How to Build an Education App Like Udemy in 2024

Traditional learning models are facing a transformation. Rising costs, a disconnect from practicality, and a touch of, well, boredom, are pushing learners towards a more engaging and effective solution: online education platforms.

Companies, professionals, and students alike are flocking to e-learning apps to gain in-demand skills that go beyond theory and tackle real-world problems.

This surge in popularity has propelled the online education market to new heights. One of the top players like Udemy has seen explosive growth, and its success has ignited a spark in entrepreneurs and developers.

The e-learning market holds immense potential, but to capitalize on it, you need the right knowledge.

This guide equips you with everything you need to know about building an educational app like Udemy in 2024.

What is Udemy?

Udemy is one of the most popular online learning platforms with more than 20,000 courses.

The app connects learners with instructors. Learners can browse a vast library of courses on various topics, from designing and coding to photography to personal development.

Instructors create and upload their courses, setting their own prices. Users can enroll in courses according to their preferences and receive technical certification credit or learn or hone various job-related skills.

With the rise in e-learning platforms, the demand to create online learning applications like Udemy has increased.

A mobile application like Udemy works on a marketplace business model where it manages its products and services as per the instructors and categorizes them subject-wise.

Udemy is free to use and functions as a mediator to offer the best education to students online.

E-learning Market Overview

The growing demand for effective and minimal training garnering educational programs has increased the interest in E-learning applications such as Udemy, Lynda, Coursera, and many more.

According to Forbes, by 2025, the entire global E-learning market will reach $300 Billion.

On that note, let’s take a look at the numbers and see what they suggest:

• In 2019, the global investment in EdTech reached USD 18.66 billion.

• In 2021, the eLearning market was worth USD 90 billion in the US alone.

• Education is the third most popular category on the Apple App Store, after Games and Business, and the second most popular on Google Play after Gaming Apps.

• 98% of US companies were reported to use some form of online learning in 2020. This was only 77%in the year 2017.

• E-learning programs can increase the retention rates among students and fresh hires by 25 to 60%.

• By 2024, the market for corporate eLearning could cross USD 38 billion in the US.

• IBM saved approximately USD 200 million by only switching to eLearning.

• More than 45% of elementary school, 64% of middle school, and 63% of high school students use at least one digital learning tool regularly.

• 2 in 5 Fortune 500 companies use eLearning tools.

• E-learning consumes 90% less energy and produces 85% CO2 emissions per person.

• Around 65% of US faculty members advocate for online learning courses.

Why you should create an E-learning App like Udemy?

Building an educational app like Udemy can provide you with numerous benefits. It can help you expand your brand reach and tap into new spheres.  You’ll be able to attract a new target audience and offer value to your existing customers.

Online learning applications can be a great way to monetize your expertise. If you are an expert in a specific field, you can create courses and content that others are willing to pay for.

It can also provide passive income. Once you create the app, the business can continue to generate revenue without huge additional effort.

Now the question is why should anyone build an app, especially like Udemy in 2024? As discussed earlier, it’s one of the most popular e-learning platforms that offers a wide range of courses on various topics, including business, technology, and personal development.

There are many reasons why it has become so widespread. These include a large course selection, a user-friendly platform, affordable pricing, high-quality instructors, and certifications.

Benefits of building an Educational app like Udemy

While we’ve already discussed some of the benefits of building an app like Udemy above, you may still doubt whether this idea will be profitable. So before we delve deeper into the details of the development part, let us first take a closer look at the advantages of education app development and why it is beneficial to pursue it.

Launching a learning app helps you become part of a roaring industry and ensures other gains. Here is why creating education and learning apps is a favorable idea in 2024:

1. Apps Eliminate Barriers

Conventional learning methods are good enough until they are not. Such methods have limitations, and this frequently leads to certain barriers, which could be geographical, financial, or other.

A mobile app can help learners overcome these barriers by working as a digital bridge that fills these gaps.

For example, students can learn from an instructor anywhere in the world through an app. Endless resources are just a click away and can be accessed anywhere. Students can also time their classes and learn according to their preferences.

2. E-Learning is the new normal

Today, students, parents, and educators are all looking for new and innovative ways of learning.

Using advanced technology such as AI in education not only fills gaps and eliminates barriers but also empowers people to make the most of the opportunities.

For instance, technology can also benefit those with certain disabilities as it can match an individual’s learning pace.

Unlike traditional classrooms, mobile apps can allow interactive and dynamic learning without putting much-added pressure on the infrastructure and budget.

With the introduction of artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality, and other advanced technologies, educational apps will likely become more powerful.

Must Read: How AI Will Impact the Education System?

3. MOOC Platforms Rely on Digital Connectivity

Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs, have become the new way of learning and skill enhancement for many of us.

An app like Udemy that leverages all the information and knowledge available on the web can make learning easy for people.

It can help people connect, discuss, and learn about the topics they are interested in from their own spaces.

Plus, the one-click access and round-the-clock availability of all the resources make learning more accessible and fun for learners.

4. App-based Users are More Loyal

Websites often suffer from the "bye-and-bye phenomenon, which increases the chances of one platform's user base migrating to its competitors.

While education and learning websites are not meant for shopping, they can suffer the same fate. However, apps like Udemy can grab the user's attention when installed on a user's phone.

Also, apps can inspire customer loyalty and ensure better retention rates than websites.

5. Communication is more accessible with the App

Apps can ensure better connectivity for student-teacher, parent-teacher, and peer communication.

A custom education app development with a chat feature can ensure the round-the-clock availability of teachers and instructors and give students and learners all the guidance they need.

The App can also eliminate communication barriers and allow stakeholders to connect frictionlessly.

6. Apps Streamline Business Operations

Mobile apps like Udemy and Coursera help educators streamline business activities and increase staff productivity. Native education apps, for example, can leverage device features and access more data points.

This helps businesses personalize and tailor the experience for their learners and offer them a better experience.

Similarly, automation of workflows and tasks increases collaboration and decreases the chances of errors, flaws, and backlogs in operations.

From maintaining attendance logs to collecting fees through payment gateways, apps can do it all.

7. Apps enhance Data Management

Data management on the e-learning app works both ways. While educators can upload endless resources for learners to access, they can also collect data user data to provide a more personalized and interactive experience.

Unlike traditional classrooms, it becomes much easier to track participants' growth, and each student can be treated differently depending upon their progress.

Learners can be offered help and resources accordingly while the platform gets their attention and loyalty. An app like Udemy can ensure the best win-win partnership between educators and learners.

Must-Have Features For a Successful Education App like Udemy

Have you ever thought, when there are endless educational apps, what really makes an app like Udemy a successful learning app?

Whether it is an application for employed professionals who want to upgrade their skills or an app for a classroom that allows student-teacher interaction, the App's features decide its success, no matter the niche.

Here are some must-haves as well as advanced sets of features of an education app that you need to add to your App:

• Easy registration, sign up & login (via Email, Apple, Google, etc.)
  
  

• Teacher and student profile management
  
  

• Captivating UI and UX and easy navigation
  
  

• Intuitive search & filter for finding courses and more
  
  

• Online payment and billing management
  
  

• Interactive audio/video content support
  
  

• Progress tracking and monitoring
  
  

• Social media integration
  
  

• Review and rating collection
  
  

• Multilingual & localization support
  
  

• Loyalty & reward program support
  
  

• Ad & monetization support
  
  

• App usage data analytics
  
  

• Push notification support
  
  

• In-app chat support

These features can power an education app and contribute to its success. However, the final list of features and functionalities will depend upon the purpose and goals of your App.

You can create user personas to understand your target base and validate your app idea to determine which features are essential for you and how your education app should look and feel.

How to Build an App like Udemy?

After looking at the market overview, and some of the main benefits, it’s time to dig into the main section, how to build a mobile app like Udemy.

Whether you want to build the best educational app for 5-year-olds or a learning app for adults, one thing you need to understand is, that building successful educational apps requires considerable amounts of skills and knowledge.

Therefore, you’ll need to hire app developers or a reputable app development company who will guide you through the whole process and build a cutting-edge app for you.

Now, let’s get into it to learn how you can build your own application for students like Udemy:

Step 1: Start with extensive research

When it comes to developing apps for teaching online and the best apps for students, the more you invest in research, the more successful your endeavor will be.

It will also help you eliminate the chances of wastage of critical time and resources and propel you in the right direction. You can follow the steps listed below and conduct robust research for your app:

Know Your Competitors

Start with identifying what problem your app will address and how it will be different from the other apps available in the market. Learn from your competitor’s strengths and weaknesses and build your idea upon your findings.

Study Your Audience

Today, every brand is focusing on a customer-centric approach. You can do it by learning who your users are, what they expect, how can your app benefit them, and more.

Knowing your target customers will help you serve them better and fulfill their goals through your app.

Fix Your App Niche

Education is a vast field, and it is not possible or reasonable for one education app to do it all. Therefore, it’s crucial to assess the ongoing technology trends of the industry and fix a niche for your app. Identify the problems or topics that you will address and stick to them.

Step 2: Create app prototypes

Once you’re done with your research, you can move ahead and start giving shape to your app like Udemy. You can start by making mockups of your app. Develop wireframes or create prototypes of your app to pencil in your ideas.

You can use the mockups to show how your app will look and feel and share the same with your stakeholders.

Building prototypes will also help you get an estimate of the exact workflow and architecture of the mobile app. Besides, it can help you identify any flaws and shortcomings in the plan and nip them in the bud.

The extent of elaboration will depend upon your app goals, but creating a blueprint of your app will help you and your team head on the right path.

Step 3: Develop your app

After you’ve validated your idea, you can go ahead and start developing your app idea. Design the UI/UX of your app and work on the features and functionalities to shape the education app of your dreams.

But before you do that, it’s important to finalize your development approach as that has the power to make all the difference. You can choose from the following options:

No-code education app builder

No-code app builders have democratized app development. They have allowed citizen developers and professionals to create premium apps without writing any code.

These app creators make it easy to build native Android and iOS apps. Anyone can develop premium and feature apps within minutes. If you want to go from idea to app fast and avoid the complexities and challenges of custom app development, a no-code app builder is the way.

Low-code development platforms

In case you have some prior experience in coding and you are ready to learn a new tool or app development programming language, you can also create your education app like Udemy with a low-code app builder.

While this will take up more resources and time than no-code app development, it is still a great alternative to custom app development.

Search for a low-code app development platform that does not template your ideas and aligns with your goals.

Make sure you look for upfront pricing and a fixed timeline, as some low-code development platforms can leave you hanging for months. Discuss your goals in advance and ensure they are ready to deliver them.

Custom app development Companies or tools

This is one of the most popular methods of app development. Even though there are no-code and low-code alternatives, many still prefer custom app development.

If you are one of them, you can hire in-house professionals or outsource development to agencies and freelance developers.

But, remember, that you will still need to supervise the project and collaborate with the teams to make sure your ideas are acknowledged and implemented.

Consider an iOS/Android app development company that has transparent pricing and timelines and is committed to offering help with app maintenance and updates, as this will be essential in the long run.

How much does it cost to Build an App like Udemy?

The best learning apps for students like Coursera or Udemy might cost between $70,000 and $105,000. If it’s a fully customized e-learning website solution then it can cost up to $100,000.

This price includes mobile app development from scratch, custom web design, QA testing, and project management.

The cost of e-learning software MVP development can range from $25,500 and $50,000. The Minimum Viable Product offers basic portal functions besides dashboards, attendance management, database, and test formats.

However, one thing you need to keep in mind is that the exact cost of online class apps like Udemy depends on the complexity of your app, its features, and what app development company or freelance developers you’re hiring.

Here’s the cost breakdown based on the complexity of the platform:

To reduce the overall cost of building an educational app you can use a white-label solution.

Read More: Top 10 Mobile App Development Trends in India in 2024

Conclusion

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed everything, and this has had a massive impact on the education sector. E-learning apps like Udemy have gained prominence for several reasons.

One of the biggest reasons is the massive number of course options that appeal to learners who wish to learn beyond the traditional curriculums.

This makes it crucial to remember that the success of an e-learning platform depends on how efficient, informative, appealing, and profitable it is to the users and instructors.

The rising popularity of such educational applications has inspired entrepreneurs to get their ideas manifested with the help of a trusted mobile app development company like Arramton Infotech

Do you have a great business idea or the capital to invest in? Get in touch with our experts and we can help you become the next big thing in the market ahead!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How do I make an app like Udemy?

Ans. You can create an app like Udemy by following some simple steps, including:

• Plan your niche, target audience, and features.
  
  

• Develop the platform (custom build or use a Learning Management System (LMS)).
  
  

• Design a user-friendly interface for both learners and instructors.
  
  

• Integrate features like course creation tools, progress tracking, and discussion forums.

Q. What platform is Udemy built on?

Ans. The exact platform Udemy uses is not publicly known. Many e-learning platforms are built on custom software or open-source frameworks.

Q. Which database does Udemy use?

Ans. It's difficult to say which specific database Udemy uses. Most likely, they use a combination of databases depending on data needs (user data, course content, etc.).

Q. How much does it cost to develop an app like Udemy?

Ans. Development costs for a Udemy-like app can vary greatly depending on features, complexity, and development approach (custom vs. LMS). However, in general, the cost can range between $70,000 and $105,000.

Q. Is Udemy still profitable?

Ans. Yes, Udemy is still a profitable platform.  They generate revenue through course sales and a subscription model offering additional features to learners.

Q. How do I create an e-learning platform?

Ans. There are multiple ways to create an e-learning platform. You can use SaaS solutions to allow you to launch a platform without extensive coding knowledge. You can also choose custom development that will offer more control and flexibility but require significant investment and technical expertise.