The sports app market is constantly evolving, so the question of how to create a fitness app is relevant to many business owners. If you're going to create a fitness app, the following basic steps will help you with that.
How to Create a Fitness App: Basic Steps, Features, and Useful Tips
Sports activities and healthy eating play an important role in many people's lives today. Some want to achieve their primary goals, others need to maintain a good shape or get rid of excess weight. Modern devices and software solutions can help with this, which is why fitness application development has become a very popular direction for startups.
Health and Fitness App Development in Numbers
According to Polaris Market Research, already by 2026, the size of the market of health and fitness applications will reach USD 14,7 billion. At the same time, average annual growth is projected at about 23%.
In 2021, revenues in the fitness app and service industry were more than $4 million, and the growth rate is steadily increasing. The number of health applivations is rising, with many startups getting profitable in a short period of time.
How to Create a Fitness Activity Tracking App: Preliminary Steps
If you plan to create a workout or nutrition & physical activity tracking app, you need to carefully approach the planning and development process. Let's see where's it's best to start in this area.
Unique Idea & Goal Setting
These days, we have a wide range of various software products that implement different fitness app ideas. The main types of the most popular solutions are as follows:
- Fitness trackers for walking, running, or cycling. With such solutions, you can easily track speed, mileage, number of steps, map routes, etc.;
- Diet and nutrition monitoring apps help you monitor the amount and range of food you eat, as well as count the number of calories and the amount of water you drink;
- Workout apps simulate working in the gym with a trainer, help create and stick to your training program, remind you about training, etc.
You can create a fitness calendar application, a combined software product that will include several directions, add competition functions, integrate with social networks, etc.
Competitor Analysis
Before you build a fitness tracker app based on your own idea, it's important to study the existing market. Study the most popular application types, find out what kind of fitness app design users prefer most, and what makes people dislike this or that solution.
Think about how your product will stand out from the competition, as the number of software solutions in the fitness industry is constantly growing.
Monetization Types
If you are thinking about how to create a fitness app, you need to consider investing a certain amount of money in the development and promotion of your future product. There are also design aspects that you have to take into account in advance if you want to make a profit with your app. Think about how you are going to make your app profitable because the subsequent development process depends largely on this. Therefore, we recommend you to choose from the following popular options: Paid apps. The main question, i.e. "How can I make my own fitness app that will bring money?" is always crucial. You can offer users to pay a certain fee if they want to use your software solution in full. Thus, a free trial period is usually offered only to understand the value of the product and intrigue users to buy the full version;
- In-app purchases. When using your product, people will be able to buy some items, extra features, disable ads, etc.;
- In-app ads. People hate in-app ads. However, they will have to deal with them if they want free access to your application without limitations.
Platform
Depending on the type of your app and monetization features, you will need to create your potential client profile. Based on the latter, among other things, you will be able to choose the right platform for your app and find answers to the following questions:
- How to create a fitness app for Android?
- How to build a fitness application for iOS?
- How to create a cross-platform product?
Android users prevail on the market, however, there's a larger percentage of iOS device owners who are willing to pay for access to features or buy products. If you want to create a fitness website and build an app for it, you need to consider cross-platform mobile development.
Tech Requirements for Developers: How to Create a Fitness Training Program App
So you understand what kind of software product you want to get. You have a unique idea, you know who will use the app, how you will make it profitable, and what devices your app will be installed on.
Ideally, before you start looking for specialists who can help you create a branded fitness app, you need to make a competent tech requirements document, which can be a challenge for some businesses. In this case, simply draw up a brief free-form document. You want to choose companies that can offer you turnkey/boxed development.
How Much Does It Cost to Create a Fitness App
We will answer this question after we discuss the main stages of the development process. For those of you who are impatient and want to understand the main aspects of fitness app development cost formation, we have some brief information.
Pricing usually depends on the complexity of the project, your chosen platform, programming languages, required integrations, design complexity, etc. The cost may also include promotion activities and marketing services. Thus, marketers, among other additional services, will help you identify the profile of your potential client and choose a competent promotion strategy.
On average, when it comes to professional services, you want to focus on per-hour rates. In the United States and Canada, prices will typically range from $100 or higher. In India or Eastern Europe, you can find expert teams with prices starting at $25-30 per hour.
How to Create a Customized Fitness App for Android or iOS: Development Stages
A reliable fitness app development company will certainly consider your ideas and offer an intelligent way to implement your project, based on independent market research.
Next, all the decisions, timing, and cost of work are agreed upon, and a detailed tech requirement document along with an implementation plan is created. Based on these documents, the company will sign an agreement, you will make your payment, and the development process starts.
Prototyping
One of the first stages in app development is the creation of a prototype. This is a schematic representation, which can be implemented even on paper. It shows the basic concept of how to create an app for fitness, namely:
- Locations of the main app elements;
- Screen-to-screen transitions;
- Locations of control buttons, etc.
The prototype is then discussed, finalized, and approved. Only after that can you move on to the next stages.
Fitness App Design
Based on the prototype, designers will create app screens, main and auxiliary elements, buttons, popups, etc. If you don't already understand how to create a fitness app, it's important to know that this work is full of meticulous details. You got the "scheme" in the prototype, and now working with colors, fonts, and drawing small elements begins.
Programming
If you are working with an agency, this stage of work will be done in parallel with creating a design. While the designer is working on the appearance of the future product, the fitness app developer is busy writing primary code. Also, when working with freelancers, you will most likely have to wait until the design is rendered first.
If your chosen agency can assemble a team of programmers to work on the project, it's great. In addition to specific tools designed to work with the selected operating system, you can also:
- Create a fitness app with Python;
- Build a fitness aid app using MySQL;
- Build a fitness app on Javascript, etc.
If you plan to create a multifunctional application, with access to the Internet, to a specialized website, shared databases, social networks, etc., then most likely, you will need different blocks to write in different languages.
App Testing: How to Create a Mobile Fitness App That Is Reliable and Convenient
Make sure that the list of paid services includes the testing stage beforehand. First, the quality of the product's work is checked by programmers still at the development stage. Next, the reliability of the product is checked by special teams of professional QA testers. In some cases, to check the work of the product at large loads, there is a beta-testing stage, which involves ordinary users.
There are usually many people who want to try out a beta version of an attractive new product free of charge. In this case, people get used to the new app, without much negativity towards non-critical bugs because they remember that they help with testing. And as a result, not only do they help you release a reliable product but often become loyal users of the new application.
Adding to App Stores
If you're researching how to create a customized fitness app for Android, you'll want to familiarize yourself with the rules for adding applications to Google Play Store. There is also a similar App Store for users of Apple products.
A good development team not only performs all the steps of the work but also adds the app to the store itself. At the same time, attractive screenshots are created along with a clear description. Then the app passes the verification of store moderators, and if everything is done correctly, the product becomes available for download.
Promotion
At this stage, it is also useful to enlist the help of specialists. There are special methods for promoting apps in Google Play and App Store. The more good ratings and reviews, the higher the product's position will be in SERPs.
You can also promote your fitness social media app in various thematic communities, create a special website (as part of the product) or a landing page. Contextual online advertising or any other "white-hat" promoting methods are also used.
Support and Updates
You can find a team of specialists who know exactly how to make a fitness app with step and calorie counter, integration with social networks, and much more. Such specialists have a lot of experience in the industry, and your application will run like clockwork at the release stage. However, you also have to consider ongoing technical support and regular updates for your app.
Why Your App Needs Regular Updates
Modern applications are complex software products, and during their performance, errors are periodically revealed that need to be eliminated.
You may have thought that all the elements in the app prototype were perfectly arranged. However, your app users may disagree. If you don't try to make your product more convenient, people will go to your competitors.
The world doesn't stand still. Mobile platforms and server technologies are constantly being updated. Someone has to make the necessary changes to make sure your product continues to work on all platforms and devices.
Static is boring. Add new features, update the appearance/interface, and expand the functionality of your app. This will allow you to retain users for a long time.
Technical Support as Key to Loyalty
Sometimes, app users have questions already at the start of using the product. In this case, the Help section may not contain the right answer. In other cases, complex situations emerge due to software failures or some actions during the process of using the product.
Prompt help and problem solutions from experienced specialists will be a big advantage for your application. The gratitude of users will be reflected in positive feedback and increased loyalty. People who choose your fitness app will notice that their issues (if any) are resolved quickly.
How to Build a Fitness App for iOS: Platform Features
The iOS operating system is more private compared to Android. Fewer developers work with it, and therefore, the cost of creating an app for iOS is almost always higher. However, Android apps imply testing on various platforms, which is also quite costly.
Fitness apps are a mass product. A significant part of them is intended, among other things, for free use. App owners make money on ads, premium accounts with additional features, sports and health products sold directly in their apps.
Startups often get Android releases first, since they are cheaper. This allows them to attract more users at the early stages. The iOS version is developed either in parallel or, if the budget is limited, at the second stage of project development.
Fitness Apps on JavaScript: Are They Complex to Develop?
If you want to get a professional product, it's best to avoid experiments and cooperate with teams of experienced developers. Sometimes, you can hear that JavaScript apps are easy, and any beginner can quickly master such a direction.
However, we'd like to remind you that even if you need a small cross-platform app, which will be just an addition to your website, still it should be convenient and reliable. Thus, the fact is you cannot do without a prototype, elaborate design, testing, and other stages of development.
It goes without saying that a simple JavaScript app will cost you less than a powerful and complex solution. Nevertheless, even in this case, it's better to contact specialists with experience.
Building a Simple Fitness App: Studio or Freelancer?
Another issue that is worth highlighting is whether you should choose a freelancer or an agency when creating a small and fairly simple app.
Basically, a private specialist knows how to create a fitness app. Moreover, such services will cost you less than working with a team of developers. A simple "for myself" solution is probably better to entrust to a freelancer.
However, if you are creating a project for subsequent income, albeit very simple at the initial stage, it's worth considering the following aspects:
- App design should immediately look professional;
- Determine the future development direction of the product in advance;
- Even the simplest software solution needs support.
How Expensive Is It to Create a Personal Fitness App?
Now, as promised, let's return to the pricing question. Now that we have a basic understanding of how the development process goes, you realize that a fitness app cannot be cheap if you want a competitive product.
In addition to reliability and convenience, such an app usually works with maps and geolocation, has a pedometer function, knows how to count speed, distance, etc. Moreover, the app should also have a calendar, reminders/notifications, allows users to communicate with each other, create teams for competitions, share achievements in social networks, etc. Many products also have the functionality to connect fitness bracelets, IoT devices, etc.
Obviously, such a product just can't be cheap.
How to Choose the Best Company to Build a Fitness App
You can study developer websites, independent rating websites, offers on freelancing websites, etc. Whatever you do, it's extremely important to pay attention to the parameters described above.
How Can You Tell the Agency Is Able to Create a Fitness Activity App?
Examine a portfolio of the chosen app development agency. Make sure that the company has enough experience in your niche (or similar niches). This is where it's important to consider the following aspects:
- Are there any study cases? What kinds of solutions have already been created by the agency? Are there any apps similar to the one you need?
- What platforms were chosen for previous projects of the agency? What programming languages and tools were used?
- How do you like screenshots in the portfolio?
It also makes sense to find a few apps of the agency in the stores, read customer reviews, and evaluate their performance, if there is such a possibility.
How Fast Do Company Representatives Reply?
If you have sent a request and haven't received a detailed reply on the subject in a day or two, you need to think about whether you need such a business partner. Perhaps, the company is just too busy and is not interested in cooperation. Or maybe its specialists always work with their clients in this way. In any case, if you do not get fast and detailed answers on the stage of negotiations, the situation with communication may turn out to be even worse during the development process.
Pricing and Budget Planning
In response to your requests, different companies will send their offers. When looking at their prices, be guided by your financial capabilities. If your budget is limited, there's not much sense in applying to the top 10 leaders of the industry - you can always find reliable partners in the mid-price segment. Many young agencies will do a lot to prove their skills to you.
Also, when choosing service providers for fitness application development, apart from comparing prices, you also need to understand what exact services are included in the invoice. Some agencies will offer template solutions and a minimum amount of additional services, others will start with market research to then provide quality ongoing tech support.
Mutual Understanding
When you're thinking up ideas for how to create a fitness app, you already have some vision of how you want the finished solution to look. When communicating with developers, you set your goals and express your wishes. It's highly important that you and the agency understand each other and speak the same language at the stage of negotiations. You want to make sure the team shares your views and business values - only then will cooperation be productive.
Subcontractors
Clarify in advance if the agency has all the necessary specialists who know how to create a fitness app at each stage of work. Many small studios outsource part of the development process to subcontractors.
This negatively affects the final quality of the product and also makes it harder to fix bugs and make improvements in the future.
Company Reviews
Any fitness app development company will have many good things about itself on the official website. Unfortunately, this information is not always completely true. Thus, you want to study customer reviews on independent rating sites, social networks, forums, etc. Don't limit yourself to just studying the average ratings - read what people write in detail. Perhaps certain aspects that have been a problem for others will be critical for your business as well.
We hope that you now have a clear understanding of how to create a fitness app and what you need for a successful start of your project. Think it through in as much detail as possible, choose your service providers wisely, succeed, and make money!
The app market is actively developing, and therefore your startup can achieve great success.
FAQ
How to create a professional fitness app with a step-and-calorie counter?
To get a high-quality professional fitness app, you need a team of experienced professionals including designers, developers that know how to use various software tools and programming languages, as well as testers and marketers. Choose a reliable company, be prepared for a thorough development and a long testing period.
What technology stack is required to build a fitness activity tracking app?
You will need UX/UI graphic design tools, Xcode, Java, Phyton, or other developer tools for mobile platforms, servers, and database technologies, geolocation tools, Google maps, push notifications, payment gateways, analytics, and QA testing tools.
How much does it cost to build a fitness app?
Developers in the US will cost you from $60 to $250 per hour, in Eastern Europe - from $40 to $170, in India - from $10 to $70. The app itself can cost anywhere from $40,000 to $120,000, depending on the complexity of the app, design aspects, chosen platforms, and other requirements.
What do you need to know to start a fitness app?
To launch a fitness app, you need an idea and a team of developers to implement the project itself, knowledge of mobile and server technologies, and the ability to work with geolocation tools. In addition, for a successful launch, it's not enough to simply create an app - you want to represent it properly to users. Thus, you will need the help of professional marketing and promotional experts.
