Community app development

A community app of your own.

Name: Phico
Address: Barcelona, Catalonia, ES
Telephone: +34 633 51 71 73
Price range: From $20,000

Phico designs and builds custom iOS and Android apps for clubs, paid communities and brands with a following. Events, members, content and conversations come together in one app with your name on it. Projects start at $20,000 at a fixed price, and launch in two to four months.

What it can include

Everything your community needs, in one place.

Events and RSVPs

Upcoming events, sign-ups and reminders, with tickets or passes and check-in at the door when you need them.

Members and profiles

Member accounts, profiles and a directory, so people can find each other and you know who your community is.

Content and updates

News, video, recordings and guides in one place, instead of scattered across a website, a group chat and social media.

Groups and conversations

Chat, groups or comments where they help, designed around how your members actually talk to each other.

Memberships and payments

Paid tiers, subscriptions, perks and a shop, connected to Stripe, in-app purchases or Shopify.

Your brand throughout

Your name in the App Store and Google Play, your design on every screen, and push notifications that reach your members directly.

Built for the people who show up

A community app isn't a social network.

Many community apps start with a feed and hope members fill it. Most never do. I design around what brings your members back, and let conversation grow around it.

Most members read

In most online communities, about 1 in 10 members ever post. An app built around a feed looks empty, even when the community is thriving.

Rhythm brings people back

A weekly session, the next event, a drop, a member card at the door. People open the app for something that happens there.

Posting is a bonus

Conversations and groups still matter. They just work best next to the moments that bring people together, not in place of them.

A few community apps I've built.

Oneforone: a community app from scratch

Launched in a few months and grown step by step with its members, until it found its place in Barcelona.

ADN de México: engaged between sessions

One live journey a month, and an app that keeps members watching the archive and ready for the next one.

Jackalope: a brand's community, all year

Festivals, video, membership and commerce in one app, so fans stay close between events.

Want to see what it could look like for your community? Get a free app concept.

Group chat or your own app

WhatsApp, Discord, or an app of your own?

Group chats and community platforms are a great way to start. A custom app makes sense when your community has outgrown them and has become part of your business.

A group chat or platform is probably enough if

Your community is small enough that everyone knows each other.
Members mostly need announcements and a place to chat.
You don't charge for membership or sell anything to members.
You're still finding out what your community needs.

A custom app makes sense when

Members are spread across WhatsApp, Discord, Instagram, a website and a ticketing tool.
You run events, sessions or locations that people come back to.
You sell memberships, passes or products to your community.
Your brand matters, and a platform's app puts its name before yours.
You want to own your member data and reach members without an algorithm in between.

Selling memberships? See how I approach membership apps.

Running events or festivals? See event and festival apps.

Wondering what it would cost? See what a custom app costs and why.

Features

What a template app can't do.

All features

Questions

About community apps.

How much does a custom community app cost?

From $20,000. Every project has a fixed price for the agreed scope, so you know the cost before work begins. The price depends mostly on how many experiences the app brings together, such as events, content, chat and payments, and which systems it connects to.

How long does it take to build?

Around two to four months. From defining the first version to launch on the App Store and Google Play, depending on scope, integrations and store approvals.

Why not just use WhatsApp, Discord or a Facebook group?

For a small group, you probably should. Group chats are free and everyone already has them. They start to hold a community back when it grows: important updates get lost in the chat, events and payments live somewhere else, and the community sits on a platform with someone else's name on it.

We're on Circle, Mighty Networks or Skool. Can we move?

Yes, usually step by step. Members, content and subscriptions can usually be moved over, and we plan the switch so members don't lose access along the way. The membership app page covers how a custom app compares to these platforms in more detail.

Will our members actually use it?

If it gives them a reason to come back. Downloads are easy at launch. What keeps people opening an app is something on a rhythm, like the next event, a weekly session or new content. We design the first version around that, before adding features.

Who will I be working with?

With me, directly. Phico is founder-led. I shape the product with you, build the app and the systems behind it, and work with trusted collaborators when needed.

Start a conversation

Let's talk about the app you're imagining.

A clear vision or a feeling that your business is ready for something more is a good place to start. We'll explore what it could look like, what it would take and whether Phico is the right fit.

Prefer to see an idea first? Get a free app concept.