The short answer
From £2,999 for a launched ordering app on both platforms. The relevant comparison is not against an agency quote, it is against what you pay in platform commission every month.
The payback sum
| Example | Yours | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly platform orders | 400 | ___ |
| Average order value | £22 | ___ |
| Commission rate | 27% | ___ |
| Monthly commission paid | £2,376 | ___ |
| Build cost, one-off | From £2,999 | ___ |
| Months to break even, if you moved every order | About 1.3 | ___ |
What you get for the money
Starter App
Launch fast£3,999£2,999
For small and medium businesses ready to launch their first app.
- iOS & Android app
- User login & accounts
- Push notifications
- Admin dashboard
- 14 day delivery
Advanced App
Built to scale£6,999£5,999
For advanced apps with complex and heavier customer usage.
- All starter app features
- Complex app logic
- AI and blockchain features
- Security audits
- 14 day delivery
The ongoing costs, honestly
- Card processing, roughly 1.5% to 3% per transaction. Real, but a fraction of 27%.
- Hosting, small at typical restaurant volumes.
- Apple Developer Program, about £79 a year. Google Play, about £20 once.
- No commission. No per-order fee. No revenue share.
What a restaurant app should not try to do
More on the commission arithmetic.
Common questions
How much does a restaurant app cost in the UK?
From £2,999 for a launched ordering app on iOS and Android with accounts, notifications, and an admin dashboard. Agencies typically quote £15,000 to £40,000 for the same category of product.
What are the ongoing costs?
Card processing at roughly 1.5% to 3%, hosting which is small at typical restaurant volumes, and the Apple and Google developer fees. No commission, and no per-order charge.
How long before it pays for itself?
Take your monthly platform orders times average order value times commission rate. Divide the build cost by that monthly saving. For most independents doing steady volume the answer is months rather than years.