Custom apps for iPhone and Android, built to ship

We've already built and launched ChangeCheck — a cross-platform app live on the Apple App Store and Google Play, running on AWS. We build yours the same way: one codebase for both phones, hosted on AWS, delivered in weeks — at a fraction of agency prices. Don't have Apple, Google or cloud accounts? We can host and publish it for you.

Every app build includes

One app, both stores

Built once and shipped to both the Apple App Store and Google Play — not two separate apps to design, build, and pay for twice.

A real, secure backend

User accounts, a database and a secure backend on Amazon's cloud (AWS) — the same setup that runs our own live app. Production-grade, not a hobby project.

Own it, or we run it for you

Want full ownership? Keep the app on your own AWS and developer accounts — no lock-in, take it elsewhere any time. Don't have those accounts, or don't want the hassle? We'll host and publish it for you, and hand it over whenever you like.

Built and launched for you

We handle the build, the store listings, and submission to both Apple and Google — you never touch a developer console. No Apple, Google or AWS account set up? You don't need one; we'll sort it or publish it under our managed accounts.

Monitoring from day one

Crash and error monitoring is wired in from the start, so we see problems before your users have to complain about them.

Shipped in weeks, not months

AI-assisted development on proven foundations means a working app fast. We've done it for real — ChangeCheck is live on both stores right now.

The ChangeCheck app, live on the App Store and Google Play, showing its family-friendly venue finder

We didn't just learn this — we shipped it

ChangeCheck is our own app — and it's live on the Apple App Store and Google Play right now. We built the whole thing end to end: the iPhone and Android app, the maps and location search, the user accounts and the secure cloud it all runs on. Yours gets built the same way, by the same hands.

iPhone & Android Maps & location User accounts Live on both stores
  • Live on the App Store & Google Play
  • One build, on both iPhone and Android
  • Built and run end to end by us

What we could build for you

Most of our app projects are "Standard App" class — the same building blocks as ChangeCheck: accounts, maps, photos, push notifications and payments. Here are a few of the shapes that can take. Not sure which is you? That's what a quick call is for.

Booking & appointments

A salon, clinic or class timetable where customers pick a slot, get a reminder and pay a deposit — accounts, calendar, push reminders and Stripe checkout.

A local finder or directory

Exactly what ChangeCheck is — browse places on a map, filter by what matters, and read or add reviews with photos. Great for communities, niches and "where's the nearest…" ideas.

Loyalty & membership

A branded app for a gym, café or club — member sign-in, a digital loyalty card or pass, and push notifications for offers and events.

On-site & jobs app

An app your team uses out in the field: job lists, photo uploads straight from the camera, checklists and location — feeding a dashboard you check back at the office.

Events & what's-on

Listings with a map, save-for-later, push reminders before things kick off, and optional ticket payments through Stripe.

Internal tools & dashboards

A private app or web dashboard for running the business — stock checks, orders, bookings or reporting, built around how you actually work.

Honest, separated pricing

Like our websites, the build is a one-off and everything ongoing is a separate, clearly-labelled line — never bundled. Apps cost more than websites because they're genuinely more work (two app stores, a live backend, yearly OS changes), but you'll always see exactly what you're paying for.

App Launchpad

A real, owned cross-platform app on both stores — the simple-but-proper starting point.

From £2,500
  • A handful of core screens, clean no-nonsense design
  • Sign-in / user accounts
  • Backend API + database on AWS (owned by you)
  • Published to the App Store and Google Play
  • Crash & error monitoring built in
  • + Managed AWS hosting from £20/mo (separate — see options)
  • + App Care from £15/mo (separate line)
Pay 50% Deposit
Quote-only

Advanced App

Payments, light real-time, heavier integrations — scoped and quoted to fit (bespoke above £20k).

From £15,000
  • Everything in Standard App
  • Stripe checkout — card data never touches the app
  • Light real-time features (live status, updates)
  • Several third-party integrations
  • Scaled AWS infrastructure (high-availability, larger DB, caching)
  • Bespoke scoping workshop before any number is fixed
  • + Managed AWS hosting from £60/mo + AWS cost (separate — see options)
  • + App Care from £75/mo (separate line)
Book a Scoping Call

What it costs to keep running

Two things keep an app alive after launch. We price them separately and honestly — because unlike a website, an app genuinely needs both.

Managed app hosting

Two ways to run your app's backend on AWS — and either way you pay the AWS cost, it's just a question of whose account it sits in. Own the cloud account yourself and pay AWS directly plus our management fee, or let us hold and run the account for a slightly higher fee with the AWS billed through at cost on top. Both include daily backups and monitoring, billed monthly and separate from the build.

  • Starter

    Tiny app — one backend + database

    You own the cloud£20/mo We host it£30/mo + AWS
  • Standard

    Growing app (~1k users) + caching

    You own the cloud£35/mo We host it£50/mo + AWS
  • Pro

    Established app (~10k users), high-availability

    You own the cloud£60/mo We host it£80/mo + AWS

You pay the AWS cost in both cases (typically ~£20–£160/mo depending on size) — directly if you own the account, or billed through to you at cost on top of our fee if we host it. Apple (£79/yr) and Google (£20) are billed separately at cost either way.

App Care

Keeps your app published and working as Apple and Google change their rules every year (they will). Real, demonstrable work.

  • Lite £15/mo Yearly OS keep-up, store compliance, security patching, monitoring
  • Standard £39/mo + small monthly bug fixes & tweaks (recommended)
  • Plus £75/mo + feature-tweak allowance, pre-release testing, quarterly review

New features or redesigns beyond the allowance are quoted separately.

Plus the platforms' own fees, billed at cost and never marked up: Apple Developer £79/year · Google Play £20 one-off.

What we take on — and what we don't

We're a focused, one-person studio. That's why apps ship fast and stay affordable — and why we're straight about the things that need a bigger team.

We build

  • Consumer and business apps
  • User accounts & profiles
  • Maps & location features
  • Push notifications
  • Photo & file uploads
  • Stripe checkout (money goes straight to you)
  • Sensible third-party integrations
  • Web apps, internal tools & dashboards

We'll quote carefully — or point you elsewhere

  • Marketplaces that hold or split other people's money
  • Banking, lending, crypto — anything FCA-regulated
  • Health/medical or other regulated data
  • Custom AI / machine-learning features
  • Real-time chat at scale
  • 24/7 guaranteed-response SLAs
  • Two separate native codebases
  • Budgets under ~£2,500 — a web app (£600 + £20/mo) is the better call

Not just mobile apps

Need a web app, an internal tool, a customer dashboard, or a piece of custom business software rather than a phone app? It's the same skill set — we build business applications and custom software on the same AWS foundations, and we're happy to scope those too. If you're weighing an app vs a web app vs a website, we'll tell you straight which one your budget and goals actually call for.

Frequently asked questions

Is an app right for you?

Do I even need an app, or would a website do?

Often a fast website (from £600) or a web app is the smarter, cheaper choice — and we'll tell you straight if it is. An app earns its keep when you genuinely need to be on the home screen, send push notifications, work offline, or lean heavily on the camera and GPS. If that's not you, we won't talk you into a build you don't need.

Do you build business applications and custom software, or only mobile apps?

Both. As well as iPhone and Android apps, we build business applications, internal tools, customer dashboards, and custom software on the same AWS foundations. It's the same skill set — if you're weighing a mobile app vs a web app vs custom software, we'll help you pick the one your budget and goals actually call for.

Pricing & running costs

How does app pricing work?

The build is a one-off fee (from £2,500). Everything ongoing is a separate, clearly-labelled line: managed AWS hosting (from £20/mo if you own the cloud account, or from £30/mo plus AWS at cost if we host it for you) and App Care (from £15/mo), plus the platforms' own fees at cost (Apple £79/year, Google Play £20 one-off). You always pay the AWS cost either way — we never bundle it into a single number or mark it up.

Why does hosting cost more for an app than a website?

If you own the cloud account, app hosting starts at £20/mo — the same as a website — because that's just our management fee, and you pay AWS directly. If we host it for you, it's a slightly higher management fee plus the AWS cost billed through at cost on top. Either way, an app needs an always-on backend — a server and database running 24/7 — that costs real money even with no users, which a brochure website simply doesn't have.

What is App Care for — isn't the app finished once it's built?

Apple and Google change their rules roughly every year (minimum SDK and target-API requirements), and those changes can block or break an app even if you've changed nothing. App Care keeps your app published and working through that — yearly OS keep-up, store-policy compliance, security patching, and monitoring. It's real, demonstrable work, not a paywall on something you already paid for.

Build, ownership & timelines

Do I own the app and the cloud it runs on?

Your choice. If you want full ownership, the code and AWS account are yours and the app is published under your own Apple and Google developer accounts — no lock-in, take it elsewhere whenever you like. Prefer not to deal with any of that? We'll host the app and publish it under our managed accounts and just look after it for you — and still transfer it to you whenever you ask.

What if I don't have an Apple, Google or AWS account — or can't set one up?

That's the most common situation, and it's completely fine — you don't need anything set up beforehand. If you'd like your own accounts, we'll help you create them and publish there so it's fully yours. If you'd rather not touch developer consoles or cloud billing at all, we'll host the app and publish it under our managed accounts and look after the lot — and you can take full ownership and move it to your own accounts whenever you want. Either way you end up with a working app on the App Store and Google Play.

How long does it take?

App Launchpad is typically 2-3 weeks, a Standard app 4-8 weeks, and an Advanced app 6-10+ weeks scoped per project. AI-assisted development on proven foundations is what keeps these timelines weeks rather than the months an agency would quote.

Can you take payments in the app?

Yes — via Stripe checkout, where the money flows straight to you and card details never touch the app. Full marketplaces that hold or split other people's money (escrow, payouts to third parties) are quote-only, and anything FCA-regulated (banking, lending, crypto) we'll point you elsewhere for.

Ready to get started?

Let's discuss your project and find the right solution for your business.