App development company for UK startups that need iOS and Android apps shipped
Looking to hire app developers in London, Manchester or Edinburgh? We build your iOS and Android app, usually from one React Native codebase, working live through your UK morning. The scope fits what you've raised, and every line of code is yours.
- Idea to MVP
- 4-8 wks
- Code & IP yours
- 100%
- Founder-led
- 1:1
Why hiring app developers in the UK is hard for early-stage founders
The options most UK founders weigh first each have a catch for a first app.
London agency day rates on a pre-seed budget
A London app development agency bills by the day for designers, developers, QA and a project manager. On a SEIS-sized round, that can use up most of the money before the app is in the App Store.
Freelancers who cover one platform
Hiring one iOS freelancer and one Android freelancer means two codebases, two schedules and nobody owning the backend, and you end up as the project manager.
In-house hires before product-market fit
Recruiting a permanent mobile team takes months and commits you to salaries before you know which features users actually want.
What a UK app build includes
The pieces a first app needs to go live in the UK stores and stand up to investor questions.
- A fixed phase-1 estimate sized to your round, agreed before any code
- UX and UI design for the journey your first users and investors will judge
- iOS and Android apps, usually from one React Native codebase
- Backend, admin dashboard, authentication and push notifications
- A written record of what personal data the app collects and where it's processed, ready for UK GDPR questions
- App Store and Google Play listings and submission, set up in your company's accounts
- Full repository access from the first commit, with hand-over documentation
An app development partner that fits a UK working day
Live calls in your morning, a documented data trail, and an NDA before you share the idea.
Builds reviewed before your lunch
India is 5.5 hours ahead of GMT and 4.5 hours ahead of BST, so our working day covers the whole UK morning. You can test the latest build on your phone over breakfast and talk it through with us live before midday.
UK GDPR in the plan, not an afterthought
Apps collect more personal data than founders expect: location, contacts, photos, device IDs. We list what your app collects and where it goes, so your privacy policy and store data-safety forms match the product. This is general information, not legal advice.
NDA before the first working session
We sign your NDA before you walk us through the idea, and the app, code and store accounts belong to your company from the start.
How it works
From first call to live product in 4-8 weeks.
Free 30-min call
Walk us through your idea. You leave with the biggest risks and a realistic estimate. No obligation.
Product blueprint (weeks 1-2)
Scope, tech stack, architecture and a phase-1 roadmap before any code is written.
Build and test (weeks 2-7)
Weekly demos of working software. Security and performance testing before anything goes live.
Launch and grow (week 8+)
Go live, then iterate on real user feedback. Hand off to your own team whenever you are ready.
Our current UK work is covered by NDAs, so we can't name those founders here. The case studies below include anonymised work for a UK client, plus mobile apps we've built for founders in Australia and elsewhere.
Work for founders in the UK and beyond
Real projects, including work for clients under NDA.
AI Recruiting Platform
A Next.js and Python Recruiting Platform With AI Matching, Video Screening Interviews and Outreach for a UK Startup
Read case study
Metaboly
A Clinic Platform and Client App That Keep Exercise Physiology Clients on Track
Read case study
Focus Wearable
A Native iOS Companion App for a Wearable Device That Helps Adults Focus
Read case studyApp development in the UK: common questions
Tell us what you're building
30 minutes with our founder. You'll leave with a clear next step, whether or not we work together.
Prefer to write? Send us a message or email connect@trydevforge.com