iOS vs Android vs web: which to build first
One platform is cheaper and faster. Both stores, or a full web app, is a different package — not a toggle we flip in week three.
Build one surface first unless your customers already live on two. Launch and Build are a single platform: iOS, or Android, or web. iOS plus Android, or a full web app with a proper backend, is Scale.
The OS badge on the listing is not the expensive bit. Screens, accounts, payments and extra stores are. Pick the place your users already open every morning, ship there, then pay for the second surface on purpose.
Should I build iOS or Android first in the UK?
Whichever phone your paying users actually hold. In many UK SMEs and field teams that is a mix; in consumer, iPhone still leads a lot of paid apps. If you sell to businesses that issue Android, start there. If you only have budget for one store listing, do not split the Build package across both — that is Scale, or a second quote. A scoping call is where we pick it with you, not a personality test.
When is a web app the right first version?
When the job is ops, admin, booking on a laptop, or anything staff will live in all day. A web app on Build still gets a custom backend, accounts and one integration. You skip App Store review. You still need hosting. If the same product must work in a pocket on a building site, that is a mobile Build or Scale, not a bookmark on a phone browser and a prayer.
Can I have iOS and Android from day one?
Yes. That is Scale (£7,999, normally £9,999): both mobile platforms, or a full web app, up to three integrations, roles, an account manager, six to eight weeks. It is not a Launch with a second icon. Cross-platform is its own package because test, store listings and the extra screens are real work. If you only need one store now and the other “later”, start on Build and quote the second platform when you have users, not vibes.
Does a cross-platform tool make two apps cheap?
It makes one codebase. It does not make two store listings, two review queues, and two sets of device quirks free. We use cross-platform where it earns its keep. We still count Scale as Scale. Anyone promising “iOS and Android for the price of one” is either eating the difference or shipping a web wrapper. Ask what happens when Apple rejects the listing.
What about tablets, desktop and a public marketing site?
A marketing site is not the app. If you need a brochure on the web and a tool in the pocket, say so — that can be two scopes. Tablet layouts, if they are extra screens, sit in the screen count. Build caps at twelve. Past that, or past three integrations, we are in Custom. What an MVP includes is the filter for “nice on iPad” versus “must ship”.
| Starting point | Package | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One phone OS, five screens, no payments | Launch £1,999 | Exists fast, one job |
| One OS or web, accounts, one integration | Build £3,999 | Real users, one surface |
| iOS + Android, or full web app | Scale £7,999 | Two surfaces, more wiring |
| All of the above plus a mess of APIs | Custom | Quote, not a toggle |
Who submits to the stores, and does that change the choice?
You buy the Apple and Google accounts. We can submit on your behalf once they exist. That is true on Launch, Build and Scale. It should not decide the platform — a missing $99 Apple membership should not push you onto Android if your customers are on iPhone. Start the developer account the week you book the call. Store review sits outside our two / five / eight week clocks. A web app on Build skips that queue; it does not skip hosting, logins or the one integration.
How do I decide before the call?
Write down who opens it on day one, on what device, and whether they pay in the app. Bring that to the £49 call. If you are still between cost and time, read app development cost and how long a build takes. We will not upsell Scale because it sounds more impressive. We will tell you if one platform is enough.
Four packages. Zero surprise invoices.
Every package is a fixed price. A founding offer is on until 30 September — then prices go back to list. A £49 scoping call gets the ball rolling.
Launch
A single-purpose app that needs to exist fast. No payments, no custom backend.
- Up to 5 screens, one platform
- Content, forms and email capture
- 2-week delivery
Build
A proper product you can put in front of real users.
- Up to 12 screens, iOS, Android or web
- Custom backend, database and accounts
- 1 integration — payments, auth, maps
Scale
A cross-platform product ready to handle real growth.
- iOS + Android or full web app
- Up to 3 integrations, including payments
- Dedicated account manager
Custom
Ongoing products, complex integrations, or a dedicated crew.
- Multi-platform and enterprise work
- Phased roadmap or retainer
- SLA-backed support after launch
Founding prices end 30 September — list is £2,499 / £4,999 / £9,999. The £49 scoping call is credited toward your package if we go ahead. Launch does not include a payment gateway.