Cost for Developing a Shopping App Similar to Temu
Temu, a rapidly expanding e-commerce app, has captured a significant share of the US market, accounting for approximately one-third of its global downloads since its release. With over 404.52 million monthly users as of November 2023, the app has become a major player in the industry.
The app's success can be attributed to its data-driven and mobile-first approach, offering customers competitively priced products from a carefully curated selection. Direct sourcing and AI-powered trend forecasting are key elements of Temu's strategy, revolutionizing the e-commerce landscape.
Developing an e-commerce app like Temu involves several crucial steps. Project planning, market research, and analysis are initial stages that can take between 20 to 80 hours and cost between $1,000 to $12,000. Defining the project scope, choosing the right technology stack, and hiring a dedicated app development firm are also essential steps.
Integration with shipping and tracking APIs, payment gateways, and analytics and reporting features are crucial for providing users with up-to-date information about their orders, enhancing reliability, and boosting user interaction. These integrations can take between 40-80 hours and cost $2,000 to $4,000, while testing and quality assurance can take between 100 to 200 hours and cost $5,000 to $10,000 or more.
Designing the user interface and user experience can take between 100 to 300 hours and cost between $5,000 to $30,000 or more. Backend development can take between 200 to over 500 hours and cost $10,000 to $25,000 or even higher.
Temu's business model includes paid promotions, sponsored listings, and leveraging AI for personalized recommendations, contributing to its monetization and growth. Customer service through live chat or support tickets, push notifications, and features that allow collaboration, tailored suggestions, and swift handling of orders are elements that add to a pleasing user experience and boost customer loyalty.
Despite its rapid growth, Temu has faced challenges in maintaining competitive pricing against Amazon in the US market, reflected by a 54% decline in monthly active users between March and mid-July 2025. However, companies like Appinventiv, with extensive experience in developing cutting-edge mobile applications for e-commerce businesses, continue to support Temu's growth by providing innovative solutions.
As of mid-2025, Temu's global store revenue was about $53.9 billion in 2024, with a forecasted 30-35% rise in 2025. Although specific U.S.-only revenue figures or market share percentages were not explicitly stated in the available data, the e-commerce market in the United States is projected to reach $1.5 trillion by 2028, marking a 67.47% increase from 2023 to 2028.
In summary, Temu holds a significant and growing share of the US e-commerce app download market, with highly substantial global revenue and aggressive projected growth, though it faces competitive challenges affecting user retention in the US market.
- To leverage the growing e-commerce market and enhance user experience, Temu could consider integrating cloud services for data storage and analysis, streamlining operations, and improving AI-powered personalized recommendations for lifestyle and finance products.
- In the journey towards further business expansion, Temu can collaborate with technology companies that specialize in providing cutting-edge cloud services, ensuring the app remains at the forefront of technological advancements in the e-commerce industry.
