15 Questions to Ask Before Hiring an App Developer

Hiring an app developer is a big decision. Ask these 15 questions before you sign anything.

About their work

1. Can I download apps you have built? Not mockups. Not case studies. Live apps in the App Store or Google Play that I can install right now.

2. How many apps have you shipped to production? Shipped means in the store, not on GitHub. Building is different from shipping.

3. Can I talk to a previous client? A reference from someone who has been through the full process with them.

About the process

4. How do you handle scope? Do they write a scope document before starting? Do they give a fixed-price quote? Or do they 'figure it out as we go' (red flag)?

5. How often will I see progress? Weekly demos should be the minimum. If you do not see progress until the end, you are taking a blind risk.

6. What happens if I need to change something mid-project? Scope changes happen. How are they handled? Is there a change order process?

About the technology

7. What tech stack do you recommend and why? They should be able to explain the trade-offs in plain language, not just name-drop frameworks.

8. Will the app work on both iOS and Android? If yes, how? Two separate builds or one cross-platform codebase? Each has different cost and timeline implications.

9. How do you handle app store submission? This is not trivial. Screenshots, metadata, compliance, review responses. Do they handle it or hand it off to you?

About money

10. Is this a fixed-price quote or hourly billing? Fixed price protects your budget. Hourly protects theirs.

11. What is included in the price? Development, design, testing, app store submission, post-launch support? Get the full list.

12. What is NOT included? This question reveals more than the previous one. Are there hosting costs? API fees? Maintenance charges?

About ownership and support

13. Who owns the code when the project is done? The answer must be you. 100% ownership, full source code, published under your developer accounts.

14. What happens after launch? Is there a support period? What does ongoing maintenance cost? Who fixes bugs?

15. What if I want to switch to a different developer later? Can you take the codebase to someone else? Is it documented? Is it standard technology that other developers can work with?

The meta-question

How do they answer these questions? Clearly and directly, or with deflection and jargon? The way someone communicates before you hire them is the best it will ever be.