Restaurant app development cost in the UK: what you'll really pay in year one
Updated 19 October 2026
In the UK, a custom restaurant app from an agency typically starts in the tens of thousands of pounds, and the build is only the first bill. Two UK agencies publish ranges of £15,000–£40,000 and £15,000–£45,000 for a single-restaurant or similar app, before hosting and yearly updates. A DIY app builder costs a monthly plan plus Apple's and Google's developer fees, and you do the work. An ordering platform with a branded app charges a monthly fee and builds the app for you: Menuthere's Branded App plan is US$99 a month (US$990 a year), billed in US dollars, with store fees included and 0% commission.
In short
- Agency custom build: UK agencies publish ranges from about £15,000 to £45,000 for a single-restaurant app, quoted per project. One also tells clients to budget 15–20% of the build cost every year for maintenance and updates.
- DIY app builder: a monthly plan plus US$124 in store fees in year one (Apple US$99 a year, Google Play US$25 once), and your own time.
- Ordering platform with a branded app: Flipdish from £119 a month (annual, ex VAT); OrderYOYO and Slerp don't publish prices; Menuthere US$99 a month with store fees included.
- Ask two questions of every route: what does year one cost, and who keeps the app working after launch?
The three ways to get a restaurant app in the UK
1. Hire a UK agency for a custom build
You get exactly what you specify, and you pay for every screen of it.
- What UK agencies publish: Glance, a UK app agency, puts a single-restaurant app at £15,000–£40,000 with a 3–6 month timeline, and a multi-restaurant platform at £150,000–£500,000+. Studio Liddell, another UK studio, gives £15,000–£45,000 for a "moderate" app such as "a restaurant booking app with user profiles, payment integration, and push notifications", over 4–9 months. These are their published estimates, not quotes.
- After launch: Glance tells clients to plan for 15–20% of the initial investment every year for maintenance and updates, plus hosting. Apple's developer fee renews every year.
- Also needed: an ordering system behind the app (menu, checkout, kitchen alerts, card payments), unless the agency builds that too.
Best for: groups that need features no platform offers and have a budget and someone to manage the project.
2. Use a DIY app builder
Template builders let you assemble an app without code.
- Plan: a monthly or yearly subscription. Check which tier publishes to both the App Store and Google Play; on some builders only the top tier does.
- Store fees: usually not included. Apple's Developer Program is US$99 a year and Google Play's registration is US$25 once, so US$124 in year one.
- Your time: you design the app, connect ordering and payments, submit it to both stores, answer review questions and update it every time iOS or Android changes.
Best for: owners who enjoy the tech and have time to run it.
3. Use an ordering platform that includes a branded app
The platform already runs your menu, checkout and orders, and puts your name and icon on its app.
- Flipdish: Essential Package from £119 a month billed annually per site, or £139 billed monthly (ex VAT). Its plan lists "your own branded website and apps". See Flipdish alternatives.
- OrderYOYO: offers a branded website and app; no price published. It charges commission that falls as your order volume grows. See OrderYOYO fees.
- Slerp: offers "branded web & app" and "plans with 0% commission"; its pricing page is password-protected.
- Menuthere Branded App: US$99 a month or US$990 a year, billed in US dollars. We build and publish your Android and iOS app; Apple's and Google's developer fees are included; 0% commission. Nothing is paid at signup, and your subscription only counts from the day the app goes live.
Best for: restaurants and takeaways that want their own app for regulars without running a software project. More on how this works: what white label means.
Year one, added up
UK figures from each company's own website, checked on 19 October 2026. Agency figures are their published ranges, not quotes. Card processing fees apply on every route and aren't included unless listed.
| Route | Year-one cost from published figures | Ongoing | Who builds and publishes |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK agency, single-restaurant app | £15,000–£40,000 (Glance) or £15,000–£45,000 (Studio Liddell, moderate app) | Glance: budget 15–20% of the build a year, plus hosting; Apple's US$99 a year | The agency |
| DIY app builder | Your plan × 12, plus US$124 in store fees | Your plan, US$99 a year to Apple, and your time | You |
| Flipdish Essential | £119 × 12 = £1,428 billed annually, or £139 × 12 = £1,668 monthly (ex VAT) | Monthly fee | Flipdish |
| OrderYOYO | Not published | Commission on orders | OrderYOYO |
| Menuthere Branded App | US$990 billed yearly, or US$99 × 12 = US$1,188 monthly. Store fees included | Monthly fee only; 0% commission | Menuthere |
For illustration only: if Glance's lower figure of £15,000 is your build cost, its 15–20% guideline means £2,250–£3,000 a year to keep the app going, before hosting. That's simple arithmetic from Glance's published numbers; your quote will differ.
What moves a UK agency quote
Glance publishes component costs for a restaurant app. They show where the money goes:
| Feature | Glance's published range |
|---|---|
| User accounts and profiles | £2,000–£3,500 |
| Menu display and management | £4,000–£6,000 |
| Basket and checkout | £3,000–£5,000 |
| Payment integration | £2,500–£4,000 |
| Order tracking | £3,500–£5,500 |
| Push notifications | £1,500–£2,500 |
Two platforms (iPhone and Android) also roughly double the build and test work, as Studio Liddell points out for fully native apps.
Menuthere's Branded App includes these as standard: ordering and payment, reorder, loyalty points customers see in the app, live delivery tracking with your own riders, order updates and unlimited push notifications, plus everything in Pro (WhatsApp ordering on your own number and several outlets). See the restaurant app builder page for the full list, or the takeaway app builder if you run a takeaway.
Is an app worth it for a UK takeaway?
Only if regulars use it. An app earns its cost when weekly customers order through it instead of a marketplace. Just Eat, for example, publishes 14% + VAT commission when you deliver and 30% + VAT when it delivers (Just Eat commission UK). It does little if most of your orders are first-time customers, who won't install an app to order once.
Run the simple test in Should your restaurant build an app? first. For many places the honest answer is a free ordering website now, and an app once regulars order every week.
Skip the build. Your own Android and iOS app for US$99 a month, store fees included, 0% commission, nothing to pay at signup. Get your app or book a call.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to build a restaurant app in the UK?
Two UK agencies publish ranges of £15,000 to £40,000 and £15,000 to £45,000 for a single-restaurant or similar app, before maintenance. A DIY builder costs a monthly plan plus US$124 in store fees in year one, and you do the work. Menuthere's Branded App is US$99 a month or US$990 a year, with store fees included and 0% commission.
What does a restaurant app cost to maintain?
One UK agency, Glance, tells clients to budget 15 to 20% of the initial build cost every year for maintenance and updates, plus hosting. Apple's developer fee is US$99 every year. On Menuthere's Branded App plan, updates and store fees are included in the monthly price.
Why do UK agency quotes vary so much?
Each quote is for a different app. Agencies price by features (accounts, menu, checkout, payments, order tracking, push notifications), by whether you need both iPhone and Android, and by design work. Ask every agency for the build price and a yearly maintenance quote.
Is there a cheaper way than hiring developers?
Yes. A DIY builder is cheaper but you do the work. An ordering platform with a branded app builds and publishes the app for you; Menuthere's Branded App plan is US$99 a month with 0% commission.
Is Menuthere's price in pounds?
No. Menuthere bills UK stores in US dollars, so you pay US$99 a month and your bank converts it to pounds.
Do I pay Apple's and Google's developer fees with Menuthere?
No. Menuthere builds and publishes your app, and Apple's and Google's developer fees are included in your US$99 a month.
How long does it take to get a restaurant app?
UK agencies publish build times of 3 to 6 months (Glance, single-restaurant app) and 4 to 9 months (Studio Liddell, moderate app). With Menuthere, you add 10 dishes with photos, book a call with our founder and pay the first month; we then build and publish your app and tell you when it's live. Store reviews vary, so your subscription only counts from the day the app goes live.
Is there a free trial of the Branded App plan?
No, because we build and publish an app for you, but nothing is paid at signup. You can try Lite or Pro free for 7 days first (a card is needed to start; nothing is charged until the trial ends).
Sources (7)
- Glance (UK app agency), "How much does it cost to build a restaurant app like Deliveroo?": https://thisisglance.com/learning-centre/how-much-does-it-cost-to-build-a-restaurant-app-like-deliveroo (accessed 19 Oct 2026): single restaurant £15,000–£40,000, 3–6 months; multi-restaurant platform £150,000–£500,000+, 12–18 months; component costs (accounts £2,000–£3,500, menu £4,000–£6,000, basket and checkout £3,000–£5,000, payments £2,500–£4,000, order tracking £3,500–£5,500, push notifications £1,500–£2,500); "Plan for 15-20% of your initial investment annually for maintenance and updates".
- Studio Liddell (UK studio), "How much does an app cost to make in the UK?": https://studioliddell.com/news/how-much-does-an-app-cost-to-make-in-the-uk (accessed 19 Oct 2026): moderate app £15,000–£45,000, 4–9 months, example "A restaurant booking app with user profiles, payment integration, and push notifications"; native apps for both platforms roughly double the work.
- Flipdish UK pricing: https://www.flipdish.com/gb/pricing (accessed 19 Oct 2026): from £119 a month billed annually per site, £139 monthly (ex VAT); "Your own branded website and apps".
- OrderYOYO: https://www.orderyoyo.com/ (accessed 19 Oct 2026). Slerp: https://www.slerp.com/ and https://www.slerp.com/pricing (accessed 19 Oct 2026).
- Apple Developer Program: https://developer.apple.com/programs/ (US$99 a year); Google Play Console: https://play.google.com/console (US$25 one-time) (accessed 15 Oct 2026).
- Just Eat UK partner sign-up page, latest readable copy 13 July 2026: https://web.archive.org/web/20260713160101/https://www.just-eat.co.uk/partner/signup/
- Menuthere pricing and docs: https://menuthere.com/pricing and https://menuthere.com/docs/add-ons/your-own-branded-app (accessed 19 Oct 2026).