Guides · · 6 min read
How much does a pizzeria app cost (and when you don't need one)
Custom app, template app or web page with no app: what each costs, which costs come back every year and when a link or a QR code is enough to take orders.
Sigital Team
An app for your pizzeria can cost anything from a few hundred euros to many thousands: it depends on which of three routes you take. A custom app costs from a few thousand euros upwards, plus maintenance. A template app (white label, meaning a ready-made app with your name and logo) costs a fee or a one-off amount. A web page with no app costs only the online ordering service, and for many venues that is enough.
Here is what you pay for each, the costs that come back every year and how to tell whether you really need an app.
Custom app, template app or web page: what changes
| Custom app | Template app (white label) | Web page, no app | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who builds it | An agency or a freelancer, just for you | A provider that already has the app and customises it | The online ordering service you use |
| Upfront cost | From a few thousand euros upwards | Low or none, sometimes a one-off amount | None |
| Recurring costs | Maintenance, updates, servers, store accounts | Service fee | Service fee |
| On the App Store and Google Play | Yes | Yes, under the venue's name | No: it opens in the browser |
| Time | Weeks or months | Usually a few days or weeks | Right away |
In the end the guest wants one thing: to see the menu and order quickly. The real differences are how much you spend and who updates the app when iOS and Android change.
How much a custom restaurant app costs
An app built from scratch for a restaurant starts from a few thousand euros upwards, depending on features and developer. The price rises with every extra feature: online payments, delivery zones, loyalty programme, till integration, rider management.
In the quote, check that it also covers:
- the dashboard where you receive orders and change the menu, not just the guest app;
- publication on the stores and who handles it;
- maintenance: Apple and Google update their systems every year, and an app that is not updated can stop working properly;
- the server and who pays for it;
- developer accounts: according to their official websites (October 2026), the Apple Developer Program costs 99 dollars a year and a Google Play account requires a one-time 25-dollar registration.
The question to always ask
Whose name is the app published under? If the store account belongs to the provider and one day you switch provider, the app may not stay yours. Get it in writing.
A custom app makes sense if you have special needs, several venues with your own processes, or a budget to look after it over time. For a pizzeria that wants to take takeaway orders it is almost always more than you need.
Template apps (white label): published prices
Template apps are ready-made apps that the provider publishes under your venue's name and logo. You pay less because the development work is shared across many venues. Some examples of published price lists:
- Mobee: the App Store and Google Play app under the venue's name is a separate module at €19 a month, to add only if you want to publish it (according to its website, October 2026).
- Ordinalo: the DELIVERY plan, with a customised native iOS/Android app and an ordering platform under the venue's brand, costs €990 a year, billed annually (according to its website, October 2026).
- GoodBarber: a general app builder, not only for restaurants; native iOS and Android apps start with the Premium plan, from €55 a month billed yearly (€70 on the eCommerce version, the one aimed at orders and click & collect), and the Apple account is paid separately (according to its website, October 2026). You build the app yourself.
Before signing, ask: is the app included in the fee or paid separately? Is there a one-off cost? Is there a commission on orders? To line up every cost item of an ordering system, see how much an online ordering system costs.
Do you really need an app, or is a link enough?
For many venues, at the start, a link is enough. The reason is simple: someone ordering for the first time will not download an app for one pizza. They open a link from Instagram, from Google or from a QR code on a flyer, and order in the browser.
An ordering web page is enough if:
- you are starting takeaway and want to see how it goes;
- your guests come mostly from Google, Instagram and WhatsApp;
- you want to spend only the service fee.
An app starts to be worth it when:
- you have many regulars who order every week and want the icon on their phone;
- you want a fixed place to send offers and news;
- you want your venue to sit next to the marketplace apps, under your own name.
A good path is to start with the link and the QR code (here is how to use QR codes well) and add the app once you have enough regulars.
The costs that come back every year
The cost of an app does not end the day you publish it. Budget for:
- updates for new versions of iOS and Android;
- store accounts, if they are in your name;
- the fee of the ordering service the app runs on;
- payment fees on orders paid online by card, which apply with any app;
- promotion: an app nobody knows about brings no orders. QR codes on pizza boxes, a sign at the counter, a message to your regulars.
How much the app costs with Sigital
With Sigital the two parts add up simply:
- The venue page with menu and online ordering works in the browser, with no app: guests open it from a link or a QR code. Online ordering starts with Premium, €60 per month per venue (Business €99).
- The iOS and Android app with the venue's name and logo on the App Store and Google Play costs €300 one-off per venue. It can only be added to Premium or Business and is not part of the free trial.
Example for the first year with Premium and the app: €300 + 12 × €60 = €1,020; from the second year only the €60 monthly plan remains. There is 0% platform commission on orders; online payments carry Stripe's fees.
What Sigital's app does not do: no table ordering from the QR code (orders are pickup and delivery), no till integration, no PayPal. If you need those, look at other solutions.
If you want to try the web page first, the 14-day Business trial starts on WhatsApp when you send your menu; you can add the app later if you need it. Features and prices are on Sigital for restaurants.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to have an app built for a pizzeria?
- A custom app starts at a few thousand euros and rises with features, plus maintenance. A template app costs a fee or a much lower one-off amount.
- Do I need developer accounts to publish the app?
- Yes. According to Apple's and Google's websites (October 2026), the Apple Developer Program costs 99 dollars a year and Google Play charges a one-time 25 dollars. Ask your provider who pays them.
- Do I really need an app to take online orders?
- Not to start: a link and a QR code that open the menu and ordering in the browser are enough. An app helps mostly with regulars, who keep it on their phone.
- How much does the app cost with Sigital?
- €300 one-off per venue, with the venue's name and logo on the App Store and Google Play. It is added to Premium (€60 a month) or Business (€99 a month) and is not part of the trial.