Want to build an app? Start with the smallest version that works
The most common way an app project fails is not bad code. It is building too much before anyone uses it.
I build iOS and Android apps from one codebase, in React Native or Flutter, with the backend behind them, and release in pieces so you see working screens early. Plans start at $3,000.
From an idea to the app stores
One developer from the first sketch to the store listing, so nothing gets lost between a design team, an app team and a server team.
- 01
Send a brief
What you are building, what already exists, and when you need it working. You get a fixed quote back before any work starts.
- 02
Find the one job
We cut the idea down to the one thing the app must do well, the core flow, and leave the rest for later.
- 03
Working screens early
You get something you can open and try early on, while changes still cost hours instead of weeks.
- 04
Release on both stores
iOS and Android from one codebase, with help publishing to the App Store and Google Play.
- 05
Grow it
Accounts, offline sync, payments or AI features come next, when real use shows they are worth building.
What an app costs
iOS and Android apps from one codebase, in React Native or Flutter. Starting prices in US dollars; you get a fixed quote after a short brief.
MVP
Starting at
$3,000
Testing an idea with real users on both app stores.
- Up to 6 screens around one core flow
- iOS and Android from one codebase
- A simple backend, or a connection to your existing API
- Help publishing to the App Store and Google Play
- 2 weeks of fixes after launch
- Recommended
Flexible
Starting at
$6,000
A first full release with accounts and a backend of its own.
- Up to 15 screens
- Sign-in and user accounts
- Node.js API and database built for the app
- Admin screens to manage users and content
- Everything in MVP
- 30 days of fixes after launch
Advanced
Starting at
$10,000
Apps that work offline, take payments or use AI.
- Offline-first data that syncs when the signal returns
- Payments or subscriptions
- AI features such as receipt reading, chat or voice
- Analytics and a full admin dashboard
- Everything in Flexible
- 60 days of fixes after launch
Apps I have built
ProAI Training
Rehearse the conversations you cannot redo: a spoken roleplay against an AI character who argues back, then a scored report on how you handled it.
Clearday
An AI life organizer: tasks, calendar, habits, trackers and goals on one surface, with a brief each morning, a recap each night and suggestions you approve before they land.
SplitMate
A free travel app for groups: live expense splitting in 150+ currencies, AI receipt capture and a Face ID document vault, all working offline.
FeedSeek
Surplus food shared before it hits the bin: neighbours list what they have with a pickup window, and it gets reserved and collected with a code.
Guides for building an app
- How much does it cost to build an app? What actually drives the priceWhy app quotes vary so widely, which features drive the price, the running costs people forget, and how to spend less without cutting what matters.
- React Native vs Flutter: how to choose for your appReact Native or Flutter? A developer who has shipped apps in both compares language, UI, performance, hiring and upkeep, and says when to pick each.
- MVP development: how to launch the smallest useful version of your appHow to decide what goes into your MVP, what to leave out, and how to release in pieces so you see working screens early, with examples from real apps.
- How to hire a freelance app developer (and what to ask first)What to check before you hire a freelance app developer: shipped work, how they scope, how they communicate, who owns the code, and the questions to ask.
App questions
How much does it cost to build an app?
Mobile app plans start at $3,000 for an MVP, $6,000 for a first full release with accounts and a backend, and $10,000 for apps that work offline, take payments or use AI. Every project gets a fixed quote after a short brief.
Can you build for both iPhone and Android?
Yes. iOS and Android come from one codebase, in React Native or Flutter, so you are not paying for two separate apps.
React Native or Flutter: which should I pick?
Both build iOS and Android apps from one codebase, and I have shipped apps in both. The React Native vs Flutter guide on the blog compares them and says when each fits.
Does my app need a backend?
Most apps with accounts or shared data do. The MVP plan includes a simple backend or a connection to an API you already have; the Flexible plan includes a Node.js API and database built for the app.
Will you help publish the app?
Yes. Help publishing to the App Store and Google Play is part of every mobile app plan.
Can I start small and add features later?
Yes. The MVP is built to be extended, and you pay for the new scope when you need it.
Who owns the app?
You do. The code and the accounts are in your name, and you get handover notes so another developer can carry on.
Have an app idea?
Send a short brief: what the app should do, what already exists, and when you need it working. You get a fixed quote back.
Building a website instead? See website plans, or how hiring me works.