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How Much Does It Cost to Build a Website or App Like YouTube?

How Much Does It Cost to Build a Website or App Like YouTube?

YouTube has completely revolutionized the way we used to watch videos erstwhile. There is no need to carry videos on hard discs, CDs, pan drives, and other devices. Plugin your laptop or computer, connect with the internet, and watch live videos on YouTube. Streaming movies, songs, and videos on the go is now a matter of just a few taps on your mobile screen, thanks to YouTube. The success this platform has enjoyed, since its advent, is much deserved and continually increasing as there is hardly any competition for this amazing online video playing platform.

Generating Revenue in Billions of Dollars Since Launch

Launched in 2005, YouTube has become the largest global online platform for video lovers across the globe. You get to watch a whole lot of corporate and user-generated stuff including music videos, TV clips, and whatnot. Short videos, educational videos, gaming videos, instructional videos, video blogs, DIY videos, and more – you name it and YouTube has it in store for you. While most of the content you see on this platform is available for free, the content is protected by copyright and other regional restrictions.

If we go by international statistics, about 27% of global internet users viewed YouTube at least once every day. In the US alone, about 57% of YouTube users follow different brands, businesses, celebs, and social blogs through this amazing platform. While the app was launched with the aim of sharing some funny, useful, interesting, and informative videos, it has become a platform for businesses to reach out to their tech-savvy customers across all nooks and corners of the globe. People in the cities, towns, suburbs, villages, and all parts of the world, where the internet is accessible, are aware of YouTube and use it. Over the past years, YouTube has emerged as a powerful and immensely popular tool among businesses, entrepreneurs, trainers, teachers, and individuals as a powerful tool for making money online. More than 2 bn. people are logged-in almost every month. In 2018 itself, net video ad revenue generated by YouTube had crossed 3.36 bn. US dollars.

Thanks to the increasing availability of newer and more powerful mobile devices, videos on YouTube are being consumed at an incredibly fast pace. Inspired by the success of YouTube, many entrepreneurs and individuals are considering building a similar app but most don’t proceed with the idea because of the cost concern associated with it. One motivation you should have here is all businesses that are enjoying success today were initially startups. Thankfully, the same technology that powers YouTube is available to you. In other words, you have an excellent opportunity to write your own success story.

Are you also considering developing such an app for sharing videos?

If yes, this blog is a must-read for you. In this post, I’ve tried to cover everything right from how to create an app like YouTube, how much does it cost to create an app like YouTube, and more. Developing an app is not easy as many factors need your consideration such as the cost, putting a team together for the job, project management, and server issues to name a few.

Things you need to plan for a successful YouTube-like app

  • Prepare a note of the high-level goals you intend to achieve.
  • Enlist minimum features that you want in your YouTube-like app.
  • Draft a sketch of the app (you want to create like YouTube).
  • Work on the backend with the team you hired for the job.
  • Do front-end coding to ensure your app’s façade looks impressive.
  • Seek feedback from users, publish and start promoting your app among potential users.

Want to build an app like YouTube but not sure how much will it cost?

The cost you may have to incur for developing an app like YouTube will depend majorly upon the features you want and design elements you include and exclude, among other factors. But before I tell you what budget you will need to set aside for the purpose, it is important to share a few tips to help you save your money on development.

  • Don’t start with coding

  • Enlist minimum features you want, e.g.

    • Search videos

    • Playlist

    • Sharing on social media

    • Remote/ drag & drop video upload

    • Push notifications and many more

    • Ask for responsive design

    • Chalk out a model to monetize your app

    • Ensure multi-tiered security

  • Design the app

  • Don’t go for Android/iOS app development simultaneously

  • Build the backend of your app

  • It’s time for frontend coding

  • Get feedback from users

  • Start promotion

Go for Hybrid App Development Approach for Creating MVP

In comparison to native apps, hybrid apps tend to be quite cheaper. Furthermore, hybrid apps can work offline and visuals are also much better in comparison to web apps.

 How much will it cost?

The answer may not be as simple as you thought as the cost varies on your specifications & requirements plus the developer or the mobile app development company you choose for the job. As per an estimate, the cost of creating a YouTube-like app may fall anywhere between $6000 to $12000 or more. To get a better idea of how much money you will need if you want such an app built for your business, you may get in touch with the mobile app development experts at appbiz360. Call us for a detailed discussion or feel free to chat with our support staff to initiate the discussion.

To cut the long story short, hiring the local developers in the USA could be the best bet for you if you live or have a business in the USA. However, other options are also there. You may outsource the work to offshore developers to bring the cost of development drastically down. Alternately, you may choose to hire a freelance mobile app developer in the USA or elsewhere with sound knowledge and hands-on experience of developing Android, iOS, and hybrid apps. The cost will mostly depend on your requirement and the developer you choose to assign the task.

Disclaimer: The information in this blog has been sourced from reliable online platforms. The blog has been composed only for information and cannot be considered as a draft or document of the exact or estimated cost for developing an app.

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