Top 20 Mobile App Development Companies (2026)

The top Android and iOS app developers are located around the globe, from California in the USA to Europe and Southeast Asia, due to the nature of the app development process. In many cases these companies divide their office amongst several sites. For example, they could have a sales and marketing headquarters, say in the US, and a design and development arm in India or Eastern Europe (say, Ukraine, Belarus). On the other hand, there are powerful agencies that are entirely in India and Latin America too, and the UK always has a large number of the top app developers.

The following guide lists the  top Mobile app development Companies across different geographies. To save you time and effort, we’ve selected organizations with a solid track record and a varied portfolio. Here most of the Top Mobile App Development Company can code for iOS, Android or Windows Mobile, or they may go cross-platform and design a hybrid app. We evaluated the level of their UX/UI design and their readiness to experiment with new technologies like wearables, AR, VR, Blockchain, Amazon Alexa and conversational bots. And finally, we do not discriminate on the basis of size, as small studios may compete with larger firms on all quality parameters.

To get a full list of the best service providers available on the market to pick from, download our App Development Buyer’s Guide. You will also learn about the many sorts of app developers, the numerous app development platforms, app developer locations, app development pricing, how to choose the ideal one for your business and the questions to ask any of those organizations that you will be considering.

We have hundreds of Mobile App Development Companies in our database, but you also need to know how to choose one. Brand names and honors are not enough as the app developer needs to be perfect for you, your business and your app idea. This quick guide allows you to make a better decision.

There are four primary sorts of app developers, however there are various subsets within these (e.g. specialisation in a certain vertical or platform). In general Enterprise level organizations are more expensive but have the strongest and fastest means to build your software. Boutiques are more like little artisans and the last group is solitary freelancers.

Enterprise (in-house)

Large firms that usually do everything from designing your software to building, testing and publishing it. They are usually the most expensive to budget, and its designers and developers are usually staff.

Enterprise (outsource)

The difference between these and the companies above is that these use freelancers to work on your project. This gives you more options - you already have a User Interface, or you have coding expertise, but just want something designed. It also cuts down costs — app development through these organizations is usually cheaper.

Boutiques

These studios might be as tiny as two people. They do fewer projects, but give high levels of polish and tend to be highly specialist in certain sorts of apps or industrial verticals.

Freelancers

You might find one person ready to do it all (design, coding, testing, publishing) but the fact is that people who can do all of this and do it effectively are few and very costly. You can build an app with freelancers but it adds a lot of labor and unpredictability.

Top Mobile App Development Companies are specialist agencies that create, develop and maintain software programs for mobile devices, web browsers, PCs and other digital platforms. Their teams tend to be made up of product strategists, UI/UX designers, software developers, QA testers and project managers working together to turn an idea into a working, user-friendly app.

In addition to the original building, top mobile app development companies usually offer continuous services such as upgrades, speed optimisation, security fixes and long term maintenance. Many additionally include analytics integration, cloud deployment and app store submission assistance. Their job, whether working with startups or major organizations, is to craft specific digital solutions that solve problems, improve operations or establish new revenue streams.

Here is a list of the Top Mobile App Development Companies we have compiled.

1. Zygobit

Zygobit is a custom mobile app development and digital transformation company that helps startups, enterprises, and growing businesses build scalable mobile and web applications. The company specializes in creating innovative digital products that combine modern technologies, user-focused design, and robust development practices to deliver measurable business outcomes.

With expertise across multiple industries, Zygobit develops high-performance applications for iOS, Android, web, and cross-platform environments. Their team focuses on transforming business ideas into secure, scalable, and future-ready digital solutions.

Overview

Zygobit is a technology-driven software development company providing end-to-end mobile app development, web development, AI solutions, and digital transformation services. The company works closely with clients throughout the entire product lifecycle, from strategy and UI/UX design to development, deployment, and ongoing support.

Known for delivering customized solutions tailored to specific business goals, Zygobit combines technical expertise with industry knowledge to help organizations improve efficiency, enhance customer experiences, and accelerate growth.

Services

Zygobit offers the following services to its customers:

• Custom mobile application development for iOS, Android, and cross-platform platforms

• Web application development, enterprise software, and SaaS solutions

• UI/UX design, wireframing, prototyping, and product strategy services

• AI development, Agentic AI solutions, chatbot development, and business automation

• Cloud solutions, API integrations, DevOps, and digital transformation services

• Ongoing maintenance, support, optimization, and application modernization

Summary

Zygobit helps businesses build innovative digital products through a combination of technology expertise, agile development methodologies, and customer-centric solutions. The company serves startups, SMEs, and enterprises looking to create scalable applications that drive engagement, improve operations, and support long-term growth.

With a focus on quality, transparency, and continuous innovation, Zygobit delivers solutions designed to meet evolving business needs while leveraging modern technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, cloud computing, and advanced mobile development frameworks.

2. Big Dogg

Chop Dawg is an award-winning web and mobile application agency. For over 17 years, they’ve been partnering with entrepreneurs, startups, growing enterprises, Fortune 500s, nonprofits and government agencies to turn ambitious ideas into scalable, profitable apps and bespoke software. Chop Dawg is not simply an app development firm. We are your devoted team, handling everything for your app, so you can focus on operating your business.

Summary

Chop Dawg has launched over 500 apps since 2009, reaching over a billion people globally. They have a 92% client retention rate, which speaks to the long-term ties they develop, with most partners continuing to engage with them for years after their initial assignment. The crew is based in the USA, Brazil and Pakistan allowing flexible alternatives to balance cost reductions and quality.

Chop Dawg has been named to the Inc. 5000, Clutch, Forbes, Fast Company, TechCrunch, The New York Times, and NBC, and has assisted institutions such as NASA, The White House, the U.S. Navy, University of Pennsylvania, Hilton, Siemens, Wawa, Six Flags and Mister Softee. Their apps hit Top 10 in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store within 24 hours of release.

What sets Chop Dawg unique is their demonstrated, tested approach and dedication to transparency. Every project has a dedicated project manager, regular communication on Slack, weekly Zoom calls and full documentation for future-proof success. From free 45 minute consultations to fixed monthly rates with clear schedules, you’ll always know exactly what to expect.

Services

Chop Dawg offers its clients the following services:

• Design and build unique mobile apps for iOS, Android, tablets, wearables, CarPlay and Android Auto

• building scalable web apps, eCommerce solutions, WordPress sites and business software

• Designing user-centric UI/UX wireframes, high-fidelity prototypes and entire branding assets

• Building AI driven solutions, blockchain apps, smart contracts, AR/VR experiences

• Offering continuous maintenance, support, DevOps services and long-term cooperation for continual growth

3. Slashdev.io

Slashdev.io is an app development startup that matches businesses with the best remote software professionals. They offer flexible freelance contracts with attractive hourly rates, enabling enterprises to focus on their core capabilities.

Slashdev.io aims to link individuals as they watch content, engaging in interaction, live events, and deepening relationships with artists and other viewers.

Summary

Slashdev has launched production software for startups rushing to debut and companies that can’t afford to go down. Their developers build scalable solutions, ship features consumers really desire, and offer apps that define what’s possible.

Each engineer has 5-10 years of shipping real stuff. Each project is executed with a quality that differentiates market leaders.

Services

The following services are provided by Slashdev.io to its customers:

• Provides end-to-end solutions to help enterprises design, build and deploy scalable apps

• Designs mobile apps to increase engagement and extend reach

• High-quality remote engineers to complement your in-house teams

4. Trango Tech

Trango Tech is a technology services and application development company that helps businesses grow their digital presence, manage their operations, and reinvent their products. Their team includes over 200 developers with an average of 8 years of expertise across multiple sectors.

Their primary aim is to move organizations into exponential growth, guiding them through technology upheaval and proactively shaping the solutions to tomorrow’s concerns.

Summary

Trango Tech is a full stack digital transformation firm providing infinite 360 degree software solutions.

They have over 200 talented in-house developers, with an average of 10 years of various industry expertise, ready to serve you.

Services

The services provided to its consumers by Trango Tech are as follows:

• provides cloud-based solutions for data storage, scalability and infrastructure management

• Provides software that improves enterprise systems and supports automation, integration and data

• Offers customizable systems that allow businesses to sell things online successfully

5. NMG Technologies

NMG Technologies blends strategy, design thinking and the newest technology to provide app-based solutions supported by an in-house team of 150+ web and mobile developers.

They are results focused and offer customized solutions for complex corporate processes and customer engagements.

Overview

NMG technology is a global full cycle software development firm since 2008 producing complex websites, software and mobile apps using the newest technology.

They take pride in designing strategies and processes to help their clients reach their goals.

Services

NMG Technologies offers the following services to our customers:

• Develops custom software to satisfy the specific requirements of companies like enterprise resource planning

• Making wireframes and prototypes to show what apps and websites will look like before they’re built

• Building intuitive engaging experiences with the consumer in mind

6. Designli

Designli is a U.S.-based app and software development firm in Greenville, South Carolina, committed to helping non-technical founders and businesses build unique mobile and web apps and digital goods with clarity and confidence.

Summary

Designli works with clients from startups to growing organizations. Dedicated product teams, not a scattered group of contractors.

Each team has product owners, designers, engineers and QA people. They stress responsive communication, clear processes and agile delivery.

Designli’s purpose is to produce polished software that eliminates friction from the client’s equation, whether it’s a brand new build, a rebuild of a poorly built product or scaling up an existing product.

Services

Designli delivers the following services to its customers:

• Designing interfaces, interaction flows, and prototypes that prove product direction and delight users

• Designing and developing online apps, internal tools, dashboards or SaaS-like systems with scalable, maintainable architecture

• Building native iOS and Android apps, frequently with cross-platform technologies where appropriate

7. Cubix

Cubix is a full-cycle mobile app, game and enterprise software development business, creating specialized digital solutions for startups, organizations and worldwide brands. Founded in 2008, Cubix provides scalable mobile applications for iOS, Android and cross-platform environments.

Summary

Cubix has offices in the US and global delivery teams. The company works with organizations across industries including gaming, healthcare, finance, education, logistics and on-demand services. The company works with clients from product ideation and UX strategy to development and deployment, and long-term maintenance. Cubix is recognized for its competence in mobile game development, blockchain applications, enterprise mobility solutions and new technologies like AI, IoT. Their strategy is based on robust design, scalable architecture and performance optimization to make sure apps are ready for growth.

Services Offered

• Mobile Application Development – Native iOS and Android applications and cross-platform solutions for specific business needs.

• Game Development - Development of mobile games, multiplayer experiences and interactive applications with latest game engines.

• Custom software & enterprise solutions – building backend systems, enterprise platforms, APIs and cloud-based infrastructure.

• UX/UI design & product strategy – user-centered design, wireframes, prototypes and branding assets.

• Integrating Emerging Technologies – incorporating AI, blockchain, IoT and other sophisticated technologies into mobile and web applications.

• Ongoing support & optimization – post launch maintenance, performance adjustment and feature extension.

8. iQlance Solutions

iQlance Solutions works on the concept that there is nothing impossible in this world because the term itself means ‘I’m possible’.

iQlance is a group of very passionate and creative designers, developers and testers that passionately believe in a culture that inspires you to follow your passions and progress your career. They have designers to bring your vision to life and developers to make it happen.

Introduction

iQlance produces native and cross-platform Android, iOS and Windows Mobile applications. They also provide online services with PHP, Ruby on Rails, Joomla, Magento, MVC and WordPress.

iQlance has been acknowledged in the industry for providing long-term results that have satisfied its clientele.

Services

Our customers benefit from iQlance Solutions’ services, which include:

• End-to-end design and development of custom web platform and corporate applications

• Native and cross platform apps for iOS, Android and hybrid environments

• AI/ML development, IoT integration, AR/VR apps, cloud technology consulting.

9. Orangesoft

Orangesoft is a mobile app and web development company that builds specialized software solutions for organizations. The company works with a range of sectors helping clients create high-quality digital products with a focus on the user experience.

Orangesoft is known for assisting many startups and developing unique mobile apps for iOS and Android.

Summary

Orangesoft is a full-cycle software development business that assists healthcare and financial enterprises in transforming ambitious ideas into secure, scalable digital products.

Their specialty is custom web and mobile software development, which is compliant with high standards and useful to their customers.

Services

Orangesoft subscribers can access the following services:

• Building Responsive Interactive User Interfaces with HTML, CSS and JavaScript

• Developing resilient back-end systems with Node.js, Python, Ruby on Rails and other server-side technology

• Developing iOS and Android applications using frameworks like React Native and Flutter

10. Light IT Global

Light IT Global is an application development business that provides unique web and mobile solutions for startups and corporations. They have over 18 years of experience and more than 500 bespoke projects under their belt.

Their staff consists of experts with varied expertise and skills and their best graduates from the Light Academy.

Summary

Light IT Global is a Data Science company providing custom web and mobile software development services, IT consulting, design, market research, quality assurance, post-release support and more, worldwide.

Starting as a software development team, during the years of providing solutions, they became a Data Science company that specializes in Big Data, Data Mining and Processing, Artificial Intelligence, Deep Learning, Business Intelligence, and many other tech fields that change the present and the future.

Services

Light IT Global offers its customers the following services:

• Creates eye-catching designs enhancing user experience and increasing engagement

• Building strong, secure and scalable solutions that interface with payment gateways

• Design and development of mobile apps for iOS and Android

11. Dev Technosys

Dev Technosys is a mobile app development Company that helps startups, scaleups and organizations to turn digital ideas into fully-featured mobile and web applications. With more than 10 years of expertise in delivery end-to-end development services, the company helps enterprises from diverse industries and markets.

Dev Technosys strives to produce scalable, secure and user-centric solutions by integrating technological execution with real business understanding. Its teams work directly with clients to build applications that support growth, performance and long-term product innovation.

Introduction

Dev Technosys has developed production ready software for clients from early stage startups to big enterprises working at scale. The company specializes in developing unique mobile applications for iOS and Android, complicated web platforms and enterprise solutions.

Its development teams are used to handling end-to-end product lifecycles – from discovery and UI/UX design to development, testing, launch and post-launch support. Dev Technosys also offers upcoming technologies to help firms add new features like AI, blockchain, IoT and others to their digital products.

Services

The following services are provided to its customers by Dev Technosys:

• Custom mobile application design and development for iOS & Android

• Builds cross-platform and web apps tailored to corporate needs

• Provides scalable backend solutions and enterprise software

• Fintech, e-commerce & social platforms built on demand

• Integrates upcoming technologies such as AI, blockchain, and IoT

12. Konstant Infosolutions

Konstant Infosolutions is a major worldwide tech business specialized in mobile app development, web solutions, and new technologies such as AI, IoT, and blockchain.

Their objective is to build world-class digital experiences across industries such as healthcare, travel, eCommerce, logistics, finance and retail by combining innovative technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Generative AI, IoT, Cloud, and Enterprise Mobility.

Overview

Konstant Infosolutions is a worldwide known mobile and web app development business trusted by startups and Fortune 500 corporations to translate their vision into success-driven solutions.

They focus on developing scalable, intelligent, and future-ready solutions that not only meet company goals but also enhance end-user experience and efficiency.

Services

Konstant Infosolutions supplies its customers with the following services:

• AI development, ML development, web development

• AR/VR development, cloud consultancy, IoT development

• Mobile App Development, Web Development, Swift, React Native, Objective-C

13. 3 Sided Cube

3 Sided Cube is an app developer that focuses on producing new, compelling mobile apps.

They are a trusted technology partner for world-changing organisations and are on a mission to use technology to transform millions of lives for the better. They produce custom software with global groups including The American Red Cross, UNHCR, Global Forest Watcher, UNESCO and World Resources Institute.

Overview

3 Sided Cube is an ISO accredited software organisation that develops the best possible tech solutions to solve a comprehensive scope of global problems, such as the fight against natural disasters, combating deforestation, creating solutions to overcome the shortage of blood donations, and helping to reduce the impact of plastic pollution.

Their team works with impact-led companies at every level of their project lifecycle, from product scoping and user testing through to design and UX, development, launch and ongoing support.

Services

3 Sided Cube offers the following services to its clients:

• Early stage design techniques that visualise the app’s functionality and flow

• Their clients work with them to determine the app's purpose, target audience, and essential features, making sure the app is aligned with corporate goals.

• Research to identify user wants, competitive landscape and industry trends to inform app development

14. TechGropse

TechGropse has created a digital presence across multiple industry sectors, attaining a 92% client retention rate since 2015. Their project accomplishments in the UAE, USA, UK, Canada, Australia, India, and significant business centers such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, NYC, Manchester, Toronto, and London are among the best globally.

The strong brand relies on the utilization of sophisticated tech, including AI, Machine learning, Blockchain, Big Data, the Metaverse, AR/VR, and IoT, to construct distinctive digital products and user-focused experiences.

Overview

TechGropse is a known mobile app development company that puts your ideas into a development cycle, driven by a team of experienced experts capable of addressing tough technical challenges.

They work hand in hand with clients to guarantee the project they produce satisfies every expectation and delivers genuine value.

Services

TechGropse offers following services to its customer:

• Apps for Android and iOS, cross-platform

• AI apps that are leveraging high-level analytics and automation to achieve better results

• Pocket-friendly, user-friendly and industry-centric solutions

15. AppMakers USA

AppMakers is an award-winning company of 30 specialists that delivers quality apps on time and on budget.

Their engineers are from MIT, Stanford, and UCLA and are situated in the USA. Together, they specialise in technologies including React, React Native, Flutter, Node.js, Swift, Android, AWS, GCP, and more.

Overview

AppMakers’ award-winning firm specialized in creating beautiful apps on time and on budget.

Their work varies from wacky startup ideas dreamt up by the likes of the NFL’s Austin Ekeler, to intricate, strong enterprise systems built for superstar firms like Los Angeles Apparel.

Services

AppMakers provides its customers with the following services:

• Full UI/UX design Mobile & Web Development Custom Software & Infrastructure

• WordPress, Wix, Shopify, and modern frameworks including React, React Native, Flutter, Node, Swift, Android, AWS, and GCP

• Engineers with backgrounds from MIT, Stanford, and UCLA, delivering high-quality, scalable solutions

16. Tech Exactly

Tech Exactly is an app development company delivering end-to-end mobile app development solutions across iOS, Android, and cross-platform ecosystems. For over 9 years, they have delivered 800 digital solutions for startups, enterprises, and global organisations.

With a team of over 100 skilled engineers, they specialise in secure, scalable, and regulatory-compliant mobile app development and are trusted by 50M users worldwide.

Overview

Tech Exactly is an award-winning Indian digital product engineering company dedicated to empowering Financial Services, Medical Device Manufacturing, and Biotech organisations with transformative digital solutions.

They work with leading companies and emerging disruptors around the world to drive competitive advantage and operational excellence.

Our Services

• Digital product strategy and UI/UX design

• Mobile and web app development

• Custom software, backend systems, and cloud infrastructure development

17. Ailoitte

Ailoitte is a full-stack software development and IT staff augmentation company. Ailoitte is bootstrapped but has developed through client success and innovation, creating a comprehensive portfolio of digital products, platforms and experiences for startups and organizations worldwide.

With an emphasis on performance, scalability, and intelligent automation, Ailoitte builds next-generation digital technologies that help businesses to expand faster and operate smarter.

Overview

Ailoitte blends strategic advising, design-led thinking, and agile engineering to develop scalable, high-performance digital solutions.

The company operates under a hybrid delivery model, with onshore project management and offshore engineering execution, assuring both customer closeness and cost efficiency.

Services

Ailoitte provides its customers with the following services:

• Staff augmentation and dedicated developers

• AI-powered software solutions

• UI/UX design and product strategy

18. Binary Studio

Binary Studio is a boutique software development organization with more than 20 years of experience.

They differentiate themselves by developing strategic, long-term partnerships with their clients and delivering exceptional-quality services across all phases of the app development lifecycle.

Overview

After starting with just two engineers in 2005, Binary Studio has become one of the greatest IT employers in Lviv and a reliable partner for dozens of enterprises all over the world.

Services

Binary Studio provides its customers with the following services:

• Native and cross-platform mobile app development for iOS and Android

• End-to-end mobile app delivery from exploration and design to launch

• Dedicated development teams and ongoing maintenance support

19. Limeup

Limeup is a global app and software development firm that partners with startups and enterprises worldwide. They make effective mobile and online applications that integrate technology, design, and strategy to help businesses scale and innovate.

The team focuses on understanding each client’s specific goals to design high-performance, user-centric solutions.

Overview

The team’s gathered experience helps them offer faultless goods and experiences where practicality meets aesthetics.

They are a close team of intellectuals and creatives, and they are also looking for long-term partnerships with their partners.

Services

The following services are provided by Limeup to their customers:

• AI development

• UI/UX design

• Web design and development

20. Emizen Technologies

Emizen Tech provides the latest in mobile app development solutions, delivering results for clients across the globe. The worldwide recognized mobile app development company creates futuristic mobile applications for organizations of all sizes with a high client satisfaction.

We are a dedicated, competent team of specialists who design, create and support creative custom mobile solutions, helping clients to consistently achieve their business goals.

Introduction

With over 10 years of industry experience and knowledge and reliability proven on every project delivered.

The team has delivered over 500 successful projects and is backed by 250+ certified IT experts. With a global footprint, the company has offices in India, UK, USA and UAE, hence enabling it to serve clients across the globe.

Service

Emizen Tech offers these services to its customers:

• Mobile App, Web & eCommerce Development

• Custom CRM & ERP solutions

• Digital ways to scale your business

Years of strong competition led to a duopoly of mobile operating systems. At present, there are two major well-established platforms – iOS (the mobile operating system of Apple for iPhones, with several branches – the iPadOS for iPads and the watchOS for Apple Watch) and Android OS (the mobile operating system of Google that runs on various hardware from Samsung to Xiaomi and Huawei smartphones).

There’s also Windows 10 Mobile, but that has less than 1% market share in the US, and in all other markets is around 10%. Microsoft said in October 2017 that it would cease active development of the platform. that new software and hardware features are to be developed.

App development is concentrated in top cities, as is the case with other tech businesses, because of the attractive mix of colleges producing competent app developers, designers and the like and venture money funding app development companies. Some boutique studios are in smaller communities, but the general rule holds.

United States

California is the number one hub for mobile app developers. The primary ones are San Francisco and Silicon Valley, although Los Angeles is not far behind. New York, with some big-name studios, is perhaps the second largest US location for app development, followed by Chicago and Boston.

UK

London is the main hub here and has a very high concentration of app devs but the north also has some great studios, mostly in Manchester and Newcastle.

India

India is a massive hotspot for app development and most of the devs are in three cities: Bengaluru, Hyderabad and the New Delhi metropolitan area.

East Europe

Ukraine is the biggest challenger for the title of “central hub” of app developers in Eastern Europe, with significant app development powerhouses in Kyiv, Odessa, Lviv and Dnipro. There are lots of them in the region, with some of the best in Poland, Bulgaria and Romania.

Program prices can vary a great deal based on the complexity of the program, whether it's merely Android or iOS, native or hybrid, and most importantly the developer you hire.

Estimates may range anywhere from $3000 for smaller apps to $150,000 for more complex apps developed by high-end developers.

Costs also vary by country, and here we see the range from $10 – 50 an hour in India to $60 – 125 an hour in the United States.

If you want to know more about the cost of Mobile app development, you can also check out our recommendations on how to choose an app developer in the US, UK and India.

It’s a fantastic idea to have a look at the portfolio of the app developer. Not only can previous experience in your field or business sector get you a better app, but a cheaper one too; the challenges tackled and resolved in making prior apps will reduce the development time for yours, and it also helps if your chosen app developer knows the ins and outs of your specific industry.

Reviews and recommendations are also a good resource - if you know a business similar to yours, find out who developed their app and if it works and read the reviews for it in the appstore.

Also check out our marketplace for app developers and our in-depth guide on how to choose one.

How much does it cost to develop an application?

It depends on a lot of different things, such as the sort of app, the features you want it to have and the developer you hire. The cheapest app costs roughly $40,000, and the largest ones can run you up to $125,000. Some estimates for an Uber-like app are as high as $300,000. In this tutorial we break down the cost of app development so you can see where your money is going.

Here is an excellent tool to estimate an approximate cost for your app idea.

How long does it take to build an app?

As for the time needed to construct a mobile app of average complexity, Cleveroad’s app development cost calculator suggests 1,000-2,000 hours. Again this will depend on the sort of project and your developer, but this range covers most development times for medium large apps.

How can I find an app developer?

There’s plenty of resources online. You might begin by searching through the Business of Apps directory. Other directories of app developers you should check out include TheManifest, GoodFirms and Clutch.

If you’re looking exclusively for freelancers, then web sites such as Upwork, Freelancer and We Work Remotely.

Where can I find a development partner for a startup app? – Quora...

Meetup is a terrific tool for this and platform specialized ones for iOS and Android, as well as developer meetups can often be discovered on the platform.

How many developers are building apps?

Very much so. The most recent estimates from 2019 suggest that the number of app developers is at approximately 26.4 million worldwide, with about 6 million dedicated to Android development and 2.8 million working on iOS.

Asia was the region with the biggest number of app developers at 760,000 (32.9% of the overall number of app developers at the time) in 2014, with Europe and North America close behind with 29.7% and 29.4% of devs, respectively. But do bear in mind that in the interim, about 800,000 new developers have flooded the market annually.

How to Select an App Developer

There are certain guidelines to keep in mind while selecting your app developer. The first one is of course your budget, but apart from that you should:

Portfolio Reviews

This is a normal thing to do and most organizations will be happy to present their app development portfolio on their websites. Bear in mind that designing an app is a talent in itself, but development for certain areas (like healthcare, or games) can be quite specific. Make sure the developer specializes in your sector and specifically if they cover the platform you need (iOS, Android or Cross-platform) and specialized mobile tech like Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, IoT.

Request References

If you look a little further you can always call the firms that the studio has produced apps for and see what their experience was like. If operators in a particular industry have faith in a development studio time and time again, they must be doing something right. And this gives us:

Check Out Their App Reviews on the App Store or Google Play

This may not be immediately visible, but you can always check out user evaluations for published apps on their app stores to get a sense of what people think of the studio’s work. Remember the negativity bias: people are more likely to post a review when they hate something than when they appreciate something. 100 poor reviews isn’t so bad when you have tens of thousands of active users.

When reading app reviews, keep in mind that some app creators will buy false reviews that have nothing to do with objective app evaluation. If most of the reviews are either 5 or 1 stars, it means that the application has major flaws and the developer just buys phony reviews to increase the rating without fixing the issue. This is a good sign of a fake reviews situation.

Questions to Ask an App Developer

What platforms do you build for natively? Do you design cross-platform apps?

You want to make things plain right from the get-go: for which devices can your selected studio develop an application? Do they specialise on iOS, Android or crossplatform (apps that run on both and other platforms by employing “generic” coding as opposed to platform-specific coding). How will the apps be translated from one platform to another? If the app is linked to a website, will the website be optimised for mobile phones? Think as broadly as makes sense about the prospective users of your app, both in terms of demographics and in the devices used to access it.

Do you cover every stage in the development cycle?

Some studios only offer user experience or user interface design. Development and coding is done by others, and after the launch, maintenance is viewed as an additional cost. If your app needs a back-end (servers and software), not every studio developer will include that in their services. It depends a lot on the kind of app you are designing, but make sure that the studio you choose handles all the steps of the app development cycle, or can direct you to companies whose services integrate well with those they offer.

How can I monetize my app?

This should be part of your business plan and the discussion you have with the development studio you choose. Will your app earn money from ads? If so then it needs to be optimised for that. If your app is a storefront or just a traffic generator for your website where the money is made, how will it bring people back after their first visit or first transaction? Remember that one of the major problems app developers are facing today is the user churn – a small portion of the app users continue to use the app after 30 days since they downloaded the app. This is the kind of conversation that you need to hold with your app developer and make sure you are absolutely on the same page. This will also be one of the first questions a reputable app developer will ask you.

How do you communicate in the development process?

An important aspect of the development process is keeping the client informed about how the project is going. The top studios do this fairly transparently, with regular (sometimes even daily) updates. Pick an app developer that communicates often and in methods that you’re comfortable with.

What testing do you perform?

This is somewhat of the other side of the question above: it’s the details, the essential trimming down that converts a brilliant idea into a lean app. There are various types, from stress to A/B testing, and while not all of these will be relevant to all apps, some will be important for yours. Learn what testing your developer is doing, why they do it and how it improves your product. As well as the third party app performance monitoring platform they’re using.

Does that include submitting to app stores?

If you know what you are doing, submitting an app to the store is not too difficult. Developers who want to submit a program to Apple's iTunes program Store must pay for a subscription, and the Cupertino corporation has rigorous rules on what can and can't be published. The Android Google Play Store is more lax in its rules, but it does need registration and a fee. Some developer studios do this, some don't. Make sure you find out first and whether the submission charge is part of the amount you're paying.

What’s the latest tech you’ve been using?

Beacons, GPS, deep linking, Wi-Fi-Bluetooth integration The beautiful thing about the world of app development is that there’s always something new being invented or a ground-breaking idea being investigated. If you want your app to be cutting edge and really set the standard for others that follow, ask your developer what concepts or technology they are exploring with right now. The development process is full of experimentation, and talking with your engineers could be the source of the next big thing or a memorable app.