Create your own app like Uber Eats

Create an app like Uber Eats: key features, steps and budget in 2026

Create an app like Uber Eats is now a powerful opportunity for restaurants, dark kitchens, franchises and entrepreneurs who want to launch their own food delivery marketplace. By owning your own platform instead of relying only on third-party aggregators, you take back control over your margins, customer data and brand experience.

In this guide, we walk you through how to create an app like Uber Eats step by step: business models, architecture of an Uber-Eats-type app, must-have features for customers / restaurants / drivers, development phases, budget ranges and the main levers to make your platform profitable.

If you need a more general overview of delivery app pricing (all models combined), you can also rely on your pillar page about the cost of a delivery app.

Index

1. Why launch an app like Uber Eats in 2026?
2. Main business models you can use
3. Architecture of an Uber-Eats-type app
4. Core features on the customer side
5. Features for restaurants and dark kitchens
6. Features for drivers
7. Admin panel: how to manage your marketplace
8. Development steps to create an app like Uber Eats
9. How much does an app like Uber Eats cost?
10. Making your delivery app profitable
11. Why work with FlexiApps?

1. Why launch an app like Uber Eats in 2026?

The food delivery market keeps growing, driven by:

• the mass adoption of smartphones and online ordering,
• less and less time dedicated to cooking at home,
• the rise of dark kitchens and brands that are 100% delivery-only,
• customers getting used to ordering everything online (meals, groceries, pharmacy, etc.).

Global platforms dominate some markets, but there is still plenty of room for:

• local platforms (city, region, country),
• vertical marketplaces (pizza, healthy food, local cuisine, corporate meals, etc.),
• in-house delivery apps for restaurant chains that want to reduce commissions.

Creating an app like Uber Eats in 2026 is not about copying Uber Eats pixel-by-pixel. It’s about adapting the model to your own market: positioning, geography, type of offer, cost structure and user experience.

2. Main business models for an Uber-Eats-type app

Before talking about development, you need to clarify the business model of your Uber-Eats-like app:

2.1. Multi-restaurant marketplace

You build a platform that connects many restaurants with delivery drivers (employees or freelancers). You make money through:

• a commission on each order,
• service fees on the customer side,
• delivery fees,
• paid visibility options for restaurants (sponsored listings, internal ads).

2.2. App for a single brand or restaurant chain

You are a restaurant chain, pizzeria, fast-food brand or restaurant group and want your own ordering and delivery app instead of relying only on aggregators.

Your app like Uber Eats for your brand centralises:

• click-and-collect and delivery orders,
• order preparation tracking,
• loyalty programmes and promotions,
• available locations and opening hours.

In that case, your revenue comes mainly from higher turnover and better margins, thanks to lower commission costs and more repeat orders.

2.3. Dark kitchen / ghost kitchen platform

You run one or several dark kitchens and want your own platform so you no longer depend 100% on Uber Eats, Deliveroo, etc. Creating an app like Uber Eats dedicated to your brand helps you:

• build a first-party customer base,
• test new virtual brands and menus quickly,
• optimise production and delivery costs.

2.4. Internal delivery platform for a company

Some retailers or restaurant groups want an internal delivery platform to manage their own fleet of riders. In this case, the app looks like Uber Eats from the customer’s perspective, but acts mainly as a logistics and operations tool rather than a pure B2C marketplace.

3. Architecture of an app like Uber Eats

An app like Uber Eats relies on several connected modules:

• Customer app: restaurant discovery, browsing the menu, cart, payment, real-time tracking.
• Restaurant app / web panel: order management, menu management, availability, preparation status.
• Driver app: task assignment, GPS navigation, status updates, earnings.
• Admin panel (back office): global management of users, restaurants, drivers, orders, zones, fees and reporting.

The way these four bricks are designed determines the complexity and the cost of your project. The more scalable and feature-rich your Uber-Eats-type delivery app needs to be, the more important the architecture phase becomes.

4. Core features on the customer side

The customer app is the heart of your ecosystem: if the experience is confusing or slow, users won’t come back. To create an app like Uber Eats that people love, you should include at least:

4.1. Onboarding, sign-up and login

• Account creation via email, phone or social login (Google, Apple, Facebook…).
• Phone verification via SMS / OTP.
• Profile management: delivery addresses, preferences, saved payment methods.

4.2. Discovery and restaurant search

• List of nearby restaurants based on geolocation.
• Filters: cuisine type, rating, ETA, delivery fees, promos, price range.
• Restaurant page: description, opening hours, delivery fees, reviews, photos.

4.3. Cart and order confirmation

• Add / remove dishes, choose options (size, sides, extras).
• Apply promo codes, vouchers and loyalty points.
• Choose the time slot (ASAP or scheduled delivery).

4.4. Secure payment

• Integrate payment gateways (cards, wallets, possibly cash on delivery depending on the country).
• Tokenized cards for one-click re-ordering.
• Refund and cancellation rules managed in the admin panel.

4.5. Real-time order tracking

• Live status: order received, in preparation, picked up, out for delivery, delivered.
• Map view with the driver’s position and ETA.

4.6. Notifications and loyalty

• Push notifications for all order status updates.
• Targeted campaigns (free delivery, discounts, new restaurants).
• Loyalty system: points, cashback, referral programme.

5. Features for restaurants and dark kitchens

On the restaurant side, the goal is to make order management as simple as possible while maximising revenue.

5.1. Order management

• Web dashboard or tablet app to accept / reject orders.
• Clear display of all details: dishes, options, customer comments, requested time.
• Status management (in preparation, ready, handed to driver).

5.2. Menu and availability management

• Create / edit dishes with photos, descriptions and prices.
• Stock and availability management (disable a dish instantly if sold out).
• Control over opening hours and prep capacity (limit number of orders per slot if needed).

5.3. Performance and marketing

• Dashboard with orders and revenue.
• Key KPIs: average basket size, prep time, cancellation rate.
• Marketing tools: promos, special menus, subsidised delivery fees.

For even more SEO impact, you can also create a dedicated article like restaurant delivery system and internally link it from this page.

6. Features for drivers

An app like Uber Eats also needs a smooth experience for drivers, whether freelancers or employees:

• Onboarding and KYC: sign-up, document upload, approval by your team.
• Availability management: online / offline, scheduled shifts.
• Job assignment: full order details (pickup, drop-off, distance, estimated earnings).
• Navigation: integration with maps for the optimal route.
• Status updates: going to restaurant, order picked up, order delivered.
• In-app wallet: earnings overview, bonuses, payouts, delivery history.
• Support: chat or help centre to contact support or the customer.

7. Admin panel: running your marketplace

The admin back office is the control centre of your Uber-Eats-type delivery app:

• Manage users (customers, restaurants, drivers).
• Configure delivery zones, service fees, delivery fees and commissions.
• Manage global promotions, promo codes and home-screen banners.
• Monitor orders in real time and handle disputes / refunds.
• Access analytics dashboards: order volumes, retention rate, revenue, margins, etc.

This is also where you integrate external services: payment providers, mapping, analytics, CRM and accounting tools.

8. Development steps to create an app like Uber Eats

At FlexiApps, building an Uber-Eats-type delivery app usually follows these steps:

8.1. Discovery and scoping

• Analyse your target market and competitors.
• Clarify the business model and revenue streams.
• Define the functional scope (MVP vs full version).

8.2. UX / UI design and prototyping

• Design user journeys for customers, restaurants, drivers and admins.
• Create wireframes then high-fidelity mockups.
• Build a clickable prototype to validate the experience before development.

8.3. Technology choices

• Mobile apps: native iOS/Android or cross-platform (e.g. Flutter, React Native).
• Backend and APIs: scalable cloud architecture, database, security.
• Integrations: payments, geolocation, push notifications, analytics.

8.4. Development and testing

• Develop the different apps (customer, restaurant, driver) and the admin back office.
• Perform functional tests, load tests and tests on real devices.
• UAT / acceptance tests with your team and final adjustments.

8.5. Launch and iterations

• Publish the apps on the App Store and Google Play.
• Go-live of the back office and operational onboarding.
• Monitor early metrics and iterate with new features and optimisations.

For a broader overview of all delivery use cases, you can also create a dedicated page on delivery app development and link it from here.

9. How much does an app like Uber Eats cost?

The cost of an app like Uber Eats depends mainly on:

• the functional scope (simple MVP vs advanced platform),
• the number of apps (customer, restaurant, driver, admin),
• the level of design customisation,
• the platforms you target (iOS, Android, web),
• the country and experience level of your development team.

To give you an idea:

• Multi-restaurant MVP (customer + restaurant + driver + admin with core features): usually from several tens of thousands of euros, depending on complexity and country of development.
• Advanced Uber-Eats-type platform (deep analytics, recommendation engine, subscription models, advanced segmentation, etc.): higher budget, especially for large-scale or international ambitions.

If your priority is to test the market quickly with a limited budget, you can start with a white-label / SaaS marketplace solution, then migrate later to a fully custom platform when the model is validated.

For a detailed breakdown of all cost drivers (features, integrations, design, development country, maintenance, etc.), you can create or link to a dedicated guide about the cost of a delivery app.

10. Making your delivery app profitable

Creating an app like Uber Eats only makes sense if the economics work. Some key levers:

10.1. Work on your unit economics

• Average order value (AOV).
• Commission level and service fees.
• Customer acquisition cost (CAC).
• Lifetime value (LTV) and order frequency.

10.2. Optimise operations

• Route optimisation for drivers.
• Reducing idle time and failed deliveries.
• Automating as much as possible (notifications, invoicing, reporting).

10.3. Acquisition and retention

• Local SEO, social networks, targeted paid campaigns.
• Referral programmes and loyalty schemes.
• Launch offers and co-marketing campaigns with restaurants.

11. Why work with FlexiApps?

FlexiApps has been helping restaurants, dark kitchens, marketplaces and startups build delivery platforms for years. Our team understands the specifics of Uber-Eats-type delivery apps: UX, operations, technical constraints and scalability.

We help you:

• clarify your business model and target positioning,
• define the functional scope of your MVP,
• design UX / UI for customers, restaurants, drivers and admins,
• develop and launch your app like Uber Eats,
• evolve the platform based on real-world feedback.

You have a delivery app project and want to know how much your own Uber-Eats-style platform could cost? Let’s talk. Request a personalised quote for your delivery app or contact us directly to get an initial budget and timeline estimate.