How to Build a Food Delivery App Like Talabat with Advanced Features & Cost

Ramesh Kumawat
3 days ago
6 min read

The food delivery market is growing faster than ever. From busy working professionals to students and families, everyone now prefers ordering meals online instead of waiting in long queues. Apps like Talabat have completely transformed how customers connect with restaurants and get food delivered to their doorstep in minutes.

If you are planning to enter this booming market, the smartest move is to Build a Food Delivery App Like Talabat with advanced features, smart technology, and a scalable business model. But the real question is how do you build it, what features should you include, and how much does it cost?

In this article, we will explore the complete development process, essential and advanced features, the best tech stack, and estimated cost to develop a Talabat-like food delivery app.

Why Talabat is a Successful Food Delivery App

Talabat is one of the leading food delivery platforms in the Middle East. Its success is built on three major factors:

Easy-to-use interface for customers
Wide network of restaurants and vendors
Strong logistics and delivery management

Talabat doesn’t just offer food ordering. It provides a full ecosystem where restaurants can manage orders, customers can track deliveries, and drivers can receive real-time tasks.

If you want to build a similar platform, you must focus on creating a complete marketplace app, not just a simple ordering system.

Understanding the Talabat Business Model

Before you start development, you should clearly understand how Talabat makes money. Here are the most popular revenue models used by food delivery apps:

1. Commission from Restaurants

The app charges restaurants a commission on every order placed through the platform. This is the biggest source of revenue.

2. Delivery Charges

Customers pay a small delivery fee depending on location and distance.

3. Featured Restaurant Listings

Restaurants pay extra to appear at the top of the listing or get promoted inside the app.

4. Subscription Model

Some platforms offer premium subscriptions to restaurants for better visibility and marketing tools.

5. Advertising Revenue

Brands and restaurants can run ads within the app to attract more customers.

A combination of these models ensures strong long-term profitability.

Types of Food Delivery Apps You Can Build

If your goal is to create a strong competitor, you must decide the type of app structure you want.

1. Restaurant-Owned Delivery App

This is built for a single restaurant brand. Example: Domino’s app.

2. Aggregator Model (Like Talabat)

The platform lists multiple restaurants, and customers can choose from them. Delivery is managed either by restaurants or by the platform.

3. Full Marketplace Model

This is the most powerful approach. It includes customers, restaurants, and delivery partners all managed in one system.

To Build a Food Delivery App Like Talabat, you must choose the aggregator or marketplace model for better growth.

Key Panels Required in a Talabat-Like App

A professional food delivery platform needs multiple panels.

Customer App

Used for browsing restaurants, ordering food, tracking delivery, and making payments.

Restaurant App / Restaurant Web Panel

Used for managing menu items, receiving orders, updating availability, and tracking earnings.

Delivery Partner App

Used for accepting delivery tasks, navigation, and updating delivery status.

Admin Panel

Used for managing restaurants, customers, drivers, payments, commissions, and marketing campaigns.

This multi-panel system is essential for building a scalable platform.

Essential Features to Build a Food Delivery App Like Talabat

Let’s look at the core features that must be included in your app.

1. User Registration & Login

Allow login via email, phone number, and social media accounts for quick onboarding.

2. Restaurant Listing & Search

Customers should be able to search restaurants by:

Cuisine type
Rating
Location
Delivery time
Offers and discounts

3. Menu Browsing

Restaurants must display menu items with clear photos, descriptions, add-ons, and pricing.

4. Cart and Checkout

A smooth checkout experience is critical. Customers should easily add or remove items and apply coupons.

5. Multiple Payment Options

To improve conversion, support:

Credit/Debit cards
UPI
Wallet payments
Cash on delivery
Net banking

6. Real-Time Order Tracking

Real-time tracking is a must-have feature today. It builds trust and improves customer satisfaction.

7. Push Notifications

Notifications for order confirmation, driver updates, delivery status, and promotions help increase engagement.

8. Ratings and Reviews

Customers should rate restaurants and delivery partners. This improves service quality and platform credibility.

Advanced Features to Make Your App Stand Out

To compete in today’s market, basic features are not enough. You must add advanced features that improve convenience and automation.

1. AI-Based Restaurant Recommendations

Using AI algorithms, the app can recommend restaurants and dishes based on:

User order history
Preferences
Location
Time of the day

This makes the app feel personalized, just like Talabat.

2. Smart Delivery Assignment

With automation, the system can assign delivery partners based on:

Nearest driver availability
Order priority
Traffic conditions
Delivery time prediction

3. Live Chat Support

A built-in chat feature between customer, restaurant, and delivery partner can reduce cancellations and misunderstandings.

4. Voice Search Integration

Many users prefer voice search. Adding voice-based restaurant search improves user experience.

5. Loyalty Rewards Program

Reward points, referral bonuses, and cashback options increase repeat orders.

6. Scheduled Delivery

Users should be able to schedule orders in advance for parties, meetings, or special occasions.

7. Multi-Language & Multi-Currency Support

If you plan to expand globally, this feature becomes essential.

8. Contactless Delivery Option

This feature became popular after COVID and is still preferred by many customers.

9. Order History and Re-Order Option

Allow users to reorder their favorite meals with one click.

10. Advanced Analytics Dashboard

The admin panel should include analytics like:

Total orders per day
Best-selling restaurants
Customer retention rate
Delivery performance reports
Revenue and commission breakdown

These insights help you grow faster and make smarter business decisions.

Technology Stack Required for Talabat-Like App Development

Choosing the right technology ensures better performance, scalability, and security.

Frontend Development

React Native / Flutter (for cross-platform apps)
Swift (iOS)
Kotlin (Android)

Backend Development

Node.js
Python (Django)
PHP (Laravel)
Java

Database

MySQL
MongoDB
PostgreSQL

Real-Time Tracking

Google Maps API
Mapbox
GPS Integration

Cloud Hosting

AWS
Microsoft Azure
Google Cloud

Payment Gateway Integration

Stripe
PayPal
Razorpay
Paytm

A modern tech stack makes your app faster, safer, and more reliable.

Step-by-Step Process to Build a Food Delivery App Like Talabat

Now let’s understand the actual development journey.

Step 1: Market Research and Planning

Start by analyzing competitors like Talabat, Zomato, Swiggy, and Uber Eats. Identify gaps where your app can offer something better.

Step 2: Define Features and App Flow

Create a clear roadmap of the customer journey from login to checkout to delivery.

Step 3: UI/UX Design

The design must be clean, attractive, and user-friendly. A simple interface leads to higher order conversion.

Step 4: Choose Development Approach

You can build the app using:

Native development (costly but best performance)
Cross-platform development (cost-effective and faster)

Many startups prefer cross-platform because it reduces time and cost.

Step 5: App Development

This stage includes coding for customer app, restaurant panel, delivery app, and admin dashboard.

Step 6: Testing and Quality Assurance

Test the app for:

Security
Payment errors
GPS accuracy
Speed performance
UI bugs

Step 7: Launch and Deployment

After testing, launch the app on:

Google Play Store
Apple App Store

Step 8: Maintenance and Upgrades

Regular updates are needed to fix bugs and add new features for growth.

To get a complete professional solution, it is recommended to hire experts offering food delivery app development services.

Cost to Build a Food Delivery App Like Talabat

Now comes the most important question—how much will it cost?

The development cost depends on multiple factors such as features, design complexity, platform choice, and development team location.

Estimated Cost Breakdown

Basic App Version

Simple features, limited functionality
Cost: $5,000 – $8,000

Mid-Level Talabat Clone

Real-time tracking, payment gateway, restaurant panel
Cost: $8,000 – $10,000

Advanced Talabat-Like App

AI recommendations, live chat, analytics dashboard, multi-language support
Cost: $15,000+

If you want a highly scalable marketplace with full customization, the cost may go beyond $15,000 depending on requirements.

Choosing reliable mobile app development services helps you get a cost-effective and high-quality app with the right technology stack.

Time Required for Development

The timeline also depends on complexity.

Basic app: 2 to 3 months
Medium-level app: 3 to 5 months
Advanced Talabat-like app: 5 to 8 months

If you want faster development, you can start with an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) and upgrade later.

How to Choose the Right Development Company

Building a food delivery app is not just about coding. You need a team that understands logistics, restaurant management, and user experience.

Here’s what you should check before hiring a company:

Portfolio of similar food delivery apps
Strong UI/UX design team
Expertise in real-time tracking and GPS
Secure payment integration experience
Post-launch support and maintenance
Scalable backend development skills

A professional company offering food delivery app development services can help you build a powerful solution that competes with Talabat successfully.

Final Thoughts

Creating a platform like Talabat is a great business opportunity, but it requires proper planning, advanced features, and smart execution. To Build a Food Delivery App Like Talabat, you need a strong customer app, restaurant panel, delivery partner app, and admin dashboard with modern technologies.

The cost may vary depending on features, but investing in a scalable and user-friendly platform will give you long-term success in the competitive food delivery market.

If you want a reliable, secure, and feature-rich solution, hiring expert mobile app development services is the best decision to ensure high performance and future growth.