How Much Does it Cost to Build an On-Demand Education App Like BYJU’S?
Education apps have changed how students learn in India and worldwide. Apps like BYJU’S made learning fun and accessible from home through mobile devices. Parents and students now prefer apps that offer video lessons, interactive quizzes, and personalized learning experiences. Many entrepreneurs and education businesses want to create similar apps but wonder about the actual cost involved. Building an education app like BYJU’S requires planning, the right features, and a realistic budget. In 2026, technology has made app development more accessible, but costs still vary based on features and complexity. This blog breaks down the actual costs involved in building an on-demand education app and what factors affect your total investment.
What Makes Education Apps Like BYJU'S Successful
Understanding successful features helps plan your app better.
BYJU’S became popular because of high-quality video lessons that make difficult topics easy to understand. Students can watch lessons multiple times and learn at their own pace. Interactive elements like animations and quizzes keep students engaged and interested.
The app tracks student progress and suggests lessons based on their strengths and weaknesses. Personalized recommendations help students focus on topics they need to improve. This adaptive learning approach delivers better results than traditional one-size-fits-all methods.
Students earn points, badges, and rewards for completing lessons and quizzes. Gamification makes learning feel like playing games rather than studying. This approach motivates students to spend more time learning on the app.
Essential Features That Drive Development Costs
Different features require different levels of investment and development time.
The app needs separate interfaces for students, parents, and teachers. Students create profiles, track progress, and access content. Parents monitor their children’s learning and receive progress reports. Teacher panels allow creating and managing course content.
Hosting and streaming video lessons requires robust infrastructure. The app must support different video qualities based on internet speed. Content delivery networks ensure smooth video playback across India with varying connection speeds.
Real-time video classes need video conferencing integration like Zoom or custom solutions. Students should be able to ask questions during live sessions. Recording and storing live classes for later viewing adds to complexity.
Technology Stack and Platform Choices
Choosing the right technologies affects both cost and app performance.
Building native apps for both platforms costs more but delivers the best performance. Cross-platform frameworks like React Native or Flutter reduce costs while maintaining good quality. Most education apps start with Android first since it dominates the Indian market.
Strong backend systems handle user data, video storage, and content management. Cloud platforms like AWS or Google Cloud provide scalable infrastructure. Monthly cloud costs increase as more students use your app.
Integration with Razorpay, Paytm, or similar services enables secure payments. Subscription management systems handle different pricing plans and renewals automatically. In-app purchase integration is essential for monetization.
Approximate Cost Breakdown for Different App Versions
A simple education app with video lessons, quizzes, and basic tracking costs approximately 8-15 lakhs. This includes student and parent apps with essential functionality. Development typically takes around 4-6 months from start to launch.
Adding live classes, doubt-solving sessions, and advanced analytics increases costs to approximately 18-30 lakhs. This version includes teacher panels and more interactive features. Development timeline extends to around 6-9 months for complete delivery.
A comprehensive platform with AI-powered personalization, adaptive learning, and extensive content costs approximately 40-80 lakhs or more. This includes multiple features, complex backend systems, and polished user experiences. Complete development may take 10-15 months depending on scope.
Ongoing Costs After Launch
Creating quality video lessons and educational content requires ongoing investment. Hiring teachers, video production, and content updates need continuous budget allocation. Good content is what keeps students coming back to your app.
Monthly cloud hosting costs vary based on user numbers and video storage needs. Starting costs might be approximately 30,000-80,000 rupees monthly. As your app grows, these costs increase proportionally with user base.
Regular bug fixes, performance improvements, and new features require ongoing development. Budget approximately 15-20% of initial development cost annually for maintenance. Staying competitive means continuously improving your app based on user feedback.
Ways to Reduce Development Costs
Launch with minimum viable product containing only essential features. Test with real students and gather feedback before investing in advanced features. This approach reduces initial costs by approximately 40-50% while validating your concept.
Instead of building custom video infrastructure, integrate YouTube or Vimeo initially. This significantly reduces development and hosting costs at the start. You can build custom solutions later as your app grows.
Launch basic features first and add advanced capabilities gradually. Start with recorded lessons before adding live classes. Implement AI features only after establishing a solid user base and revenue stream.
Conclusion
Building an on-demand education app like BYJU’S requires substantial investment but offers significant business opportunities. Costs vary widely based on features, from approximately 3-4 lakhs for basic apps to 8-10 lakhs or more for advanced platforms. The key is starting with a clear vision, essential features, and realistic budget planning. Understanding what drives costs helps make informed decisions about features and priorities. Many successful education apps started small and grew gradually based on user response and revenue. The Indian education market continues expanding, creating opportunities for well-executed apps that genuinely help students learn better. Working with experienced developers who understand education technology ensures your investment delivers the quality and functionality students expect in 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
A basic education app takes approximately 4-6 months to develop and launch. Medium complexity apps with live classes need around 6-9 months. Complete platforms matching BYJU’S functionality require 10-15 months or more depending on features and team size.
Starting with Android first makes sense in India where it dominates the market. This approach reduces initial costs significantly. You can launch iOS version later after validating your concept and generating revenue from Android users.
Ngendev Technolab has experience developing education apps with various feature sets and budgets.
Content creation and video production often become the biggest ongoing expenses. While app development is a one-time major cost, creating quality educational content requires continuous investment. Good content is essential for student satisfaction and retention.
Education apps typically use subscription models with monthly or yearly plans. Some offer freemium models with basic content free and premium features paid. In-app purchases for specific courses or subjects also generate revenue.
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