How to develop a cooking app

For some, cooking is an exciting hobby, for others it is a tedious routine. But the only thing that can be said with confidence is that cooking is an integral part of our lives.

But sooner or later, ideas dry up and the question arises: “What to cook for dinner?” And in this case, cooking applications come to the rescue.

They provide users with new ideas, recipes, step-by-step cooking help and reviews from real users, which opens up unlimited possibilities for gastronomic experiments. Moreover, such an application is an attractive business idea, because according to analysts’ forecasts, this market will grow at an average annual rate of 14% in the near future. How to develop and monetize a mobile application for recipes – we tell you in this article.

Cooking apps make cooking more convenient, fun, and varied. In fact, they can be considered as one of the options for implementing social networks, only with a gastronomic accent. Let’s look at some of the advantages that make such solutions so popular:

• Recipes and instructions. The apps provide access to thousands of recipes with detailed cooking instructions. This makes it easy to find new and interesting dishes to suit each user’s tastes.
• Shopping list. Many cooking apps provide functionality for creating a shopping list based on selected recipes. This helps users organize purchases and minimize “forgetting” needed products.
• Timers and reminders. Built-in timers and reminders help users keep track of cooking times and avoid over-drying, overcooking or burning.

• Dietary and healthy recipes. The apps provide the ability to select recipes to suit dietary preferences and also provide nutritional information.
• Convenience. The ability to use apps on mobile devices makes them convenient for accessing recipes and meal planning anytime, anywhere. In addition, each user can view and add recipes to “Favorites” so as not to lose interesting options and return to them later.
• Updates and new items. The apps are regularly updated to provide users with new recipes, functionality and improved features.

Despite its social slant, a cooking app is first and foremost a business that needs to make money. Its monetization can be implemented in various ways. Here are some popular strategies:

• Advertising. The most common and acceptable way is to place advertisements. There are two main implementation options here: cooperate with advertisers directly or join Google Ads. In the first case, you will determine the format and content of the ads yourself, and in the second, you will entrust this work to Google algorithms. Whichever of these paths you choose, you need to take into account that advertising should fit succinctly into the UI. It should not be allowed to become the cause of a negative user experience.
• Freemium model. Users can use the basic modules of the application for free, but to gain access to premium content, recipes, video tutorials, or to disable advertising, they need to purchase a subscription.
• Affiliate programs and affiliate marketing. You can partner with food manufacturers or culinary brands and earn a commission on sales made through your app.

• Sale of goods and services. You can sell branded cooking tools, books, specialty products, or even participation in cooking classes.
• Data and API licensing. If you have unique data or functionality, you can license it to other culinary resources or integrate your app with other services via APIs and get paid in the process.

The choice of a specific monetization strategy depends on the target audience, the features of the application and your business strategy. It is also important to monitor user feedback and make changes to the business model depending on their needs and preferences.

However, you are not limited to just one strategy. For example, you can simultaneously earn income from advertising, through affiliate programs and through the sale of master classes – this will increase the profitability of the application and create additional resources for further development of the product.

You can approach the development of a culinary mobile application in two ways: create a native application or a cross-platform one. Depending on your goals and priorities, you can choose any of these options, and so that you understand how they differ, let’s look at each of them in more detail.

Native way

In this case, two separate applications are created – separately for iOS and Android. This takes more time, but opens up wide technical possibilities, because in a native application you can implement any desired functions, animations and design elements.

Native apps are also more performant and responsive. They do not force the user to wait for a long time for the request to be processed and produce results almost instantly. This has a huge impact on a person’s attitude towards the product and increases the return rate.

An approximate technology stack for implementing such a solution would look like this:

• For Android: Kotlin or Java languages.
• For iOS: Swift language.
• Server side implementation: PHP, Python, Java or their frameworks.

• UI design: for IOS – UIKit or SwiftUI, and for Android – Jetpack Compose.
• Loopback integration: Twilio or Lumoa.
• Push notifications: Pusher or OneSignal.

Cross-platform method

Some technologies, such as Flutter and React Native, allow you to create one application that runs on both operating systems at once. This can save you a significant chunk of your budget and speed your product to market, but it also comes with some limitations.

But don’t assume that the end result will be a raw and inconvenient product. For example, Instagram, Pinterest, Google Ads, Alibaba and many other famous apps are cross-platform and serve millions of users every day.

The technology stack for developing cross-platform applications differs only in the choice of core technology and tools for interface rendering – instead of UIKit and Jetpack Compose, Figma is most often used here. In other aspects it is the same.

The Culinary App is a space where the passion for cooking intertwines with innovative technology. It helps you not only develop your passion, but also monetize it through various marketing tools.

And if you want to invest in this niche, our team will help you turn any technical ideas into reality. Let’s move from words to action – fill out the form on the website, and after studying your request, we will contact you to discuss the project.