How to find an app developer? How to hire app developers in general? These are questions people with the perfect idea for the next big mobile app have, and if you’re one of them, you’ll want to hire a top-notch app developer who can bring your project and vision to life. Programming work requires time, talent, and ample funding since it can take weeks, if not months to develop your app. 

While there’s no shortage of app developers you can hire all over the globe (an estimated 23 million, in fact), what’s the best way to find them and what kind of prices can you expect?

In this article, we’re going to run through everything you need to know about hiring an app developer and where you can find them to ensure a smooth onboarding experience with your app development team.

How to Find an App Developer – Before Embarking on Your Search…

Before getting started, there are few general rules of thumb you should follow to ensure you’re hiring the right person. Just because someone is a great developer doesn’t mean they’re the right one for your project.

Get familiar with the basics

While knowing how to code yourself isn’t necessary in hiring a good developer, it’s a good idea to at least familiarize yourself with some programming basics before you get started. Keep in mind, there are all kinds of developers out there, each specializing in specific programming languages, libraries, and frameworks.

You want to find out what platforms there are available for mobile app development and which one makes the most sense to use for your project. Take time to do a little research on the different programming languages available and which might best suit your app.

Once you figure this out, take a look at what the going rate is to hire this type of developer. Finding someone proficient in C+, for example, will probably run you more than someone who is only proficient in JavaScript, since the former is a bit more complex than the latter.

Experience matters

There’s a time and place to hire a newbie fresh out of school. Having a junior build your mobile app is not it. While there will be bugs and hiccups with anyone you hire, hiring an experienced mobile app developer who knows their stuff is critical.

While they don’t necessarily need to be the best-of-the-best (unless you can afford it), you want someone with experience and who has a solid portfolio of previous app development work.

Building a relationship and communication is key

While finding someone who is talented and can get the job done is important, it isn’t everything. You want to find a developer who is also reliable and cooperative. You want someone that is easy to work with and who is a great communicator to ensure the project runs smoothly.

Remember, you’ll be working closely with each person you hire for your project. You want to be on the same page and have effective communication so you feel comfortable working with that person for months, if not longer.

Define the needs of your business

Before you can start approaching developers, you want to ask yourself some important questions, such as the following:

• What challenges do I want solved? Maybe you already have an in-house team but need to add more devs, or maybe you have a project that needs to be developed from scratch. Whatever the scenario, your needs should be clearly outlined and ready before hiring a developer.

• Should I outsource or hire an in-house person? This is another important question you want to ask yourself—do you want an in-house team that will work for you in the same office space, or are you comfortable outsourcing to either another company or an independent contractor?

• Should I go with a company or hire a freelancer? This question really depends if you’re prepared to manage and lead the whole development process yourself, which is expected when hiring a freelancer who could be located hundreds of miles away.

This can be a more difficult and risky process than hiring a company, such as a creative agency, who would typically provide project management services in addition to developers. The perks with opting for an agency is that they also have their own established methodology, quality control, established communication platforms, and workflows, which a lone freelancer may not.

Where to Find App Developers

Finding app developers isn’t so far removed from hiring pretty much anyone else. One of the best places you can start is with personal connections. Does anyone in your network know someone who would be perfect for the project? While you should probably be hesitant to hire your mom’s friend’s second cousin, tapping into your professional network is a great way to get started in getting some leads.

If nothing else, your network can at least guide you in finding the best hiring platforms for your project based on their own experiences.

Here are more ways to find developers:

B2B directories

Business to business, or B2B directories, are global marketplaces where you can find business partners both near and far. Companies are categorized by their specialization, ratings, and even location, making it easy to find exactly what you need. Clutch.co is a popular B2B platform which boasts some nice advanced search features and ratings systems that will help connect you to development agencies.

Freelance platforms

Using freelance platforms like Upwork or Freelancer.com are useful if you decide that you want to hire a freelance app developer for your project. These sites aren’t as helpful, however, if you’re looking for an outsourcing company that offers full-cycle development.

Jobs on freelance platforms are hourly or fixed, and offer tracking tools that allow you to stay on top of your developer’s work. Additionally, they provide some form of rating/review system so you can see if a freelancer is the right fit.

Online communities

If you’ve exhausted your own network looking for potential app developers to join your team, start searching for online design communities, such as Dribbble, which can be an excellent resource in finding not only design services but Android and iOS development services as well. You can take a look at what people are working on and even find a team to work with.

Github

Another great resource for finding high-quality devs, or at least just checking out a candidate’s work, is Github. This open-source version control system brings together the world’s largest community of developers and allows them to share, discover, and build software.

This is one of the easiest ways you can check out someone’s code or see what past projects they’ve worked on.

How Much Does an App Developer Cost?

One of the most expensive—if not the most expensive—component of building an app is the development process. If you’re looking to hire an experienced developer or team of developers, it’s going to cost you. Especially when you consider the fact that development is an ongoing project that doesn’t end once you publish your app.

You will constantly be revising and modifying your app based off of bugs and user feedback, so you’re going to need ongoing development work.

So how much do app developers charge in 2019 and how can you make it work with your budget?

Define your app project

A major step in helping you put together a budget for hiring an app developer is by establishing all of the project details and requirements first. This will help your developer or agency provide an accurate estimate, which will be based on the predicted hours of work involved.

You should also approach the table with a development platform and language in mind, such as an iOS developer proficient in Swift 3.

Here are a few other details you should have ready when estimating costs:

• The platform you’re targeting, such as Android, iOS, Windows, cross-platform
• Will there be API integrations or other tech specs?
• Outline the scope of the project which should include design and development work
• What is the project timeline?

Typical rates for app developers

Conclusion

Now that you have a better understanding of the process and costs involved with hiring an app developer, it’s time to get out there and start researching what the best options are for your specific project. You’re probably juggling multiple tasks at once, so we recommend keeping track of your list of candidates and make notes so you can stay on top of your research and findings.

Just keep in mind that you’ll need a solid game plan once you do find the right developers for your project.

Our Simple Starter package includes a blueprint that will lay the foundation for the development of your app so you can stay on time and on budget.