How Much Does It Cost To Build An App Like Viber?

Building a Viber-like app for the European market presents both opportunities and challenges. Viber, a highly popular messaging app, offers encrypted messaging, free voice and video calls, social features, and integrations with mobile payment services. Its broad feature set combined with its ability to work as a VoIP application has made it a crucial tool for both personal and business communications, especially in regions with strong internet infrastructure.

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However, developing an alternative to Viber in Europe requires accounting for several unique aspects like GDPR compliance, multi-language localization, and user experience across Android, iOS, and desktop platforms. Furthermore, Europe's cross-border usability adds complexities in terms of regional payment integrations and regulatory requirements.

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In this article, we delve into the critical factors affecting how much it costs to build an app like Viber for the European market, highlighting relevant regional considerations, including privacy needs, cultural localization, and platform diversity.

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Platform and Device Compatibility in Europe

Android vs. iOS in the European Market

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Platform choice is a cornerstone of custom app development, and in Europe, it’s impossible to ignore how device preferences differ across countries. For a Viber-style app to succeed in Europe, you’ll have to account for varied platform usage.

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• Android Dominance: In many parts of Western and Eastern Europe, Android continues to maintain a dominant market position. Countries like Germany, France, and Spain favor Android, which means any Viber-alternative app will have to prioritize Android development. However, developing for Android entails dealing with numerous device ecosystems, from high-end Samsungs to more affordable third-party devices.
• iOS Penetration: Certain regions, like the U.K. and Scandinavia, have higher rates of iOS usage. Developing an app for iOS users demands in-app integration with Apple Pay, cloud services, and prioritizing privacy features, which will require more stringent UI/UX compliance with Apple’s guidelines.

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Cross-Platform vs. Native Development

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Many developers opt for cross-platform development using technologies like Flutter or React Native, which allows the app to function on both iOS and Android with a shared codebase. 

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However, native development tends to offer better performance, especially for heavy communication apps like Viber, which rely on real-time messaging, calls, and multimedia sharing.

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Additionally, WebRTC technology for VoIP is better optimized in native development, so if smooth performance is more critical than quick-to-market development, this is a point to consider.

Design and User Experience (UX/UI): European Preferences

Designing for a European audience involves accounting for both regional tastes and functional efficiency. UX/UI in Europe must hit a balance between elegance and minimalism while still making the app easy to use for multiple audiences.

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Minimalism in Design: Many Western European countries, especially Scandinavian markets, tend to favor sleek, minimalist designs. Apps like Viber need a user interface that prioritizes clarity and simplicity over too many design elements. This cuts down on distractions and helps users flow through core functions like messaging and calls without complexity hindering their experience.

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Trust and Transparency in UX: User trust is paramount in Europe, especially after the implementation of GDPR. Providing transparent interfaces that let users see and manage their data preferences is key. Ensuring that data preferences are easily accessible and that privacy-related features are prominent builds loyalty, particularly with the privacy-sensitive segment of the European population.

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Localization Considerations: For countries where translation impacts comprehension of services (e.g., France, Germany, Spain), localized text must adapt in both length and cultural clarity. This may introduce extra translation costs during development, especially for multi-language registration processes, help centers, and in-app features.

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Incorporating region-specific UX/UI can push up development times but results in a better market fit for each European country.

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Integrations with Third-Party Services/External Systems

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Payments and Regional Systems Integration

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In Europe, integrating with third-party services must consider local partners for mobile payments or bank-related services. The diversity of payment expectations ranges from mobile-based Klarna to cross-border SEPA payments. Moreover, EU-specific regulations like PSD2 ensure that any financial integrations in eCommerce apps come with authorization codes and must comply with secure authentications.

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• Klarna and Bancontact Payments: Popular in Germany, Sweden, and Belgium, these payment options must be integrated to accommodate European buyer behavior.
• SEPA Payments for Peer Transfer: If integrating P2P payments within the communication app, instant payments via SEPA could be necessary for certain services.

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Cross-Border Payment System Integration

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Apps in Europe must be flexible enough to handle cross-border payments, which often involve more regulatory hurdles and compliance checks. Building these sophisticated systems takes time and requires scaling backend servers to handle multiple currencies when serving an EU-wide audience.

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Integrating financial services in Europe—especially across its various countries—can contribute significantly to total development costs due to the long compliance and testing stages.

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Database & Back-End Infrastructure: Europe Regulations and Scalability

The back-end systems that power Viber are substantial, managing not only large user databases but also ensuring real-time voice and video calls across borders. This creates unique demands for European app development, especially considering GDPR and data storage regulations.

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GDPR Compliance: In the EU, GDPR provisions require that data processing, storage, and management meet high standards. The app must allow users to consent to data collection, request deletions, and be informed about where their data is hosted. Ensuring compliance significantly impacts back-end architecture, requiring stringent security layers, consent capture, and data transfer regulations.

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Data Residency in European Data Centers: Due to data protection laws, storing app data within the borders of the EU in data centers that comply with GDPR (such as AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure in European regions) is non-negotiable. Scaling the infrastructure to incorporate automated backups and retrieval systems and maintaining access speeds across European nations is critical but adds to overall storage and server hosting expenses.

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Ongoing Maintenance and Updates

GDPR-Compliant Feature and Security Updates

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Even after the app launches, keeping up with frequent GDPR changes means consistently updating the app to ensure compliance. This involves sending notifications to users when privacy policies are updated, providing user access to downloaded data, and refining data encryption algorithms to match the evolving security requirements.

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OS-Specific Updates and Localization Adjustments

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Europe's tech diversity demands that apps regularly update their operating systems for regions with fluctuating rates of iOS vs. Android usage. Additionally, localization must be reconsidered post-launch, especially as the app expands into newer countries or adds languages.

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Ongoing development for a multi-regional European app wrestles with multiple simultaneous updates, especially when new features might require network optimizations regionally while also adhering to data privacy laws in different countries.

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Team Expertise and Location for European App Development

A critical factor in app development costs is the expertise and location of the development team. Europe presents unique opportunities here, with some regions offering deep specialization in fields like data privacy laws, cloud infrastructure, and UX localization.

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Working Across European Time Zones

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Hiring teams from Eastern Europe, such as Poland or Ukraine, offers cost advantages while maintaining high expertise in mobile-first app development. Central European-based teams often possess more in-depth knowledge of local data regulations or language localization for diverse user bases, ensuring easier navigational flow across regions.

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GDPR and Data Security Expertise

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Ensuring compliance with GDPR means having specialists on the team who understand all facets of European data privacy laws. Developers familiar with the intricacies of managing, storing, and deleting user data without breaching regulatory frameworks will assist in streamlining this complex task while avoiding heavy future fines.

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Hidden Costs & Miscellaneous Factors for Europe

QA & Testing: When testing an app meant for Europe, QA becomes crucial. The app should be put through rigorous testing across different countries’ internet speeds, device compatibilities, and region-specific interfaces. Ensuring cross-region synchronization for real-time communication features (like in Viber ) increases the timelines for testing and debugging.

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App Store Fees & Guidelines: Each app market—Google Play for Android and Apple’s App Store for iOS—requires specific fees, but more importantly, submission across various European nations also necessitates compliance with different localization rules.

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Legal and Compliance: Apps that process or store sensitive personal information in Europe also face additional compliance costs associated with GDPR audits and compliance with data collection best practices. For apps such as a Viber-like service, complying with secure communication and data privacy requires dedicated resources to ensure that the app adheres to all relevant laws. Legal teams proficient in GDPR, DPP (Data Protection Provisions), and EU Cookie Directives may need to be consulted on an ongoing basis, adding to the total project costs.

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One thing to keep in mind, especially for apps like Viber, is that non-compliance with GDPR can result in hefty fines that could far outweigh the costs of initially setting up proper data handling protocols. Therefore, ensuring your app is fully compliant from the outset makes the legal and compliance costs worthwhile.

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What Makes This App Category Unique in Terms of Development for Europe?

Developing a Messaging/VoIP App Like Viber for the European Market

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Messaging apps like Viber hold a special place in a region as diverse and regulated as Europe. Given the popularity of real-time messaging and VoIP platforms, there are key factors that differentiate Europe from other regions and make development unique.

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GDPR and User Privacy: In Europe, GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) greatly impacts the development of Viber-like apps. User consent, data retention, and the right to be forgotten are cornerstones of this legislation, and how personal data is processed, stored, and shared must be deeply integrated into the app’s data-handling architecture. This impacts not just the back-end development but also the entire user flow—users must be able to easily opt-in and manage their own data preferences, which means constant adjustments in response to any ongoing updates to local and regional frameworks.

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Cross-Border Usability: A unique challenge in developing a Viber-style app for Europe is the cross-border usability of the app. Users in Europe often communicate with people in neighboring countries or even outside of the region, and staying within the rounds of cross-border regulations—especially telecom laws, VoIP restrictions, and payment processing rules between different countries—requires a robust back-end infrastructure capable of seamlessly navigating multi-country communications. Ensuring smooth transitions of calls and texts, alongside managing in-app purchases across different currencies and payment systems, adds complexity to the development roadmap.

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Multi-Language and Localization: With 27 official languages in the European Union alone, multi-language localization is a non-negotiable aspect of developing for Europe’s app market. Users in France, Germany, Italy, and Scandinavia expect interfaces, help sections, and even notifications to all be fully translated and customized to their local dialects and cultural preferences. Localizing an app also requires various UX iterations since the design/layout often needs to adapt to longer or shorter phrases in different languages.

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Culturally-Specific Design Preferences: Lastly, European companies put a strong emphasis on design aesthetics, but this looks different from region to region. For instance, Nordic countries prefer minimalist, function-forward designs, whereas Southern European users might favor more interactive or vibrant interfaces. Ensuring that your UX/UI design can cater to regional tastes within Europe adds another layer of complexity that non-European markets may not demand.

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All these factors make creating a Viber-like app a complex but rewarding endeavor when companies adapt the product for a European market. Despite these unique requirements pushing up the initial app development costs, the result is a user-focused, legally compliant, and better-optimized product.

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Looking for a custom app built to succeed in Europe? 

At Scrums.com, we specialize in developing compliant, localized software that meets the diverse needs of the European market. From GDPR readiness to multi-language interfaces, we know what it takes to make your app stand out on the European stage. Contact us today for a custom-fit estimate for your European app project!