How Much Does It Cost to Build an App Like Strava?

As interest in health and fitness grows, so does interest in health and fitness apps. Users can use apps like Strava to monitor their stats when running or cycling. Not only can it track fitness progress, but it enables users to connect with like-minded individuals, creating a community.

Strava has seen nearly 50% growth in recent years, from $34 million USD in 2017 to $72 million USD in 2020. That success makes it a model to follow. If you want to succeed by developing your own fitness tracking app like Strava, it’s important to consider the cost of developing the Strava app.

If you already know what Strava is, how it works, and what it can be used for, we recommend you skip the intro and go to the section, “How Much Does It Cost to Build an App Like Strava?”

Now, let’s dig deeper.

What is Strava, and Why is it So Viral?

Strava is a fitness-oriented social media app popular among cyclists and runners. Users can find new routes, upload their own routes, track and analyze their fitness levels, and log their performance data. Strava also includes leaderboards where users can compare their performance with others over the same segments of a ride or run.

Strava’s focus on the athletic community and competitive features have made it not only adored, but wildly successful — as of the end of 2021, it has 95 million users, and 37 million uploads a week.

According to Statista, in April 2021, Strava had accumulated around $5.1 million USD in annual revenue.

Essential Features of Strava

Here are some of the remarkable features that led to 1.8 billion uploads on Strava in 2021:

Leaderboards

This social component motivates users to take action, whether they want to achieve status by winning or to avoid coming in last.

Challenges

To maximize user engagement, Strava hosts regular challenges. For example, a team of people can dare to run a distance of 50 miles (ca. 80 km), or an individual can complete a weekly or monthly goal. The app tracks users’ progress and rewards them with achievement badges once they complete a challenge. Some brands who sponsor challenges even offer other prizes to participants, such as discounts on their products.

Progress Bars

Strava’s progress bars are a gamification tool that drives user app engagement. With this feature, users can track their weekly, monthly, and annual goals on their profiles. Live tracking is also a feature for running, hiking, or cycling tours.

Gear Tracker

The gear tracking feature allows users to log their gear, allowing users to manage and retire their shoes, bicycles, and bicycle components. For example, Strava can send runners a push notification they hit the customizable mile marker for their shoes to retire.

Strava Integrations

All exercise activities can be tracked on Strava, including running, cycling, walking and swimming activities. Strava’s API allows users to link third party apps such as PureGym, Digme and Mindbody to their Strava account. The apps will automatically sync, meaning users can track everything in one place.

Route Builder

The Strava route builder feature lets users create running, cycling, or walking routes, which can then be shared with friends or downloaded to any GPS compatible device. Additionally, Strava pulls data from its members’ uploads to show other users the most popular routes. This is a great way to explore new areas.

Art on Strava

It’s not exactly a feature, but perhaps most athletes have not thought about using Strava to create artwork. The artist Gary Cordery and others create artworks by logging routes to create an image on the map. For example, Strava has entrusted Gary Cordery with reproducing a masterpiece of the Berlin Wall.

Perceived Exertion Measurement

Performance-oriented cyclists often use the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) to measure physical activity intensity. RPE on Strava is measured on a scale of 1-10, ranging from “Easy” to “Max Effort,” allowing users to track how difficult a workout feels and select the optimal program.

How Much Does It Cost to Build an App Like Strava?

The cost of developing an app like Strava can range from $30,500 for one platform (iOS or Android) to $170,000+ for an advanced application with versions for multiple operating systems.

To make a fitness app like Strava, your app development team should consist of at least:

• Business analyst
• Project manager
• UI/UX designer
• iOS developer
• Android developer
• Backend developer
• Frontend developer
• QA engineer

Of course, this is an approximate estimation, and the final app development cost will depend on the scale and specifics of the project.

However, if you find these prices high, there are some ways to reduce the expenses associated with app development. In the article “How to Cut App Development Costs Without Losing Quality,” you will find some tips and tricks on how to develop a cost-effective fitness app.

Why Invest in Fitness App Development?

According to a Grand View Research report, the fitness app market was valued at $4.4 billion USD in 2020, and it is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 21.4% from 2021 to 2028.

So, why should you invest in fitness app development? As you can see from statistics, the demand for fitness apps is growing. People are actively looking for mobile apps when it comes for consuming services.

Fitness apps have proven their potential and effectiveness not only for customers, but also for businesses. Let’s take a look at some key benefits that can be gained from fitness app development:

• Develop a marketing tool to smartly promote your business. One of the key purposes of any business is to engage customers and keep their interest in provided services. Tools such as push notifications can be used in a fitness app to help you increase customer engagement by an average of 88%.
• Increase app engagement and user retention. People love to have a variety of ways to consume products or services. So, providing them with only one option is just not enough. For example, if your business already has a great website for its products, people could engage with it even more if they had the option to use all its features on a mobile app as well.
• Build a stronger brand. One of the most important things an app offers to consumers is awareness of and communication with your brand. Through that regular interaction with your target market, you’re fostering trust and community. The more your audience trusts you, the more likely they’ll be to listen to later sales pitches and even commit to your brand.
• Track customer actions for better understanding trends. Mobile apps allow businesses to track clients’ interests in a convenient way. Furthermore, mobile apps with social media features enable businesses to receive updates on customers’ lifestyles and habits, and for customers to feel more connected with the company.

Ready to Race?

As top fitness apps continue making incredible profits, developing an app like Strava could be a good move.

However, creating a great fitness app is tricky: it should be original, contain all the necessary features, and perform smoothly.

The development cost also matters. For instance, adding additional specific features brings additional costs. Therefore, if your budget is tight, the best solution would be to develop a minimal viable product (MVP) first. Then, if the app performs well, additional features can be added.

Fitness apps are great investments, both in terms of monetization and self-gratification. So, don’t give up. Be patient enough to follow the basic steps of fitness app development.

If you have more questions about creating an app like Strava or want to hire professional software developers to help you create a successful app for your business, feel free to contact us.