List of the Best Mobile App Developers

Your search query is too short, please try typing at least 3 characters.
Filter results
Filter results
  • Softexpoit

    Expert in Developing Custom Software, Mobile Apps, and Web Apps for Any Industry Worldwide| B2B
    Softexpoit's team of experts combines technical expertise and creativity to develop custom software, mobile app, and web app, backend, mac/windows solutions that meet your specific business/official  [... view the full profile of Softexpoit]
    London, United Kingdom
    Under 49 Inquire $10,000 - $25,000

Mobile App Development Company Hiring Guide

What is a mobile app development company?

A mobile app development company designs and builds applications for Android and iOS across various devices, including smartphones, tablets, wearable technologies smart TVs, and other connected devices. 

Mobile app development companies utilize a variety of programming tools and languages, such as Swift, Objective-C, Java, C++, C#, Python, Kotlin, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and more. They conceptualize, develop, test, and launch the product while optimizing performance, battery usage, network connectivity, and memory management.

What does an app development company do?

An app development company creates, tests, and refines applications on platforms (iOS and Android) for mobile devices using its coding and programming expertise. 

App development companies are responsible for a range of tasks and activities throughout the app development lifecycle, such as: 

  • Idea generation and conceptualization: Determining users’ problems addressed by the application and the specific audience it serves. Performing market research on the competitive landscape and user preferences to establish a solid groundwork for the development phase. 
  • Design: Creating an appealing user interface (UI) and an engaging user experience (UX). This stage covers wireframing, prototyping, creating style guides, choosing color schemes, fonts, flexible layouts, and screen elements. 
  • Development: Writing the actual code for the app’s front-end and back-end based on the design and specifications previously outlined. This involves managing data and creating the server-side logic, databases, and application programming interface (API). 
  • Quality assurance and testing: Conducting unit testing, integration testing, and system testing to identify and fix issues in the code. 
  • Optimization: Finetuning the code and the app’s overall performance to ensure it runs efficiently and meets performance standards. 
  • Security implementation: Incorporating cybersecurity measures to protect the app and user data from potential threats. 
  • Deployment: Launching to servers and making the application accessible to users via the app stores. 
  • Ongoing technical support and maintenance: Releasing updates and patches to fix bugs and performance issues. 
  • Documentation: Creating a comprehensive guide for the codebase, APIs, and other relevant aspects to assist future expansion, maintenance, and troubleshooting.

How much does it cost to build an app for a business?

Building an app for a business can cost between $80,000 and $250,000+. The price will depend on the app’s complexity, set of features and functionalities, and location of the development company. The top 50 mobile app developers on DesignRush charge an average of $65 per hour. 

Provided below are the average app development costs based on complexity: 

App complexityAverage project cost
SimpleUp to $80,000
High/complex$150,000-$250,000

Here are the development costs based on platform: 

PlatformAverage project cost 
iOS$75,000-$500,000
Android$50,000-$500,000
Hybrid$90,000-$700,000

Meanwhile, as a general guideline, yearly app maintenance can cost 15% to 20% of the initial development fee. This includes continuous bug fixes, stability and performance improvement, code optimization, additional support for new operating system (OS) versions, new feature development, and more.

How long does it take to develop an app?

Developing an app typically takes one to over nine months, depending on the size and complexity of the project:

Project typeEstimated timeframe
Basic small apps with straightforward features2-4 months
Mid-size apps with above-average features4-6 months 
Intricate apps with advanced features9+ months 

Why should I develop a mobile app for my business?

You should develop a mobile app for your business to: 

  • Increase accessibility: Provide customers with convenience and flexibility in interacting with your business and accessing your products or services from their mobile devices. 
  • Enhance customer experience: Enable customization of interfaces and features to align with customer preferences. 
  • Build brand recognition: Reinforce brand identity, image, and recall by incorporating logo, color palettes, and design elements that are unique to you. 
  • Create your marketing channel: Push notifications, in-app messages, and promotions enable you to run targeted campaigns and reach your market effectively. 
  • Boost sales: Streamline purchasing process for buyers, from product search and cart management to payment transactions. 

Mobile app usage is on the rise as consumers are expected to download 143 billion mobile apps from the Google Play Store and 38 billion apps from Apple App Store in 2026. These numbers represent a nearly 30% and 15% increase from 2021, respectively.

Why should I hire an app development company?

You should hire a dedicated app development company because of its ability to develop a highly functional mobile app and provide long-term post-launch support. 

The reasons to hire seasoned app developers are to: 

  • Gain access to their technical expertise: Professional app developers are well-versed in the best coding practices, architectural design, and optimization techniques, ensuring a high-quality and scalable application. 
  • Access their resources, premium tools, and licenses: Specialized software, libraries, and third-party services are readily available. 
  • Stay on top of app development trends: Experienced app developers ensure your product stays modern and competitive by integrating the latest technologies, design patterns, and user experience principles, keeping up with industry trends. 
  • Leverage technical SEO for your app to generate quality leads: By implementing effective SEO strategies from a technical standpoint, app developers can improve the product’s visibility on app stores and search engines. 
  • Reach a global market: Mobile app developers are adept at addressing localization and internationalization challenges. This ensures the app is accessible and appealing to users from different regions, maximizing its reach and potential user base. 
  • Receive post-release support: This includes implementing new features and fixing errors.

The specialized app development company Unico Connect was selected to develop the Deep Meditate wellness app with the goal of expanding its user base to more than 100,000. The app the company developed now has over one million downloads on Android, a 4.4-star average rating, and an adoption rate of 3x more than its competitors on iOS.

How do I choose the best app development firm?

Follow these steps to choose the best app development firm: 

  1. Set definitive goals and requirements: Outline essential aspects such as functionalities, features, and target market. Determine whether you are building a native or hybrid application. 
  2. Research companies and their location: Evaluate their team size, global delivery capabilities, language support, and ability to comply with regulatory and data safety requirements. 
  3. Understand their client and niche focus: Make sure they have extensive experience with app development for your business vertical. Read verified reviews and testimonials from previous and existing clients. 
  4. Learn about their available tech stack: See if they use the latest tools and software for front-end and back-end development, migration, scalability, UI/UX design, databases, content management, risk management, and cybersecurity. This should include programming languages (Swift, Objective-C, Java, Kotlin) and frameworks (React Native, Flutter, Xamarin, Angular, Vue.js, Node.js, Django, Ruby on Rails).  
  5. Shortlist and send RFP: Narrow your choices to five agency partners based on portfolio, case studies, and domain expertise. Submit a mobile app development request for proposal (RFP). 
  6. Evaluate personalized proposals: Assess the proposal details and structure. Are your business demands addressed? Are they able to provide several options to deliver your app idea? What’s their approach to design, execution, testing, and deployment? Is the post-launch support and maintenance process clear? Do they propose future development and expansion? 
  7. Arrange interviews: Ask about the specialists, project manager, and point of contact who will work on your project. Check the transparency of the pricing structure and observe their communication skills. 
  8. Evaluate and arrive at a decision: Compare the companies and select the specialized app developer that fits your project requirements, budget, expectations, and company values. 

If you need further assistance finding the right mobile app development company, check out our Marketplace where you can share with us your project details. We’ll connect you with companies most aligned with your requirements — for free.

What should I ask an app development agency before hiring one?

Here are some questions you may ask an app development company before deciding to hire it: 

Its Relevant Background 

  1. What’s your experience working on a similar project? 
  2. What are your specializations? 
  3. How many apps have you developed? 
  4. What tools and technologies do you typically use for mobile app development? 
  5. How extensive is your experience in developing cross-platform apps? 
  6. Did your company receive any awards or recognitions for mobile app development? 
  7. What’s your team’s development capacity? 

Company Services and Processes 

  1. How do you approach UX and UI design in your app development process? 
  2. What app development methodology do you use (e.g., Agile, Waterfall)? 
  3. Which programming languages and frameworks do you specialize in? 
  4. How do you conduct testing throughout the development process? 
  5. What is your approach to app maintenance and updates post-launch? 
  6. How do you manage changes in project scope or unexpected challenges during development? 
  7. How do you handle potential app store rejections and ensure compliance with their guidelines? 
  8. How do you ensure the security of the apps you develop? 
  9. How do you maintain streamlined communication? Which channels do you use for client updates? 
  10. What does the contract cover? 

The Project 

  1. Which platforms do you propose we use based on your idea?  
  2. Who will work on our project? 
  3. What will be the project timeframe based on the deliverables? 
  4. Do you need the involvement of our in-house teams in the project? 
  5. How will you ensure the accessibility of our app? 
  6. What are your suggested monetization strategies based on our target audience? 
  7. How will you ensure that the app you develop remains compatible and optimized for the latest operating systems? 
  8. Who will own the code after launch?

What are the best app development agencies in the U.S.?

The best app development agencies in the U.S. are: 

  • Naked Development
    • 4.9 on DesignRush (11 reviews)
    • 5.0 on Google (2 reviews)
    • Top clients: CarBlip, Google, Verizon, Universal Studios, Snapchat, Vizio
  • Suffescom Solutions Inc
    • 5.0 on DesignRush (36 reviews)
    • 4.7 on Google (90 reviews)
    • Top clients: Modani Furniture, King Cubs, Lead Action, Universal Monsters
  • Designli
    • 4.9 on DesignRush (20 reviews)
    • 5.0 on Google (74 reviews)
    • Top clients: Thingealogy, Earth Technology Integration, National Trench Safety, Secur.Space, Paidback
  • Fullestop
    • 4.9 on DesignRush (19 reviews)
    • 4.4 on Google (43 reviews)
    • Top clients: Adidas, Volkswagen, Unilever, Sony Pictures 
  • Net-Craft.com
    • 4.9 on DesignRush (22 reviews)
    • 4.9 on Google (43 reviews)
    • Top clients: Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Phoenix Suns, Diary of a Fit Mommy, Cruise America

Take a look at these companies’ profiles to learn more about them and check out the rest of the top-performing app development firms. Filter them according to reviews, location, rates, team size, and other parameters. 

About The Author and Expert Reviewer
Former Content Specialist
Julie Celestial is experienced in journalism and digital marketing. She was a news and current affairs writer at ABS-CBN and The Watchers News before transitioning into digital marketing as an SEO Content Manager at Plastic Phobia UK. Her articles have landed the #1 spot on SERPs, including the website and app trends on DesignRush. She has also built agency expertise after working with over a thousand agency profiles on the site.
Chief Technology Officer
Gary Kuznetsov is a seasoned programmer, web developer, and certified Laravel developer. He was a Senior PHP developer at Blue Fountain Media, then soon became Head of Development at Digital Silk. With hundreds of successful websites/applications deployed throughout his career, it is no surprise that he is now a Chief Technology Officer at DesignRush, spearheading digital products and solutions to meet the company’s challenges and objectives.