Studio, agency or freelancer: who should build your iOS app?

Choosing who builds your app is the biggest decision you will make before writing a line of code. Here is how the three common options compare, from the people on the studio side of the table.

#Freelancer

A single developer, often excellent at one part of the job.

• Best for: small, well-defined apps, or adding a feature to an existing codebase
• Strengths: lowest cost, direct communication, flexible
• Risks: one person covers design, backend, App Store and support. Holidays, illness or a better offer can stop your project.

#Agency

A larger company with account managers, designers, developers and QA.

• Best for: big budgets, large organisations, many stakeholders
• Strengths: capacity, process, many specialists
• Risks: higher prices, layers between you and the people building, and senior people who sell the project but do not always work on it

#Small studio

A small senior team that designs, builds and ships, often with its own products in the App Store.

• Best for: startups and businesses that want a polished first version without agency overhead
• Strengths: you talk to the people writing the code, one team covers design to launch, and their own apps prove they can ship
• Risks: limited capacity, so good studios take on a few projects at a time

That is the model we chose for GuderTech: a small team that ships its own apps, like Scevia and Paw & Home, and builds for clients with the same care.

#Questions to ask anyone you consider

1. Can I see apps you shipped, in the App Store, right now? Live apps beat portfolios of mock-ups.
2. Who will actually build my app? Meet them.
3. Is the price fixed for a defined scope? Hourly billing with an open scope is how budgets double.
4. How often will I see progress? Weekly TestFlight builds are a good standard.
5. Who owns the code and the App Store account? It should be you.
6. What happens after launch? Ask about support periods and maintenance.
7. Native or cross-platform, and why? A good team explains the trade-offs for your product. Our view is in Swift vs Flutter vs React Native.

#Red flags

• A quote without questions about your users or goals
• No live apps you can download
• Reluctance to put scope, price and timeline in writing
• Code or accounts kept in their name with no transfer plan
• "We can do everything" with no point of view

#Budget and timeline

Freelancers usually cost the least per hour, agencies the most. What matters is total cost for a finished, launched app, including the review process and the first fixes. Our cost guide and timeline guide give realistic ranges.