The traditional car rental experience has been cumbersome and hectic for individuals because of unfulfilled needs, a lengthy booking process, delays, and more.
Acknowledging the cons of legacy car rental services as an opportunity, businesses in this sector have chosen to build car-sharing apps. One such brand that has capitalized on these issues is Turo, which has entered the market with the peer-to-peer car rental marketplace.
This year, in 2024, the car rental market worldwide will hit $102.50 billion.
If you also have an idea, you might be looking for an estimate for the required investment to convert the vision into a real product.
This blog discusses how much it cost to build a car rental app like Turo, factors affecting the pricing, features to consider, steps to build an app like Turo, tips to reduce the cost of developing a Turo-like app, and more.
Let’s dive deeper!
What Is A Turo App?
One of the car rental apps that has grown in leaps and bounds, Turo, also known as Airbnb for cars, provides an astounding collection of cars for rent, from daily commuting versions to special occasions.
According to the traffic and engagement analysis recorded in May 2024, Turo's traffic increased by 6.55% compared to the previous month.
On Turo, you can explore budget-friendly options, fuel-savers, EVs, sports, ultimate luxury, and more from different destinations (as provided).
Emerging as the best car-hailing alternative, Turo offers amazing flexibility and a wide range of vehicles for rent at potentially low costs.
How Does A Car Rental App Like Turo Work?
Turo bridges a gap between car owners and renters via a user-friendly and convenient platform.
For Car Renters
1. Filter and Search
First, users browse through a long list of cars on rent, filtering by car type, location, price, features, and availability.
2. Booking and Payment
On finding a suitable car, users book and pay easily for the rental using the app. Turo offers secure and seamless payment processing to provide a smooth transaction experience.
3. Pick-up and Drop-off
The renter coordinates with the car owner for pick-up and drop-off details directly through the application’s messaging system. Contactless options are also available for pickup and drop-off.
4. Enjoy Driving Car and Return
The renters enjoy their rental car experience and return it where the car is first inspected per the app’s guidelines.
5. Review and Feedback
Once the deal is over from both sides, the car owner and renter can leave reviews about their experience with each other.
For Car Owners
1. Car Listing
Car owners list their vehicles on the car rental application, offering photos and details and mentioning rental rates and availability.
2. Manage Rentals
After receiving the rental requests, the owners manage the booking, communicate with car renters, and approve or decline them.
3. Insurance and Security
Turo provides varied insurance options that safeguard the owner’s car while it’s on rent.
4. Payments and Earning
After each rental session is completed, the owner is paid via the app after Turo’s commission fee is deducted. Thus, by renting their unused car, the owners earn an extra income.
5. Review Renters
Car owners can leave reviews and share their experiences with renters. This helps them maintain their reputation on the platform.
Turo app streamlines the car-sharing process, providing flexibility and convenience for both renters and owners.
An Average Cost To Build an App Like Turo
According to research, the average cost to build an app like Turo ranges between $20,000 and $200,000. You can contact a mobile app development company to learn the cost to develop an app like Turo.
Let’s segment the price range according to the app’s complexity:
| Complexity Level | Cost Range (USD) |
|---|---|
| Simple | $20,000 – $50,000 |
| Mid-Level | $50,000 – $100,000 |
| Advanced | $100,000 – $200,000 |
Remember, the app development cost is not fixed, as it depends on varied factors. Let’s talk about these in the next section.
Factors Affecting Cost To Make A Car Rental App Like Turo
Varied parameters can affect the cost of car rental app development, like Turo.
Here, we will unveil some major factors:
1. App Complexity
The app’s complexity severely impacts the development cost. As your app becomes more complex, the cost also increases. You can start with a simple app, and with noticeable growth, you can upgrade your app.
2. App Features and Functionalities
An app with basic features and functionalities may cost less than an advanced one. If you have a limited budget, you can first include basic ones, and as your app expands, you can embrace advanced ones to improve its functionality.
3. Developers’ Region and Expertise
Different regions have distinctive hourly rates for hiring developers. While you hire app developers, ensure you choose the affordable ones, considering the expertise that can help you in the long run.
4. App Platform
Decide whether you want to build a native, web, or cross-platform app. The choice of app platform affects the cost of making a Turo clone app.
5. App Design and User Interface
An app with a simple design costs less than one when combined with complex animated designs.
The list goes on and on, and these were only the major factors affecting the cost of building an app like Turo. Consider these aspects when developing an app for your car rental business.
Must-Have Features To Develop An App Like Turo
While building an app like Turo, you should include the features for every user of the app, like car renters, car owners, and the admin (business/app owner).
Every user will have a separate panel to maximize the use of the car rental app.
For Car Renters
| Feature | Description |
| Search and Filter Cars | Search for cars by type, location, price, features, and other criteria. |
| Car Listings with Details | View in-detail car listings with images, specifications, descriptions, and owner information. |
| Secure Booking System | Securely book cars with only a few clicks and easy pay through an integrated payment gateway. |
| Messaging System | Communicate instantly with car owners using an in-app messaging system. |
| Trip Management | Easily manage trip details, such as pick-up and drop-off locations, times, and dates. |
| User Reviews and Ratings | Review reviews and ratings other renters submit to assess car owners and their vehicles. |
| Trip Reviews | Leave reviews and ratings for car owners and their vehicles after the trip completion. |
For Car Owners
| Feature | Description |
| Car Listing Creation | Effortlessly list their cars on the car rental platform with photos, specifications, descriptions, and pricing details. |
| Availability Calendar | Prepare their car’s availability calendar to handle rental periods and stay away from conflicts. |
| Booking Management | Approve or reject car booking requests and easily manage communication with renters. |
| Payment System | Receive secure payments directly using the app after a car rental booking confirmation. |
| Insurance Options | Offer various insurance alternatives for renters to select from during booking. |
| User Reviews and Ratings | View reviews and ratings from car renters to foster trust and credibility as a car owner. |
| Damage Reporting Tool | Report damages if incurred by renters directly using the app with photo/video evidence. |
For App Admin
| Feature | Description |
| User-Friendly Interface | Intuitive, clear, and user-friendly interface that’s easy to navigate for renters and car owners. |
| Secure Payment Gateway | Secure integration with a trusted payment gateway to process transactions safely. |
| GPS Integration | Seamlessly integrate with mapping services, such as Google Maps, to offer directions and track car locations (can be optional depending on the regulations). |
| Push Notifications | Send real-time notifications to users regarding car rental booking confirmations, trip reminders, and other important updates. |
| Multilingual Support | Provide the app interface and multi-lingual support to cater to a wider audience (optional). |
While you develop a car rental app like Turo, consider including features for all three panels: car owners, renters, and admin to make your product useful and drive revenue streams.
Advanced Features To Consider for Developing a Turo Clone App
As your business expands, you should upgrade your app with advanced features (which can be paid for).
While you develop a Turo clone app, you can consider incorporating the below-advanced features:
| Feature | Description |
| AI-Powered Recommendations | Leverage the power of machine learning to recommend cars to renters depending on their preferences, search history, and past rentals. |
| In-App Car Inspection Tools | Smoothly integrate a digital car inspection tool with the caliber of photo/video upload for renters and car owners to document car condition before and after trips. |
| Real-time Messaging and Chat Functionalities | Permit real-time chat functionalities between renters and car owners for quick communication during trips. |
| Advanced Trip Management Features | Provide features, such as one-way rentals, trip extensions, or pre-approved add-on services (e.g., child car seat rental) during the car booking. |
| Geolocation Tracking | Easily implement geolocation tracking with user consent to monitor car location for security and safety purposes (remember to ensure compliance with regulations). |
| Multiple Payment Gateway Integration | Integrate with varied payment gateways to provide users with a wider range of payment options (like local wallets and credit cards). |
| Community Features | Create a discussion board or forum where users can connect, ask questions, and share experiences about car rentals or particular car models. |
| Loyalty Programs and Referral Incentives | Implement referral incentives or loyalty programs to reward regular renters and car owners, promoting repeat business. |
| Subscription Plans for Car Owners | Provide optional subscription plans for car owners with increasing benefits, such as priority booking requests, premium listing placement, or insurance discounts. |
| Data-Driven Insights and Analytics | Create dashboards and analytics tools for car owners and renters to offer insights on pricing strategies, rental trends, and user behavior. |
We curated this table, including major and essential advanced features, which you can consider more depending on your project needs and specifications.
7 Steps To Build A Car Rental App, Like Turo
Now, as you know, the features for every panel, working, and the cost to develop an app like Turo, it’s time to know the steps to build a car rental app.
1. Start With Market Research And Define Your Features
First things first: Begin with deep market research to determine what’s trending in this sector. Check the published car rental apps on app stores, their unique selling propositions, and the areas where they are lacking. Thus, you can sketch the roadmap accordingly, increasing the chance of your app’s success.
Finalize the features you want to include and segment them per the app’s complexity. Embrace the basic ones at the beginning and the advanced ones after expansion.
2. Choose Your Business Model
Every business runs on a specific model; you can choose yours that needs to be flexible and seamlessly connect the brand’s vision with customer requirements and expectations.
3. Design UI and UX of a Car Rental App Like Turo
In this step, you must aim to craft an engaging app’s look, feel, and user experience. It includes designing engaging screens, easily navigable menus, and the best functionalities for renters and car owners. Remember to test usability with target users to ensure a user-friendly and seamless experience.
4. Select The Right Technology To Develop An App Like Turo
Here, the development team picks the appropriate programming and frameworks to develop an app. They make decisions relevant to the front-end (UI) and back-end (server-side logic and data storage) technologies. Several factors may affect these choices, such as development cost, security, and scalability.
5. Quality Assurance Testing of the App
After the app development, you should consider performing rigorous testing. QA testers address the bugs (if any) and fix them, ensure the app functions seamlessly across varied devices, and perform as expected. At the end of this step, you will get a stable and high-quality app set to launch.
6. Deployment and Launch
After you complete app testing, you must move ahead to app deployment on the app stores following specific guidelines and the application submission process. After getting approval, launch your app and find it running successfully with increased downloads.
7. Market and Feedback Gathering
Now, as your app has rolled out successfully, aim to know user feedback. Leverage app analytics tools to track user behavior and improvement areas. Consider ratings and reviews that will provide valuable insights. Ask your team of developers to adjust per the demand, append new features, and consistently improve your app per the market trend and user feedback.
Following the above-mentioned steps, you can build a Turo clone app and convert your vision into a real product.
If you find yourself in a muddle, hire an app development company with a proven track record of developing car rental apps.
How To Reduce The Cost Of Making An App Like Turo?
Below are some ways you can opt to reduce the cost of making a Turo clone app:
1. Kickstart with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
Start by building the core functionalities, such as user profiles, booking system, car listing, and secure payment processing. Then, you can test your app with a real user base and accumulate feedback before investing in adding extra features.
2. Focus on Features
At your app launch, you can be set up with basic features. You must analyze and prioritize the essential features that can enhance your user experience. Later, per the market demand and user feedback, you can add advanced features.
3. Consider Development Approach
You can either opt for in-house developers or hire dedicated app developers who will save you the cost of infrastructure and resources.
Contact an app development company with a team of expert developers who can help you learn about Turo-like app development costs and create a plan for successful project creation.
Why Choose EmizenTech To Develop A Turo Clone App On Budget?
Choosing EmizenTech to build a Turo clone app can help you with custom app development services, leveraging the latest technologies at affordable prices and timely delivery.
Key Reasons to Choose EmizenTech as an App Development Partner
- Seasoned App Developers
- Engaging Portfolio Showcasing Successful Projects
- Personalized Clone Services
- High Client Retention Rate
- On-Time Project Delivery
- Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
- Post-Deployment Support
- 24 X 7 Support
- Top Security Measures
Are you ready to start your car rental app development project? Know the cost of developing an app like Turo.
Conclusion
Talking about the annual growth rate of the car rental market between 2024 to 2028, it will increase with 3.14% and reach $116 billion by 2028.
The market is not going to witness a fall for long; you can get in and take advantage of this surge by developing a car rental app like Turo.
We disclosed the cost of building an app like Turo, including basic and advanced features, development steps, factors impacting cost, and more. We hope you find this blog helpful in progressing to successful app development.
You must connect with a mobile app development company to know the actual cost of developing an app like Turo and set your budget and timeframe accordingly.
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