How to Hire Freelance Mobile App Developer?

It would seem that until quite recently, we all used only desktop programs. When did the time for mobile applications come?

In 2008, Apple Inc. launched the App Store, which contained about 500 applications. Since then, the demand for mobile applications has begun to exceed the demand for desktop applications. This applies not only to the US market but also to the global market, particularly China, which produces homegrown applications such as WeChat Pay, Alipay, Taobao, etc. China dominates not only locally but also receives almost half of the revenues of the world market from the existence of applications. 

Among the various types of applications, such as Finance, Entertainment, Health & Fitness, News & Magazines, etc., mobile games are in the greatest demand. The revenue for that type of app grew from 115.9 bln $ in 2017 to 267 bln $. Social networks occupy the second place. 

According to Adjust, for marketers, mobile games account for 50% of all user acquisition ad spend across all verticals. Most of all are spent on the Asia-Pacific region, which accounts for 64% of spending. To put everything in perspective, e-commerce makes up just 16%. Mobile games monetize incredibly well, evolving and innovating with the times, which means they can fund their user acquisition activities.  

Mobile App development is a complex process. That is why if you want to hire mobile app developers, you should spend lots of energy and resources. However, companies like Mobilunity have a great network of certified and qualified developers that are ready to help anytime. They will help you to save money and precious time. 

Make sure to also consider to hire a Kotlin developer, whose proficiency in this modern language can greatly enhance the development of Android applications, ensuring cutting-edge functionality and performance.

The Reasons to Hire an App Developer 

Being a business owner does not mean that you know all the latest news in the IT industry or know how to write code in Python. This is the case when companies with experience assist in outsourcing mobile development services. They know exactly how many people are needed in the team and why they should hire a web app developer. In the process of hiring a freelance mobile app developer, if your project involves a WordPress-based app, you may also need a developer to create or customize plugins tailored to your app’s specific requirements.

If you want to hire a freelance app developer, you have three options:

In-house 

Hiring an in-house employee is a common practice for most companies because, in that case, you can be sure that your worker is fully committed to your company. That includes being a part of the team, engaged in the culture of the company, and being committed to the things company is working on.  

However, you should consider the cost and effort that will be spent on virtual recruiting and hiring process. Do you have the resources to conduct a proper onboarding process for your employee? And are you sure that you need a full-time employee for the long term? If the answer is “no,” try thinking about other options.  

Freelance 

In the post-Covid times, freelance work has become more and more popular among both employers and employees. Firms choose to hire freelance app developers because the hourly rate of mobile app developer will be much lower. 

This option has its pitfalls, such as the quality of work, onboarding process, and engagement in a team. Should this specialist be engaged in a team eventually? 

Outsource  

When outsourcing, communication between the customer and the executor takes place according to the model of the “client — the project manager — a team of specialists.” In such a model, the client company discusses all issues with the manager of the contractor company, and the project manager distributes tasks to his team of specialists and monitors the performance of the work. 

The main plus to onshore android app development company is reduced costs. Paying for services to an outsourcing company is much cheaper than hiring IT specialists. In addition, the provider’s team works on its territory, and therefore, there is a saving in office space. 

Android vs iOS 

Getting started on an app is about developing an idea. The next stage, which we want to tell you about, is the choice of the operating system for the program. The two main options are IOS and Android. When hiring a freelance mobile app developer, it’s essential to consider whether your project requires the expertise of a developer to create or modify plugins for seamless integration with your WordPress-based app.

There are many technical differences between the two operating rooms. However, it is necessary, first of all, for the programmers themselves to know about the intricacies of the operating system. It is important for a businessman to understand what to choose — IOS or Android.  

If you want to save money, it is better to start with the development of applications on Android and hire Android developers. Since the release of the IOS application is complicated by the App Store policy, you will have to pay for the work of programmers for a long time so that they improve the application to the maximum. Launching on Android is simpler and therefore requires smaller investments. 

The only case when it is profitable to start immediately with IOS is applications for the most well-off stratum of the population. For example, if you decide to launch applications for running a business, feel free to start with it and hire iOS developer.  

After choosing the platform and application type, you should find a freelance app developer. We decided to help a little bit with that. 

Native app  

For an ordinary user, there is practically no difference – a native or cross-platform application will be installed on his device. But going deeper into the operation of various applications, you can see that native solutions written for a specific operating system will be more convenient, have an intuitive interface, and will work faster. 

Skills and knowledge iOS developerAndroid developer
Programming languageSwift or Objective-CKotlin or Java
FrameworksCore Data, Core Animation  FrameworkJetpack Compose, Android UI
APIs Cocoa Touch, RESTful, MetalRetrofit, GSON, EventBus
Other skillsFamiliar with C-based libraries, BA in software engineering or computer scienceDegree in software development, computer science, C++, Android Studio

Cross-platform app

Developing applications for Android and iOS, if you create a separate solution for each operating system, increases the time and cost of the project. Given the large number of versions and varieties of operating systems, it is difficult to write separate code for each platform. This became the reason for the appearance of cross-platform applications for mobile devices and the hiring of cross platform mobile apps developers. If native applications are created for a specific operating system, then when writing the code for a cross-platform solution, it is possible to adapt the software to any OS.  

The Best Sites to Hire Part-time Mobile Developers

  • Upwork

Upwork is one of the largest and most popular platforms if you want to hire app developer freelance. The site takes care of both customers and workers. There you can choose from a wide range of app freelance developers.  

Upwork has approximately 16 million registered freelancers and 5 million clients. It all started with web development and design. But in recent years, the demand for specialties not related to IT has increased – marketing and sales, customer support, translation, search and data processing, virtual assistant, and copywriting.

  • Freelancer.com

Freelancer is a platform that connects over 60 million employers around the world and gives them the opportunity to hire freelance app developer. The company is constantly working to improve its services and, year after year, receives new awards. 

After posting a project, you can go to the website and select a perfect candidate for your company. The plus of this service is that you pay only when you are satisfied with the finished job. 

  • Toptal

Founded in 2010, Toptal has earned a worldwide reputation as one of the best freelancing platforms. Toptal (short for “top talent”) works by bringing together highly skilled, experienced freelancers with clients who need their skills. Due to the remote nature of its platform, Toptal is a truly global company with English-speaking freelancers available for hire worldwide.

Toptal carefully vets all of its freelance mobile app developers and other specialists before allowing them to advertise their services on its platform. This screening process can take several weeks and includes an in-depth skills review, personality, and compatibility checks, a live interview, and a skills test. 

  • Fiverr

The marketplace has more than 2.5 million users from 160 countries around the world; the growth rate is 43% per year. Israeli creators have achieved such impressive results since 2010 thanks to three principles: service as a product, the job finds the freelancer, and any services without restrictions.

  • Mobilunity

Mobilunity is a Ukrainian nearshoring company that provides dedicated development teams for businesses all around the world. The company has extensive experience in the market, fixed recruitment and onboarding process, and a huge network of great IT specialists in various countries. 

In-house vs Outstaffing vs Freelancers mobile developers  

Here we present you three models of hiring an app developer freelance. Each of them is beneficial in its own way. Depending on your budget and resources, you can find the perfect one for yourself. 

ProsCons
In-houseEmployee is fully committed to your company. Bigger involvement in the company’s life and culture Company spends more money on the onboarding process, working place, and tools You can only hire a full-time worker
OutstaffingYou can find specialists around the world. Recruiting and hiring process is fully covered by outstaffing company Wider view on the problems and issuesHigher service prices than working with a mobile app developer freelanceManagement role is not always fully covered
FreelancersLower cost of work No need to pay for training, onboardings and equipmentThe web app developer freelance is not fully involved in company’s life.More complex working and feedback process

Why Outsourcing to Ukraine Is the Perfect Choice 

Ukraine has a promising IT industry and IT specialists. As a developing country, one of the main focuses of the Ukrainian government is the technology sector.

Now in Ukrainian IT, the focus on digitization in the banking system is at a relatively high level due to high competition in this segment. As a result of Covid and the war, the companies also focus on IT security. This area has always been relevant, but the coronavirus and war have only “highlighted” its importance.  

  • A large number of IT specialists

The number of IT specialists in Ukraine is more than 250,000. 

  • Quality service

Ukrainian developers have strong technical backgrounds as well as developed soft skills. Lots of them work for foreign companies or outsourced companies, which is why they have proficient English skills.  

  • Fully committed staff

If you decide to hire freelance mobile app developer, you can always be sure of their full commitment to the company’s goal. They always give valuable advice according to their experience. 

  • Convenient time-zone

Ukrainian IT specialists are located in a 2-3 hour difference from any European country and 6-7 from the US East Coast. 

  • Great price-quality ratio

Ukrainian developers are more affordable than the specialists from Western companies. But a lower price doesn’t mean lower quality in that case. 

Hourly Rate of Freelance Mobile Developers 

Hiring mobile app developer part-time or freelance can cost a lot of money. And if you are not sure what you should do, take a look at the hourly rate for a mobile app developer and decide which will be more affordable for your company. 

iOS developer

If you want to hire part-time iOS developer, we have prepared for you the list of countries and average salaries. For example, the average hourly rate for an iOS developer in the UK is 32,33 pounds, and in Germany, it is 24,57 euros.  

On the other hand, in Ukraine, it will be from 35 dollars for the same services. 

Android developers 

Android specialization is very popular now. For the last 4-5 years, it has confidently held this indicator because almost every product has its own mobile application. A freelance android app developer in the Netherlands charges 14.62 euros, for the US, it is 15-35 dollars. 

However, in Ukraine, android app developer freelance will make 35 dollars per hour. 

Hybrid developer  

Hybrid developers work on the application for both platforms, and the average hourly mobile app developer rate in Germany is 26 euros. In the Netherlands, it will be 15 euros. 

The most common mobile app developer rate per hour in Ukraine is 30 dollars.

*Ukrainian salaries are provided based on Mobilunity’s Recruitment Team research on the local job markets. All salaries are net and do not include the service fee (in case of hiring on a dedicated team model). The salaries are provided for comparison purposes and could be not entirely accurate. Contact us to know the exact cost of hiring a developer corresponding to the required parameters.

How to Find Top App Developers for a Project?

The hiring process, in general, is not the easiest, especially if you hire a technical specialist. We gathered a few common questions that people ask when they want to hire a freelance app developer. 

Are there any platforms to find a freelance app developer?

As we mentioned before, there are lots of platforms for freelancers, such as Upwork, Freelancer.com, Toptal, Fiverr, and Mobilunity. Among other top platforms are 

  • Guru 
  • Jooble
  • SimplyHired
  • Contently
  • Revelo   

How does the hiring process look like? 

  1. Define the project’s main goals, scope, and timeline. Before hiring a part-time mobile app developer, you should know the core details about the project and the skills you need to make this project successful. 
  2. Consult the specialists with the hiring company to find the most qualified experts. 
  3. Pay attention to the skills. 
  4. Talk about project details with future candidates and see if your vision match. 

What skills should the app developer have? 

Freelance iPhone Android app developer should have significant programming experience: JavaScript, C++, and C#, as well as back-end computing experience. Developers usually work with frameworks, database management systems, security, and hardware interaction. UI design skills are also will be handy for building functional and comfortable in-use applications. 

Last but not least is cybersecurity. In a time of massive cyber attacks, cyber security should be one of the main priorities, especially if you deal with financial or health industries.

Mobilunity is the Best Solution for Hiring Freelance Mobile App Developers 

Mobilunity is a trustworthy Ukrainian outstaffing company with more than 12 years of experience in the industry. The company offers flexible consultancy services, fair pricing, and full access to a wide pool of experts.

Mobilunity respects partnerships and helps companies solve their problems. Among our main clients are Buttonorder, Byrd, Opportunity Network, Qrates, Minedia, Chip in, etc. We are open to giving direct references if you write to us.   

With us, you will get the possibility of hiring a freelance iPhone app developer or a freelance Android developer and paying flexibly according to the hours worked. In such a way, you receive flexibility from freelancers, but at the same time, guarantees from our side. Don’t overlook the unique benefits of choosing to find Titanium developers, who can leverage this powerful framework to create cross-platform mobile applications efficiently, reducing development time and cost.

By using our services, you will find talented iPhone app freelance developers or Android app developers in no timely matter; you will have the opportunity to save budget money and will become more competitive in the market. 

Are you tired of constantly looking for a mobile app developer? Get professional assistance right now!

All salaries and prices mentioned within the article are approximate NET numbers based on the research done by our in-house Recruitment Team. Please use these numbers as a guide for comparison purposes only and feel free to use the contact form to inquire on the specific cost of the talent according to your vacancy requirements and chosen model of engagement.

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