How To Make An App Like Instagram?

Do you know that more than 58.4% of people use social media platforms to share their life with others?

Instagram is one of the world’s most renowned social media platforms, and people use this photo-sharing app to share their memorable events with their followers. According to the data by the business of app, more the 1.3 billion people use Instagram daily. Not only people, but this social media app is also quite popular among the global business community.

Source: Business of Apps

Many entrepreneurs want to create an app like Instagram to provide an alternate platform for social media users. If you want to initiate the process of developing an app like Instagram, make sure to read this blog.

This blog will provide you

  • Key insights of Instagram as a photo-sharing platform.
  • 10 steps guide to create an app like Instagram
  • Details of monetization strategies
  • Estimated cost to develop an app like Instagram

Key statics related to Instagram

Here are some of the key stats you can go through to develop an app like Instagram

  • According to the business of app In 2020, the total estimated revenue was $24 billion.
  • Instagram generated a quarter of its revenue from stories and 500 million users post or use Instagram stories daily
  • According to Pew Research, most Instagram users are under 30 years of age.
  • The favorite platform of millennials is Instagram
  • According to the report of Bloomberg, the Net worth of Instagram is more than $100 billion

10 Steps Guide to develop an Instagram like app

Instagram is popular because of its amazing user base and to know how to develop an app like Instagram you need to read these complete guidelines.

These 10 steps will make your work easy in developing an app like Instagram.

Step 1: Pick the unique selling feature to create an app like Instagram.

This photo-sharing app provides the platform to user to share their content. If you want to build an app like Instagram, you have to create the USP to stand out. USP can give an immediate boost to your app. The key purpose of USP is the differentiation of your app. Find out what services you can provide better than Instagram to fill the void in the video-sharing app market.

You can market your app by informing your audience about the difference between your and other photo-sharing apps.

Step 2: Do Market research

Even if you have created a plan and USP to create your own app like Instagram, you have to do market research to know about all the latest trends. You can have an idea of how other apps in this segment are performing right now.

You have to decide which platform will be best for launching your Instagram-like application. Market research assists in understanding the demographics like age, gender, income, and location of your users. You can also know the target customer of your Instagram-like app.

Step 3: Analyze the competitor strategy

If you want to create new things, the best thing you should do is to learn from the mistakes of your competitors. You can avoid many blunders and can rank better than your competitors. The research phase is the most significant to create an app like Instagram.

Step 4: Design your Instagram like app

Generation Z has played a huge role in the popularity of Instagram. This free app allows users to upload and share their images. You can create an app like Instagram by offering a photo editing option.

You can use colorful filters and adjustments of photos and make sure to allow users to change the size, brightness, text, resolution, and warmth to make an app like Instagram.

If you have added the photo-sharing feature to your app, then you can earn a good amount of revenue through commissions. Companies want to share their product with users, and you can provide the platform through your app to secure sales. In this way, you will also generate revenue.

Step 5: Select the relevant technology stack

If you are searching the term “how do you make an app like Instagram” then you must know the significant tools that help Instagram to run.

App development phases Programming language
Server-side Python/Django
Front end development JavaScript and React.js
iOS android Native Application React native
Database PostgreSQL
Cloud computing Amazon S3, Amazon EBS, Amazon EC2

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Step 6: Features you should include to build an app like Instagram

Features play significant role in cost determination. Engaging features can increase the interest of your user into the app. Some of the features you can include in designing your app are:

  • User Sign Up/ Sign in

The first thing anyone can do after downloading any app is account creation. If you want to make an Instagram-like app, you must include this feature. Make sure to give multiple options for sign up and sign in. It helps you enhance the user experience and can increase the download count of your app.

  • Option of uploading photos and videos

People want to share each and everything with their social media family. On Instagram, users can easily upload and edit their photos. If you want to build an app like Instagram, you must add this feature. You can also give an option to your user to upload pre-existing images

  • IGTV

Instagram tv provides insight into all the latest trends. Marketing personnel also use this feature to create awareness. If you are lurking around to find ways to make an app like Instagram, make sure to include a feature of loading long duration videos

  • Live video

During a pandemic, live video features have been used widely by people globally. You can also use this feature in developing an app like Instagram.It will help in interaction between you app users.This feature is also the ultimate mood boaster.

  • Stories

Instagram has released certain features that got tremendous responses from users. One such feature is the unique story feature. This feature removes from search results after 24 hours, you can add this feature to make your own app like Instagram.

  • Geolocation

You should integrate you app with Google map, if you want to design an app like Instagram because it helps in user-generated content, and people can easily add their location in their posts and images.

  • Message, like, and share option

Instagram allows users to interact with each other through direct messages. It also gives insight into the quality of your content through likes, shares, and follower count. You should provide the option of a direct message, like, and share button, if you want to make an app like Instagram.

  • Push notification

The push notification helps users to know all the latest happening. You must include this feature to make an app like Instagram. Make sure to give an option to your users to block the notification, they don’t want to see.

Step: 7 Hiring Of Design And Development Team To Make An Instagram Like App

How hard is to create an app like Instagram?

Some people think it is verychallenging to create a photo and video sharing app. But it is not absolutely correct. One thing you need to do is to hire the expert team for the successful development of an app.

The team that is required to develop an app like Instagram is:

  • Business Analyst
  • Tech lead
  • Back end developer
  • Project manager
  • UI/UX Designer
  • QA tester
  • Developer

Make sure that there is good interaction between all of your team members to have a smooth app development journey.

Step 8: Pick the monetization strategy to make an app like Instagram

There are three main ways you can monetize your app like Instagram

  • Ads: you can earn revenue by running ads on your app
  • In-app purchase: to earn money through your Instagram like you can sell filters and effects and you can also take money for the promotion of any app in your Instagram like app.
  • Premium: Some people don’t like the ad, so you can allow them to have a premium subscription

Step 9: Launch Of An App

After following all the steps, now it’s time to publish your Instagram-like app. You can choose both google and apple store to release your app. Make sure that you follow all the guidelines of both platforms.

For Android platform

  • Create a Google Developer Account
  • Integrate Merchant Account
  • Read the google development policy
  • Fulfill all the technical requirements
  • App creation on Google console
  • Product Listing

For the iOS platform

  • Log in for apple developer program
  • Create a store listing using apple store connect
  • Take screenshots of the app store
  • Use X code to release your app

Step 10: promotion of an app like Instagram

App developers do not pay enough attention to the marketing of the app. Failed marketing strategy plays a crucial role in the failure of an app. Design an effective marketing strategy to create curiosity among your user. Make sure to include all the digital marketing strategies in your advertisement campaign.

You can use the following digital marketing strategies for the promotion of an app like Instagram.

  • PayPerClick
  • Social Media Marketing
  • Influencer Marketing
  • Email Marketing

How much does it cost to make an app like Instagram?

Most brands want to know the cost to develop an app like Instagram. It helps them in allotment of budget from the finance team. Here is a list to provide insight about Instagram app development cost

  • If you want to design a native Instagram like app for iOS, you need at least $60,000 to $80,000
  • To create an Instagram like app for android users you must have a budget between $50,000-$70,000

Frequently Asked Questions

Most businesses want to know the answer to this question before starting the development phase. You need to have a budget of at least $40,000 to $80,000 to create an app like Instagram.

The time of any app development process depends on several factors including the experience of app developers and the complexity of app design. You need approximately 7-8 months to build an app like Instagram.

The coding language plays a significant role in the app development process to develop an app like Instagram. The back-end developer of Instagram uses Python. If you want to make your app like Instagram, you can use C-python and Java.

Yes, you can create an app like Instagram for free by using free app maker software. It is better if you take the services of online app development companies so that they can make your app creation process fuss-free.

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