How to Create an Educational App: Process, Costs and Features

TL;DR

• The educational app market is set to expand from $6.2 billion in 2024 to  $41.6 billion by 2033. Achieving success in this space hinges on careful strategic planning, choosing the right technology stack, and prioritizing the user experience, and not just packing an app with features. 
• The best educational apps strike a balance between keeping users engaged—through gamification and social learning—and ensuring usability with an intuitive interface, video streaming, and progress tracking.
• Costs range from $10K for an MVP to $250K+ for a full-featured app. 

Key Strategies for Success in Educational App Development:

• Focus on User Experience: The best educational apps are intuitive and engaging. Features like gamification (e.g., points, ranks, and achievements), social learning tools, and progress tracking keep users motivated while ensuring usability.
• Choose the Right Technology Stack: A scalable and efficient tech stack is essential for seamless functionality. AI-driven features, cloud infrastructure, and mobile-first designs are critical for modern educational apps.
• Balance Engagement and Usability: Successful apps combine engaging elements like video streaming and interactive exercises with practical tools such as real-time feedback and structured lessons.

Education App Development: Success Stories from Our Clients

Now, we invite you to explore the projects we’ve completed for our clients and the business value they received. 

25,000 Observations: A Solution That United Astronomy Enthusiasts Globally

We worked with an entrepreneur who owns telescopes in Chile, the Canary Islands and Australia to create a web-based astronomy platform. The idea was to create a digital hub for space exploration where users could learn from experts, share insights and connect with other astronomy enthusiasts. 

Platform’s Features

Since the existing platform had low engagement, outdated tech and limited interactivity, our team stepped in to modernize the platform, make it more accessible and create a seamless user experience for users worldwide.

• 24/7 Live Sky Coverage: Users can stream celestial events in real time and access remote telescopes to see planetary movements, eclipses, and deep space phenomena.
• A subscriber-based booking system allows users to control professional-grade telescopes to participate in astronomical research
• Gamification for Engagement: Earning points, ranks, and achievements keeps users engaged and encourages participation and contributions to the astronomy community. 
• Live Event Streaming: Users can observe major celestial events in live mode, from lunar eclipses to satellite launches.

Business Outcomes

• Users captured 7.5M+ images, which is a huge contribution to a global astronomical database for research and discovery.
• 25,000+ observations on the platform create a successful community of space enthusiasts and scientists.
• With upgraded functionality, the client increased user engagement and experienced a significant rise in subscriptions.
• With seamless access to professional telescopes and educational resources, the platform became a key tool for amateur and institutional astronomers.

• The platform has turned into a vibrant digital space where scientists around the world can publish their research, share images, and discuss their latest discoveries.

How We Transformed Passion for Sports into a Scalable Business Model

A sports-tech company wanted to build so-called “YouTube for Sports”, a digital place where athletes could learn new skills, connect with professional coaches and be part of a like-minded community. However, turning this idea into a seamless and accessible platform required an experienced technology partner.

Our team developed a comprehensive web-based platform with a mobile-first approach. Every element was designed for smartphones and tablets so users could access tutorials, get coaching guidance, and share progress anytime, anywhere. With a focus on scalability and user engagement, we turned passive sports content consumption into an interactive and dynamic learning environment.

Key Features

• Mobile-First Design: Works across all devices so users can train and learn anytime, anywhere.
• Video Tutorials: Structured lessons help users develop skills under professional guidance.
• Coaching: Personalized training and mentorship from experienced coaches.
• Educator Channels: A space for coaches to boost their reach and brand.
• Secure Payments with Stripe: Easy monetization for coaches through seamless, secure transactions.

Business Outcomes

• The client turned a business idea into a comprehensive digital hub for sports lovers.
• Coaches have digital tools to share expertise and generate revenue.
• The freemium model provided access to high-quality sports education to a broader audience.
• Built for scale, ensuring seamless management of increasing user traffic and content growth.

Transforming Physical Language Learning Board Game into a New Digital Experience

The founder of the language-learning board game came to us to digitize it and turn it into a web application. We created an algorithm based on game frequency, user success and time frames. The application also supports dual and single game modes, live and non-streaming videos, and multi-language support.

Key Features

• Personalized User Profiles: Learners can connect, track progress, and engage with native speakers.
• Gamified Learning: Interactive challenges and exercises boost engagement.
• Real-Time Messaging and Video Chat
• Integrated Language Lessons: Structured vocabulary and grammar exercises.

Business Outcomes 

• Expanded beyond the board game, connecting language learners worldwide.
• Engaged 70,000 students in tournaments and increased participation and retention.
• For all proficiency levels, build confidence in language acquisition.
• The game received a 5-star rating on the App Store with 10K+ downloads on Google Play.

Want to build an app? It’s about creating an engaging learning experience. Whether it’s AI or gamification, we can help. Let’s talk about your idea.

Education App Development Market

Classrooms are no longer just physical spaces anymore because education has gone digital, and there’s no turning back. The EdTech market is booming, expected to reach $370 billion by 2026, as more schools, businesses, and learners turn to online platforms.

In 2024, education apps were worth $6.2 billion, and by 2033, that number will be $41.6 billion. They’re already one of the top categories on the App Store and Google Play, with 709 million users and nearly a billion downloads in 2023 alone. 

There has been a complete shift in how people learn, and it’s only getting faster. With AI-powered learning and government-backed digital education programs, the market is expected to earn another $6.08 billion between 2025 and 2029. The demand is high: learners want smarter, more accessible, and engaging digital tools. The only question is: Will they be using yours?

Reasons to Invest in Educational Mobile App Development

The education application development market creates a huge opportunity for you to launch your digital solution.  Digital learning is a global trend, and with the right approach, you can build an educational app that will be a scalable and profitable opportunity. Here’s why:

• A Massive, Global Market: Millions of students, teachers, and lifelong learners are looking for smarter ways to gain new skills. That’s why creating educational apps can scale fast.
• Multiple Revenue Streams: Whether through subscriptions, in-app purchases, or ads, EdTech apps can generate a steady income. Even with 10,000 users paying $5/month, that’s $10K+ in recurring revenue.
• AI-Driven Personalization = Higher Engagement: Smart, adaptive learning experiences encourage users to come back, increasing retention and lifetime value.

So, if you are wondering how to make education app that will bring real value, we are here to share with you some of the main steps in the following sections. Let’s proceed!

What Educational App Can You Create?

If you’re exploring options on how to make educational apps, it’s good to know the different types of learning platforms. Each offers an engaging learning experience and core features to meet the target audience’s needs. Here are the types:

• Multipurpose learning platforms. These solutions offer courses across many subjects, from STEM to business and the arts. Some provide certifications or degrees,  so they’re good for both students and professionals. Examples: Khan Academy (math, science, humanities), Udemy (business, technology, creative arts), and Coursera (computer science, business, social sciences).
• Subject-specific apps. Designed for deep learning in one area, they use interactive tools, multimedia content, and self-assessment to keep the user engaged. Examples: Duolingo (languages), Photomath (math), Rosetta Stone (languages), and Yousician (music).

• Assessment platforms. These fantastic digital tools help teachers evaluate student progress via quizzes, tests, and interactive assessments. They offer immediate feedback, monitor progress, and tailor learning experiences to individual needs.  Examples: Quizizz (interactive assessments), and ProProfs (online testing and certification).
• Educational games. These apps are loaded with rewards, levels, and challenges that truly engage learners. Interactive experiences and repeated practice make learning more fun and effective. Examples: Prodigy (fantasy math game), Minecraft (virtual world building while learning coding and math), and Wordscapes (language word game).
• Learning management apps. Designed to help educational institutions and businesses manage courses, track progress, and support communication between teachers and learners. They streamline administrative tasks like scheduling, grading, and content distribution. Examples: Google Classroom

We analyzed different types of educational apps based on the following criteria:  market demand, monetization opportunities, and development complexity. The breakdown will help you choose the best option for your business needs.

If you’re new to EdTech, starting with developing an educational app that includes games or subject-specific apps is a smart, low-risk approach. These apps offer quick learning solutions and tap into the growing trend of gamified education. But if you have a bigger budget and want long-term returns, consider investing in a Learning Management System (LMS) or a full-scale learning platform. These platforms deliver all-in-one solutions, cater to various subjects, and support a wide range of learners, making them a solid investment.” 

Liubomyr Pohreliuk, Inoxoft’s CEO

Features You May Need to Build Education Apps

Your future application should focus on learning and not wasting time on wondering how to use it. In this section, we’ll explore the must-have functionality when you create an education app.

Features for teachers

In addition to conducting lessons, teachers have many other time-consuming responsibilities that cannot be delegated (e.g. structuring courses, giving feedback, and don’t forget about admin tasks). A well-built educational app should be an extension of the classroom, giving teachers data-driven insights, automation where needed and seamless course management. Whith the right technology, teachers can focus on what really drives learning: engagement and results.

Teacher profile

Teachers create personal profiles with data such as name, job title, courses offered, certificates, contact information, etc. Personalized recommendations help them discover relevant resources based on their subject area and grade level.

Course management dashboard

This feature helps teachers streamline their workflow and manage courses more effectively. They track progress, review assignments, and comment on completed tasks. Also, with this feature, they can upload learning materials: videos, photos, PDF documents, and interactive exercises to test knowledge.

Test

One of the essential features for teachers is the ability to test students, saving their time by automating the grading process and providing real-time feedback to students. You can create various options: a quiz with open or multiple-choice questions, true/false tasks, etc.

Learn more about developing an e-learning app

Features for students

When you create an educational app, focus on features that enhance the student experience too. Customization, accessibility and a well-designed user interface keep learners interested.

Personalized Student Profiles

Learning is not a one-size-fits-all situation. With customizable profiles, students can easily manage courses, upcoming assignments, and personal learning preferences. Moreover, AI-driven recommendations offer tailored materials that align with their progress and unique learning styles, helping them maintain engagement. 

Student dashboard

This feature helps learners stay organized and in control of their education process. A well-designed dashboard provides students with:

• Productivity management
• Purchased courses and subscriptions
• Upcoming class schedules and exams

Payments

Most eLearning platforms use monetization models, whether per-course payments or subscriptions. To create an educational app that ensures smooth transactions, integrate:

• Secure payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal, credit/debit cards)
• Transparent pricing and refund policies
• Reliable customer support for payment-related issues

General Features

A good educational app makes sure everyone has the right access without unnecessary hassle. At the same time, features like two-factor authentication and encryption protect user data without making sign-ins a headache.

Authorization & user roles

A smooth sign-in process via email or phone is key for both students and teachers. For better security and personalization, implement:

• Role-based access (students, teachers, admins, parents)
• Two-factor authentication and password encryption
• Account and session management

Course page

Before enrolling, students need clear and detailed course insights, including:

• Course description, plan, schedule, and assignments
• Instructor details and learning materials
• Feedback and ratings to improve course quality

It’s an essential feature in educational apps, providing students with an overview of the course and helping them to understand its objectives and expectations. The course page should be easy to navigate, visually appealing, and have concise information.

Video streaming

Seamless video integration is crucial in education mobile app development. This feature can cover two options: recorded videos and real-time lectures.  Users need the ability to watch online courses in real-time and re-watch the lecture during the broadcast. Also provide:

• Support for both recorded and live-streamed lectures
• Options to re-watch lessons after the broadcast
• Screen-sharing for interactive learning sessions

Offline access 

Accessibility is critical. Allow users to download content (course materials, assignments, and tests, etc) for offline use, ensuring uninterrupted learning, specially in areas with limited internet connectivity. Once they’re back online, the app will sync all progress and updates, so no learning is lost.

Push notifications

Push notifications inform the learners about updates, new assignments, deadlines etc. Here’s how you can optimize this feature: 

• Let users manage notifications based on their interests or course progress
• Send notifications when users are most active
• Include a clear CTA, such as submitting assignments or joining discussions

Progress tracking

A lot of people fail to achieve goals because they don’t track their progress.  It’s one of the best tools for boosting motivation when users see their meaningful milestones and learning achievements.

Multilingual support

To develop an educational app that truly serves a global audience, multilingual support is a must. Offer users the ability to switch between different languages easily, expanding your app’s reach to diverse learners worldwide. When translating, ensure culturally relevant content and idioms are considered to provide a seamless user experience for all.

Gamification

Gamification is one of the key trends in education software development.  It uses elements such as points, rewards, badges, leaderboards, and storytelling to motivate and entertain learners. However, it’s important to balance these elements with the educational content, so the learning goals remain the focus, and the game doesn’t detract from the educational experience.

Premium features

When you’re creating educational apps consider adding some advanced features. These can enhance the user experience, making learning more immersive, personalized, and engaging. Let’s explore some innovative features that can take your app to the next level:

Augmented Reality: Bring Learning to Life

AR brings subjects to life combining 3D models with the real world. Instead of reading about anatomy, students can explore organs in real-time, making abstract concepts more concrete. For example, Human Anatomy Atlas lets users view and interact with detailed 3D models of the human body.AR incorporates digital content into the real-world environment, offering a dynamic and immersive way for students to engage with complex subjects.

Immersive Learning with Virtual Reality

VR creates interactive learning experiences that no other traditional method can. Whether walking through ancient Rome or conducting virtual science experiments, technology makes learning memorable. One of the best examples is Rome Reborn VR. It’s a virtual tour of ancient Rome, so students can see history beyond the textbook.

Instant Feedback and Support with Chatbots

Chatbots offer immediate feedback, respond to inquiries, and assist students with lessons through natural language processing.  Example: Babbel’s AI chatbot simulates conversations with students, corrects grammar, and improves pronunciation in real time. 

Smart Learning Paths with Artificial Intelligence

AI is one of the hot trends in education application development. It tracks student progress in real-time and adjusts lessons to fit individual needs.  Instead of keeping up with a class, students get personalized recommendations and focus on areas where they need to improve the most. Example: Carnegie Learning uses AI to track students’ performance and suggest learning materials based on their strengths and weaknesses.

Education Application Development Steps

We are confident that building an EdTech app is about solving real learning challenges with the right technology. To create a learning tool that makes an impact, you need a clear vision, an understanding of your target audience and their pain points, and, of course, the right tech partner with expertise.  So, how to create education app? Here are the essential steps:

Step 1: Define Your Idea

A successful educational app begins with a solid idea. The first step is to identify your target users, what makes your app unique, and how you plan to generate revenue. For instance, the New Amigos team noticed a gap in real-time language practice and created an app that combined gamification, community interaction, and video chat. This focused strategy led to high engagement and monetization.

Step 2: Research the Market and Competitors

A great idea isn’t enough. After all, knowing the market is what turns an app into a successful app. Before building, you need to identify gaps, understand what works, and find opportunities to stand out.

For example, when working on Sports Share, our team identified that many apps offered sports tutorials, but none of them combined coaching, community engagement, and structured learning, so we built a platform that filled that gap.

Step 3: Define Core Features

Now it’s time to work on the core features that will make your app stand out. We provided you with a list of core and premium features above. Remember, less is more; don’t try to do everything at once. Focus on those that will solve users’ learning needs. 

Step 4: Create an Engaging Design and UX

A bad interface can frustrate learners and drive them away, no matter how valuable the content is. To get maximum usability and retention, focus on:

• Intuitive Navigation – Users should be able to find courses, lessons, and progress tracking within seconds.
• Cross-Device Consistency – Whether mobile, tablet or desktop, the experience must be responsive and adaptable to different screen sizes without compromising usability.
• Frictionless Learning Access – The fewer steps between logging in and starting a lesson, the better. Minimize clicks, streamline onboarding, and ensure fast, direct access to educational materials.

For example, we implemented a mobile-first design to optimize every aspect of the UX for smooth learning. With a focus on clear layouts, intuitive interactions, and device flexibility, the app made language learning more engaging, leading to higher retention and user satisfaction.

Step 5: Launch and Test Your MVP

There is no better way to validate the idea than to build a basic product version with only core functionalities. With an MVP, the must-have features are enough for the target audience to test out and provide feedback. After that, the development team implements advanced features if needed. So, an MVP is a great tool to test your assumptions without excessive development costs.

The first version of your app will never be perfect, and that’s the point. An MVP allows you to fail, learn quickly, and improve. It’s about prioritizing what truly drives engagement and retention before scaling too soon.” 

–  Inoxoft’s COO, Nazar Kvartalnyi. 

Step 6: Consider Working with an External Team

Educational app development is a complex project and many companies underestimate the challenges that come with it. You need to find engineers who understand AI-driven learning, intuitive UX and scalable architecture. However, hiring a full in-house team can be expensive and time-consuming. That’s where partnering with an experienced external team can add value to your project:

• A dedicated engineering team can build, test, and launch faster, so you’re not stuck in endless development cycles while competitors move ahead.
• Need more engineers to integrate AI or gamification? An external team can adjust resources on demand so you can scale without long-term hiring costs.
• Instead of spending months recruiting specialists in machine learning, cloud architecture, or mobile UX, you pay only for the expertise you need, when you need.

Wondering how to make a learning app that truly stands out? This requires engaging users and takes the right execution. We help you design, develop, and scale an app that delivers real value. 

How Much Does it Cost to Make an Educational App?

The cost of creating educational apps depends on various factors such as project complexity, features, development approach, tech stack, cooperation model, etc. However, factors affecting cost the most are development time and the hourly rate of your e-learning software development company.

Need a Tech Partner in Education Application Development?

We’ve Got You Covered! As an education app development company, we build digital products that fit real market needs, drive engagement, and scale efficiently. Thanks to 10+ years of experience in custom software solutions, our team ensures your product is made for adoption. 

Change traditional learning methods into an enjoyable experience with our:

• School management software development services for handling educational institutions
• Custom LMS development for educational and business needs
• Scalable eLearning software development for a variety of domains

How we help you achieve product-market fit:

• We create apps that educators, students, and corporate learners actually want to use, focusing on intuitive UX and measurable learning outcomes.
• Learning isn’t one-size-fits-all. We build adaptive platforms that tailor content, track progress, and improve retention.
• Whether you’re launching an MVP or scaling an existing platform, we design cloud-ready, API-first solutions that grow with your business.
• We develop enterprise-ready learning management systems and school admin platforms that streamline operations and reduce friction for institutions.

We build for iOS, Android, and cross-platform, ensuring your app reaches the right users and meets the real demands of the education market. Instead of just writing code, we focus on market validation, scalability, and user adoption—so your app doesn’t just launch, it thrives. Ready for your big project idea? Discuss it with our experts. 

Final Thoughts

The demand for educational apps has never been higher, and the opportunities in EdTech are extensive. However, building a successful app isn’t just about having a great idea, it’s about efficient implementation and a market-driven approach.

Many educational apps fail not because they lack innovation but because they don’t solve real learning challenges, aren’t designed for engagement, or struggle to scale. Researching competitors, identifying pain points, and validating the concept are non-negotiable steps.  Execution will always matter more than ideas. Even the greatest concept without technical expertise, a seamless UX, and a clear strategy won’t survive in a market that is flooded with competition. 

Want to validate your idea and minimize risks? We’ve got you covered. With deep EdTech expertise and a team of seasoned developers, we’ll help you move forward with confidence. Let’s talk!