Discovery and app scope
Who uses it, where, on which devices and what it must connect to. We agree the smallest first version worth building before any design starts.
iPhone, iPad and Android apps · UK
Apps your team will actually use.
Native apps for the counter, the shop floor and the van. We have built them for a fabricator, a charity shop, an upholstery workshop and our own products, connected to the systems you already run.
From £7,500 excluding VATStaff app · See what is included
The starting point
What is getting
in the way?
Start with the thing that costs you time, enquiries or confidence. We shape the work around it.
The work happens away from a desk
Fabricators at the bench, volunteers at the counter, engineers on site. A clipboard or a shared spreadsheet on a phone means notes get lost and the office types everything twice.
Off-the-shelf apps nearly fit
Generic job and till apps make you work their way, charge per user and keep your data in their system. When the workflow is yours, a focused app can be cheaper over a few years.
The signal drops where the job is
Workshops, basements and rural sites lose signal. The app has to save the work on the device and send it when the connection comes back, without losing a photo or a signature.
Publishing feels like a black box
Developer accounts, D-U-N-S numbers, App Store review, private distribution and Play Store testing rules. We handle it with you, in your company name, so you own the listing.
The work in context · Illustrative scenes
Test it where the job happens.
Put an early build on the real devices, at the counter, on the shop floor or in the van, then fix what gets in the way before launch.
Bring the system to the shop floor.
A fabricator can see assigned work on an iPad by the bench, with every change still recorded by the office system.
What we do
Services & deliverables.
From a one-off project to ongoing support. We agree which services you need, what we will deliver and the cost before work starts.
Native iPhone and iPad apps
Swift and SwiftUI, built for the device: large buttons for gloves, split views on iPad, camera, LiDAR, maps and location where the job needs them.
Android apps
Native Kotlin and Jetpack Compose for Android phones and tablets, or one cross-platform codebase when that is the better trade-off.
Offline working and sync
Work saved on the device and synced when the signal returns, with clear status so staff know what has been sent.
Connections to your systems
Sign-in, job data, stock, members or orders from your existing system or a new one we build, through a secure API.
Staff apps without the App Store
Private distribution through TestFlight, Apple Business Manager custom apps or an unlisted App Store link, so only your team can install it.
App Store and Google Play release
Store listings, screenshots, privacy details and review submission under your own developer accounts.
App care after launch
Updates for each new iOS and Android release, fixes, monitoring and new features as the business changes.
How it happens
From a conversation
to working properly.
- 01
Fit check
We decide whether you need a native app, a mobile web app or a change to the software you already have.
- 02
Scope and click-through design
We map the screens around the real job and put a clickable design in front of the people who will use it.
- 03
Build and test on real devices
Working builds go to your team through TestFlight or a test track every week or two, so problems show up early.
- 04
Release and care
We publish privately or to the stores in your name, train your team and keep the app working through each new iOS and Android release.
Cost and commitment
Invest in the work.
See what it delivers.
A focused staff app on one device type starts from £7,500. A public App Store app with accounts and a backend starts from £15,000. iPhone, iPad and Android with offline working and several integrations starts from £25,000. App care starts from £175 a month. All prices exclude VAT. Apple and Google developer accounts are paid directly by you.
Your quote sets out the scope, timescale and support. We share progress early and check the work before launch.
All prices exclude VAT. Final scope and price agreed in writing.
Staff app
From £7,500excluding VAT
- One job, one device type, such as an iPad till or a shop floor tablet
- Native SwiftUI, tested on your own devices
- Private install for your team only, no public listing
- Typically four to six weeks
App Store launch
From £15,000excluding VAT
- Public iPhone app, or iPhone and Android from one codebase
- Customer accounts, a backend and a simple admin screen
- Push notifications and one integration, such as payments
- Store listings and review handled in your name
Field and multi-device
From £25,000excluding VAT
- Native iPhone, iPad and Android apps
- Offline working, photos, signatures, maps and location
- Several connections to your existing systems
- Typically three to five months
Fixed price for the agreed first version. App care from £175 a month covers new iOS and Android releases, fixes and small changes. Registered charities get our 20% charity rate.
Check whether you need an app at all.
Tell us who would use it, where and on which devices. If a mobile-friendly web app would do the job for less, we will say so. If it needs the camera, offline working, a till or a device on the shop floor, we will scope the smallest app that earns its keep.
Before you decide
Good questions.
Straight answers.
How much does it cost to build an app in the UK?
When we checked UK agency pricing in October 2026, simple business apps were commonly quoted at £10,000 to £25,000 and first public apps at £20,000 to £40,000, with larger apps well above that. Our staff apps start from £7,500, public App Store apps from £15,000 and multi-device field apps from £25,000, all exclusive of VAT and fixed for the agreed first version.
What apps have you built?
A custom iPad membership and till app for The Bridge at Leigh food bank. DryRide, our iPhone app that compares fastest and driest motorcycle routes using Apple MapKit and WeatherKit. A site visit app for Valley Upholstery that uses the iPhone camera and LiDAR, now in testing. A native iPad shopfloor app for Kingsland Fabrications, connected to the production system we built them. And the iPhone, iPad and Android engineer apps for our own DoorOps product.
Native or cross-platform?
For iPhone and iPad we usually build native in Swift, because it gives the best camera, maps, offline and accessibility support and costs about the same for one platform. When you need iPhone and Android on a tighter budget, one cross-platform codebase can make sense. We have built both and will recommend one based on the devices your users actually have.
Can we have an app just for our staff, not on the App Store?
Yes. Apple supports private distribution through Apple Business Manager custom apps and unlisted App Store apps, and TestFlight for testing. Android apps can be shared through a closed Google Play track or managed devices. Only your team can install them, and nothing appears in public search.
What do Apple and Google charge?
When we checked in October 2026, the Apple Developer Program was $99 a year, charged in local currency, and Google Play charged a one-off $25 registration fee. A company account with Apple needs a free D-U-N-S number, which can take a week or two to arrive. Apple waives the fee for eligible non-profits. These accounts are opened in your name and paid directly by you.
How long does an app take?
A focused staff app usually takes four to six weeks. A public App Store app takes around two to three months, plus Apple and Google review time. Multi-device field apps with offline working take three to five months. You see working builds on your own devices throughout.
Do we own the app?
The store listings and developer accounts are in your company name. Ownership of the code and handover are set out in the project agreement, with any third-party services and their running costs listed separately, so you know exactly what you receive.
What happens after launch?
Apple and Google release new operating system versions every year and sometimes change their rules. App care from £175 a month keeps the app building, tested and compliant, with time for fixes and small changes. Larger features are quoted separately.
Do we need an app, or would a website do?
Often a mobile-friendly web app is enough, and it costs less to run. A native app earns its place when it needs the camera, LiDAR, offline working, a till, push notifications or a device that stays on the shop floor all day. We will tell you which before you spend anything.
From the blog
Plan your next step.
Practical guides to help you ask the right questions and get more from the work.
Keep exploring
Find the right fit.
Real apps for real jobs, for clients and for our own products.
The Bridge at LeighiPad membership and till↗︎DryRideiPhone route planning with weather↗︎Valley UpholsteryiPhone site visits with LiDAR↗︎Kingsland FabricationsiPad shopfloor app and MES↗︎DoorOpsOur product, engineer apps↗︎Custom softwareThe system behind the app↗︎What an app costs in 2026UK prices, fees and running costs↗︎Custom Software & AI↗︎Portals & Integrations↗︎Website Care & Hosting↗︎
What could work
better for you?
A new website. More customers. Less admin.
Tell us where you want to get to. We will reply within one working day.