Mobile App Development for US Startups
US founders searching for a mobile app development company usually need one senior developer who has shipped before, not a agency retainer with a sales team inside it. I build iOS and Android apps in React Native, publish my USD ranges openly, and overlap with your morning on either coast.
Written by Umer Aftab · Updated 11 August 2026
USD Pricing, Published
These are the same bands quoted everywhere on this site — no US surcharge, because the work is identical. A US agency typically quotes three to five times this for the same scope.
| App type | USD range | Timeline | Example scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Validation MVP | $5,000 – $12,000 | 6–10 weeks | 3–5 core screens, auth, one payment or booking flow |
| Standard business app | $12,000 – $25,000 | 10–16 weeks | Booking or services app with notifications and a back office |
| Feature-heavy product | $25,000 – $60,000 | 4–6 months | Marketplace or telemedicine class: two roles, real-time, payments |
| Two separate native builds | ≈2× any row above | Nearly double | Two codebases, two teams, every feature twice |
Prefer monthly to a lump sum? App Development as a Service spreads the same work across a subscription. Apple's annual developer fee and Google's one-time registration are billed by them directly to your accounts.
What the US Market Data Shows
I analysed 1,506 mobile app keywords across 21 countries. The US has the largest pool of genuinely reachable commercial keywords anywhere — 24,350 monthly searches at a difficulty score of 20 or below — and one of them, “react native agency”, carries a $40 cost-per-click at difficulty zero. Agencies are buying US React Native leads at those prices rather than earning them.
Read the full study, methodology includedYour Morning, Every Morning
I work from Pakistan on UTC+5. My evening is the US East Coast morning and my late evening is the West Coast morning — so the day starts for you with answers already waiting, and there is a live window every single working day for calls. What you lose is the ability to message me at 4pm Pacific and get a reply that minute. What you gain is roughly half an agency invoice.
What You Get
- iOS and Android from one React Native codebase
- Both store submissions, under your own developer accounts
- The backend: auth, data, push notifications, payments
- Store listings built from real keyword research (I run an ASO tool)
- An honest answer when React Native is the wrong tool
Apps I Shipped
Telemed — telemedicine platform
Doctor and patient roles, appointments and consultations on mobile.
Zurex — car services app
Booking oil changes, batteries, tyres and vehicle services from a phone.
Privacy-focused AI writing app
An AI writing tool built so drafts stay on the device by default.
E-Foot — competitive gaming
Players challenge opponents, track rankings and join matches.
Questions United States Founders Ask
How much does app development cost in the US?
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Working directly with me: $5,000–$12,000 for a focused MVP over 6–10 weeks, $12,000–$25,000 for a standard business app, and $25,000–$60,000 for a feature-heavy product. A US agency typically quotes three to five times this for the same scope — the difference pays for their offices and account managers, not more engineering.
Is working with an offshore developer risky?
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The real risks are specific and manageable: unclear scope, no code access, and no continuity. So the repository is yours from day one, apps publish under your own Apple and Google accounts, and scope and milestones are agreed in writing before any payment. If the arrangement stops working, you keep everything built.
What are the working hours like across US time zones?
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My evening is the US East Coast morning and my late evening is the West Coast morning, so there is a live overlap window every working day and your morning starts with progress already made. Async between those windows, which for app work is usually the productive part anyway.
Do you build for both iOS and Android?
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Yes, from one React Native codebase sharing 85–90% of the code. That matters in the US where the market splits meaningfully between platforms — shipping one leaves half your users out, and building two natively roughly doubles the bill.
Who owns the code and the App Store listings?
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You do. The repository is yours and apps publish under your own developer accounts — Apple's $99/year and Google's one-time $25 billed by them directly to you. Switching developers later costs you a handover, nothing more.
Can you sign an NDA and work under a US contract?
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Yes to an NDA before any detail is shared. Contracts are milestone-based with scope agreed in writing up front, which protects both sides better than a long document nobody reads — the thing that actually prevents disputes is a scope both people understood the same way.
Tell Me About Your App
Send what it needs to do and who opens it. You will get back a realistic USD scope, a timeline, and an honest opinion — including "don't build this yet" when that is the truth.