclusive and quality features you can add to the application. The client should discuss his ideas and vision with the app development team and also find some innovative and unique things to make their application stand out in the market. Come up with unique features and functionalities that make your on-demand food delivery apps stand out in the market with a strong establishment. 

3. Keep the Current Market Trends in Mind 

It is the most important thing, but people often do not focus on that. Remember what current trends are going on and what other tech trends we could involve to make it worth using. Try to find what new trends to add to your application, like AR or VR, Customization, AI ChatBot, speech technologies, voice recognition, and much more. 

Technologies Required To Build an App Like PostMates 

To develop an app like Postmates, you must choose the right technology stack that incorporates the required programming languages, frameworks, APIs, and other technologies. 

We have curated a table below: 

The technologies we showcased can help you build an app, but ensure you check your project needs while choosing a tech stack. 

Monetization Strategies for Food Delivery Apps Like Postmates

When building a food delivery app for business expansion, it is very important to consider its monetization. Dive into the demonstrations to learn about different monetization methods. 

1. Delivery Charges

The application charges a certain amount for every delivery. The percentage is fixed and depends upon the delivery cost, location, distance, etc. Postmates can make money from the delivery cost by fixing a specific percentage of the total amount. 

2. Collaboration with Other Restaurants and Cafes 

When your application promotes other restaurants and cafes, it demands a certain amount to promote them. The promotional cost is a way to monetize the application. 

3. Advertising 

Entrepreneurs can use advertising monetization methods, in which they must be careful and keep in touch with the food-related business only. The advertising business should relate to food delivery or other food services. 

4. Provide Premium Version in a Certain Amount 

You can set your application in two ways: free and paid. Add some extra or additional features in the paid version, and call it premium. The other features and functionality in the secondary paid version will act as a super-efficient monetization method for the business. 

How Can EmizenTech Help Develop a Food Delivery App like Postmates?

Building an app like Postmates demands considerable years of expertise and experience. 

You must choose EmizenTech to develop your food delivery app. It’s a one-stop shop with the required proficiency and aims to provide an enhanced user experience. 

Key Highlights of Hiring EmizenTech for Food Delivery Apps Like Postmates:

• Mobile App Development Expertise
• Experience in App Development for the Food Industry
• Aim at Customer Satisfaction
• Communicate and Collaborate Smoothly
• Competitive Pricing
• On-time Delivery
• Faster Time to Market
• Follow Agile Approach

Connect with a mobile app development company to convert your notion into a real product that can position your app among competitors in the food delivery market.

Conclusion 

In the end, let’s quickly recap what we have learned today. After reading this post, you will better understand Postmates, how to develop such an app, features to include, budget to fix, timeframe to decide, monetization strategies to unlock new revenue streams, and more. 

If you have a technical background, you can kickstart your food delivery app development project today. But, while running your business, you also have to manage other valuable tasks that can drive your venture to success. 

You can hire a team of developers who can guide you on an appropriate journey to transform your vision into a real solution. 

Frequently Asked Questions