Service

Mobile app development for iOS and Android, with the backend and the launch included

HeliumSol designs and builds mobile apps for iOS and Android, chooses between a cross-platform codebase (React Native or Flutter) and native code (Swift or Kotlin) based on what the app has to do, and builds the server and database the app talks to. The engagement includes app store submission, so what you get is an app people can install, not a prototype.

What is included

Product definition: the screens, flows and data the app needs on day one
A cross-platform or native build, chosen for the app rather than by habit
The backend: authentication, data, notifications and integrations
App Store and Google Play submission, listings and review handling
Crash reporting and analytics so you know how the app is used
A documented codebase you own, with a path for future releases

Do you need a mobile app, or a mobile-friendly web app?

This is the first question in discovery, and the honest answer is sometimes "a web app". If your users mostly arrive from search, do not need the camera, push notifications or offline use, and would not install anything, a responsive web application reaches more people for less.

A native or cross-platform app earns its place when the product lives in the phone: notifications that bring people back, camera and location features, offline work in the field, or a presence in the app stores that customers expect. Those are the cases this page is about.

Cross-platform or native: how do we choose?

There is no universal answer. These are the factors that decide it in practice; the full reasoning is in native vs cross-platform mobile apps.

Factor	Cross-platform (React Native, Flutter)	Native (Swift, Kotlin)
One team, two stores	One codebase ships to iOS and Android	Two codebases, or one platform first
Platform-specific features	Available through native modules; heavy use adds work	First-class access on day one
Shares code with a web app	React Native shares logic and skills with a React web app	No sharing
Graphics-heavy or hardware-heavy	Fine for most apps; demanding cases need care	The default choice
Long-term maintenance	One codebase to keep current	Two sets of updates, two sets of expertise

What does the app project look like from your side?

1
Discovery and the first release
We define the smallest app that is useful to a real user, not the biggest one imaginable. Everything else goes on a list for release two.
2
Design on real screens
Flows are reviewed on a phone, not in a slide deck. Platform conventions are respected so the app feels at home on each store.
3
Build the app and its backend together
The server, authentication, data and notifications are built alongside the app, so nothing is mocked at launch.
4
Test, submit, release
Beta builds go to your testers through TestFlight and Google Play testing tracks, then the store submissions and any review questions are handled for you.

What usually goes wrong in app projects, and how do we avoid it?

Scope grows until nothing ships: the first release is written down and defended; later ideas are logged, not lost.
The backend is an afterthought: it is scoped with the app, because an app without a reliable server is a demo.
Store review surprises: privacy labels, sign-in rules, permissions copy and test accounts are prepared before submission, not after a rejection.
No one can measure the result: crash reporting and analytics are built in, so you can see retention and failures, not just downloads.
The app cannot be updated without the original team: the codebase, store accounts and signing keys are yours and documented.

Add an assistant inside the app

Apps that answer questions, take bookings or support customers often benefit from the same knowledge-base assistant HeliumSol builds for websites, embedded in the app and grounded in your content.

How AI assistant solutions work

Mobile app development: questions buyers ask

How much does it cost to build a mobile app?

HeliumSol prices an app after discovery, with a written scope and a fixed price for that scope. The biggest drivers are the number of screens and flows, whether a backend has to be built or already exists, how many integrations there are, and whether both platforms ship at once. Prices are never published or guessed up front.

How long does an app take to build?

The timeline comes with the scope and depends on the first release you choose. Keeping that release small is the single biggest lever on time to launch; the team will push for that in discovery.

What is included in the price?

Design, the app for the platforms in scope, the backend the app needs, app store submission and release, crash reporting and analytics, and a documented handover. Store developer account fees, hosting charges and third-party services such as push or maps providers are paid directly by you.

Should I build for iOS and Android at the same time?

Only if your users are genuinely split. Many first releases ship on one platform to learn faster; a cross-platform codebase keeps the second platform cheap to add. This is decided with you in discovery, based on where your customers are.

Who owns the app and the store accounts?

You do. The Apple Developer and Google Play accounts are created in your business name, the source code is in a repository you control, and signing credentials are handed over securely.

Can you take over an existing app?

Usually, after a short code review to see what state it is in. Sometimes the honest recommendation is a rebuild on a maintainable foundation; you get that assessment before any quote.

Do you handle updates after launch?

Yes, as a separately scoped arrangement: operating system updates, store policy changes, new features and fixes. Or your own team can take over using the handover documentation.

Free offer

Start with a free website and chatbot

HeliumSol will build and host your website, add a knowledge-base chatbot trained on your business, and set up email on your domain. Hosting, chatbot API usage and email are included for the first month. One short form, and a person reads it.

Or ask us a question first

Why free? It is part of the Founding Partner Program: a small number of businesses, honest feedback in return, everything in writing first.