Social, content and dating apps
How much does it cost to build an app like TikTok?
By Nick McCandless, founder of EltherionUpdated
Short answer
Eltherion prices an MVP of an app like TikTok, a short-video app with a swipeable feed, at $34k to $100k. A full platform with the features listed below runs $72k to $212k. These are Eltherion's own estimate ranges for building a comparable product, not what TikTok spent; your fixed price comes after a free scoping call, and small, tightly scoped work starts as low as $1,000.
An app like TikTok centers on recording or uploading short videos and watching an endless vertical feed. A comparable MVP needs video capture and upload, a feed that plays smoothly, likes and comments, and moderation; the recommendation engine starts simple.
What an MVP of an app like TikTok costs, feature by feature
The first version below is the smallest product people could actually use. Core features are covered by the base price for an iPhone and Android app; each outside service the app connects to, and each add-on, adds its own line.
| Line item | What it covers | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Core iPhone and Android app (MVP) | Video capture and upload, Vertical video feed, Profiles, follows, likes and comments, Moderation tools | $30k to $90k |
| Video processing and streaming | Transcoding and delivery through a video infrastructure service | $2k to $5k |
| Push notifications | Engagement alerts | $2k to $5k |
| Total | $34k to $100k |
- Video capture and upload: Record, trim and post short videos.
- Vertical video feed: Swipe through videos with smooth playback.
- Profiles, follows, likes and comments: The social layer.
- Moderation tools: Reporting, blocking and an admin review queue.
What drives the cost of an app like TikTok
- Video processing and streaming dominate both the build and the running costs.
- A personalized recommendation feed is a separate project; MVPs start with recent and popular videos.
- Editing tools and effects add native mobile work.
Full platform: $72k to $212k
The full-platform tier prices the same app at full-platform scope ($54k to $162k for the core) plus these additions:
- Personalized recommendations: A feed ranked by each viewer's behavior ($10k to $30k).
- Sounds, effects and duets: Creative tools (part of the full-platform core).
- Content moderation service: Automated screening of uploads ($2k to $5k).
- Analytics: Creator and product analytics ($2k to $5k).
Most products should not build this tier up front. Ship the MVP, see what users actually do, and add the pieces that earn their place. Open the full-platform estimate in the calculator.
Running costs after launch
- Maintenance and small improvements: $6k to $18k a year for the MVP (18% of the build, a planning assumption).
- Hosting: about $4k a year (a planning estimate; heavy usage costs more).
- Three-year total for the MVP, build included: $63k to $165k.
- App store accounts: the Apple Developer Program is $99 a year and Google Play has a $25 one-time registration fee (checked October 30, 2026).
Each integration also has its provider's own usage fees (maps, messaging, video, AI models), which depend on how much the app is used.
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Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to build an app like TikTok?
- Eltherion prices an MVP of an app like TikTok, a short-video app with a swipeable feed, at $34k to $100k, and a full platform at $72k to $212k. These are Eltherion's estimate ranges from its published pricing model; your fixed price comes after a free scoping call. Small, tightly scoped work starts as low as $1,000.
- Do I need a recommendation algorithm on day one?
- No. Most short-video MVPs start with a feed of recent and popular videos plus videos from people you follow. A personalized ranking system makes sense once there is enough viewing data to learn from.
- Can I use a video service instead of building streaming myself?
- Yes, and the estimate assumes you do. A video infrastructure provider handles transcoding and delivery, which is far cheaper and more reliable than building it. You pay that provider per minute stored and streamed.
- Is this what TikTok spent to build its app?
- No. It is Eltherion's estimate for building a comparable first version today. It says nothing about what TikTok spent, and Eltherion is not affiliated with TikTok. A product at that company's scale has years of work and teams behind it that no MVP includes.
- How can I lower the cost?
- Launch with fewer integrations, one market and one platform, and leave the full-platform features until users ask for them. The adjustable calculator shows how each choice moves the range.
How we priced this
Every number on this page comes from Eltherion's software development cost calculator: a base range for the product type, multiplied by scope, plus a fixed range for each integration and add-on. The method is published on the cost methodology page. The feature list describes a typical comparable product; Eltherion is not affiliated with TikTok.