Mobile app development
company, London.
Magora is a London app development company. Our senior app developers build native iOS, Android and cross-platform apps for UK startups and businesses, starting with a free working prototype and ending with code you own from the first commit.
What a London app
development company does.
An app development company designs, builds, tests and publishes mobile apps for iOS and Android, and usually the backend, admin area and integrations behind them. Magora has done this from London since 2010: one senior team takes your app from idea to the App Store and Google Play, and stays on for support.
Free working prototype
A clickable, coded prototype of your core idea in 5–10 working days, before any paid work. You see the app before you commit a budget.
First release in 6–8 weeks
After a two-week Discovery, a first release with one or two core journeys typically takes 6–8 weeks. Most MVPs land between £10,000 and £25,000.
Your code, your IP
Source code, designs and IP transfer to you on payment. Senior UK engineers, NDA from day one, no offshore rotation.
Mobile app development
services.
Bespoke mobile app development is our top-priority service. We craft native apps for iOS and Android, with deep expertise in Swift and Kotlin, and go cross-platform when shared code pays its rent.
iOS app development
SwiftUI, UIKit, Combine, Core Data, Apple Pay, CallKit. iPhone and iPad apps built for the latest device generation, supporting back to iOS 15. Hire Swift developers.
Android app development
Kotlin and Jetpack Compose, Hilt, Room, Retrofit, ML Kit, biometrics. From entry-level handsets to foldables. Hire Kotlin developers.
Cross-platform development
React Native and Flutter when a shared codebase pays its rent, with native modules where it actually matters. React Native · Flutter.
Applications for tablets
Responsive layouts that breathe on iPad and large Android tablets: split views, drag-and-drop, keyboard shortcuts.
Backend and API integration
Payments, identity, mapping, CRM and custom backends, plus the admin area your team runs the app from. See API integration services.
Maintenance & support
OS upgrades, security patches, store-policy compliance and feature work that keep the app alive after launch. We also take over apps built by other teams.
Three pillars,
one shipped product.
Same engineers from kickoff to handover. Weekly demos. No offshore rotation, no body shop.
Discovery
Magora business analysts formalise the key demands, choose the appropriate platform and priority devices, and structure your future mobile app's requirements.
UI / UX design
Leading app designers visualise the user journey. Intuitive functionality wrapped in user-friendly interfaces — the kind that drive both downloads and retention.
Development
A decade of native iOS and Android experience. Short sprints, transparent process, highly-functional apps shipped reliably to App Store and Play Store.
Native or cross-platform?
An honest comparison.
Both are good answers. The right one depends on what the app has to do on the device, how fast you need to reach both stores and who will maintain it.
| Native (Swift, Kotlin) | Cross-platform (React Native, Flutter) | |
|---|---|---|
| Codebases | Two, one per platform | One shared codebase, native modules where needed |
| Cost for iOS + Android | Higher: two apps to build and maintain | Lower: most features are written once |
| Device features | Full, immediate access to new OS features | Most features; some need a native module |
| Performance | Best for graphics, audio, AR and heavy offline work | More than enough for most business and consumer apps |
| Best for | Hardware-led, real-time or platform-specific apps | MVPs and products that must launch on both stores quickly |
Not sure? The free working prototype is where we make the call with you, using your real features rather than a generic checklist.
App development cost
in the UK (2026).
Published prices, so you can budget before you call. Our rates start from £49/hour per developer, and £65–£70/hour for a full team with QA and product ownership. Every engagement starts with a free working prototype.
A clickable, coded prototype of your core idea in 5–10 working days, before any paid work.
Two weeks with a senior Product Owner and Solution Architect: scope, architecture, a fixed estimate and a roadmap.
One or two core journeys, production hosting, authentication and analytics. Typically 6–8 weeks.
iOS and Android, backend and admin area, several user roles and integrations.
FinTech, health and logistics apps with compliance evidence and complex integrations.
OS updates, store compliance, monitoring, SLAs and a steady roadmap of new features.
The full breakdown is in our app development cost guide, and the app cost calculator gives a first rough figure for your feature list. For what 12 real 2026 projects cost, see Software development cost in the UK (2026). Apple and Google's own store fees are explained in Apple developer fee.
Six steps to ship
an amazing mobile app.
From a fuzzy idea to a store-live product, with a checkpoint at every stage and a weekly demo throughout.
Free working prototype
5 – 10 daysSend your brief and we build a clickable, coded prototype of the core idea, with a written analysis from a senior Product Owner. No commitment.
Discovery
2 weeksUser roles, user stories and priorities with your stakeholders; platform choice (native or cross-platform); architecture and a fixed estimate you can defend to a board.
Design
1 – 2 weeksUI designs for visual appeal and UX prototypes for real user insight, tested with users before we write production code.
Build and test
6 – 8 weeks for a first releaseTwo-week sprints, a weekly demo and a shared board. QA engineers test every sprint, with automated coverage and manual exploratory passes.
Store launch
about 1 weekApp Store and Google Play submission, review responses, staged roll-out and monitoring from the first install.
Support and growth
ongoingOS and framework upgrades, security patches, store-policy changes and new features, on a part-time SLA or as your team grows its own.
Technologies
we work on.
The actual stack on most mobile engagements. We'll happily slot into yours if you already have one.
- Swift · SwiftUI
- UIKit · Combine
- Core Data · GRDB
- Apple Pay · Wallet
- Kotlin
- Jetpack Compose
- Hilt · Room · Retrofit
- ML Kit · Biometrics
- React Native
- Flutter
- Expo
- Native modules
- Node.js · NestJS
- Python · FastAPI
- PHP · Laravel
- GraphQL · REST
- WebSockets
- Firebase
- Pusher · Ably
- Server-sent events
- PostgreSQL
- MongoDB
- Redis
- SQLite · Realm
- Apple Pay · Google Pay
- Stripe · Adyen
- PayPal · Braintree
- 3-D Secure
- OpenAI · Anthropic
- Core ML
- ML Kit · TFLite
- Vector DBs
What clients
say.
Verified reviews from our Clutch profile — 4.9 out of 5 across 71 client reviews.
“They didn't simply take our requirements and run with them; they truly made an effort to understand everything.”
“Partnering with Magora for the development of the messenger was a decision we will never regret.”
“They came through as more of a tech partner rather than just developers for hire.”
Three kinds
of partner.
We've teamed up with 500+ businesses — fresh-faced startups, established mid-market and global enterprise.
Startups & MVPs
Production-grade MVP in a calendar quarter. Money-back if we miss the date — see our Startup MVP service.
Small & medium business
Internal tools, customer apps and digital transformation work — the kind that pays for itself within a year.
Enterprise
Compliance-heavy platforms, MDM-managed fleets, audit-ready architecture. SOC 2, GDPR, MHRA passed first time, every time.
Mobile apps
we've shipped.
Six from the wider portfolio, across insurance, retail, enterprise and consumer apps. All case studies.
Dayinsure
The app behind Dayinsure, one of the UK's leading providers of short-term car insurance: the easiest way to get temporary cover.
See case study → FMCG · iOS+AndroidDanone
Product quality control in retail: staff report defects, storage conditions and product placement issues from the shop floor.
See case study → Enterprise · AndroidUnilever: Cabinets
An Android app integrated with Unilever's CRM that lets personnel manage leased equipment in the field.
See case study → Smart buildings · iOS+AndroidOrganic Response
A web portal plus iOS and Android apps where software and lighting hardware work as one.
See case study → Parenting · Connected deviceSweet Dreamers
A mobile app that remotely controls "Misty", a digital nanny device, to keep the right conditions for newborn babies.
See case study → Education · iOS+AndroidSymbolab
An advanced calculator and semantic search engine for maths symbols, on iOS and Android.
See case study →App development
by industry.
Every sector has its own regulation, integrations and user habits. These pages cover what we build for each one.
Healthcare apps
Patient apps, clinician tools and remote monitoring with FHIR and NHS integration.
FinTech apps
Open Banking, payments and FCA-aware onboarding.
Property apps
Listings, tenant and landlord apps, property management.
Logistics apps
Driver, fleet and delivery apps with live tracking.
Hospitality apps
Booking, ordering and loyalty for venues and hotels.
Education apps
Learning platforms, course apps and school tools.
Construction apps
Field reporting, site safety and project tracking.
Retail and e-commerce apps
Shopping, POS and loyalty apps.
The honest
questions.
Still comparing agencies? Here are the twelve questions worth asking before you pick one.
Pick a slot below
and let's talk.
No commitment, no charge. We'll review your project, scope the next step, and tell you the realistic price + timeline. Free working prototype + senior PO analysis before any paid engagement.
Got a mobile idea
on the table?
30-minute call with a senior mobile architect. We'll review the platform call (native vs cross-platform), scope and constraints — and tell you what we'd actually build if it were us.