Defining Booking Apps and Their Use
From simplest to most complex, all booking apps exist to make it easy for customers to:
- Browse your available services or products
- Reserve what they want
- Pay in advance
How these objectives are accomplished vary, and there are MANY off-the-shelf solutions for almost any industry.
Frankly, for most companies, a ready-made solution will serve you well for a very long time.
But using the same SaaS as competitors means you’d at best be as convenient as them.
If want to be known as the most convenient, a tailored booking app could be a good idea.
Of course, it could also be a terrible idea, but that’s a risk you’ll have to take 😀
To help you decide, below are key considerations when building a custom booking app for a business, and what it’s like with Upstack Studio as your developers.
Development Cost Overview
As you’ll see below, your actual estimate will vary depending on type of fitness app and specific requirements, but here are conservative ballpark figures:
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Total Development | USD115,000 |
| MVP Development | USD35,000 |
| Total Development Time | 12 months |
| Time to MVP | 16 weeks |
| Maintenance Cost | USD3,000 / month (excl. 3rd party tools) |
This assumes three very important things:
- A single cross-platform codebase.
- A single UI / dashboard focusing on either web or mobile
- No major scope creep or drastic feature changes mid-project.
We’ll address these down after covering main development steps.
Custom Booking App Development by Type
We’ll be looking at the eight most common types of booking apps (in our opinion):
- Hotel & Accommodation Booking
- Restaurant & Table Reservation
- Salon & Wellness Booking
- Event & Ticket Booking
- Medical & Healthcare Appointment
- Fitness & Class Scheduling
- Service Marketplace Booking
- Car Rental & Transportation Booking
As each niche operates differently, so will their booking processes.
So we’ve given each a dedicated section covering:
- Core features
- Enhanced features
- Third-party integrations
Each row has an editable section for you to specify custom needs for your app where what’s typically available isn’t enough.
More custom needs = stronger case for a fully custom app 🙂
1. Accommodation Booking App
| Feature | Ready-Made Options | Custom Needs (editable) |
|---|---|---|
| Core features | ||
| Search & filter properties | Room listings with photos & descriptions | |
| Booking & payment | Stripe/PayPal | |
| Availability calendar | Standard availability view | |
| Enhanced features | ||
| Loyalty programs | Pre-built templates | |
| Room recommendations | Pre-trained suggestions | |
| Push notifications & reminders | Booking reminders | |
| Integrations | ||
| Map | Google Maps | |
| Payment gateways | Stripe/PayPal | |
| OTA platforms (Airbnb, Booking.com) | Limited sync | |
2. Table Reservation App
| Feature | Ready-Made Options | Custom Needs (editable) |
|---|---|---|
| Core features | ||
| Table booking | Standard reservation system | |
| Menu display & pricing | Static menus | |
| Booking confirmation | SMS/email | |
| Waitlist management | Basic queue | |
| Enhanced features | ||
| Loyalty & referral programs | Points and discounts | |
| AI recommendations | Suggest restaurants | |
| Table occupancy visualization | Simple layout | |
| Integrations | ||
| POS systems | Basic POS sync | |
| Google Maps & location | Basic geolocation | |
| Payment gateways | Stripe/PayPal | |
3. Salon Booking
| Feature | Ready-Made Options | Custom Needs (editable) |
|---|---|---|
| Core features | ||
| Service catalog | List of services with descriptions & pricing | |
| Appointment scheduling | Calendar integration with time slots | |
| Booking & payment | Stripe/PayPal integration | |
| Reminders & confirmations | Push notifications / SMS / email | |
| Enhanced features | ||
| Loyalty & membership programs | Points & reward system | |
| Upselling & add-ons | Basic service suggestions | |
| Waitlist & queue management | Basic waitlist & queue list | |
| Integrations | ||
| POS & CRM | Standard POS & CRM integrations | |
| Google Maps | Location display with directions | |
| Calendar apps | Google & Apple calendar sync | |
4. Event & Ticket Booking
| Feature | Ready-Made Options | Custom Needs (editable) |
|---|---|---|
| Core features | ||
| Event listings | Browse events with details & images | |
| Ticket purchase & payment | Stripe/PayPal integration | |
| QR code/mobile ticket | Standard mobile tickets with QR code | |
| Event reminders | Push notifications / email | |
| Enhanced features | ||
| Early-bird & discount codes | Coupon & promo code system | |
| Event sharing | Social share to FB/Instagram | |
| Analytics & attendance | Basic attendee stats & reports | |
| Integrations | ||
| Calendar & maps | Google Calendar & Maps integration | |
| Social platforms | Facebook / Instagram integration | |
| Payment gateways | Stripe / PayPal integration | |
| — | ||
5. Healthcare Appointment
| Feature | Ready-Made Options | Custom Needs (editable) |
|---|---|---|
| Core features | ||
| Doctor profiles | Doctor listings with details | |
| Appointment booking | Calendar sync with availability | |
| Telemedicine (chat/video) | Video call integration | |
| Reminders & confirmations | Push / SMS notifications | |
| Enhanced features | ||
| Health record integration | Patient document uploads | |
| Prescription & billing | PDF prescriptions & invoices | |
| Analytics & reporting | Appointment stats | |
| Integrations | ||
| Health APIs | Standard API integrations | |
| Payment gateways | Stripe / PayPal | |
| Calendar apps | Google & Apple calendar sync (e.g., doctor availability) | |
| — | ||
6. Fitness Class Scheduling
| Feature | Ready-Made Options | Custom Needs (editable) |
|---|---|---|
| Core features | ||
| Class listings & schedules | Standard timetable display | |
| Booking & payment | Stripe/PayPal integration | |
| Reminders & notifications | SMS/email push | |
| Instructor & staff profiles | Basic info pages | |
| Enhanced features | ||
| Waitlists | Basic waitlist system | |
| Attendance tracking | Manual or basic check-in | |
| Virtual classes | Standard video links | |
| Integrations | ||
| Calendar apps | Google/Apple calendar sync | |
| Wearables & health apps | Optional fitness integrations | |
| Payment gateways | Stripe/PayPal | |
| — | ||
7. Service Marketplace Booking
| Feature | Ready-Made Options | Custom Needs (editable) |
|---|---|---|
| Core features | ||
| Service provider profiles | Basic profile listings | |
| Booking & scheduling | Calendar & slots | |
| Payment processing | Stripe/PayPal | |
| Reviews & ratings | Standard star ratings | |
| Enhanced features | ||
| Push notifications | Standard mobile notifications | |
| Service matching | Basic filters | |
| Loyalty & referral programs | Tiered rewards for repeat users | |
| Integrations | ||
| Google Maps | Location integration | |
| CRM or admin dashboards | Basic roles and analytics | |
| POS / invoicing | Custom billing, automated receipts | |
| — | ||
8. Transportation Booking
| Feature | Ready-Made Options | Custom Needs (editable) |
|---|---|---|
| Core features | ||
| Vehicle listings | Standard vehicle catalog | |
| Booking & payment | Stripe/PayPal | |
| Availability calendar | Standard booking view | |
| User profiles & history | Basic | |
| Enhanced features | ||
| GPS tracking | Basic live tracking | |
| Loyalty & referral programs | Standard tiered programs | |
| Push notifications & reminders | Standard alerts | |
| Integrations | ||
| Map | Google Mapss | |
| Insurance APIs | Cheapest option 😀 | |
| Payment gateways | Stripe/PayPal | |
| — | ||
6 Stages of Booking App Development
Building custom software means following the typical stages of app development, of which there are six (seven if you include the work done before approaching a developer).
Stage 0: Prepare Your Booking App Brief
A brief is a preliminary document that gives developers an idea of your project, namely :
- Problem
- Solution
- High-level Requirements
- Budget Range
- Timeline
- Similar Applications
It gives us context and helps us form clarifying questions when we move to the next stage.
App Brief Template
Download this FREE editable template now to craft your perfect App Brief! Let us know where should we send it through the form below.
Secretly, developers also use it to filter out clients who aren’t serious!
Stage 1: Requirements Gathering
During this phase, we work with you to define the requirements for your booking app.
We’ll take you through our zero to launch, where we align on:
- Target Audience
- Problem Statements
- Value Proposition
- Primary Platform
Based on our discussions, we come up with a timeline for all features.
And most importantly, we shortlist essential ones to roll out an MVP within 12 – 16 weeks.
Stage 2: UI/UX Design
If your custom app compromises on either, employee adoption will always be a challenge.
You’ll hear “Why can’t it be more like [insert competitor’s booking app here]?” constantly.
Our UI/UX designer will ensure your app not only looks great (UI) but also delivers a seamless, enjoyable user experience (UX).
Stage 3: Back and Frontend Development
If you’re familiar with Agile methodology, we work in two-week Sprints.
During a Sprint, our backend developers build the back-end architecture while the frontend guys turn the designs by the UI/UX team into functional app interfaces.
At the end, we get your approval on progress and align on action items for the next Sprint.
If that sounds like gibberish, here’s a guide to Agile methodology for non-techs!
Stage 4: QA & Testing
The main purpose of this phase is for us to improve the stability of the app while minimising bugs that impact the user experience.
There’s no such thing as bug-free software, but we never let bugs compromise user experience.
Stage 5: Launching Your MVP
We deploy your Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to a live environment so team members, customers, and other testers can begin using the booking app.
As they use it, we’ll be on hand to:
- fix high-priority issues that were initially missed
- monitor how core features perform
- identify unexpected user behaviour
- see where improvements are needed
Stage 6: Iterate & Maintain
Based on how your team responds to the early version of your app, we reevaluate the product roadmap together.
More often than not, many features that were initially thought critical turn out to be unnecessary.
Meanwhile, use cases that nobody thought of suddenly reveal themselves.
Ultimately, we align on the development of the rest of the app to truly serve your business needs, alongside regular updates, bug fixes, and general maintenance to ensure the parts of the app that have been built remain stable.
Booking App MVP Timeline
| WEEK | DESIGN | DEVELOPMENT |
| 0 | Kickoff meeting to align on essential features for MVP in 16 weeks | |
| 1 |
Initial UI/UX + User Feedback:
|
Plan Front and Backend:
|
| 2 |
Complete UI/UX:
|
Development Sprint Planning (weekly cycles):
(Start of Sprint)
(End of Sprint)
Note: Receive designs + code review in Week 5 |
| 3 | ||
| 4 | ||
| 5 | Handoff designs to developers | |
| 6 | ||
| 7 | ||
| 8 | ||
| 9 | ||
| 10 |
Development Sprint Planning + QA Testing (weekly cycles):
| |
| 11 | ||
| 12 | Launch + support / bug fixing | |
| 13 | App + documentation ready for handover to you or your team | |
Estimating ROI on a Custom Booking App
Just cause we can’t know with 100% certainty doesn’t mean we settle for nothing.
Determining custom software ROI is not easy, but you can estimate total costs and revenue with reasonable accuracy.
Then try using this basic formula:
ROI (%) = Estimated Revenue − Estimated Costs Estimated Costs × 100
If you need help there, check out our full guide to estimating custom software ROI.
The Biggest Hurdles to Custom App Development
Our estimates assume no major scope creep, which is extremely common.
Scope creep is by the main reason software projects go over budget, and the root causes are hard pills for businesses to swallow.
Poor Internal Oversight
It’s common for teams to each track their own KPIs with no idea what other teams are doing.
Without someone to unite the departments and see the big picture, the business ends up with an incomplete (or wrong) understanding of what it needs from a booking app.
The bigger the organisation, the more common this problem tends to be.
PSA: Consider Ready-Made Booking App Options
Existing booking platforms have been around for years, refining solutions with feedback from thousands of businesses.
You have generalists like the almighty Calendly.
You also have an array of industry-specific booking platform-as-a-service options like Sirvoy.
As off-the-shelf solutions offer some degree of customization, chances that your business has unique needs is slim.
We’re not saying you’re wrong, just be sure the “need” for custom software isn’t a symptom of:
- Improper booking provider selection
- Workflow misalignment
- Poor employee training
- All the above!
Custom booking app development only makes sense when:
- Your brand has grown to have its own identity among customers
- Your processes and integrations have become more complex
- You’re in a highly specific niche with unique requirements
- You’ve outgrown your booking app and their representatives have confirmed as much
In every other case, your time and money are better spent elsewhere.
Regardless, we wish you all the best, and get in touch if you’d like an honest assessment!
If you have a custom software project in mind and need help estimating ROI, get in touch with us and we’d be happy to help! Also, consider joining our mailing list for a one-stop resource on everything from SaaS validation to execution and promotion. Get a nifty list of questions to ask app developers when you sign up!
App Developer Interview Questions Template
Download this template now so you know exactly what to ask App Development Agencies! Let us know where should we send it through the form below.
