Let’s be honest, at some point, we’ve all thought about starting an online business while scrolling through Meesho. The idea of running an entire business straight from your phone feels incredibly easy, and that’s exactly why Meesho is so successful. It’s designed specifically to help small business owners, women entrepreneurs, and first-time sellers to start and even grow their own online businesses without big budgets or even prior experience. Today, Meesho is one of India’s largest and fastest-growing social commerce platforms, with over 500 million downloads and more than 15 million active resellers. In 2024 alone, it made around $900 million in revenue. No surprise that people are now thinking, why not build a native app like Meesho myself?
But Here’s The Problem:
Building a native app like Meesho is not cheap at all. It requires thousands of dollars, hiring a full technical team, and even months of development and testing just to launch the app. For most small businesses or anyone who wants to build an e-commerce app, that kind of budget is simply out of reach.
The Question Is:
How to Build a Native App Like Meesho on a Budget and Without Any Coding Skills?
In this article, I’ll tell you exactly how you can build a native Meesho-style app for less than $100 using nandbox AI-powered native app builder, in addition to:
- What Meesho is and why so many people want to clone it
- What features make Meesho successful (and how to replicate them)
- How much does it cost to build a native app like Meesho in 2025
- How you can create your own Meesho-like app for less than $100 using nandbox
What Is Meesho, and How Does It Make Money?
Back in 2015, the two brothers, Vidit and Sanjeev, noticed that many small businesses and entrepreneurs struggled to run their online businesses. They had to sell their products on Facebook and WhatsApp and manage orders, payments, and deliveries on their own.
That’s when they came up with Meesho, which started out just to cover a market gap and as a tool for offline businesses to go online. But today, it’s India’s top leading reseller and social commerce app that offers
- Direct product listings
- Zero-inventory reseller options
- Doorstep delivery to buyers across India
- Easy returns and refunds
But how do sellers resell without owning a single product?
Meesho uses a zero-inventory, drop-shipping model. That means that anyone can pick a product from the app, share it on WhatsApp, Facebook, or Instagram, and earn a profit margin on every successful order.
Meesho takes care of the rest: payments, delivery, and returns. That way, sellers can focus on growing their businesses, and anyone can run their own mini-business straight from their phones.
How Does Meesho Make Money?
Now that we’ve seen how sellers and resellers earn on Meesho, you’re probably wondering how Meesho gains money.
Turns out, Meesho doesn’t just help others make money; it has built a scalable, low-risk revenue model that many startups are now trying to replicate. So here’s how Meesho makes money:
- Supplier Commissions: Meesho charges zero commission from resellers, but it takes a small commission from suppliers for every successful sale.
- Shipping Services: Meesho adds a small service fee on shipping, which helps boost its profit margin.
- Ads and Promoted Listings: Suppliers can pay to promote their products on the app.
Meesho has created a self-sustaining ecosystem, which is something every aspiring app founder wants to recreate.
Why So Many People Want to Clone Meesho?
Meesho has proven that it’s possible to launch an online brand with no inventory, no prior experience, and not even upfront costs, using just a mobile phone.
People don’t just like Meesho; in fact, they want to replicate it. Not only because of how successful it is, but because it solves real economic problems in a way that’s scalable, low-cost, and accessible.
Here’s why so many people are trying to build a Meesho clone app today:
1. Requires Minimal Investment to Launch
You don’t need a warehouse or a big marketing budget to create an app like Meesho. It’s a low-risk model that’s simple to set up, as resellers handle marketing while suppliers handle products.
2. Empowers Everyday Users to Earn Money
The share and earn option turned housewives, students, and job seekers into full-time entrepreneurs. In other words, Meesho uses user ambition, not just product demand.
3. Multi-Revenue Model
Meesho doesn’t just rely on one income source. It earns through seller commissions, shipping services, as well as ads and promotional services.
4. Grows Fast in Emerging Markets
Meesho succeeded in regions where Amazon and Flipkart aren’t dominant. That same approach can work in emerging markets like Africa, MENA, and Southeast Asia, where social commerce is still growing.
What Features Made Meesho Successful, and How to Replicate Them in Your Meesho Clone App?
Now that we’ve looked at why so many people want to build a native app like Meesho, let’s break down the key features that made it successful.
These are the must-have features that turned Meesho into one of India’s top social commerce platforms.
The good news? You can replicate all of them even without writing a single line of code using nandbox no-code app builder.
| Feature | Why It Matters | Available in nandbox? |
| Product Catalog and Categories | Allows users to browse and discover items easily | Yes, nandbox offers a modern design home menu with product catalogs, tags, and categories. |
| Cart and Checkout | Seamless shopping within the app | Yes, nandbox offers a secure built-in cart. |
| Cash on Delivery (COD) | Critical for low-trust markets | Yes, COD is an available option at checkout |
| Secure Payment Gateways | Increases purchase confidence and trust | Yes, nandbox offers multiple payment options, such as cash, debit cards, credit cards, Stripe, and PayPal. |
| User Roles (Reseller, Buyer, Admin) | Supports platform segmentation and logic customization | Yes, nandbox provides user roles and permissions |
| Push Notifications | Keeps users informed about new products, orders, or offers | Yes, nandbox offers unlimited branded push notifications. |
| User Analytics | Helps track user behavior and optimize performance | Yes, nandbox offers a built-in dashboard with product performance and revenue insights |
| Multi-Vendor Support | Many sellers can offer different products on the same platform | Yes, nandbox provides multi-store with multiple vendors |
| Native App Performance | Provides smooth UX and faster loading than web apps | Yes, 100% native iOS and Android apps |
| Product Reviews and Ratings | Builds user trust and increase conversions | Yes, built-in reviews and comments section |
| Wishlists and Saved Items | Encourages future purchases and product interest | Yes, save for later feature is available |
As you can see, all features offered by Meesho are available in nandbox for both iOS and Android.
The Development Cost of Building a Native App Like Meesho in 2025
By this point, you’re clearly serious about building your own native app like Meesho. But here’s the truth: Developing a Meesho-style app from scratch in 2025 is anything but cheap, especially if you’re going with traditional development.
You’ll need to hire a full team of native Android and iOS developers, UI/UX designers, backend developers, QA testers, and more. It might also take you several months just to launch the app.
And since most developers charge by the hour, you’re looking at a total that could easily hit six figures. Not to mention the post-launch costs such as hosting, updates, bug fixes, marketing, maintenance, and scaling.
So here’s a breakdown of how much it costs to build an app like Meesho in 2025.
| App Type | Features | Development Cost | Timeline |
| Basic Meesho-Style App | Product catalog, cart and checkout, basic admin features | $40,000 – $80,000 | 3-5 months |
| Medium Complexity Meesho-Style App | + multi-role access, order tracking, reviews, ratings, wishlist, analytics dashboard | $100,000 – $200,000 | 5-8 months |
| Complex Full Meesho Clone App | + API integration, ads module, AI recommendations, native iOS and Android apps, scalable backend | $300,000 – $600,000+ | 8-14 months |
Of course, this kind of budget isn’t realistic for most startups, small businesses, or solo entrepreneurs, especially if you’re trying to build a fully native Meesho-like app on a budget. So how can you build a native app like Meesho on a budget in 2025?
The short answer: nandbox AI-powered native app builder.
So let’s find out how nandbox makes that possible.
The Smarter Solution: How to Build a Native App Like Meesho Under $100 With nandbox
After seeing how much it actually costs to build a Meesho-style app, I’m here to tell you that all you need is just $100 to build a fully native, full-featured iOS and Android Meesho clone app. How?
All thanks to nandbox no-code native app builder.
nandbox is a leading no-code, AI-powered app builder that helps anyone build their dream native iOS and Android apps without writing a single line of code or hiring developers. Yes, you can build a full-featured native app all by yourself and in no time too.
So here’s how nandbox makes all that possible:
No Code Needed
nandbox no-code app builder allows anyone with zero coding experience to build a fully functional, enterprise-level native iOS and Android shopping app just like Meesho, all in a matter of minutes.
Pre-Made App Templates
nandbox offers an extensive library of industry-specific app templates, including several pre-made shopping app templates and even a pre-made Meesho clone app template.
Pre-Built Native Features
With nandbox, you don’t have to worry about how you’re going to integrate features into your Meesho-style app or even worry about their cost. nandbox offers powerful pre-made native app features that you can easily add into your app with just a single tap.
Drag-and-Drop Interface
nandbox offers a one-of-a-kind user-friendly interface. You can easily add any feature in a matter of seconds by just dragging and dropping it into your app.
AI-Powered Native App Building
nandbox offers powerful AI tools that can help you build a full-featured Meesho clone app with all its features, theme, colors, and configuration in just a few minutes. All you have to do is just chat and describe your app idea, and nandbox will take care of the rest. These AI tools include
Unique Features That nandbox Offers but Meesho Doesn’t (And Why They Matter)
What if I told you that not only can you build a Meesho-like app for under $100, but you can also include powerful features that even Meesho doesn’t offer? These features can make your app stand out in today’s competitive market.
So let me walk you through some of the unique features nandbox offers.
1. Built-in Messenger
You can easily add the pre-built messenger for real-time communication both for 1-on-1 chats as well as group chats.
That way, you can turn your Meesho clone app from just a regular reseller app into a community-powered platform where sellers and buyers can communicate directly.
2. Offline Access
While Meesho doesn’t support offline access, nandbox allows you to access the app with poor or even no internet connection at all. That way, you can browse previously loaded products, access saved items, or draft orders offline.
3. Channels and Newsfeed
You can create news feeds and channels to keep your users updated about products, discounts, promotions, coupons, services, and more.
4. Booking System for Service-Based Products
nandbox offers a built-in smart booking system with calendar integration that you can use to allow sellers to offer services.
5. Push Notifications
nandbox offers unlimited push notifications that you can use to target buyers, resellers, or suppliers with personalized updates.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Build a Native App Like Meesho for Under $100 With nandbox
With nandbox, you can build the entire app, complete with configuration, themes, colors, features, and everything, in just five steps without writing a single line of code.
Step 1. Sign up at nandbox
First, head to nandbox.com and sign up for your free trial.
Step 2. Choose a Pre-Made App Template
Now you can choose from a variety of pre-made templates, including a pre-made Meesho clone app template.
Step 3. App Customization
In this step, you can customize your app theme, colors, tabs, features, and many more.
Step 4. App Preview
You can see all the changes you made while building the app for both light and dark modes using nandbox real-time preview feature.
Step 5. Build and Publish
Once you finish building your app, you can then download it and test it. Now, your app is finished and ready to be published on both the App Store and Google Play Store.
Final Thoughts on How to Build a Native App Like Meesho for Less Than $100
Let’s face it, building a native app like Meesho used to sound impossible unless you had a massive budget, a full team of developers, and several months to wait. But not anymore.
With nandbox no-code native app builder, you’re not just cloning Meesho; instead, you’re creating your own reseller app, but faster, cheaper, and smarter. You now have everything Meesho offers, plus things it doesn’t, like messenger, booking, offline access, and real-time customization.
So if you’ve been waiting for a sign to launch your social commerce platform, this is it. What are you waiting for? Sign up for your free trial now and get your app live!
FAQs: Everything You Need to Know About How to Build an App Like Meesho in 2025
Can I build a Meesho clone app without any coding?
Yes, with nandbox’s no-code builder, you can create a fully native Meesho-style shopping app with no technical skills. Just choose a template, customize it, and launch it without writing a single line of code.
How much does it cost to build an app like Meesho in 2025?
If you build it from scratch, expect to pay between $100,000 and $600,000+. But with nandbox, you can build a complete Meesho clone for under $100 per month, including both Android and iOS apps.
Can I add offline product browsing in a reseller commerce app?
Yes, unlike Meesho, a no-code clone built with nandbox offers offline access, where users can browse products, save wishlists, or draft orders without internet.
Is there a ready-made Meesho clone template I can use?
Yes! nandbox offers a pre-made Meesho clone app template that you can use instantly. Just sign up, customize, and publish.
Is building a Meesho clone app legal?
Yes, building a Meesho-style app is legal as long as you’re not copying Meesho’s brand name, logos, or copyrighted materials. You’re free to replicate the business model and features using your own branding and technology. Always ensure your terms, privacy policies, and user data practices comply with regional regulations.
How to monetize a Meesho-style app clone?
Monetization options include
- Supplier commissions on each sale
- Shipping or logistics fees added to supplier payouts
- Promoted listings and in-app ads
- Subscription plans for premium reseller tools These revenue streams mirror Meesho’s model and can be configured in your app builder dashboard.
