Mobile App Development FAQ

Both, though the pricing and approach are optimized for small businesses, startups, and solo operators. Most clients are businesses with 1–50 employees who want a real native app without the overhead of a large agency — no account managers, no committees, no billing by the hour for status calls. The project tiers scale from $4,500 companion apps up to $35,000 full bundles, which means there's a sensible entry point for most small-business use cases. See pricing tiers →

The entry tier is the Tier 2 Companion App + Mirror Site bundle starting at $4,500 — a native iOS and Android app paired with a simple companion website, up to 4 screens, REST API integration. Standalone Business Utility apps (no website included) start at $6,500. Tier 3 bundles (app + full multi-page website) start at $8,000, and Tier 4 full-parity builds start at $18,000. These are starting points; the final quote is based on exactly what you're building. Use the app cost estimator to get a rough range before reaching out.

A rough description of what the app should do and who it's for is enough. We'll ask follow-up questions during scoping: what the main user actions are, whether you have an existing back-end or website, what platform you're on, and what's driving the timeline. You don't need wireframes, technical specs, or a software background. A paragraph describing what the app should accomplish for your customers is a complete starting point.

Not always. Companion apps work best alongside an existing website — they sync with the same back-end and extend the customer relationship into the App Store. But standalone utility apps (ordering, scheduling, loyalty, client portals) can run independently against their own back-end without a paired website. If you need both a website and an app, building them together is the most efficient approach — shared brand, shared infrastructure, single timeline. Web design is handled through ArdinGate LLC.

Currently we work with US-based businesses only. App Store and Play Store enrollment, payment processing integrations, and the support relationship all work most reliably within the US market.

Companion apps (connected to your existing website), standalone business utility apps (ordering, scheduling, loyalty, workflows), and API-connected apps that pull live data from a back-end. Industry verticals include restaurants, salons & fitness, ecommerce, contractors & home service, and healthcare & wellness. We do not build games, social networks, or consumer marketplace apps.

Tier 2 Companion App + Mirror Site: 4–6 weeks. Standalone Business Utility App: 8–12 weeks. Tier 3 App + Complementary Website: 10–14 weeks. Tier 4 App + Full-Parity Website: 14–20 weeks. Every project starts with a Discovery phase before any timelines are committed — we won't lock in a schedule until we understand exactly what you're building. Apple and Google review times (typically 24–72 hours each) are factored into the launch estimate. See the full development process →

Discovery requires the most client involvement — usually 2–5 hours spread across intake forms, a scoping call, and follow-up clarifications. The Design phase needs your active feedback on wireframes and mockups: plan on 1–3 review rounds, typically 30–60 minutes each. Once development starts, your involvement drops significantly — weekly progress updates to review, and a round of testing before App Store submission. Total client time across a full project is typically 6–15 hours.

Unlimited revisions during the Design phase, before any code is written. We go back and forth on wireframes and mockups until you're fully satisfied and sign off. Once you approve the designs and development begins, scope changes are handled separately to keep the project on schedule.

We handle it. Rejections happen for reasons like missing privacy disclosures, metadata issues, or minor policy flags — they're common and fixable. We respond to all Apple and Google review feedback and resubmit until your app is approved. This is included in every project at no extra charge.

Yes — as long as your existing site has a way to serve data to the app. WordPress sites work through the WordPress REST API. Custom back-ends work through whatever API layer they expose. If your current setup doesn't have an API, building a lightweight one as part of the app project is straightforward. We've connected apps to Shopify, WooCommerce, Square, and custom PHP back-ends. The app's functionality is the same regardless of who originally built the site.

Apps are built with React Native and Expo, which produces native iOS and Android apps from a shared codebase. The result is a real native app — not a wrapped website or a web view in a container — that passes App Store and Play Store review and performs like native code on device.

Building natively in Swift (iOS) and Kotlin (Android) means two completely separate codebases, two development cycles, two sets of bugs to fix, and two version submission processes — roughly double the cost and timeline for the same result. React Native with Expo produces a single codebase that delivers native-quality performance on both platforms by rendering real native UI components — not a web view, not a browser wrapper. The performance difference is negligible for business apps (ordering, booking, loyalty, client portals) and the economics for small-business clients are dramatically better. See how native compares to no-code builders →

Yes, within reason. Apps support iOS 15+ and Android 8+ by default, which covers the vast majority of active devices in the US. If you have a specific customer base that skews toward older hardware, minimum OS requirements can be adjusted during Discovery. Devices below iOS 15 or Android 8 represent less than 5% of active US devices.

Tablet layout support can be added on request. Most small-business apps are phone-first, but if your use case involves iPads or Android tablets — point-of-sale terminals, kiosk mode, staff-facing scheduling tools — tablet optimization is scoped during Discovery and priced as part of the project.

Yes — PWAs are available as a standalone add-on. For most small-business use cases a native app is the stronger choice: PWAs can't appear in the App Store, push notification support on iOS was limited until iOS 16.4, and they don't match native performance for complex interactions. That said, a PWA is a legitimate first step if App Store presence doesn't matter and you want app-like features on the web at a lower upfront cost. PWA details and pricing →

Restaurant apps typically fall in the Companion App tier ($4,500–$6,500) for ordering + loyalty extensions that complement an existing website, or the Business Utility tier ($6,500–$9,000) for standalone apps with full ordering workflows, table management, and kitchen integrations. Tier 3 web + app bundles start at $8,000. Use the app cost estimator for a rough range before reaching out.

For your existing customer base, yes. A custom ordering app captures repeat orders at zero commission versus 15–30% per order on delivery platforms. It won't replace the marketplace discovery function — new customers finding you on DoorDash for the first time — but every repeat order through your own app is a full-margin order.

Yes — the app is published to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store under your business name. Customers download it like any other app. Once installed it works natively: push notifications, saved orders, loyalty balances, and one-tap reorder.

Booking-driven apps typically fall in the Companion App tier ($4,500–$6,500) for simpler booking + loyalty, or the Business Utility tier ($6,500–$9,000) for full scheduling with memberships, class packs, and staff management. The right tier depends on practitioner count, service types, and whether membership billing needs to be built in.

Yes, for the core functionality: booking, memberships, class packs, loyalty, and client records. A custom app doesn't charge per-location monthly fees or transaction percentages, and your clients interact with your brand rather than a marketplace platform. Payback period for most multi-location studios is 12–18 months.

Yes — client-facing self-booking is a core feature. Clients can view availability, book appointments or classes, manage recurring bookings, and handle cancellations within the app. You set the rules: advance booking windows, cancellation policies, waitlist behavior, and buffer times between appointments.

Ecommerce apps typically fall in the Companion App tier ($4,500–$6,500) for catalog + checkout extensions to an existing Shopify or WooCommerce store, or the Business Utility tier ($6,500–$9,000) for standalone apps with full ordering, inventory sync, loyalty, and subscription billing. The right tier depends on SKU count, whether you need offline browsing, and the complexity of your loyalty or subscription logic.

Yes — inventory sync with Shopify, WooCommerce, Square, and custom back-ends is a core feature. Product catalog, pricing, stock levels, and order status stay in sync automatically. You manage your catalog in one place and the app reflects changes in real time. No dual-entry, no separate product management interface.

Shopify's mobile site is fine for first-time buyers. For repeat customers, a native app wins on every metric that matters: 1-tap checkout with stored payment and address, push notifications that open at 5–10× the rate of emails, offline browsing on cached product pages, and a home screen icon that keeps your brand visible between purchases. The ROI case is strongest for brands with a significant repeat-buyer base — subscription boxes, consumables, niche apparel, hobby specialty.

Contractor apps typically fall in the Business Utility tier ($6,500–$9,000) for job scheduling, quoting, client management, and dispatch. Simpler field apps — technician task lists, inspection checklists, digital work orders — may fit the Companion App tier ($4,500–$6,500) if they complement an existing system rather than replacing one. The right scope depends on whether you need customer-facing booking or just internal field tools.

Yes — dual-sided apps with a customer-facing booking interface and a separate field worker dispatch view are a standard pattern for home service businesses. Customers book, the system routes the job to the right technician, the tech gets job details on their phone, and the customer gets status updates and an invoice when the job closes. It replaces phone-tag scheduling and paper work orders in one build.

For the core functionality — scheduling, quoting, invoicing, and client records — yes. A custom app doesn't charge per-technician monthly seat fees or take a percentage of invoices. For very large operations with complex route optimization and deep accounting integrations, an enterprise platform may still make sense. For most independent contractors and small multi-tech operations, the payback period on a custom build is 12–24 months.

Healthcare and wellness apps typically fall in the Business Utility tier ($6,500–$9,000) for appointment booking, intake forms, patient records, and billing. Simpler wellness apps — class booking and membership management for non-clinical businesses — often fit the Companion App tier ($4,500–$6,500). Clinical apps with EHR integration or telehealth video add scope beyond these ranges.

HIPAA compliance is an architecture and infrastructure requirement, not a feature checkbox. Apps that store or transmit Protected Health Information (PHI) must use encrypted storage, secure API transport, audit logging, access controls, and a Business Associate Agreement with every third-party vendor that touches PHI. We build with HIPAA-compliant infrastructure for clinical projects. Non-clinical wellness apps (fitness tracking, class booking, loyalty) typically don't handle PHI and don't require the same architecture. This is scoped explicitly in Discovery.

Yes — digital intake forms are a standard feature. Patients complete health history, consent forms, and intake questionnaires before their first appointment. Responses are stored securely in the patient record and accessible to the provider before the visit. Forms can be triggered as a push notification or email link before the first visit, or completed during account setup.