Digital Product Development

Mobile apps for both stores, from one codebase

We build iOS and Android apps in React Native and handle everything through to App Store and Play Store approval — engineered by a team that shipped apps used by millions at the UK’s largest news publisher.

Mobile App Development

How we approach it

A mobile app earns its keep when it does something a website can’t: sit on the home screen, send a push notification at exactly the right moment, work offline in a warehouse or on a train, or use the camera and location to remove steps from a job. That’s the test we apply before recommending one. If your idea would work better as a responsive web app, we’ll say so on the scoping call — it’s cheaper for you and better for us long-term.

For most projects we build with React Native, which means one codebase runs natively on both iPhone and Android. You get both stores for far less than two separate native teams would cost, and every future feature or fix ships to all your users at once. Where a project genuinely demands full native — heavy real-time graphics, unusual hardware access, platform-specific integrations — we’ll recommend Swift or Kotlin instead and explain exactly why, in plain English.

The features that make apps commercially useful come as standard capabilities, not afterthoughts: push notifications that bring users back, offline support that syncs when the connection returns, in-app payments and subscriptions through Apple and Google’s billing or Stripe, biometric login, and analytics so you can see what users actually do. Behind the app sits a proper API and database — usually Node.js, TypeScript and PostgreSQL on AWS — built by the same team.

Getting into the stores is part of the job. We handle Apple App Store and Google Play submission end to end: developer accounts, certificates and provisioning, store listings, screenshots and the review process, including the back-and-forth when Apple has questions. Our engineers shipped apps used by millions of readers at Reach plc, the UK’s largest news publisher, so store review holds no surprises. Apps start from £15,000, fixed and agreed upfront.

What you get

Mobile App Development, done properly

One codebase, both stores

React Native lets us ship native iPhone and Android apps from a single codebase — roughly half the build and maintenance cost of two separate native apps.

Native when it’s right

Some apps genuinely need Swift or Kotlin — intensive graphics, unusual hardware, deep platform features. We’ll tell you honestly which side of the line yours falls.

Store submission handled

Developer accounts, certificates, listings, screenshots and the review back-and-forth with Apple and Google — we manage the whole approval process for you.

Push, offline and payments

Push notifications that re-engage users, offline modes that sync when connection returns, and payments through Apple, Google or Stripe — built in from the start.

A real backend included

Apps need APIs, databases and authentication behind them. We build that layer too — Node.js, TypeScript and PostgreSQL on AWS — so one team owns the whole product.

Proven at scale

Our engineers shipped consumer apps used by millions at Reach plc, the UK’s largest news publisher — we know what breaks at volume and build to avoid it.

How it works

From first call to launch

  1. 01

    Scope

    A free call to test whether an app is genuinely the right answer, what it must do at version one, and what can wait. You get a fixed quote and timeline in writing.

  2. 02

    Design & prototype

    Screen designs and a clickable Figma prototype following iOS and Android conventions — so you can put the app in people’s hands before a line of code exists.

  3. 03

    Build & test

    Development in two-week sprints, with beta builds on your own phone via TestFlight and Google Play testing tracks from the early weeks, not the final one.

  4. 04

    Ship & iterate

    We manage store submission and launch, then watch crash reports and analytics — shipping fixes and improvements based on how real users actually behave.

FAQ

Mobile App Development questions, answered

How much does a mobile app cost?

Mobile apps start from £15,000, which typically covers a focused first version on both iOS and Android with the backend behind it. Apps with complex features — payments, real-time functionality, heavy integrations — cost more. Every project gets a fixed written price after a free scoping call, so the number never creeps.

Should I build for iOS, Android or both?

With React Native the honest answer is usually both, because one codebase covers the two stores for little extra cost. UK audiences split roughly half iPhone, half Android, so launching on one store typically means ignoring half your market. If budget is tight we can launch one store first — the same codebase ships to the second later.

What’s the difference between React Native and a fully native app?

React Native compiles to real native interfaces from one shared codebase — for most business apps users can’t tell the difference, and you save roughly half the cost. Fully native (Swift for iOS, Kotlin for Android) earns its premium for intensive graphics, unusual hardware access or deep platform-specific features. We’ll recommend whichever your app actually needs.

Do you handle the App Store and Play Store submission?

Yes, completely. We set up your Apple and Google developer accounts, handle certificates and signing, prepare the listings and screenshots, submit the builds and manage the review process — including responding when Apple asks questions, which they often do. The accounts are registered in your name, so you own your store presence outright.

What happens after the app launches?

Apps aren’t fire-and-forget: Apple and Google update their operating systems yearly, and both stores remove apps that fall too far behind. Most clients take a support plan covering OS compatibility updates, crash monitoring, security patches and a stream of small improvements driven by analytics. It’s optional — you own the code either way.

Get in touch

Let's talk about your project

Tell us what you're trying to achieve. A free 30-minute chat, no obligation — we'll tell you honestly what we'd recommend, what it would cost and what it should pay back.