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Community apps
Associations, professional networks, alumni groups, brands and creators usually start their community in a group chat or on a hosted tool. This guide explains when it makes sense to build a community app of your own, which types of community need which features, and what the first release can leave out.
Build your own community app when members, data and activity have outgrown a group chat or a hosted tool, and the organisation needs control over access, brand and integrations. What the app needs depends on the type of community: associations need membership management, professional networks need a directory and introductions, brand communities need content and support, and learning communities need courses and cohorts. Most share discussions, events, notifications and an admin panel. Start with what members come for every week, and keep accounts, data and code in the organisation's name.
Key takeaways for community owners
Group chats and hosted community platforms are the right start: they are cheap, fast and they prove there is a community at all. Their limits show up when the community grows, starts charging for membership or events, or needs to connect with the rest of the organisation.
Not every community needs its own app. A group that talks once a week is well served by a chat. A community with hundreds or thousands of members, a membership model or a regular calendar of events usually is not.
The word community covers very different products. Naming the type early keeps the first release focused on what members actually come for.
Our guide on how to build a social media app goes deeper into profiles, matching and chat, which community apps share with social products.
A community app earns its place when members come back because something happens there every week, not because the app has many features.
Three apps we built show three different centres of gravity for a product built around people.
A social networking app for a Zurich community, built around shared interests, groups and local meetups.
Two kinds of members who need to find each other, with search, profiles and direct messages.
Trainers and their clients in one app, with chat, subscriptions and loyalty rewards.
The case studies for Souly, Loopy Jobs and Evesport show each product in detail.
The main reason to leave a hosted tool is ownership, so the new app should not recreate the same dependency with a different vendor. Three things should be in the organisation's name from the start: the App Store and Google Play developer accounts, the backend and its data, and the source code.
Opening developer accounts early also saves time. A developer account opened late or left unconfigured is one of the most common reasons a launch date moves, and it is entirely on the client side. We guide clients through setting up their own accounts in the week of kickoff, so the app is published under their name.
Each model changes the payment flow and the store rules that apply, so it is worth choosing before design. Our guide to subscription app development covers the decisions behind recurring payments.
If you plan a first release on a fixed budget, our page on MVP development for startups describes how we scope it.
About the source
Community app development means building a mobile app for a specific group, such as an association, professional network, brand community or learning community, with features like membership, discussions, events, a member directory, notifications and an admin panel.
When members, data and activity outgrow the chat: a large or growing membership, paid membership or events, a need for its own brand, or integration with the organisation's other systems.
Most community apps share access and membership, discussions, events, a directory with messaging, notifications and moderation tools. Beyond that, the features depend on the type of community and what members come for.
It depends on the type of community and the features in the first release. A focused first version with membership, discussions and events usually takes a few months including design. Our article on the mobile app development timeline shows where the weeks go.
It depends on the features in the first release, such as membership and payments, discussions, events and integrations, and on the admin tools. Our pricing page explains how we scope and price fixed price projects.
The organisation should. The developer accounts, the backend with its data and the source code should all be in its name from the start.
Thomas sets the company's long term strategy and direction, identifies market opportunities, and owns business development and client acquisition. He builds strategic partnerships that last beyond a single project. He works with clients from the first strategy conversation, so their business goals, not just their feature list, drive every decision.
From the first specification to a working iOS and Android app, we can scope your community app with you and give you a fixed price.
30 minutes, no preparation needed.