How to Choose a Mobile App Development Company?
Building an app is no small feat. You have to make sure you are targeting the right audience, it’s reliable and easy to use. With hundreds of apps being released every day, it can be hard to know where to start. To help you on your journey, we’ve compiled some helpful tips on how to choose a mobile app development company in this article!
An Overview of Mobile App Market
If you didn’t know already, the mobile app market is booming, and new statistics confirm that. In 2025, in-app spending is forecast to reach $207 billion, and this figure is likely to increase gradually in upcoming years.
The right mobile app development company is essential if you want to get involved in this lucrative market. Industry leaders such as Statista and Gartner offer guidance on what the best practices and top companies in the market are. For example, companies like Suffescom Solutions and Foreignerds have really made their mark in the field of mobile app development.
Knowledge of the following emerging trends and statistics allow your business to make an intelligent choice when selecting a development partner. This assures that you build an app that makes your offering stand out in a very competitive market and that addresses user needs.
Current trends and revenue numbers
Let’s delve into the current trends and revenue numbers in the mobile app market. For 2025, the global mobile app revenues are projected to continue growing, as we mentioned above. It underscores the immense potential of this market.
- According to one report, the global value of mobile applications will reach over $330 billion by 2025, and continue to grow by 14.5% annually to 2034. The increasing use of mobile devices and integrating technologies like AI drive this growth. Accordingly, AI-powered chatbots enhance user experiences by offering immediate answers and personalized services based on the data they collected from customers.
- In early 2024, users spent most on entertainment apps (e.g., video apps), with almost $9 billion. Meanwhile, they spent only $1.2 billion on healthcare and fitness apps at the same time.
- This time, game apps also generated large revenues from global users, with $4.6 billion for role-playing games and over $3 billion for strategy games.
- Other apps for social networking and online shopping are becoming more popular. Particularly, most Internet users downloaded social media apps as of 2024, while smartphones made up nearly 80% of retail visits worldwide.
- Only 4% of mobile apps now offered subscription models as of August 2024, but they accounted for 45.4% of total revenue.
- Despite immense benefits, mobile apps present some challenges like increasing competition or cybersecurity.
Why do you need a mobile app development company?
Is it essential to partner with a mobile app development company to realize your app idea? The answer is definitely YES. The reasons lie in the unique benefits that these companies bring to the table.
Firstly, mobile applications are a proven revenue stream. Regardless of how big or small, local or widely-established a business may be, mobile apps can significantly boost profitability and market share.
Secondly, a professional mobile app development company can provide effective app solutions. These solutions target a definite user segment, solve a primary user problem, and generate ROI. For instance, consider WhatsApp Messenger. It connects people, simplifies communication, and generates returns via its Business API and payment modules. A mobile app development company can help you design an app with similar effectiveness.
Thirdly, these companies bring higher solution visibility. They utilize comprehensive audience and target market research to design an effective mobile app solution. This research helps you understand what is trending with your user base.
Lastly, mobile app development companies offer dedication and focus. When you hire a development agency, you can trust the company to do the task with full dedication and focus. This is more efficient and time-saving compared to having an in-house team that will have more than just app development on their to-do list.
4 Considerations When Choosing an App Development Company
When you’re considering which app development company to use for your project, you’ll want to consider a few things. These include:
- The app is already fully developed and ready to go
- User-friendly
- Easy to use and deploy
- It needs an app store listing
- Look for a team of developers that can do a good job on all of these things
The first thing you need to know is how much an app development company will cost you. Depending on the number of features the app will have and how complex it is, the cost will vary.
Then, once you know how much it will cost to hire an app development company, take a close look at their review online.
Recommended reading: Why Should You Develop Mobile Applications in Vietnam?
1. Freelancers vs. a mobile app development company
The pro and con of selecting freelancers versus employing a mobile app development company should be considered when making a decision.
Cost-effective solutions
For smaller projects, freelancers tend to be more flexible with their pricing structures, making them a more cost effective option.
Specialized skills
With its specialized skills to the table, freelancers do make the case. A freelancer in graphic design can build an app interface that looks appealing to the eyes for example. Having this targeted skill set can come in handy for niche projects.
Flexibility and scalability
Where it comes to scope and timelines, freelancers tend to be more flexible. For startups or businesses whose needs fluctuate, this can be particularly useful.
Direct communication
Working with a freelancer also means you can speak more directly and intimately. It also allows for a more iterative, agile development process as feedback can in turn be implemented in real time.
Access to global talent
Gain access to a global talent pool of freelancers who can provide the right fit for your project, regardless of your business’s geographic constraints. For companies seeking to draw from a wide breadth of current, disparate perspectives and knowledge, this can be particularly apropos.
Potential Drawbacks
Freelancers have a lot going for them, though there are some things to watch out for as well. Often, freelancers don’t have the resources and support that a development company brings to the table, which means that delays or problems with project management might happen. Changing freelancers for different parts of a project can also be difficult to oversee.
2. Custom apps vs. ready-to-use apps
The biggest selection you will have when deciding to build a custom mobile app or reuse one of the ready to use them. Advantages and considerations of both options.
Custom apps
With custom apps, your business can receive exactly what it needs. And they’re flexible and can fit in with your existing systems. Grand View Research determines that the global custom software development market is anticipated to demonstrate a CAGR of 22.5% from 2024 to 2030. The demand for industry specific app is increasing, leading to this growth, and there is also an adoption of low code development platforms.
AEC Advisors, a business of an investment banking firm, created custom survey management and analytics software for their business to change their business by implementing the same. It allowed them to better understand their customers and make better strategic decisions based on the insights they gathered from the software.
Ready-to-use apps
Pre built or off the shelf apps are ready to use apps that can be quickly deployed. For example, there are already many small businesses using ready to be used apps such as Shopify for eCommerce and Slack for team communication. Apps loaded with essential functionalities do not require extensive development time.
Meanwhile, custom apps are more expensive and take longer to implement compared to them. But they lack the flexibility and customization options of custom apps.
3. Native vs. hybrid mobile apps
Before choosing a mobile app development company, you have to understand the differences between native and hybrid apps. Native apps are apps that are specifically built for one platform and one specific programming language typically used for that platform such as Swift for iOS or Java for Android. Although they provide high performance and a seamless user experience, they are expensive to develop and require platforms specific development.
The other end of the spectrum are hybrid apps, which assemble a bunch of native and web technologies, such as HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, to create a single app that works on different devices. Although being cost effective and easier to maintain, this approach may not provide the same level of performance and user experience as native apps, but it can be really simplified than creating an app from the ground up.
As Zartis report shows, 70% of mobile app users prefer native apps vs hybrid apps, and 90% of app downloads in the App Store and Google Play are also native apps. Hybrid apps are 25 percent faster yet less responsive than native apps.
Native Instagram and Facebook apps are an example of native apps, that give you a smooth and fast experience on their respective platforms. As a matter of fact, a hybrid app like Twitter Lite relies on a single codebase to work on iOS and Android devices, but it’s not as fast nor responsive as its own native counterparts.
Recommended reading: Are Cloud-Native Applications Safe Enough for Businesses?
4. Budget limits
Budgeting while choosing mobile app development company is also important. The cost of developing an app varies widely under a number of factors. The cost of developing your mobile app depends on its complexity and the features that it includes, and according to recent statistics, a simple mobile app will cost you anywhere from $30,000 to $150,000.
To create a realistic budget, businesses need to consider:
- App Functionality: The more features the app has, the more expensive it is. For instance, addition of these technologies such as AI or AR will definitely increase the budget.
- Platform Choice: Building an app for iOS and Android will cost more than another platform. Saving costs with cross platform apps comes at the cost of performance limitations.
- Design and User Experience: It’s important to have high quality design and user experience, and it’s expensive. That includes UI/UX design, color schemes, typography, etc.
- Development Team: The development team’s expertise and location can impact costs. Having an experienced team for your app’s specific needs only costs and saves money in the long run by preventing fatal mistakes.
- Maintenance and Updates: It is a great mistake to stop here; post release maintenance and updates are very important and are often overlooked. There should be a portion of the budget for ongoing support.
Recommended reading: How Much Does it Cost to Build Apps like Uber, Tinder, and Instagram?
9 Tips on How to Choose a Mobile App Development Company
Finding success as an app developer can be a difficult task. With over 2 million apps in the app store, it’s hard to stand out from the crowd. That’s why it is important to have a plan of attack when developing your app. It will help you build a base for your app and set yourself apart from competitors. Use these 9 tips to get your app done.
1. Determine your app’s purpose
To find the right mobile app development company you should know your app well. Knowing what you want to create is crucial – if you know what you want, you can hire a developer who specializes in that area.
- Identify the core functionality. Will your app give information, facilitate transaction, or entertain? For example, a banking app here is focused on secure transactions and a gaming app underneath it is focused on user engagement and fun.
- Understand your target audience. Happy users are part of the reason your app will be successful. Say you have a fitness app for seniors versus one for tech savvy millennials — you can have larger text and maybe simpler form navigation.
- Set clear goals. Know what your app’s definition of success is. Are they just fixes for the number of downloads, user retention rates or the revenue generated? A great way to measure your progress against the goals and to see how the developer is doing.
- Research market trends. Know the current mobile app development trends. An example is that of cross platform development that is in demand because it is cost efficient and gives a wider reach.
- Consult industry reports. Reports like Gartner Magic Quadrant for Mobile App Development Platforms are used to provide insights into the best developers and their specialties. It can also help you make an informed decision.
When you carefully and effectively identify the purpose of your app, you will have an easier time explaining it to developers, and hopefully find those that have the relevant experience to make your vision a reality.
2. Know your budget
The first thing you need to remember when choosing a mobile app development company is your budget. There are lots of factors determining the cost to develop an app and it can vary quite dramatically.
The average cost for creating a mobile app is $30K to $150K and more, based on the complexity and functionality of the app. Let’s say a basic app would cost around $30,000, while a complex app with advanced features could skyrocket to $150,000.
To get something closer to an accurate estimate, use an app development cost calculator. Factors like the amount of screens, hand controls, device types, in app payments and push notifications are also taken into account in these tools.
Further costs such as maintenance, updates, and even marketing should also be factored in. The cost can be divided into initial development costs, maintenance costs, and marketing costs.
Knowing your budget up front ensures you get a better idea of how to explain your financial constraints to potential development companies and what may not be so unexpected. Additionally, it will also aid you in selecting a company that is within your budget that is able to deliver an app of high standard.
Recommended reading: How Much Does It Cost to Make an App for Your Business?
3. Meet with the team in person
A big step in selecting the mobile app development company, meeting with the team in person is a key requirement. It helps you determine their professionalism, communication ability and if they are a good match for the project. Here are some key points to consider:
- Assess team dynamics. Watch how the team works between one another. If a team is cohesive, then a project should become better too.
- Evaluate technical skills. There are questions to ask on how good they are at being a technical safety/quality (e.g., use CASE tools, plan software before projects, etc.). It helps them to have the required skills to deliver your app.
- Review past projects. Ask if they’ve got examples of their previous work. This helps you to know how good their quality of work and their design capabilities.
- Discuss project management. Know how they do timelines and deliverables with projects.
- Clarify communication processes. Ensure they can communicate and have the processes in place to communicate. A successful project is on regular updates and transparency.
This is also an excellent opportunity to get to know the development team on a personal level as well as helping you to build a rapport and trust with them, which is crucial for working together.
4. Look for passion
Choosing a mobile app development company is not easy but when you find a team that is passionate about the work that they do, then it makes a difference. Developers passionate about your app will go that extra mile to make sure they succeed. In general, passionate teams lead to outperforming competition in terms of innovation and also in terms of customer satisfaction.
In order to do so, you’ll want to look for developers who are enthusiastic about the latest trends and technologies in the industry. For instance, if a team attends tech conference and also contributes to open source projects, it shows a commitment to stay at the forefront of what’s happening. It could lead to an app for your business that is more innovative and effective.
Passionate teams, generally, are much more likely to offer excellent customer service. This means ideally they would respond better to you and be willing to make changes after you have given your feedback.
Finding a passionate team behind your mobile app development project may be a game changer in terms of the success of your project. The zeal and dedication of the team in the choosing should be assessed as well.
5. Review their portfolio
When picking a mobile app development company you’ll need to look through their portfolio. It tells you their previous work and how their projects were. Instead look for diversity in their portfolio, different types of apps, industries and functionalities.
For example, a few of the companies which are versatile have built both the e-commerce apps and the healthcare apps. Portfolios can be in examples on any platform, such as Behance.
Also, think about complexity and scale of the projects. An experienced company that has completed large scale projects will easily handle your app development needs.
And don’t forget to check for client testimonials or reviews. A positive feedback from previous clients is a clear indicator of the company’s reliability and high quality of works.
Thoroughly inspecting the portfolio allows you to make an informed decision and pick a company that fits your project’s needs and objectives well.
6. Evaluate their technical skills
If you are developing a mobile app project, it is essential to hire a mobile app development company with sound technical skills. Here are key aspects to consider:
- Programming Proficiency: For Android, developers should be proficient in languages such as Java and Kotlin, and for iOS, in Swift and Objective-C. And, we can’t forget about the cross platform languages including React Native and Flutter.
- Experience with Development Tools: Developers should know tools like Integrated Development Environments (IDE) like Android studio or Xcode, and version control systems like git.
- Cross-Platform Development: It’s a big plus because you can make apps that work perfectly on both iOS and Android, saving time and money, and reaching a wider audience.
- User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) Design: What is important is as much that what they will see is a well designed app not what it does. To create intuitive and engaging interfaces high is enough that developers already know the workings of the UX/UI tools.
- Data Management and Security: To be a competent developer, you must learn how to keep data secure, and this is for your users’ privacy, as well as to protect any sensitive information.
- Testing and Debugging Skills: Delivery high quality app demands that developers test and debug in an effective manner so that they can detect and fix bugs efficiently.
- Adherence to Industry Standards: When we follow best practices and industry standards, it will make the app run perfectly and will be easier to take care of in the future.
These technical skills help in evaluating a mobile app development company and to make sure they will be able to bring your dream to life.
7. Discuss their development process
Knowing the development process of a mobile app development company is crucial. A well defined process will help you with what is expected from your project and how it progresses through the process. Here are some key aspects to consider:
- Requirement Analysis: To start with they need to gather all the detailed requirements from you. It is about knowing your business goals, the target audience and features you want. Creation of a roadmap is made possible by a thorough analysis.
- Design Phase: Next up it’s the app’s user interface (UI) and user experience (UX). The app should be visually attractive and easy to use and the app should have a good design. If they can do wireframes and prototypes, then look for companies that can visualize the final product.
- Development Phase: Here is exactly where the actual coding takes place. When building an app, the company should use the latest technologies and frameworks to build it and therefore, Cross-platform development tools such as Flutter and React Native are used to build the works in such that they operate on iOS as well as Android.
- Testing Phase: But we do need to test to make sure the app is as bug free as possible, and it must run smoothly. The company would have to carry out functional, usability and performance tests. This process can be girded with automated testing tools.
- Implementation Phase: After the app has been tested and approved, it’s ready for deployment. The company needs to assist in submitting the app to the app store and guarantee that the app is available to users.
- Maintenance and Updates: Once the app is launched, it demands regular maintenance, and periodic updates. The company must provide continuous fix of any issues and add new features based on user feedback.
8. Consider post-launch support
After choosing a mobile app development company, the launch does not mark the end. After-launch, support is key to app success in the long term. Instead of making contact with a company based on the number of bugs, look for one which has a full range of support services in place, such as bug repairs, updates, and performance monitoring.
It is seen by statistics that apps with regular updates and maintenance have higher user retention rates. Statista reports that user engagement doubles when apps go regularly updated.
From case studies of Slack and Facebook, we see how adaptability to user feedback is vital. For example, Slack morphed from a simple messaging app to a collaboration hub by continuously making improvements to features based on user input.
Experts in the industry are stressing the need of a structured maintenance plan. Fixing bugs is not all that a well maintained app can do. One can improve user experience and security as well.
Finally, post launch support is to keep your app lively and competitive in the market. Select a company that maintains support for your app and is continually improving it.
9. Consider industry expertise
Industry expertise is key when you are looking for a mobile app development company. A company that knows your industry inside out can offer you customized solutions tailored to your specific situation. A healthcare app will be based on HIPAA that a company with healthcare app development experience will be aware of, for example.
Companies like Suffescom Solutions and Foreignerds hightlight the importance of industry knowledge. For instance, Suffescom Solutions has been successful in developing compliant Healthcare apps, and in the Healthcare sector they have proved their expertise.
Also, G2 and Clutch reports point out the importance of industry expertise. They issue these reports ranking the companies which are most experienced and best in terms of success in serving a particular industry, so that businesses can take informed decisions.
To sum up, selecting a company with industry experience implies that your application will get developed according to the best knowledge and skills and thus leads into a more successful outcome.
How Designveloper Can Be Your Partner in Mobile App Development
When it comes to figuring out how to choose a mobile app development company, partnering with the right team can make all the difference. That’s where we, at Designveloper, come into the picture. As a leading web and software development company in Vietnam, we bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the table.
We understand that every app is unique, with its own set of challenges and opportunities. Our team is committed to understanding your vision, identifying your needs, and delivering a product that not only meets but exceeds your expectations.
Our expertise in mobile app development tools
At Designveloper we use the best tools to develop high quality mobile apps. Our toolkit include Visual Studio Code, Xcode, Android Studio, and React Native among others. We use these tools to build robust and user friendly apps suited for every need.
For example, we use React Native to build cross platform apps that feel the same across devices. We also leverage Jira for better task management, and Fastlane for ironclad build and deployment processes. These tools were fundamental to our capacity to deliver a successful project like Lumin Mobile.
Impact of our tools on project outcomes
Your tools choice really affects how you would end with your projects. For example, in the development of Lumin Mobile, our suite of tools allowed us to effectively and quickly deliver features and improvements to the product. Debugging and source control management was kept up to a high standard partly due to using Flipper for debugging and Sourcetree for source control management.
With the help of such tools along with all our expertise, we have been able to make mobile app development easy and bring successful outcomes.
Overcoming challenges and limitations
The tools we work with are powerful indeed, but they, too, have their own share of challenges and limitations. For example, Xcode and Android Studio can put a lot of stress on resources. Some might find that Flipper has stability issues, and some might also agree that Sourcetree currently misses the seamless integration of custom git commands. But at Designveloper we know how to conquer these obstacles. Our team’s ability to adapt and find solutions is part of what makes us a reliable choice when you’re figuring out how to choose a mobile app development company.
Conclusion
Having the right mobile app development company is the key to your success in the project. With a global mobile app market will be worth $756 billion by 2027, we know that this demand for high quality apps is only increasing. Making an informed decision is important to us at Designveloper.
At Designveloper, we have a team of experts who are dedicated to bring you the best in the class mobile app solution that will meet your exact requirements. Keeping up with the latest trends and technologies throughout the industry means that your app won’t just work today, it won’t be out of date tomorrow.
The proof is in our portfolio and testimonials, so don’t just take our word for it. Ready to take the next step? Let us know today, we would love to speak to you about your project and see how we can help you realize this vision.
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