How to Choose a Mobile App Development Company? - For All!

Use this guide to choose a mobile app development company that transforms into a profitable partnership.

A mobile app can be your biggest asset to boost revenue, engage customers, increase reach, and more. But in a market where everyone calls themselves the best app developer, it is important to have a methodical and iterative approach to finding a partner best suited for your business goals, needs, limitations, and other critical factors. Understanding this use case, we began exploring how one should choose a company today and created this editorial that covers all the perspectives and requirements along with detailed steps to hire an excellent dev partner.

Importance of Mobile App Development

Aside from usual benefits like brand awareness, better sales, improved user experience, personalization, etc., the importance of having a mobile app goes much further. Here are some stats that prove the importance of mobile app development:

• Around 4.2 trillion hours were spent on mobile apps last year, with a collective consumer spend of $150 billion for the first time in a year.
• Up to 1,255 apps are released daily on Google Play Store.
• As per Statista, the total number of app downloads for 2025 for Google Play Store and Apple App Store would be 136 (Google Play Store) and 37 billion (Apple Store), as opposed to 111 (Google Play Store) and 33 (Apple Store) billion in 2021. 
• By February 3rd, the total number of apps on the Google Play Store was 2,093,793, and the Apple App Store was 1,908,399. The number is growing for the Google Play Store, while for the Apple App Store, as per speculation, due to stringent policies, apps are removed and added every year. 
• A report states that around 96.2% (Q2, 2024) of people around the globe use their smartphones for internet browsing. This also points to the fact that users are much more likely to use a service on their smartphones than on its website. In fact, in 2020, something similar was covered by eMarketer, where 88% of users used apps instead of the website for the same service.

Each of the stat mentioned above points towards the growing significance of app development, and there are many more in line.

Importance of Hiring App Dev Company

Outsourcing mobile app development to the right service expert brings in multiple benefits. Here are some core benefits that we believe you should be aware of.

1, Full-Service Offerings

The full range of services offered in app development starts from the inception or ideation of the project to its final deployment. For development, full-service app development companies will provide you with end-to-end support, including UI/UX, native app development, cross-platform app development, API integration, testing, app store submission, and post-launch maintenance.

Basically, with a decent app development company, you will be able to fulfill the majority of requirements in a single place. However, in some cases, stakeholders either choose a different company for a specific requirement or outsource it if the hired partner doesn’t offer the service required.

2. Skilled Resources for Development

The practical skills required to create an app that entices the current audience keep expanding daily. You might require developers who have core programming skills, an understanding of development principles, platform-specific knowledge, database management, knowledge of trends, etc. 

This is why mobile app development is considered a team effort because no single person can complete a complex app in a span of 6 months or even a year. A finished app has millions of lines of code along with skilled developers backing the project for any requirement. 

3. Reduced Cost of Development

One of the core reasons why stakeholders go for outsourcing is reduced app development costs, which don’t mostly equate with an in-house team. Here are some of the reasons that make an in-house app development team heavier on the pockets.

• In-house teams demand salaries and perks like health insurance, retirement plans, etc.
• In outsourcing, there is no cost for laptops, software licenses, development tools, and office space.
• No investments in training, workshops, conferences, and other professional development opportunities are required with outsourcing teams.
• Oftentimes, in-house teams are not fully utilized due to fluctuating workloads or lack of management’s proactive involvement.
• Scaling an in-house team up or down demands huge loads of time and money.
• In the case of in-house teams, the responsibility of judging expertise lies in your hands, and visibility on your decision often occurs at the result stage, which may also be too late.

In fact, if we factor in the reasons above, the benefits of outsourcing, such as lower labor costs (in regions like India, Philippines, etc.), zero employee benefits for the development team, access to specialists without hiring, ready infrastructure, etc., are a lot more lucrative.

4. Assured Quality

Some of the tests conducted by an app development team to assure quality are:

• Functional Testing: Unit Testing, Integration Testing, System Testing, Regression Testing, etc.
• Non-Functional Testing: Performance Testing (Load, Stress, and Endurance), Usability Testing, Security Testing, Compatibility Testing, etc.
• Other Types: Installation Testing, Recovery Testing, A/B Testing, etc.

Each of these tests is important to deliver the desired quality in the app. Some of them are mandatory, while others depend on different use cases. For instance, Unit Testing and Regression Testing are mandatorily used while load testing, but A/B Testing depends on the use case.

With the combination of each of these tests conducted, an app development company makes sure that the app is functional and has as many issues resolved as possible before launch.

5. Hassle-Free Workflow

An experienced outsourcing app development company is ideally familiar with the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) required for apps in different industries, enabling them to even understand the development of a new idea to a certain degree. They understand when the intervention of the client is required and know what technologies to use to build an app for a particular idea and industry.

This knowledge makes the workflow way more hassle-free. The hired partner makes sure that all the requirements are fulfilled on their end while clearly establishing milestones for different development stages. They also make sure that they include the client for feedback. Also, these companies use different development methodologies like Agile, DevOps, RAD (Rapid Application Development), etc., depending upon the requirements that further ease the task.

6. 24*7 Team Availability

Ideally, it is always better to outsource app development to someone who is on the same timeline. However, not necessarily, but there are outsourcing companies like Appinventiv, IntelligentBee, ServerAdminz, etc., that provide support 24*7. This allows you to choose a company far away from your headquarters and helps you embrace development companies all around the world.

7. Project Tracking

There are several methodologies that are used by app development outsourcing companies to share project milestones and work-related updates, such as:

• Project management tools like Asana, Jira, Trello, etc.
• Through direct communication and reporting to clients.
• Agile Methodologies like Sprints, Daily Stand Ups, etc.
• Using Git enables clients to check code changes.
• Implementing rigorous testing and reporting its results to clients.

8. Post-Delivery App Maintenance and Support Services

App development companies may offer limited post-launch support for bug fixes or basic updates. Comprehensive maintenance, including new feature updates or monitoring, is not always an integrated service. 

However, if you ask, the same company most-likely will deliver maintenance and support services, providing everything in a single space. Also, it is beneficial since the partner that developed the app is well aware of the architecture, so making changes will be easy and efficient.

9. Custom Solutions

Mobile app development companies are able to provide custom solutions. So, for instance, if a client demands a particular encryption algorithm like AES-256, and if the company is capable, they will implement it no matter what. This applies similarly to features, designs, and other factors. A capable app developer will create a completely custom app as per your desire and requirements.

10. Diverse Types of Development Solutions

There are several types of app development, such as native development, cross-platform development, hybrid development, web apps, etc. Each of these types differs largely. However, a capable app development company will help you create these types for your app. For better clarity, suppose you have an app named ‘A’ and you want its native as well as web app version. A capable app development company will help you develop both under the same roof. 

11. Scalability and Future Growth

No one creates an app to cater to a downward trend of app usage. Instead, the core thought is to scale the app as the requirements increase. An app development company will make sure to include all the possible requirements such as cloud hosting, microservices, scalable databases, etc. These fulfilments will allow app scalability and help make required changes in the future.

12. Proactive Risk Mitigation

A decent outsourcing company will have tonnes of clients. So they don’t have enough time to come back to a project again and again for every small change. Therefore, they take up proactive risk mitigation so that no issues arrive once a module is thoroughly tested and changes are made.

13. Access to Cutting Edge Technologies

Do you know what is common between Figma, Android Studio, BrowserStack, Jira, etc?  Each of these apps requires a paid premium. By hiring an outsourcing company, you indirectly bypass the cost and have access to each of these cutting-edge technologies for your app development.

Choose a Mobile App Development Company - Step-by-Step Procedure (Tried & Tested)

Here are the comprehensive steps that you can take to choose a mobile app developer. 

1. Laying the Foundation (App Vision and Its Objective)

Before creating any selection criteria, it is important to outline several factors for clarity in the future. These are:

Purpose of the App: What is the purpose behind the development of the application? Is it for business automation, customer engagement, or a completely new innovation?

• Target Audience: Core users of the application once it is deployed in the market. 
• Core Features: Functionalities that are core to the idea of the application. 
• Budget Constraints: Budget that can be allocated for the development.
• Platform Choice: Relevant platforms for Native (iOS/Android) or Cross-Platform (React Native, Flutter, etc.) development.

2. Market Reconnaissance: Shortlisting Potential Companies

Now, to make sure you have several options, you can check out our app development companies report. We provide everything you need at a glance with the company profile. For instance, team size, minimum budget, headquarters, experience, and other relevant data points. Plus, we provide the portfolio of companies listed on our website, within their profile. Using our extensive list, you can shortlist a few options and later, by using other metrics like team size, experience, etc., select a company.

3. Assessing Skillsets: Technical & Creative Evaluation

At this stage, start assessing the technology stack, design capabilities, security measures taken, and the flexibility offered for development (Pricing model, team size expansion or reduction, etc.). Each of these factors will give you a bird's eye view of everything that will be used in your project. It will provide you with better clarity during your interviews for hiring a partner and help you assess the truth at your end.

4. The Screening Round: Conducting Interviews

This stage talks primarily about the screening process. Here, you will ask relevant questions like:

• What is your experience in similar projects?
• How do you ensure app security and data privacy?
• Can you provide client references?
• How do you handle post-launch support and maintenance?
• What are your timelines and deliverables?

These questions will give you more clarity about the capability of the company you are interviewing. Also, by analyzing each answer, you can even estimate who is capable and who is overpromising.

5. The Price Tag Factor: Cost Breakdown & Transparency

Pricing can make or break the deal. Ideally, there are three types of charges or fees associated with core app development. These are:

• Development Charges: Fixed cost, hourly rates, or dedicated team models?
• Hidden Fees: Extra charges for updates, maintenance, or additional features?
• Software Licensing: Costs of software used for development.

Now, let’s assess the cost of app development based on generic prices from the USA. Why generic? Every company has its own pricing structure so it is important to focus on a generic value rather than a unique one for proper cost estimation. Below, we have created a table that shares the cost incurred at each stage. Let’s explore:

If we talk about the total cost of development, then it will range between $80,000 - $2,50,000+ in the US, depending on the complexity of the application. It is important to note that this cost can be reduced by outsourcing work to countries that offer affordable prices for app development, i.e., India, Ukraine, Vietnam, Poland, etc. 

6. Legal & Compliance Considerations

Fulfillment of relevant legal requirements, compliances, and regulations is a mandate to operate hassle-free in the market. Therefore, below are several compliances and legal requirements for different purposes, mentioned below:

1. Privacy and Data Protection: Some important regulations to keep in mind for this requirement are GDPR, CCPA, COPPA, etc.
2. Terms of Services: It is a legally binding agreement that is between you and the app users. This outlines rules and regulations that include acceptable behavior, intellectual property rights, disclaimers, limitations of liability, and dispute resolution.
3. Intellectual Property: This includes copyrights, trademarks, patents, and open-source licenses.
4. App Store Guidelines: Guidelines on the Apple App Store are more stringent. However, both Google Play Store and Apple App Store have guidelines that you need to adhere to.
5. Content Regulations: Certain types of content are regulated in certain regions. So, if you want to launch your app in that region, you need to moderate it or completely remove it. 
6. Accessibility: Follow WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) to make the app accessible for specially-abled people.
7. In-App Purchases and Financial Transactions: If your application has in-app purchases or any other type of financial transactions, you need to comply with regulations like PCI DSS. 
8. Industry-Specific Regulations: Every industry has its own regulations that you need to follow if your app caters to that industry. A great example of this would be HIPAA, which is healthcare-centric.
9. Localization: There are countries that have different local laws and regulations related to data privacy, content, advertising, etc. So, it is essential to follow them to provide your service in that area.
10. Legal Counsel: Consult with a lawyer who specializes in technology and intellectual property. This will ensure that your application follows all the applicable laws and regulations with ease.

7. Finalizing the Decision: Choosing the Right Partner

By comparing each of the factors, you will be left with a handful of choices. From there, ensure the following to make the final choice:

• Compare proposals from different companies. Opt for the one that offers balanced pricing, expertise, and a reliable solution.
• Make sure the hired company offers post-launch support and long-term maintenance.
• Validate client feedback and references before signing the contract.

Future Trends - Mobile App Development

Over the years, multiple app development trends like AI integration, 5G compatible apps, wearable devices, and mobile commerce have emerged. Some sustained, while many faded with the evolving user demands, making catching the right trend at the right time critical for any app’s success. Below, we have mentioned the ones that sustained their value through the years and show great market potential in the next 5 years as well.

1. Motion Design

Motion design is used to add motion to images, turning them into a video. Motion designs are being utilized a lot in app development because they deliver higher interactivity. 

Over the years, companies like Apple, Netflix, Tesla, etc., have started to incorporate them. And, due to this reason, tonnes of styles in motion graphics have emerged, each with its own significance, such as 3D animation, kinetic typography, liquid motion, plexus animation, etc., aiding better UI/UX in the design domain.

2. Touchless UI

Essentially, a touchless UI is one that doesn’t take input from physical touch. Instead, it uses hand tracking, gestures, voice control, facial recognition, etc., to gather input. 

A previous report by Statista clearly states that the trend to adopt touchless UI pre and post-Covid changed, but the demands persisted to a higher degree. For instance, in the US during COVID-19, 84% of respondents demanded touchless UI, while 55% demanded it even after Covid. Other examples would be:

• UK: 86% (Pre-Covid) and 47% (Post Covid)
• Germany:  77% (Pre-Covid) and 73% (Post Covid)
• France: 74% (Pre-Covid) and 63% (Post Covid)
• Netherlands: 78% (Pre-Covid) and 63% (Post-Covid)
• India: 82% (Pre-Covid) and 48% (Post-Covid)

In fact, touchless sensing is expected to reach $117.3 billion by 2032. This not only points towards the rising interest but also fixates the position of touchless UI as a relevant trend.

3. On-Demand Apps

On-demand apps are everywhere. And if you don’t know what they are, well, apps like UberEats and Netflix, are great examples. Basically, these are apps that provide products and services on demand. 

The model is being adopted by many tech giants and is not going to stop. Yet, if we consider speculations, there is space for more. Niches like automobile repair, legal services, senior care, skilled trades, and even pet care have players, but the markets, as of yet, aren’t that saturated in comparison to established on-demand industries like food delivery or entertainment. So, this trend will be seeing more players adopting it.

In fact, one of the biggest niches in the on-demand apps market, i.e., OTT videos, is expected to hit US$443.30 billion by the end of 2029. This growth can be witnessed in many other industries and niches if the pain points of the audience are carefully addressed.

4. Instant Apps

There are many instant app versions available for apps like Skyscanner, Wise, Vimeo, etc. These apps allow users to access some features of an app without installing it. The reasons for the adoption of this trend are many. For instance:

• Try before installing
• Lower friction in app adoption
• Faster loading times
• Lower development costs
• User Feedback 

Considering the increasing app market, the adoption of instant apps as a trend can increase if we attribute the associated benefits. It gives the app vendor a more efficient segue for users to try their app’s services and even get insights for future upgrades.

5. Higher App Security

An increased amount of attacks on apps were reported last year. Around 65% increase in attacks was witnessed in 2024 in the month of February. Contrarily, this figure was 57% in 2023, February. 

As new technologies get integrated, apps today are more vulnerable to attacks like Malware/Adware, Phishing, SQL Injection, Reverse Engineering, etc. And with applications collecting personal data of their customers that also include data for payment gateways, implementing better security has become a necessity. 

To enhance security today, mobile app developers are integrating AI and ML for threat detection, implementing multi-factor authentication, using encryption of AES standards, and a lot more.

How Can MobileAppDaily Help with Your App Development Endeavors?

The importance of hiring an app dev company and the importance of finding the right resources for development needs are at par with today’s development requirements. To cater to this, we provide development editorials, guides, and reports that talk about the topic and share outsourcing options. However, for the latter, we continuously strive forward by creating well-researched resources. 

If we focus more on outsourcing options, then you can find an incredible gallery of top listicles that cater to different mobile app development needs. Some examples are Top App Development Companies in India, Top Mobile App Development Companies in the USA, Top Hybrid App Development Companies, Top Flutter App Development Companies, etc. Beyond this, through our editorial, we provide guidance to our audience to win in the market. With the culmination of these resources, our goal is to help our audience reach their goals while simultaneously growing with them.

Concluding Words

Mobile applications in our present world highly impact us. From food delivery to grocery and even medicine, we have numerous apps installed on our smartphones that deliver us products and services at the click of a button. 

If we share the earlier thoughts with anyone who uses a smartphone, the impression would more or less be the same. This relatability actually compels stakeholders to ask, “How to choose a mobile app development company?.” Having an app for your service can give you tonnes of business revenue and presence. It can put you at the center of users and help you witness the growth, you imagined. With this editorial, our hope was to educate you on the topic and provide all the aspects that can help you hire the right partner.