In-Depth Guide for Building an App like Dubizzle in Dubai

app development cost in UAE

February 3, 2025

Reading time about 6 minutes

In today’s digital age, online marketplaces have transformed how we buy and sell goods worldwide. UAE is witnessing tremendous growth in eCommerce and online marketplaces. The market of online classifieds itself is growing every year. The research conducted in 2023 shows that the market size is estimated to exceed $741.47 Bn by 2032, with a compound growth rate of 24.8%. 

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The increasing demand shows the immense capability of classified apps like Dubizzle, which is known for its user-friendly interface and a huge range of listings. If you are planning to build an app like Dubizzle, understanding the features and the app development cost in UAE is a must.

Let’s explore some of the main factors impacting the cost of creating a classified app such as Dubizzle.

1. Plan and Research

One of the initial steps in the development process is to conduct thorough research to come up with a plan that outlines the project scope, business objectives, target audience, and essential features. This can be done through market analysis, competitor research, and the study of user behavior. This pre-development strategy can cost around 10k AED to 20k AED.

2. App Design

Another important aspect to make the app successful is the appealing design, which is why mobile app developers in Dubai pay special attention to design. It is also crucial to deliver an intuitive and user-friendly experience, which is mandatory for apps like Dubizzle.

For great design, many steps include wireframe creation, UI/UX design, and prototyping, which helps to attract and retain customers. The cost of basic UI/UX design can come around 20k AED to 35k AED, whereas interactive advanced design can come between 35k AED and 70k AED. The cost will vary based on design complexity, number of screens, etc.

3. App Development

This phase is where the developers start working by writing the code to bring the app to life. Building an app like Dubizzle needs both backend and frontend functionality, taking care of the databases, implementing user management systems, and implementing features like smart search filters, product listings, chat systems, secure payment gateways, etc.

Talking about the cost to create an app based on the development type, basic MVP development with simple features will cost around 150k AED to 200k AED. Mid-level app development with advanced features will cost between 200k AED and 350k AED. On the other hand, top-level development with high-end features will cost more, which can be around 350k AED to 500k AED.

4. Third-Party Integration

Building classified apps such as Dubizzle involves third-party integration for multiple functionalities such as payment gateways, social media integration, analytics, geolocation services, etc. These integrations help to ensure a seamless user experience with secure transactions and real-time updates. However, third-party services come with a cost of around 20k AED to 50k AED.

5. App Testing & Deployment

Another important step in the app development process is to test the app rigorously to ensure that it runs seamlessly without any issues. This includes functional testing, performance testing, security testing, and user acceptance testing (UAT). Apart from that, the app needs to be deployed into their respective app stores, i.e., Google Play for Android apps and Apple App Store for iOS apps. After testing, the apps need to comply with their app store guidelines.

The development cost also gets impacted from the testing and deployment part of the app, where the cost covers both manual and automated testing across multiple devices as well as the deployment cost for making the apps live on app stores. For the testing part, the cost will be between 20k AED and 60k AED, and for marketing purposes, the cost will be 10k AED to 30k AED.

6. App Maintenance

The app development cost doesn’t end with its launch. That is why the cost for continuous maintenance and support is also needed, which are crucial to fixing bugs, building new features, and keeping up with OS updates. To keep your app successful in the long run, it is important to offer ongoing support, making the app functional, secure, and updated with evolving user needs. The maintenance and updates cost over the year may come around 10k AED to 30k AED per month.

Must-Have Features for Building an App Like Dubizzle

  • Registration of User

This feature is important to onboard users in your app, allowing them to sign up using different means such as email, phone number, or social media account.

  • Secure Payments

For building a classified app, a secure payment gateway must be integrated to provide seamless transactions through payment options like credit cards, debit cards, PayPal, and other methods that promote secure transactions.

  • Search Filters

Ensure that you integrate a robust search engine aligned with smart filtering options, which will help users find exactly what they are looking for. The filters can be based on different factors such as price, location, category, brand, etc.

  • Ratings & Reviews

Another important feature that should not be ignored is allowing users to give ratings and reviews to both buyers and sellers, which will help to build credibility on your app, similar to Dubizzle.

  • Listing

The user should be able to post ads with all the relevant details, images, and descriptions without any issues and categorize the listings based on pricing options, contact details, etc.

  • Notifications

Push notification functionality in your app will keep users engaged and informed about new offers, price drops, and responses, keeping them updated on their listings.

Final Thoughts

In the end, we can say that building classified apps like Dubizzle is a great idea, but it requires careful planning, a well-planned development process, and a strong focus on user experience. Ensure that you go through the factors that impact the development cost of the app, similar to Dubizzle, and choose the right features with suitable app monetization approaches to build a successful app.

Being a renowned app development company in Dubai, Clavax holds expertise in building cutting-edge mobile app development solutions across various industry verticals. With a team of experienced app developers, designers, and project managers, our team can help you in every app development phase, from the initial app concept to the successful launch. Get in touch with Clavax today to build a customized classified app like Dubizzle in Dubai.

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