How much does it cost to hire an app developer?

It seems that nowadays every brand and every business has its own mobile app. Probably even your local coffee shop has an app to order a frappuccino at your doorstep or to collect discounts. Every IT-entrepreneur making a fortune from a hit app once in a while. So we’ve decided to dissect the ever-actual issue of how to hire app developer again.

We’ll be talking about general tips, like how to hire a mobile app developer and where to find app developers, as well as about choosing between software companies and freelancers. We’ll also touch on typical mistakes in hiring developers to create an app and post-hiring stage. Here we go.

How to find an app developer – General rules of thumb

So at one moment you have a “Eureka!” moment and come up with an idea for a great app that will bring you glory or tons of cash. You should also examine that idea thoroughly, btw. But you’re neither a geek nor a computer guy. So you google something like “who can create an app for me” or “who can develop my app idea”. Cause Google knows everything. Or, if you’re a bit more familiar with the market, you’ll probably type iOS developers for hire.

Luckily, there’s no shortage of app developers for hire around the globe. Of any possible kind, skill set and price range. It all comes with certain downsides and cautions too, of course. So before you start your quest, here are 3 chief principles you should stick to.

1. Know the basics. Learn what programming languages are there in use for mobile apps. Find out what the platforms are and what would be your target platform(s) to make an app. Check what the rates are and how much it would cost you to hire an app developer (even approximately). Who would be users of your app? These types of things.
2. Check experience. You wouldn’t want a doctor, fresh out of university, with no experience yet to conduct your knee surgery. The same with your business – if you hire someone, you’d better hire a developer who knows his stuff. He/she does not necessarily need to be a top-expert, though should be able to provide the portfolio of past works. You can even ask for samples of his/her code.
3. Build relationship and communication. Seek someone reliable, seek a developer interested in your business and outcome of your cooperation, not just in development. Sounds all cliche, but it is so. You’ll have to get along, to build a relationship with each other to get your app going. Language or cultural barriers, for example, or many other things may get in the way.

Where to find iOS and Android app programmers

Anything goes here, really. Starting from your personal connections, friends on social media, to niche job boards, colleges. Or even making a public contest to win for your project (it has to be truly worth it, though). As you start exploring how to find an app developer, you’ll see the places for finding them as well.

You can find app developers in specialized online directories, like They Make Apps, job boards like Get Apps Done. Looking for iOS developer? Try iPhoneDevSDK forum. Trying to find Android developer? – check Android Forums or AndroidPit. Here are more general communities if you need an app developer – Koding, Topcoder, NewAppIdea, Polycom. Also, you may check official groups of Google, Facebook, Apple, Windows developers.

Looking for app developers is also possible through web services like LinkedIn, Indeed, Upwork, and even Reddit. Real skills, app projects or code samples of developers could be tested on Gitlab and Github open source repositories. Use Clutch if you want an established software company. Your job is to search everywhere.

How much does it cost to hire app developer

Consider the following data:

Type of application	Details	Hours (iOS)	Hours (Android)	Rates (avg.)
Simple app	Templates, dropdown menus, stored on device	70-150	80-160	$50-100
Database app	Backend, stored on server, integrated	150-200	170-220	$50-100
Messaging app	Various data formats, chats and calls, stored in cloud	500+	600+	$70-120
Enterprise app	Business features, stored on device and/or server	200+	250+	$100-150
Social networking app	Themes, photo editing, backend, stored on server	300	300+	$70-120
Gaming app	Single player/Multiplayer, Unity 3D, rendering, stored on server	400+	500+	$70-120

Here are those developer hourly rates in visual form:

Tips for hiring a developer

After you know how to find an app developer and were, the fun begins. We mean there could arise plenty of circumstances and mishaps bending your app idea. But do not let it grip you, instead try to hire an app developer as suitable and promising for your project as possible. Here’s what you could also do.

Assess developer’s portfolio and dig into their clients/projects. You can even ask for a list of their current and past clients directly. Check the website if such one exists. Check UI/UX aspect of apps they have done – how nice-looking and user-engaging they are. UX is the half of your app success, they say.

Study the creative input a developer (or a development company) provides to your initial app concept. Does he/she/they seem to express interest beyond their assigned tasks? Based on your first interactions, do you both seem to get along fine? App development is a lengthy activity, so search for friendly partners.

A few extra tips

Consequently, define how you will communicate during the development process. Are there differences in time zones? What communications tools would you use – email, Skype, phone, etc. What are the specific hours when you would be able to speak? Would it be possible to call anytime? In what way would you be able to supervise the work progress? All these details matter.

Find out the developer’s fees and payment terms. First, you probably have a budget which you cannot exceed. So you’d better uncover any hidden fees, overtimes, additional costs beforehand. No one needs surprises in costs. Secondly, don’t go with the cheapest option. You need a good decent product, not an average one or full of bugs, it’s obvious.

At some point you’ll eventually come to decide: “Do I go with a software developing company or do I hire freelance app developers?” There’s no right answer here, it all depends on your preference, budget, app specifics and desired time of delivery.

App development companies

Finding and choosing app developers for hire has no clear evaluation process to follow. This is a service, not a ready-made product that you see. Whether an iOS developer needed or you need Android developer, opting for a software making and outsourcing company means reliability and more resources at hand.

Such companies, in most cases, have the experience of creating hundreds of mobile apps. It’s a clear asset too. So, what to look at before deciding who can make an app? First and most logical, it is portfolio. Find their page with projects, case studies, own products and study it. If there are apps similar to the one you have in mind, that would be nice. Download some of their apps and try it yourself.

Things to check

Check their team size and structure. Usually app development companies have a Team page or something like that, or LinkedIn page where they list their job titles. If you need iOS developers for your app, check how many of those a company has. You might also find how many developers (front-end, back-end), designers, project managers, partners are working there. This way you’ll be able to see what services you’re going to pay for.

Pay attention to technology stack in their use. What technologies does a company list? Java, C#, React, PHP…? Do they use the same stack for most of projects or tend to be project-specific? Which of those do they recommend for your app idea? Are there similar apps built with a proposed technology?

Also, check their history and reviews. Many of them boast of years in business, experience, number of top-customers, number of developers employed, etc. So it should not be hard. But also try to find out how many repeat deals (equals to happy customers) they have. Check Google, Yelp or Clutch for customer reviews.

Experience, price, team, feedback… weigh it all and you’ll see a clearer picture of how to move on.

Freelance developers

The second option to hire someone to build an app is freelance developers. This could be trickier but cost you less. Opting for freelance Android / iOS developers works fine when you precisely know what kind of app you want. And whether you can manage the person all the way, and make all the decisions on design, functionality, testing, etc.

How to hire a mobile app developer in 10 questions

Use sites like Upwork, Toptal, Freelancer, Fiverr, etc. to find and hire a freelance programmer to build an app. All of them have certain rating system, past works and reviews of projects by developers. Talk to a few app programmers, leave out those who avoid your questions or force their tools/solutions upon you.

In short, these are ten fundamental questions to ask to hire app developer:

1. Can you provide a list of past and current customers?
2. Can I see examples of your work (links to Apple, Google, Blackberry app stores)?
3. What is your preferred platform?
4. What are my app monetization options?
5. How are we going to communicate during the development?
6. What additional features for an app would you recommend? Can you do it?
7. How will you conduct the testing?
8. Can you submit the app to app stores?
9. Are you ready to sign a copyright agreement?
10. What are your fees and payment terms?

The following clip from OneMonth guys shares with us more elaborate thoughts on how to know whether your candidate developer is good.

Now, are there any peculiarities in hiring app developers for two most popular platforms – Android and iOS, apart? Not many, but let’s clear it out.

iOS developer for hire

Consider that iPhone app developers are of high demand. They can be choosy and cost you more than average. Thus, hiring iOS/iPad developers is what you should do only (we cannot stress this enough) if your app is mostly or fully made for Apple market. Search for candidates in specialized communities, e.g.:

• iPhoneDevSDK
• MacRumors Forum
• Cocos2d
• iOS Developer Forums
• Stack Overflow

Study their online activity, starting from blog posts and Twitter to shared code contributions on Github. Ask what libraries and components they would use to build your app. Also, Upwork has a monthly feature of best iOS developers with job success ratings and hourly rates.

Android developer for hire

The same thing with Android app developers for hire on Upwork, by the way. But what specifics should you look for with these guys? First, Android applications are based on Java, look for skills in this programming language. Second, Java alone is not enough. Good knowledge of Android open source ecosystem and libraries is the upside.

Any experience with Java Native interface? That’s great. Can your candidates handle all the constant new Android versions (4.0, 4.4, 6.0 and up) and their APIs? Are they familiar with intricacies of publishing an app to Google Play? Can they help in promoting it there? This is all vital. Seek Android developers for hire in places like:

• Toptal
• GDGs – Google developer groups, tech talks, code sprints, etc.
• Guru
• Upwork
• Android conferences, hackathons, meetups.

Explaining your app idea

Say, you’ve decided to hire an app developer and found someone to build your app. Now you have to communicate your app idea in every detail as clear as humanly possible. The better a developer understands and follows your requirements, the better response you get. Thus, you’ll be able to evaluate the chances.

When presenting your concept to your developer, give a brief context. We meaning you should explain the problem to solve with an app, your goals behind the idea, target audience, etc. Do not fear to talk extensively about it and get his feedback. For instance, if an app works with payments, discuss what security measures will be in place. Refine the idea together.

The background behind the overall idea is important as well. It helps the developer to give you better suggestions. For example, whether your background refers more to coding or to sales/marketing, feedback would differ. As for the target customers, elaborate on both geographic and demographic aspects of your ideal client. You may also describe the idea from a customer use case side. Explain the entire flow of your mobile application from a standpoint of a target user.

Go through app’s features separately, one by one. Elaborate in greater details, so that the developer abides by established timelines and pricing. Describe how each feature is tied to another, stress the must-have features, and separate the most important ones. In addition, decide which features would be implemented in the initial app version.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Around half of mobile apps earn less than the cost of their development. Sounds disheartening, right? Why does it happen? Most of app creators set aside $0 (zero) for marketing, while believing in its necessity at the same time. It could be poor quality, bugs, crashes, or bad design.

But most cases of failed apps prove that key point is not-solving-a-problem. Until someone is ready to pay for your app, business opportunities are low. First off, you can venture on MVP. Not as the “most valuable player”, but as minimal viable product. Develop a MVP of your app with limited features to gather feedback on the idea.

As you post the job ad on Upwork to hire app developer, for example, you’ll get dozens of offers right that day. So, how does one make the right choice? One option is to learn what and how NOT to do when looking for app developers.

6 do’s and don’ts in hiring:

Quality does not come with the cheapest price, and optimum price is not the sole factor of success. This also doesn’t mean the most expensive team will make you a top product. Seek balance and decent people.

Check if the company has ever delivered an app like yours to avoid frustration. You’ll see many developers not understanding requirements clearly but still fighting for your project.

This is too obvious. Also, ask your developer for a quote to avoid overspending.

Mobile apps are elaborate and complex, no need to rush. Starting to code without technical specifications and division of tasks is useless.

Sure, developers from India or Pakistan will offer you $15 per hour rate, or even less. Do you think you’ll end up with a quality end product and nice UX/design?

Many agencies may have good programming skills, though they may lack in actual experience with customers. Age, sex, area, industry….it all matters greatly.

Post-hire stage

This, actually, defines how much your app will cost you in the end – $1000 or $5000. Do you remember how specific you’ve been when initially explaining the idea? It gets ten times more intense as you start doing actual things.

Mocking up drafts or prototypes in detail, from colors, fonts to positions, transactions, bugs on so on. Every tiniest thing counts and must be covered to hire an app developer properly. Unless you want an app to succeed, of course. Use Photoshop, Microsoft Word, Paint or whatever to communicate your idea.

Together, outline the user flow – when a user clicks this button this happens, etc. Analyze similar competitor apps to take the best. Go through every screen. Always pay attention to design and interfaces.

Pay in intervals for every stage/iteration done. That way you have better control options as your development progresses. A good way to go to build positive relationship would be throwing a bonus for nice results, why not? If you feel your project requires NDA, make the developer sign an NDA contract. Don’t let anything slip.

We hope this material will help you find and hire the right app developer. And brief checklist to sum it up.