Choosing a mobile app development company is mostly a question of who will handle the parts nobody sees in the design mockups. The screens are the visible part of an app. Behind them sit the backend API, authentication, push notifications, offline behavior, app store review, crash reporting and the yearly work of keeping up with new iOS and Android releases. As a mobile application software development company, we build and plan for all of it, so the app still works, and still passes review, a year after launch.
Our mobile app development services serve ecommerce brands that want a shopping or loyalty app for repeat customers, SaaS companies adding a companion app to a web product, startups building a first mobile MVP, and businesses replacing paper or spreadsheet workflows for staff in the field. In each case we start from what the app has to achieve for the business, then decide what to build, and in what order.
What Is Mobile App Development?
Mobile app development is the process of planning, designing, building, testing and publishing software that runs on phones and tablets, mainly on Apple's iOS and Google's Android. It covers the app itself, the backend services it talks to, and the release work through the App Store and Google Play. Apps can be native (Swift for iOS, Kotlin for Android), cross-platform (one codebase for both), or progressive web apps that run in the browser.
Our Mobile App Development Services
As a custom mobile app development company, we cover the full project, from first scope to ongoing releases.
- Product strategy and scoping. User flows, a feature list split into first release and later phases, and a clear view of what the app does better than your mobile website.
- UX and UI design. Figma prototypes that follow Apple's Human Interface Guidelines and Google's Material Design where it matters, tested on real phones before development starts. Our mobile app design services page covers research, prototyping and design systems in detail.
- Cross-platform app development. One React Native or Flutter codebase for iOS and Android, which is the right choice for most business apps.
- Native iOS and Android development. Swift and Kotlin for apps that depend on deep hardware access, heavy background processing or platform features that cross-platform frameworks handle poorly. See our iOS app development company page for Swift and SwiftUI work, and our Android app development company page for Kotlin and Jetpack Compose builds.
- Backend, API and admin panel. The server side your app talks to, built with the same practices as our web application development work, plus an admin panel so your team can manage users and content without a developer.
- Ecommerce apps. Shopping apps built on the Shopify Storefront API or WooCommerce REST API, so products, prices and inventory stay in one place. Our ecommerce development team handles the store side.
- Enterprise mobile app development. Internal apps for staff with single sign-on through Microsoft Entra ID or Google Workspace, role-based access and private distribution through Apple Business Manager or managed Google Play.
- App store submission and launch. Store listings, screenshots, privacy disclosures, review responses and staged rollouts.
- Maintenance and updates. OS compatibility updates, SDK upgrades, crash fixes and feature releases after launch, covered by our app maintenance services.
Cross-Platform or Native: How We Decide
This is the first technical decision on most projects, and it affects cost, hiring and what the app can do. We make the call during discovery based on your feature list, not on our preference.
| Approach | Strengths | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| React Native (with Expo) | One TypeScript codebase for both platforms, shares logic and developers with a React web app, over-the-air updates for JavaScript changes. | Some device features need native modules. Upgrades between major versions need planning. |
| Flutter | One Dart codebase, its own rendering engine gives consistent visuals on every device, strong for custom animated interfaces. | Dart is less common than JavaScript, so hiring can be harder. Platform-specific features still need native code. |
| Native (Swift and Kotlin) | Full access to every platform API on release day, best performance for heavy workloads, most natural feel. | Two codebases and usually two developers, so roughly double the build and maintenance effort. |
| Progressive web app | No app store, one codebase with your website, installable to the home screen. | More limited device access, and on iOS web push only works once the user adds the app to the home screen. |
For most business, ecommerce and SaaS companion apps, we recommend React Native. We choose Flutter when the interface is highly custom and the team has no existing React code, and native when the app lives or dies on a hardware feature. The app development cost guide explains how each choice affects budget.
How We Deliver Mobile App Development
- Discovery (1 to 2 weeks). We map the user journeys, list the integrations, check the app store rules that apply to your business model and choose the technical approach. You get a written scope, wireframes and a fixed price for the first release. The discovery fee is credited to the build.
- Design and prototype (2 to 3 weeks). We design the key screens in Figma and turn them into a clickable prototype you can open on your phone. Five or six target users testing it for ten minutes each will catch most navigation problems before they become code.
- Build in two-week cycles (usually 8 to 12 weeks). You get a new build on your own phone every cycle through TestFlight on iOS and a Google Play internal testing track on Android. Each cycle ends with a demo and a list of decisions we need from you.
- Backend and admin (in parallel with the app build). In parallel we build the API, the database, push notification delivery and an admin panel, with error tracking and logging in place from the first deploy.
- Testing and store submission (2 to 3 weeks). We test on a spread of real devices and OS versions, then prepare listings, screenshots, the App Store privacy details and the Google Play Data safety form, and handle reviewer questions until both apps are approved. Review times vary, so we submit early and leave room for one round of changes.
- Launch and support (first 30 days, then ongoing). We release in stages where possible, watch crash reports and reviews daily for the first weeks, and agree a maintenance plan for OS updates and new features.
Mobile App Development Deliverables and Launch Measures
When the first release goes live, you own a complete, documented product:
- Published iOS and Android apps in your own Apple Developer and Google Play Console accounts, with store listings, screenshots and privacy disclosures.
- The app and backend source code in your GitHub organization, with build and release pipelines that any developer can run.
- A backend API, database and admin panel hosted in your cloud account, with automated backups.
- Crash reporting, push notification setup and an analytics event plan covering installs, sign-ups, key actions and purchases.
- A release guide explaining how to ship an update, rotate signing keys and respond to store review questions.
- Figma design files and a component library, so future screens match the current ones.
We agree launch measures in discovery. Typical ones are a crash-free session rate tracked in Crashlytics or Sentry, cold start time on a mid-range Android phone, the share of new users who complete sign-up and reach the core action, and both apps approved without open policy warnings. Downloads and ratings depend on your marketing and product, so we track them with you rather than promising them.
App Store Rules That Shape Your Build
A lot of mobile app development time is lost to store rejections that could have been planned for. These are the rules we check during scoping, because each one changes what we build.
- Account deletion. Apple requires apps that let users create an account to also let them start deleting it from inside the app. We build this into the first release rather than adding it after a rejection.
- Login options. If your app offers sign-in with Google or Facebook, Apple generally requires an equivalent privacy-focused login option as well. Sign in with Apple is the usual way to meet it.
- Payments for digital goods. Subscriptions and digital content sold inside an iOS app generally have to use Apple's in-app purchase, although the rules on linking to outside payment have been changing by region, so we check the current guidelines for your markets. Physical goods, like a store's products, use your normal checkout.
- Developer accounts. Enroll in the Apple Developer Program as an organization, not an individual, so the listing shows your company name. Apple requires a D-U-N-S number for organization accounts, which can take time to obtain, so we ask you to start this in week one.
- Google Play testing requirement. New personal Google Play developer accounts must run a closed test for 14 days before they can publish to production. An organization account avoids this, which is another reason to register the business properly.
Mobile App Development Tools and Frameworks
| Category | Tools |
|---|---|
| Cross-platform | React Native, Expo, TypeScript, Flutter, Dart |
| Native | Swift, SwiftUI, Kotlin, Jetpack Compose, Xcode, Android Studio |
| Backend and data | Laravel, Node.js, PostgreSQL, Firebase, Supabase, Redis |
| Push and messaging | Apple Push Notification service, Firebase Cloud Messaging, OneSignal |
| Build and release | Expo EAS, Fastlane, GitHub Actions, TestFlight, Google Play Console |
| Monitoring | Sentry, Firebase Crashlytics |
| Analytics and attribution | Google Analytics for Firebase, PostHog, Mixpanel, AppsFlyer |
| Design | Figma |
Why Choose 95 Solutions as Your Mobile App Development Company
- Senior-led. Mustafa, who holds a BS in Computer Science and has 11+ years in digital marketing, leads the strategy on every account. You deal with the person making decisions, not a relay of account managers.
- We build the whole system. Apps depend on backends, and backends are where our experience runs deepest: we build and run our own SaaS product, AM Jarvis, and the custom CMS behind this website.
- Built to be marketed. We plan analytics events, deep links and attribution from the first sprint, because an app nobody can measure is hard to grow. Our analytics and tracking team can take it from there.
- You own it all. Code in your GitHub organization, apps under your developer accounts, and backend hosting in your name.
- Hours and terms that work. Our working hours overlap UK business hours and the full US business day, with USD contracts from our US LLC and fixed prices per phase.
How to Choose a Mobile App Development Company
Choose a mobile app development company by how it plans the invisible work, not by how polished its mockups look. The best app developers raise backends, store rules and maintenance before screens. Useful questions to ask the app development companies on your shortlist:
- Who builds and hosts the backend? Mobile app developers who only build screens will leave you finding another team for the API, admin panel and push notifications.
- How do you decide between cross-platform and native? The answer should come from your feature list, with trade-offs in writing.
- Whose developer accounts will the apps live in? They should be yours, as an organization, from the first submission.
- What happens after launch? Ask for a maintenance plan covering yearly OS releases and SDK deadlines, not just bug fixes.
- Can I test builds on my phone during the project? TestFlight and Play internal testing should start in the first weeks.
Agency, freelancer or in-house mobile app developers?
| Option | Works well when | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Freelance app developer | A small app with no backend, or extra help for a team that already has a technical lead. | Backend, design, testing and store work often fall outside one person's skills, and support stops when they move on. |
| In-house mobile team | The app is your main product and needs releases every few weeks for years. | You need at least a mobile developer, a backend developer and design support before the first release. |
| Mobile app development agency | You need the app, backend, admin panel and store launch delivered together, with one party accountable. | Higher cost per hour than a freelancer. Check that code and store accounts are yours from day one. |
Mobile Application Solutions by Industry
- Ecommerce and retail. Shopping, reorder and loyalty apps built on Shopify or WooCommerce data, with push notifications for restocks and order updates. Brands with a large catalog often start with our ecommerce mobile app development service.
- Field and home services. Job lists, checklists, photo capture, signatures and offline sync for technicians who work in basements and rural areas.
- Health, fitness and wellness. Booking, programs, progress tracking and subscriptions. Where health data is involved, we plan privacy disclosures and data storage carefully from discovery.
- SaaS companions. Mobile access to a web product for approvals, notifications and quick actions, sharing the same API and accounts.
- Internal enterprise apps. Inspection, inventory and approval tools for staff, distributed privately and signed in through the company's identity provider.
Mobile App Development Tips: Mistakes We Help Clients Avoid
- Designing for one platform and porting to the other. iOS and Android users expect different navigation and back behavior. We design shared flows with platform-appropriate details from the start.
- No plan for offline or poor signal. An app that shows a spinner in a lift or a warehouse feels broken. Decide early which screens must work offline.
- Asking for every permission on first launch. Prompts for location, camera and notifications convert far better when requested at the moment the feature is used, with a clear reason.
- Forced updates without a safety net. Every app needs a minimum-version check so you can retire an old build that has a critical bug.
- Analytics added after launch. Without an event plan from day one, you cannot tell where new users drop off.
Who Should Hire a Mobile App Development Agency
A good fit
- Ecommerce brands with repeat buyers who would use an app for reordering, loyalty or early access.
- SaaS and web products whose users need mobile access, notifications or offline use.
- Businesses with staff in the field who currently use paper, WhatsApp or spreadsheets to record work.
- Founders with a defined first release and a budget to build and maintain it properly.
Probably not a fit
- 3D games or apps built mainly around augmented reality. A game studio will serve you better.
- Apps that need custom Bluetooth firmware or hardware engineering alongside the app.
- Projects where a fast mobile website would do the job. We will tell you if that is the case.
Mobile App Development Pricing
We price custom mobile app development services as a paid discovery sprint, credited to the build, followed by a fixed price for the first release based on the written scope. After launch, maintenance and new features run on a monthly retainer or further fixed phases. The plans below show where each stage starts.
The cost drivers are the number of screens and user roles, cross-platform versus two native codebases, the backend and integrations, payments and subscriptions, offline sync, real-time features such as chat or live tracking, and how much custom animation the design calls for. An app on top of an existing API costs less than one that also needs a new backend and admin panel.
Every build starts with a paid Discovery Sprint that ends in a fixed quote. The fee is credited to the build if you go ahead.
Discovery Sprint
$1,500 one-time
One-time, credited to the build
- Requirements and user stories
- User flows and clickable wireframes
- Architecture and tech stack
- Fixed quote and timeline
- 1 to 2 weeks
Web App or SaaS MVP
From $18,000 project
Milestone billing
- Core features for launch
- Auth, billing and admin panel
- Cloud hosting set up
- 60 days support
- 8 to 12 weeks
Mobile App
From $15,000 project
Milestone billing
- iOS and Android from one codebase
- API and admin panel
- App Store and Google Play release
- 60 days support
Custom CRM or Internal Tool
From $10,000 project
Milestone billing
- Workflows built around your process
- Integrations with your existing tools
- Roles and permissions
- 60 days support
All prices in USD. Need something different? Ask for a custom quote.
To get a quote for your app, describe what you want to build on our contact page and we will come back with questions and a discovery plan.
Keeping Your iOS and Android Apps Current
Apple and Google release major OS versions every year, and both stores periodically raise the minimum SDK or target API level apps must build against. Libraries you depend on also release breaking changes. Budget for a maintenance plan that covers these updates, crash fixes and small improvements, even if no big features are planned. Apps that go a year without updates tend to collect bad reviews first and store warnings second. Our mobile app maintenance and support plans cover this work each month.
Next Step: Scope Your App With Us
Share a short description of the app, who will use it and any designs or competitor apps you like. We reply within one business day, arrange a short call to talk through features, platforms and integrations, and then send a written discovery plan with a fixed fee credited to the build. If a mobile website or a progressive web app would do the job for less, we will tell you on that call.
Mobile work is part of our wider software development practice. If your product is browser-first, see our SaaS development page, and if you want AI features in the app, see AI automation services.