Why utilize a mobility platform rather than a clone of Uber?

Brisk Logic
7 min readAug 1, 2022

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A simple search for “Uber applications that clone the app” will yield hundreds of app developers that offer mobility experts and ride-sharing entrepreneurs quick and affordable solutions to launch ride-sharing services.

The thing that isn’t mentioned is that cloned applications often cause sunken expenses, time wasted and a poorly polished, unprofessional operating product that doesn’t provide satisfactory users and hampers the ability of the company to expand their business.

“Put it in your app and the customers will appear” is a nice idea in concept but it’s far from the truth when trying to get into the ride-sharing business. Affordable and effective mobility services need a solid and flexible tech base, as well as more, can be found in the mobility platform.

Before we get into the advantages of mobile platforms and the potential risks that come with buying copies of apps, let’s look through the key definitions.

What is a script clone?

A clone script uses the code of already-existing application software or website as a pre-designed solution to quickly launch the new software, app or website that includes the same functionality. A lot of entrepreneurs use clone scripts to launch their businesses that are on a tight budget and looking to clone scripts as an efficient method of getting a business up and running with minimal costs for a startup.

What exactly is an Uber Clone app?

Simply put the way it works is that simply put, an Uber Clone app makes use of the clone script in order to create an app that functions like Uber. Uber-like ride-sharing companies or taxi businesses that add apps or services for ridesharing to their offer generally purchase an Uber duplicate app through app developers from third parties to speed up the process and cost of developing their own software starting from scratch and then modify the script of the clone to meet the needs of their business. However, this “jumpstart” solution may cause additional costs and time-consuming issues, both in the short-term and the longer term.

Although they are mostly related to the ride-sharing sector, Uber clone apps are employed by different on-demand businesses including same-day delivery applications or delivery services for food.

How much do the costs compare to the cost of a mobility platform?

The price for investing in an Uber replica app will differ dependent on the software development firm you choose to work with and your expectations regarding the app’s features. As per Spare CTO and co-founder, Alexey Indeed, “a minimum viable product Uber replicating app will cost between $20,000 to $30,000 USD and will take approximately four months to build. But a more efficient polished, polished, and ready for launch product will cost three-to-four times more and can take up to four months to create.”

In addition to the initial expense of cloning an app the business should also be aware of the costs of integration and monthly charges for an online payment platform like the Stripe and Braintree (which serves as the payment system that Uber utilizes and plan for maintenance on a regular basis.

The notion that businesses and startups can launch with less expense when working using an Uber replica app could be valid if just launch costs are taken into consideration. However, the risk of cost savings incurred due to an unsatisfactory product or service launch, or to fixing persistent issues in the app could be significant and hamper the ability to grow and make a profit.

While the costs of mobility platforms vary, many of them, like Spare, offer accessible financing options and various pricing levels, such as pay-per-user — meaning the ride-sharing company has some control over the costs. Additionally, it’s a less risky option since it removes the need for ride-sharing companies to employ internal developers to create the app or troubleshoot problems.

There are risks associated with using an Uber Clone app

The idea of offering ride-sharing services through an Uber replica app could seem like a way for new entrepreneurs and businesses to avoid having to reinvent the wheel. It’s an option that has many potential dangers, such as:

why-utilise-a-mobility-platform-rather-than-a-clone-of-uber

A delayed or cancelled launch:

If your product isn’t functioning or completed correctly it may require additional revisions that delay or even cancel the whole launch which results in lost time and wasted costs.

Insecure service/uptime:

Creating the loyalty of customers is not possible when the app is constantly down due to maintenance.

Poor rider and driver experience:

Uber clone apps are designed to work and in attempting to duplicate the user experience and general functionality that the app’s original counterpart offer, you miss out on the nitty-gritty which goes into catering to specific customers.

Scalability:

Scalability is a problem that you cannot afford to overlook. Your business might be hindered due to the inability to rapidly change and innovate without hiring and integrating additional engineers.

Legal ambiguities:

In the event that IPs aren’t infringed, and the copyrighted contents of the original app aren’t copied, then cloning or cloning the “idea” for an application could be legal. But it’s a grey area and could pose a legal risk.

Service differentiation is limited: unless you’re paying for custom development and services, your ride-sharing service will be built on Uber’s model, which limits your ability of you to differentiate yourself apart from other competitors.

The reason why a mobile platform is the best solution:

The scripts for ride-sharing apps such as Uber are created over long durations of time with highly experienced and experienced software engineers. Similarly, applications that are clones are usually made by a smaller team and with a shorter span of time. They may be able to capture the overall idea and functionality of the application, but fail to point out the finer aspects that contribute to creating the best user experience. In order to fill in the blanks and build a product that is really competitive, ride-sharing businesses that use the Uber similarity typically need to add engineers later on in the future.

When you use a mobility platform that you trust, you’ll get a solid and reliable product that’s designed with the user in mind right from the beginning. The ultimate objective of an app developer might be to make agreements with ride-sharing businesses, these platforms establish relations with the companies they collaborate with, and the ultimate goal is to provide success and satisfied users.

Other reasons why mobility platforms provide the best alternative for ride-sharing companies are:

why-utilise-a-mobility-platform-rather-than-a-clone-of-uber

Start quickly:

Launching using an Uber clone application could be quicker than creating your own app from scratch. But launching using a self-service mobility service that is ready to serve riders and only requires you to modify the parameters of your service is quicker and more secure.

Flexibility:

Instead of fretting about the possibility of issues or glitches, the service providers can instead concentrate on improving their businesses by rapid prototyping. For instance, businesses are able to test pricing structures like price-based on rider groups or promotions to discover the best rules of the road that will result in the best business strategy.

Support:

You might be able to meet the fundamental requirements of a ride-sharing service using the clone app but with a mobile platform, you’ll get assistance in implementing your service and continuous optimization assistance and benefit from a partnership success team, who offers the best practices and help you achieve your service to be successful.

An enjoyable rider and driver experience Mobility platforms take the time to create apps that are designed to meet the needs of specific users making sure your drivers have the tools needed to provide top-quality customer service. Your customers enjoy the best journey from booking to the rider and your administrators are equipped with easy-to-use automated tools.

Possible integration with other service providers:

With mobility platforms with open APIs, such as Spare accessible API similar to Spare businesses or organizations who already provide transportation services, such as micro trains. taxi, or paratransit, easily incorporate new ride-sharing services to the mix, allowing passengers to book different types of rides using the same app.

Proprietary Data:

To be able to improve and enhance your offerings, businesses must make decisions based on data on the app’s analytics.

More than “the essentials” A successful mobility service requires much more than an app which allows users to reserve rides. Mobility platforms let companies manage every aspect of their ride-sharing business using a single, central tool which includes driver, duty as well as fleet management. They also manage fare regulations customer assistance, service configurations, and more.

Start New Startups of Ride-Sharing with Brisk Logic:

We’re at an exciting time for new startups in ride-sharing. However, profitable and effective mobility services need a stable and flexible technology base which is not possible by using Uber app clones. Mobility platforms such as Brisk Logic in contrast allow ride-sharing companies to be launched swiftly, iterate and improve their offerings, and eventually give their users a superior user experience.

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Brisk Logic

Build digital products faster, smarter, and scalable. We aim to develop the greatest digital products that are lightning-fast, at a significantly lower cost.