Mobile App Development
Apps that ship and keep working
We build for iOS and Android in whichever stack the product actually needs, and we own the backend, push, payments and store submission around it, because that is where releases usually stall.
Talk to us about your projectChoosing native or cross-platform
There is no correct answer to native versus cross-platform, only a correct answer for your product. Native (Swift and SwiftUI on iOS, Kotlin and Jetpack Compose on Android) wins when the app leans on the camera, background processing, or the platform's own components. Cross-platform wins when one codebase across both stores keeps a small team moving.
The choice is worth making carefully because reversing it is expensive. Offline support is the same: a local-first data layer designed in from the start is routine work, and retrofitted into a live app it is close to a rewrite. We settle both in discovery, before anyone builds a screen.
Capabilities
What the engagement covers
A mobile app is rarely only the app. Most of what delays a launch sits behind it: the API, the push certificates, the store listing, the review queue. We build those too.
Native iOS and Android
Swift and SwiftUI, Kotlin and Jetpack Compose, for apps where the camera, sensors or background work carry the experience.
Cross-platform builds
React Native or Flutter when one codebase across both stores matters more than matching every last platform animation.
Backend, APIs and sync
Node.js or NestJS, Firebase or Supabase, with REST or GraphQL and the auth layer the app signs into.
Offline mode and local storage
Core Data, Room, Realm or SQLite, with a sync protocol that decides which edit wins when a device reconnects.
Payments and subscriptions
StoreKit and Google Play Billing for in-app purchases, plus Stripe or Razorpay where the purchase happens outside the store.
Push and deep linking
Firebase Cloud Messaging and APNs, with universal links so a notification opens the exact screen it refers to.
AI features, on device or hosted
OCR, object detection, voice input and semantic search via ML Kit, Core ML, TensorFlow Lite or a hosted model.
Store submission
Signing, listings, screenshots, review submission and a phased rollout, so a bad build reaches a fraction of users first.
Crash and analytics monitoring
Crash reporting and release-over-release dashboards from day one, because the week after launch is when you learn what broke.
What you get
What you own at the end
Everything below is yours, and another team could pick it up without calling us first.
- SHIPPED APPS
- Live on both stores
- The signed builds sitting in App Store Connect and Play Console under your own developer accounts, not ours, so you can publish an update the day we stop working together.
- SOURCE CODE
- Repositories and build pipeline
- App and backend repositories, the CI configuration that produces a release build, and the signing certificates. Handover includes a working session with whoever maintains it next.
- BACKEND
- APIs, auth and infrastructure
- The services the app talks to, documented, with environments kept separate so a test on staging cannot touch a real customer record or fire a live push notification.
- OPERATING NOTES
- What it costs and what breaks
- Monthly running costs, the third-party services the app depends on, and the parts most likely to break at the next iOS or Android release. Written down, not said on a call.
How we work
From scope to store
Durations are typical for a first release across both platforms. A tight budget is usually better spent on one platform done properly than two done thinly.
Scope and platform decision
1–2 weeksWe settle native or cross-platform, one store first or both, and whether offline support is in scope. Those three answers set most of the cost.
Design and prototype
2–4 weeksScreens and a clickable prototype running on a real handset. This is where the feature list usually gets shorter, and where we say so if the budget will not cover it.
Build
8–12 weeksShipped in increments to TestFlight and the Play internal track, so you use the app on your own phone every couple of weeks rather than at the end.
Launch and maintain
OngoingSubmission, phased rollout, then a retainer for OS updates and fixes. Apple and Google ship yearly releases that break things, and an unmaintained app eventually gets pulled.
Is this the right service for you?
Read this before booking a call. We would rather lose the enquiry here than three weeks in.
A good fit if…
- You need an app on iOS and Android, not a mobile website
- The app needs a backend, accounts and payments, not just screens
- You want the developer accounts and source code in your own name
- It has to work on mid-range phones and patchy connections
Probably not, if…
- You only need Android, where our Android App Development service is the cheaper track
- What you actually want is a web dashboard, so read Web & SaaS Platform Development
- The app would wrap an existing website, and both stores reject those
- There is no budget after launch, when OS updates start breaking things
Frequently Asked
Questions
Common questions about building and shipping mobile apps.
Native (Swift for iOS, Kotlin for Android) when you need best-in-class performance, platform-specific features, or tight OS integration. Cross-platform (React Native, Flutter) when one codebase shipping to both iOS and Android matters more than last-mile polish. We build both, recommend per project.
Both. Most clients ship on both stores from day one. When budget is tight, we scope a platform-first release (usually iOS in North America, Android in APAC) and ship the second platform a few weeks later.
An MVP with auth, 4–6 core screens, and backend integration: 8–12 weeks. A full production app with payments, notifications, offline mode, and polished UX: 4–6 months. We ship monthly to TestFlight / Play Console internal tracks so you see progress weekly, not at the end.
Yes. We manage the full launch pipeline: signing certificates, Play Console + App Store Connect setup, listings, review submission, and post-launch updates. If you don't have developer accounts yet, we'll walk you through the \$99/year Apple and \$25 one-time Google registration.
Routinely. In-app agents, semantic search, OCR, object detection, voice interfaces, and personalized recommendations. We use Google ML Kit, Core ML, TensorFlow Lite, and LLM APIs — picking based on privacy, latency, and cost constraints. On-device ML for sensitive data; hosted APIs when scale is the priority.
Yes. Most clients move to a monthly retainer covering OS updates, new features, bug fixes, and app-store resubmissions. Apple and Google release new OS versions yearly that often break things — ongoing maintenance isn't optional for apps in the wild.
Have a project in mind?
Fixed price after a paid discovery — no hourly billing. A real engineer reads every enquiry, and we reply within 24 hours.