Why the decision matters
Mobile apps are where people spend their time: Sensor Tower's State of Mobile 2025 reported 4.2 trillion hours spent in apps worldwide in 2024, and $150 billion in consumer spending. But apps are also expensive to build and maintain, so the partner you choose shapes both the product and your long-term costs.
Define the first version before you shop
Write down the problem the app solves, who it's for, and the smallest set of features that delivers that value. This minimum viable product (MVP) lets developers quote accurately and keeps your first release focused. Decide early whether you need iPhone, Android, or both.
What to evaluate in a development partner
Look past the sales pitch to these essentials:
- Live apps in the App Store or Google Play that you can download and try
- Experience with apps similar in complexity to yours
- A clear process — short development cycles with regular demos
- Design capability, not just coding
- How they handle security and data protection
- Who will actually work on your project
- Post-launch support for bugs and new operating-system versions
Protect your ownership
Before signing, confirm in writing that you own the source code, designs, and intellectual property; that code lives in a repository you control; and that you hold the App Store and Google Play developer accounts. This protects you if you ever change partners.
If a company won't put code ownership in the contract, keep looking.
Understand pricing models
Fixed-price quotes work for well-defined MVPs. Time-and-materials pricing suits evolving products where requirements will change. For reference, Cardinal's MVP apps start at $5,000+ and full-featured apps at $10,000+, with typical timelines of 6–8 weeks for an MVP, 12–16 weeks for a full-featured app, and 16–24 weeks for enterprise apps. Enterprise apps are quoted after scoping.
Questions to ask before you sign
Use these to compare finalists:
- Should we build native or cross-platform, and why?
- What's included in the quote — design, backend, testing, app store submission?
- How often will we see working builds?
- What happens after launch, and what does ongoing support cost?
- Who owns the code and accounts?
Planning an app? Book a free consultation and we'll help you scope an MVP with a clear timeline and price.