How much does it cost to develop an eLearning app?

Introduction

The education sector has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of advancements in the world of technology. Increased handset and mobile internet penetration have further pushed a trend of e-learning mobile apps that facilitate easy access to education. The advent of the coronavirus further brought e-learning apps out in all their glory and encouraged more people to adopt them as a viable medium for continuous learning. In fact, the Mobile learning market is estimated to cross $78.5 billion worldwide by 2025. It is no surprise that numerous organizations across the globe are choosing e-learning apps as a medium to deliver their educational content to keen learners.

 

Promatics is a renowned app development company working out innovative app solutions for our clients. Our team of app developers have distinct domain expertise in the field of e-learning and have built numerous mobile apps that provide quick access to information, beautify the teaching process, and connect learners and teachers seamlessly.

 

If you are a business looking to build an e-learning app, read ahead to find out how much it costs to develop one.

 

Types of E-learning Models and Approach

 

I. Synchronous E-learning Apps

Apps built under the synchronous e-learning model allow real-time communication between the tutor and the student. Asynchronous e-learning app thus features innovative engagement options like virtual classrooms, webinars, shared whiteboards and scheduled online examinations, etc. These apps connect tutors and students virtually so that doubts can be resolved in a streamlined fashion. They also encourage virtual collaborations and interactions between students. Users often love the way they can enjoy classroom-like experiences from remote locations.

 

II. Asynchronous E-learning Apps

Apps built under the asynchronous eLearning model allow learning without any real-time simultaneous virtual presence of learners and tutors. Such apps allow teachers to share the course material with the convenience of learners to engage in self-paced learning. As opposed to synchronous apps, these apps offer a more flexible engagement option for both learners and tutors, without any need for direct dependence on each other. Asynchronous eLearning apps however feature message boards and discussion forums to enhance the overall learning experience.

 

Must Have Features of an E-learning App

An e-learning app can have various users, for example, students, teachers, and admins. Here we discuss primary features that an e-learning app must have to engage these three kinds of stakeholders:

 

 

Technology Stack Required to Develop an E-learning App

 

Cloud Data Storage

It’s best to store data on cloud services like AWS.

 

Database

Developers will create various tables and enter the details accordingly. Popular choices are MongoDB, Oracle, Hadoop and MS-SQL.

 

Frontend Development

For front-end iOS development, Swift and Flutter make a perfect choice. However, for front-end Android development, Android studio (Kotlin), Flutter or React Native are good options.

 

UI/UX

UI/UX includes all the aspects of designing right from the wireframes to the related images and icons. It also includes drafting the perfect user experience. E.g., Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Figma, Sketch for Mobile applications.

 

 

Analytics

Analytics can be integrated depending on the requirements of the business. E.g., mixpanel, flurry or Google Analytics.

 

Payment Gateways

An efficient in-app payment method requires integrating multiple payment gateways. E.g., Credit/Debit Cards, e-wallet, PayPal, Net-banking and Stripe.

 

Video Streaming

To integrate video streaming, e-learning businesses can use services like twilio, tokbox, Agora.io, Pubnub and webRTC.

 

 

New App Development Trends to Watch Out for In the World of E-learning

 

A.) Leaderboard Integration

The learning world has evolved into a competitive space for learners and teachers alike. It helps both learners and teachers be better at what they do. Incorporating the leaderboard feature into the eLearning app is a great way to motivate users to be better at what they do.

 

B.) In-app Payment for Courses

An e-learning app must allow learners to purchase various courses and training material from the app without having to leave the app interface. Businesses must also include multiple payment options in the app based on the courses and material available.

 

C.) Interactive Learning

Including interactive concepts like activities, games, and exercises into an e-learning app enhances user involvement on the app. It sustains the user’s interest for a prolonged span of time.

 

 

 

D.) Video Streaming

To drive user engagement on the e-learning app, video streaming functionality needs to be built into it. It will help the learners connect with tutors through live classrooms and webinars and help with better retention of the learning experience.

 

E.) Collaborative Learning

Upcoming e-learning apps must feature file-sharing functionalities for multiple learners and tutors. It can facilitate the exchange of notes and other documents so that doubts can be solved conveniently. Additionally, a discussion forum can connect learners and encourage them to share ideas and collaborate.

 

F.) E-learning Analytics

Help tutors gain valuable insights into the areas where learners can improve through e-learning analytics. Collectively looking at the learning outcomes from analytics also brings us to assessing the teaching proficiency of a teacher. End results can be a reduction in the user drop ratio, brushing up of training material and so much more. E-learning brings out the outcomes in a highly visual manner, all measured against various performance metrics.

 

G.) Learning Through Gamification

Gamification of the process of learning can beautify it for the benefit of students and teachers alike. It can spike the engagement and retention rates on an e-learning app.

 

How Much Does it Cost to Develop an E-learning App?

 

The actual cost of building an eLearning app various based on factors like:

 

i.) The complexity of the app structure.

ii.) Total no of features integrated into it.

iii.) Nature of the app. Native or Hybrid.

iv.) Third-party APIs integrated into the app.

v.) Country of app development. App development cost is $100-$250 per hour in North America but only $80-$180 in Europe. App development cost in India ranges between $18-$25.

 

If you are wondering, how many hours will it take to build an e-learning app, here is a rough estimate:

 

a.) User Login Integrations

Typically, user login integration takes up to 60-70 hours and allows sign up and login screen integration into the app through frontend and backend development. Social media logins make the UX of the app user friendly and take slightly longer.

 

b.) Payment Gateway Integrations

It is best to Integrate multiple payment gateways like net banking, wallets, credit and debit cards, and other modes of payment into an e-learning app. This may take anywhere between 80 to 90 hours.

 

c.) Chat

Building a chatting feature in an eLearning app may take up to 300 hours and often involves provision for screen navigation and socket coding in both front as well as backend. Integrating a chatbot, however, takes more time.

 

d.) Push Notifications

Allowing the e-learning app to publish push notifications takes around 40-50 hours. However, it is an important feature that must not be overlooked.

 

e.) Offline Mode

E-learning apps with offline mode make the learning material available to a learner even when they do not enjoy any access to the internet. Integrating offline mode features into an app takes 150-200 hours.

 

f.) Real Time Video Streaming

It takes around 200 hours for a developer to integrate real-time video streaming into an app.

 

In the end, it’s fair to conclude that all these figures are simple estimates about the time incurred and are likely to vary depending on the complexity of the features that a developer is building. The total amount of time taken to build an app and the hourly rate of app development agreed upon between the business and the app development team spells the cost incurred to develop an e-learning app. Businesses must also count in various associated post-development costs like bug fixes, app store publishing fees, app maintenance, and hosting fee charges too.

 

In the End

Hiring an experienced app development agency can provide the necessary domain expertise coupled with coding prowess to realize your dream of launching and running an e-learning mobile app. It’s important to ascertain that the development partner you choose has a good reputation and deploys a robust team to ensure a successful e-learning app product.

 

We at Promatics are a team with more than a decade of experience in building popular apps for example e-learning apps. During the onset of COVID-19, one of our remotely situated clients wanted an app that can help their students in attending live interactions with the teachers, albeit safely. Our team of expert app developers built a synchronous e-learning app with multiple features to connect both learners and teachers virtually. The final app product featured a live-video chatting option, in-app chat, webinar tab in addition to basics like document sharing, quizzes, and leader board. Using our app the students were able to stick to their curriculum even when they were locked down inside their homes. App also promised greater engagement as they could easily submit their homework online.

 

Are you also an educational business, looking to develop an e-learning app? Write to us!