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Thinking of building a logistics app but worried about the budget? Discover the real 2025 development costs, hidden fees most teams overlook, and 4 tips to save money without compromising on quality.
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In the logistics business, there are many aspects of supply chain and transportation operations to manage: inventory management, delivery tracking, fleet coordination, warehouse operations, freight forwarding, and more. A logistics app should be able to handle all of this, ideally optimizing and streamlining the process so that all orders are shipped, all goods are accounted for, and all customers are satisfied.
Logistics providers, e-commerce companies, delivery services, and even internal corporate logistics departments may find themselves in need of such an app — but the price tag may vary depending on the details.
Your vision and the amount of functionality you need at launch will affect the price. Fortunately, we've had a lot of experience with the logistics industry, so whether it’s a basic MVP or a new Amazon, we'll be able to pinpoint and quote exactly what you need.
At Purrweb, here’s how we typically break it down:
Keep in mind that these prices are approximate. The final price will depend on many additional factors.
But if the logistics industry is so complex and costly, why invest in it at all? Or better yet, why try to digitize something that has traditionally worked just fine in the physical world?
The short answer: in 2025, digitization, automation, and real-time visibility aren’t optional anymore — they’re expected.
The days when logistics revolved solely around large, high-stakes shipments are long gone. Today, we expect everything — from groceries and flowers to cosmetics and last-minute party supplies — to arrive quickly after just a few taps online. Naturally, the market is poised for even more growth.
According to Allied Market Research, in 2023 the global logistics market size was valued at $10.2 trillion, and by 2033, it may double to $20.1 trillion. It means it’s growing at a CAGR of 7.3% from 2024 to 2033.
As we’ve said before, there’s no one-size-fits-all price tag. Your logistics software’s final cost depends on several variables: some of them are obvious, others are easy to miss. Let’s look at all of them.
To put it short, a simple delivery tracker ≠ a full-fledged WMS with predictive analytics. But the thing is, you don’t always need a WMS! The complexity of your app should reflect reality: if you are a small business dipping your toes in local deliveries around town, you just don’t need a huge platform with AI analytics… yet.
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A perfect example of a complex app is a powerbank renting app, EnerGo, that we’ve developed a couple of years ago. Today, it’s a huge IoT network with 650 stations in Moscow, 100 of which are located in the subway.
Instead of just one application, we had to make three:
Through our UX design, we made sure that the app would anticipate what a user wants and explain how to do that in the most comfortable way possible. We added a bright onboarding with custom illustrations that clearly demonstrated the basic idea of EnerGo. Also, we made sure that the search is intuitive — users can find available stations in just 3 taps, filtering them by location, choosing the most recent one from the search history, or simply the closest one on the map.
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The more features you add, the more complex (and costly) your logistics app development becomes. Some key features are usually expected in all kinds of logistics apps, but others may be totally optional.
Here are some of the common features your logistics app may need:
The tricky part here is determining which features are must-haves for your particular project and which can be omitted from logistics app development. Discovery phase is what helps determine exactly that. It is a complex market research before product development that includes analyzing the segment — your audience and their needs, requests, and preferences — and the product. To do that, we conduct extensive interviews with your potential audience and market research.
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For example, when we developed Journey Verse, the business analysis helped us save our client almost $40,000 by figuring out that the initial idea was not, in fact, relevant for future users.
Journey Verse was first conceived as a social network for travelers. Then it evolved into a travel planner, which our discovery phase helped improve.
To identify user needs, we used the Jobs to be Done (JTBD) framework, based on the idea that people “hire” products to do a certain job. With Journey Verse, the main pain was that travel planning takes too much time and effort. The “job” here was to make it easier and faster.
To help Journey Verse reach the goal, we conducted 15 interviews with respondents, which took 13 hours. From those we got two crucial insights:
Eventually, instead of powering through endless lists and recommendations online, users have Journey Verse selecting relevant locations and even optimizing routes to them.
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Choosing the right tech stack is crucial for performance, real-time capabilities, and scalability. In logistics app development, like in other areas, there are different technologies for front-end and back-end.
Front-end is what users see and interact with. Here are the technologies that can be used for front-end in logistics app development:
The back-end is what handles logic, data processing, route calculation, etc. Here, the tech stack may include the following:
Even the choice of who’s in charge of your logistics app development affects the budget. However, it’s not exclusively about costs: even if separate contractors seem like a money-saving option, it may be hard to connect all the dots in the end.
Working with a full-cycle agency like Purrweb means you’ll get designers, developers, and PMs in one — no vendor ping-pong.
Think API for maps, payment gateways, ERPs, CRMs, etc. These may save time (which is also a valuable resource) but also come with additional licensing and dev costs.
Each niche has its own needs and price range. Here we take a look at 5 most common ones, as well as their estimated prices — remember that numbers may (and most likely will) change for every individual logistics app development project.
Estimated cost: $80,000–$200,000
These apps help companies track vehicles, monitor performance, manage drivers, and plan routes.
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⭐ Our experience
In 2019, we developed Cargo — the application for companies that provide delivery service. It synchronizes drivers, warehouses, provides real-time traffic and data updates to make sure customer orders are delivered properly.
In short, Cargo takes care of the entire delivery process, from warehouse to actual delivery.
We also optimized the barcode scanning process, even adding the possibility to enter the barcode manually in case the scanner doesn’t work.
Finally, for the delivery itself, we made sure that everything could be done in the app, up to and including the customer's signature and important notes.
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Estimated cost: $100,000–$250,000
This type of app isn’t about the delivery process per se, but rather about managing the warehouses. It optimizes inventory tracking, stock updates, barcode scanning, and ERP integration.
Estimated cost: $60,000–$150,000
These apps allow real-time courier tracking, proof of delivery, and customer updates. Such features are must-haves if your business relies on food or parcel delivery.
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⭐ Our experience
When we worked on a redesign for Panam Pizza, we had to create both mobile and web apps, design delivery scenarios, and make sure that all unique features (like the ability to customize a pizza with two different halves or change ingredients to taste) were incorporated.
When it comes to food delivery, the scenarios may vary, so we planned for all of them. In our user flow, the customer can comfortably adjust the delivery options: for instance, specify how and when they want their pizza to arrive. The same works for pickup.
Also, a nice customer service touch: we didn’t just incorporate delivery statuses, but made sure that the client receives a promo code every time their pizza isn’t delivered on time for some reason.
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Estimated cost: $120,000–$300,000
These apps are tailored for companies managing cargo, documentation, and long-haul logistics.
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⭐ Our experience
We developed a logistics app for PonyExpress that the company then successfully implemented into its business model.
Our clients needed to develop a simple interface for their Android application. The main challenges were:
In the end, we had a small but very useful product that helps optimize the process of tracking the status of the order. Plus, it enabled PonyExpress to easily expand the number of order pick-up points and strengthen its position in the logistics market.
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Estimated cost: $100,000–$250,000+
No, these are not quite the same as last-mile delivery apps, even though we can see where the resemblance is coming from. On-demand delivery platforms act as a marketplace or intermediary connecting businesses (or individuals) with freelance couriers for real-time delivery services.
So, while Panam Pizza is a perfect example of a last-mile delivery app, to understand on-demand delivery platforms better, think of Uber Eats — an aggregator of many restaurants where anyone can request or provide deliveries.
Certain “must-have” features can balloon your logistics app development cost if not scoped smartly. While the discovery process can help determine the priority, some of them are a must in most cases. Let’s go over them one-by-one.
Users expect to see where their packages, drivers, or cargo are at all times. This feature requires constant data syncing between devices and servers, integration with services like Google Maps, and backend architecture that can handle location updates at scale. It can add to both development time and server costs.
Keep in mind that not every logistics app needs GPS tracking. Sometimes — for example, for pizza deliveries — just the order status can do. However, if real-time location updates are vital for your business, this isn’t a feature to save money on.
Smart routing helps minimize delays, fuel costs, and delivery times by adjusting delivery paths using AI and machine learning. It requires historical data analysis, predictive modeling, and real-time decision-making, often supported by tools like Python, TensorFlow, or custom algorithms. Expect more backend complexity and data engineering.
If you’re a huge corporation that drives innovation and looks forward to scaling the business, AI can be a lifesaver. But it’s good to remember that not everything has to be AI.
Essential for global logistics apps. Not only do you need proper translations, but also support for different units (km/miles), currencies, date formats, and legal requirements. However, it is deceptively complex. You’ll need scalable architecture, accurate translation files, and conditional UI logic — plus QA in each language. If you’re a local small business, this feature may be over-the-top,at least in the first stages.
Dashboards give admins, fleet managers, or logistics execs real-time visibility into operations: performance KPIs, delivery times, order volumes, fuel usage, etc. Building custom dashboards often requires powerful data aggregation tools, graphing libraries (like Chart.js, Recharts, or D3.js), as well as real-time data pipelines. It may cost a lot, but for big corporations where analytics are critical, this feature is very important.
There are logistics scenarios (like rural delivery or warehouses with poor Wi-Fi) where users need the app to work offline and sync automatically when reconnected. But for it to work properly, you’ll need to implement local storage, background syncing logic, and conflict resolution protocols. This adds considerable backend and QA complexity.
Admins want fine-tuned control: user permissions, route adjustments, real-time dispatching, logs, and reporting tools. But more features in the admin panel means more complex backend logic. It may even require its own frontend and backend framework (like a mini app inside your app).
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⭐ Our experience
We were tasked with redesigning Eventignite — a desktop application used during exhibitions. The point of the app was to digitize everything that an exhibition visitor might need — maps, schedules (and changes), locations, information about speakers and activities, etc. The company had its own solution, but it was outdated and unscalable.
Here are the features we implemented to elevate Eventignite to a whole new level:
The app has already been successfully tested during following shows and exhibitions:
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For enterprise logistics, medical shipments, or cross-border freight, security is definitely not something to cut costs on. Key security features include role-based access control, encrypted data storage, two-factor authentication (2FA), compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, ISO standards.
However, robust security often requires audits, certifications, legal input, and extra documentation — hence the additional costs.
When budgeting for a logistics app, it's easy to focus on just design and development, but several “invisible” costs can sneak in after the build begins. These aren’t always included in initial estimates, but for certain products, they are essential.
App Store and Google Play publishing fees are small but recurring — especially if you manage multiple apps or updates.
Logistics app development is a major investment, but smart choices early on can save thousands without sacrificing quality. Here’s how to stay effective:
1. Start with an MVP. You don’t need everything on day one. Focus on building just the core features needed to test your idea. Launch, gather feedback, then iterate. This avoids building expensive features users might not even want. Now is the perfect time to remind you not to skip the discovery phase 😉
2. Go cross-platform. Using frameworks like React Native means one codebase can serve both iOS and Android. It could mean faster development, easier maintenance, and reduced costs.
3. Use pre-built integrations. Rather than coding features like payments, messaging, or maps from scratch, consider connecting to existing APIs (e.g., Stripe, Google Maps, Firebase). It’s faster, cheaper, and ensures reliability. Plus, most are already tested at scale.
4. Work with a product-driven team. Choosing a team like Purrweb means getting guidance, not just code. We help you define must-haves vs. nice-to-haves, design user-friendly flows, and avoid scope creep.
Building a logistics app in 2025 can cost anywhere from $50K to $300K+, but every dollar counts if it’s spent strategically. Whether you’re launching a pizza app or streamlining international cargo deliveries, the right tech partner makes all the difference.
👉 Ready to build your logistics solution? <a class="blog-modal_opener">Let’s talk.</a> Purrweb can help you turn your vision into a scalable, user-friendly app without wasting time or budget.
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