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App development people keep opening.

We design and build mobile and web apps for businesses that need more than a website: customer apps, member apps and tools your team uses every day. One codebase where it makes sense, native where it matters.

  • iOS, Android and web from one team
  • React Native and progressive web apps
  • Designed around real user journeys
  • Store submission and updates handled

Tell us about your app

Who's it for and what should it do? We'll come back with an approach and a plan for the first version.

What do you need?
Rough budget (optional)

Global
brand experience.

  • Louis-Dreyfus Foundation
  • Desucla
  • London Museum
  • Black Brick
  • Healthscope
  • Cupello
  • Enness Global
  • ACE Aquatec
  • JTI
  • Netacea

What is app development?

App development is designing and building software people use on their phones, tablets or in a browser: customer apps, booking and loyalty apps, member areas, or tools for staff on the move. It covers the app itself, the back end and APIs that feed it, and publishing to the App Store and Google Play. Many apps now share one codebase across iOS and Android.

Last reviewed 25 October 2026 by the Rubik Digital team.

  • Native apps

    Built specifically for iOS or Android, with full access to the device.

  • Cross-platform

    One React Native codebase shipping to both stores, which keeps costs down.

  • Web apps

    App-like experiences in the browser that install to the home screen, no store needed.

  • Back end

    The APIs, database and admin tools that keep the app's content and data live.

Years in business
15+
Global brands
50+
Industry sectors
13+

Sound familiar?

  • You

    We've got an idea for an app but don't know where to start.

    Rubik Digital

    We start with a short discovery and a clickable prototype, so you can test the idea with real users before paying for a full build.

  • You

    Our customers keep asking for an app.

    Rubik Digital

    We find out what they'd actually use it for, then build the smallest app that does that well, rather than a copy of your website.

  • You

    Our current app is slow, buggy and hard to update.

    Rubik Digital

    We review the code and the store reviews, then fix, rebuild or replatform, whichever gets you a stable app soonest.

  • You

    We can't afford separate iOS and Android teams.

    Rubik Digital

    One cross-platform codebase covers both stores, with native code only where a feature genuinely needs it.

Everything an app needs to ship.

Design, build, back end and launch from one team, so nothing gets lost between suppliers.

Journeys, wireframes and interface design shaped around how people actually use their phones, and tested before development starts.

  • User research and journey mapping
  • Clickable prototypes
  • Interface design and a design system

A product built from zero.

Cupello came to us with an idea and no product. We shaped the strategy, UX, design and platform behind it.

Sports Education Technology · Design · Development

Cupello

Cupello was built from the ground up as a digital platform for football coaches, covering product strategy, UX, design, and platform delivery.

Global subscribers
6,500+
Global subscribers
Organic visits
40K
Organic visits
Club partnerships
100+
Club partnerships
Read the Cupello case study

From prototype to the stores.

Each stage ends with something you can hold, test and react to, so decisions are made on evidence rather than guesswork.

  1. Discover

    Agree who it's for and what it must do.

    Workshops, user interviews and a feature list ranked by value, so the first version stays focused.

  2. Prototype

    Tap through it before it's built.

    A clickable prototype tested with real users, so changes happen while they're still cheap.

  3. Build

    Develop in short sprints.

    Working builds on your own phone every sprint, with the back end and integrations developed alongside.

  4. Launch

    Test, submit and go live.

    Device testing, beta releases and store submission, then analytics to see how people really use it.

  5. Grow

    Update, support and improve.

    Operating system updates, fixes and new features, planned from real usage rather than hunches.

Native, cross-platform or web app?

The right choice depends on your users, your budget and the device features you need. Here's how the three compare.

  • Native

    Built with
    Swift for iOS and Kotlin for Android
    Best for
    Demanding graphics or deep device features
    App stores
    Yes, built separately for each
    Relative cost
    Highest: two apps to build
    Watch out for
    Two apps to maintain
  • Cross-platform

    Built with
    React Native, one shared codebase
    Best for
    Most business and customer apps
    App stores
    Yes, both from one codebase
    Relative cost
    Lower: one codebase for both
    Watch out for
    Some features still need native code
  • Web app

    Built with
    Web technologies such as React
    Best for
    Internal tools, quick launches and tighter budgets
    App stores
    Not needed; installs from the browser
    Relative cost
    Lowest: one codebase for every device
    Watch out for
    Limited access to some device features, especially on iPhone
  • WordPress
  • Strapi
  • Payload
  • Concrete CMS
  • Shopify
  • Laravel
  • React
  • TypeScript
  • PHP
  • HubSpot
  • Stripe
  • Google Analytics
  • Google Search Console
  • Cloudflare
  • DigitalOcean
  • Amazon Web Services
  • Figma

How much does app development cost?

It depends mainly on how many features the first version needs, whether it has to work offline or with device hardware, and how much back end sits behind it. We usually recommend launching a focused first version, then adding features based on how people use it. Ongoing costs include store fees, hosting and updates as iOS and Android change.

Get a fixed proposal

What moves the price

  • Number of features

    Every screen and flow adds design, build and testing time, which is why we keep version one focused.

    Effect on budget: High

  • Back end and integrations

    Accounts, payments and connections to your existing systems are often half the work.

    Effect on budget: High

  • Platforms

    Cross-platform keeps iOS and Android in one codebase; separate native apps cost more.

    Effect on budget: Medium

  • Device features

    Offline mode, Bluetooth, camera or location add complexity and testing.

    Effect on budget: Medium

  • Design detail

    Custom animation and illustration add polish, and a little cost.

    Effect on budget: Low

Why Rubik for apps.

Apps live or die on whether people come back. We design for the second visit, not just the launch.

  • Product thinking first.

    We'll question features that won't earn their place, so the budget goes on what users actually need.

  • Design and build together.

    The people designing your app work alongside the people building it, so nothing gets lost in handover.

  • Back end included.

    We build the APIs, CMS and integrations behind the app too, so you're not managing two suppliers.

  • Here after launch.

    Operating systems update every year. We keep your app current, stable and getting better.

What our clients say

Expert guidance and flawless execution. Our go‑to agency for all things digital.”
Nic CooperStrategy Director

App Development Questions,
answered.

What people usually ask us before a project starts. If yours isn't here, ask it in the form and someone senior will reply.

It depends on the features, the platforms and the back end behind it. A focused first version costs far less than a feature-packed launch, so we usually scope that first and price it as a fixed proposal. We'll also estimate the running costs, such as hosting, store fees and updates.

Start a conversation

Got an app idea worth testing?

Tell us who it's for and what it should do. We'll come back with an honest view of the approach, the first version and what it would take.

Tell us about your project.

A few lines is plenty — no brief required.

What are you planning?