Quick Answer
To hire a mobile app developer: first decide between native (Swift for iOS, Kotlin for Android) and cross-platform (React Native or Flutter) development, then vet candidates on shipped App Store or Play Store products rather than prototypes. A managed subscription assigns a mobile-capable developer the next business day with zero recruitment overhead.
In this guide
Hiring a mobile app developer is different from hiring a web developer. The platform constraints are tighter, the release process is slower, and the decision between native and cross-platform development has significant long-term consequences. Getting this hire wrong costs months of rework.
This guide covers everything you need to hire a mobile developer with confidence.
Native vs Cross-Platform: The Decision That Shapes Everything
Before you write a job description, you need to decide which development approach your project requires. This determines the skill set you are hiring for.
Native development
- iOS: Built with Swift (or older Objective-C). Deployed through Xcode. Best performance, full access to all iOS APIs and device features.
- Android: Built with Kotlin (or older Java). Deployed through Android Studio. Full access to Android platform features and customisation.
Native is the right choice when: your app relies heavily on device-specific features (camera, ARKit, Bluetooth, NFC), when performance is critical (real-time processing, complex animations), or when you are building specifically for one platform.
Cross-platform development
- React Native: Built with JavaScript/TypeScript using React patterns. Shares code across iOS and Android. Large community, strong ecosystem. Used by major apps including Meta products and Shopify.
- Flutter: Built with Dart. Developed by Google. Compiles to native ARM code. High-performance rendering with a unified UI layer across platforms.
Cross-platform is the right choice when: you need to ship on both iOS and Android with a single codebase, when budget is a constraint, when speed to market matters more than platform-specific optimisation, or for MVP development.
| Factor | Native (iOS/Android) | React Native | Flutter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | Best | Very good | Very good |
| Code sharing | None | ~70–80% shared | ~90%+ shared |
| Platform access | Full | Most features (some native bridges needed) | Most features |
| Talent pool | Large (separate pools per platform) | Large | Growing |
| Best for | Complex, platform-specific apps | MVP and cross-platform products | Performance-critical cross-platform apps |
Mobile Developer Skills to Look For
For React Native developers
- Strong JavaScript and TypeScript fundamentals.
- Understanding of React patterns: hooks, component architecture, state management.
- Experience with the React Native CLI and Expo.
- Knowledge of native module bridging for features not covered by the core library.
- App Store and Google Play submission experience.
- Performance optimisation: FlatList usage, memory management, animation handling with Reanimated.
For Flutter developers
- Proficient in Dart.
- Understanding of Flutter’s widget tree and state management (Provider, Riverpod, BLoC).
- Experience with platform channels for native integrations.
- App deployment to both App Store and Play Store.
For native iOS developers
- Swift proficiency, UIKit and SwiftUI experience.
- Understanding of Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines.
- App Store submission, code signing, and TestFlight experience.
For native Android developers
- Kotlin proficiency, Jetpack Compose or XML layouts.
- Understanding of Android architecture patterns (MVVM, Clean Architecture).
- Play Store submission and Google Play policies experience.
How to Vet a Mobile App Developer
Test their shipped products first
Download and use the apps they claim to have built. This is the most valuable signal available. Does the app feel native? Do transitions and animations feel smooth? Does it handle error states gracefully? Does it work across different screen sizes? A developer who builds apps that feel rough or crash in normal use is not production-ready.
Look for App Store or Play Store listings
Ask for the direct App Store or Google Play links to their work. Published apps have passed Apple and Google review processes, which validates that the developer understands platform guidelines and submission requirements.
Assess their understanding of mobile-specific constraints
Ask: “How do you handle offline states in a mobile app?” and “How do you manage battery and memory usage in a data-heavy application?” Strong mobile developers think about constraints that do not exist in web development. Weak ones apply web development patterns directly to mobile and wonder why the app feels slow.
Give a practical scoping task
Share your product concept or spec and ask them to outline the technical approach: what platform/framework they would choose and why, what the core technical challenges are, and how long a reasonable MVP would take. Evaluate the quality of their thinking, not just the final number.
Cost and Timeline Reality
Mobile development is more complex and time-consuming than equivalent web development. Factor this into your planning:
- App Store review: Apple’s review process typically takes 1 to 3 days per submission. Plan this into your release timeline. Rejections are common and add days or weeks to launch.
- Device testing: A mobile app must be tested across many screen sizes, OS versions, and hardware configurations. Budget time for this before every release.
- Backend dependency: Most mobile apps need a backend API. If you do not have one, your mobile developer will be blocked until it exists. A fullstack developer or separate backend resource is often needed in parallel.
Where to Find Mobile App Developers
Freelance marketplaces
Upwork and Toptal have pools of mobile developers. On Upwork, filter by specific platform (React Native, Flutter, iOS, Android) and require App Store/Play Store link samples with every application. Toptal provides pre-vetted mobile talent at premium rates.
Specialist job boards
We Work Remotely, Remote OK, and Stack Overflow Jobs (for tech-specific roles) attract experienced mobile developers seeking remote work.
Managed developer subscriptions
Hokantan assigns mobile-capable developers (iOS, Android, React Native) to your product the next business day. Your Project Coordinator handles communication and daily updates. No vetting process on your side. See our guide on where to hire developers for a full channel comparison.
Red Flags to Watch For
- Portfolio is only screenshots, not live app links. Screenshots prove nothing. A developer who cannot give you a working app to download has not shipped production software.
- No knowledge of App Store submission. Building an app and getting it live in the App Store are different skills. A developer who has never submitted to the App Store will encounter significant delays and surprises.
- Recommends the wrong platform for your needs. A developer who pushes React Native on a project that clearly requires deep native platform features (or vice versa) is either inexperienced or optimising for their own preference.
- Does not ask about the backend. Almost all mobile apps need a backend. A mobile developer who does not ask about your API or data layer early in the conversation has not thought about the full system.
FAQ
Should I build a native app or a cross-platform app?
For most startups and SMEs, cross-platform (React Native or Flutter) is the right starting point. It reduces development cost, lets a single developer cover both platforms, and ships faster. Native development makes sense when your app requires deep platform-specific features, peak performance, or complex platform integrations that cross-platform frameworks cannot handle.
How long does it take to build a mobile app?
A simple MVP with core features typically takes 6 to 12 weeks of active development. More complex apps take longer. App Store review adds 1 to 3 days per submission cycle on top of development time. These timelines assume a clear specification, a functional backend API, and a focused developer working full-time on the project.
Can one developer build both iOS and Android?
Yes, if they use a cross-platform framework like React Native or Flutter. A React Native or Flutter developer writes a single codebase that deploys to both platforms. A native iOS developer and a native Android developer are different skill sets and typically cannot cover both.
Do I need a separate backend developer for my mobile app?
Usually yes, unless your mobile developer is a fullstack developer who can also build the API. Most mobile apps require a backend: user authentication, data storage, push notifications, and third-party integrations all live on the server side. Plan this into your hiring strategy from the start.
How do I hire a mobile app developer without technical knowledge?
Download and test their published apps. Ask for App Store or Play Store links. Use a managed service where vetting is done for you. Read our full guide: how to hire a developer without technical knowledge.