Have you thought of a million-dollar app idea and are you now looking to develop a new iOS app?
Choosing the iOS platform is a clever choice due to its widespread popularity among most mobile and app services. So you want to understand all of the inner workings of the app making process and how to choose the best iOS app development company.
This may be a tricky task however, and you may not be sure where to start or what to look for in an app developer when hiring.
In this guide we will walk you through how to develop an app for iPhones, and introduce you to the top iOS app development companies to help you build the ultimate app.
Top iOS App Development Companies
What is iOS app development?
iOS app development is the process of creating mobile apps using Apple’s operating system, a.k.a. iOS. This includes all of the iOS devices, such as iPhones, iPads, Mac computers and iPod Touch.
Apple conveniently provides helpful tools and resources for building apps for their devices. So iOS app developers can easily program in native languages, such as Swift or Objective-C – iOS apps only run on these.
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With these tools iPhone app developers build, test and refine applications for devices that function on Apple’s operating system, working consistently towards the objectives and standards of the business.
Now, you may have a basic understanding of the inner workings of developing apps, or perhaps this all is simply double Dutch to you.
Either way, when creating an app, even if you are looking to get a specialized developer to do the job, you want to have an overview of the process.
App Development Buyer's Guide
Download our App Development Buyer’s Guide to get a full list of the best service providers on the market to choose from. You will also learn about types of app developers, different app development platforms, app developer locations, app development costs, how to select the right one for your business, as well as the questions to ask any of those companies you will be evaluating.
So let’s first discuss why this operating system is important and what advantages you have from integrating it into your app concept.
The best iOS app developers
We’ve listed the best iOS app developers below.
1. NMG Technologies
NMG Technologies is an app development company that offers a wide range of services, including web and mobile app development, fintech solutions, custom software development, and digital marketing.
The MeDoFi app for iOS was developed to help healthcare professionals communicate and collaborate more effectively, especially within hospitals and medical institutions. The developers used Swift, Apple’s main programming language for iOS, to build a smooth and responsive app that works well on iPhones and iPads.
To make the app truly useful for medical teams, it was designed with features such as real-time messaging, document sharing, and calendar integration. It also connects with popular email services such as Outlook and Gmail, helping teams stay organized without switching between different apps.
Overview
NMG Technologies serves a global client base that includes startups, SMEs, and large enterprises. The company strongly emphasizes quality, timely delivery, and customer satisfaction.
Their client base spans various industries, including healthcare, finance, retail, and education.
Services
NMG Technologies provides its customers with the following services:
- Focuses on creating user-friendly, scalable iOS apps tailored to the client’s specific needs
- Custom platform development using advanced tools and years of experience
- Development of native and cross-platform mobile apps for iOS and Android
2. Trango Tech
Trango Tech is a tech services and app development company aimed at helping businesses enhance their digital presence, streamline operations, and innovate their product offerings.
Trango Tech developed the Goto iOS app as part of a comprehensive online shopping marketplace, aiming to provide a reliable and convenient experience for users. The iOS app was crafted to ensure seamless navigation and robust functionality, catering to both buyers and sellers.
Key features include dynamic cart rule management for promotions and discounts, a secure payment system to prevent fraudulent transactions, and an intuitive inventory management system for sellers.
The app was designed to handle high user traffic efficiently, supporting up to 80 million daily users. This development resulted in over 100,000 downloads (and a 25% rate of returning visitors), reflecting its success in user engagement and satisfaction.
Overview
Trango Tech was founded in 2017. The company was established to provide innovative tech solutions, particularly in the areas of mobile app development, web development, and IT consulting.
Since its founding, Trango Tech has worked with clients across various industries to help them build custom software solutions that meet their business needs.
Services
Trango Tech provides its customers with the following services:
- Offers cloud-based solutions for data storage, scalability, and infrastructure
- Provides customized platforms to help businesses sell products online
- Develops software that enhances enterprise-level systems and helps with automation, integration, and the management of data
3. Intellectsoft
Intellectsoft is a software development company that specializes in providing custom software solutions, mobile app development, enterprise mobility solutions, and blockchain development services. The company serves a diverse range of industries, including healthcare, finance, retail, and manufacturing.
Intellectsoft developed a custom iOS app for a major manufacturing automation company to improve how defects were tracked on the production line. Before this solution, workers used iPhones with barcode scanners, but the process was slow (and not user-friendly).
Thanks to the app, the production process became more efficient and less error-prone. Workers could focus more on their tasks without struggling with outdated tools, and management gained better visibility into quality control metrics. The success of the iOS app led the client to expand their digital transformation by working with Intellectsoft on a data visualization tool to analyze and act on the information gathered from the production line.
Overview
Intellectsoft was founded in 2007 by Alexander Skalabanov, Artem Kozel, and Valery Kurilov. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, the company has expanded its presence with offices in New York, London, and Oslo.
Intellectsoft has delivered over 600 digital products to clients worldwide, including Fortune 500 companies and established brands. The company’s services encompass strategic IT consulting, customer experience design, development, and (full) lifecycle management of custom software products and apps, as well as system integration.
Services
Intellectsoft provides its customers with the following services:
- Building tailored software solutions for enterprises, including web, mobile, and cloud-based gaming apps
- Helping businesses modernize IT infrastructure, optimize processes, and implement emerging technologies
- Designing and developing high-performance iOS, Android, and cross-platform mobile apps
4. Orangesoft
Orangesoft is a mobile app and web development company that creates custom software solutions for businesses. The company serves various industries, including healthcare, helping clients build high-quality digital products.
Orangesoft developed an iOS app to support stroke survivors transitioning from hospital to home. The app allows patients to connect wearable devices to monitor vital signs, report symptoms, and manage medication schedules through reminders. This empowers patients to actively participate in their recovery while providing healthcare providers with real-time data to tailor treatment plans effectively.
The app also includes features like telemedicine capabilities, enabling secure communication between patients and medical staff via messaging, video, and audio calls. Data visualization tools present health information in an accessible format, aiding both patients and providers in tracking progress.
Overview
Orangesoft was founded in 2011 by Dmitry Zolotukhin and Alexander Vinogradov. They established the company to provide custom software solutions, focusing on healthcare mobile app development as well as web development.
Orangesoft has worked with several key clients, including Yandex, Kaspersky Lab, Revolut, and OZON.
Services
Orangesoft provides its customers with the following services:
- Real-time syncing and account linking for iOS mobile apps
- Using frameworks like React Native and Flutter to develop apps that work on both iOS and Android
- Building robust back-end systems with Node.js, Python, Ruby on Rails, and other server-side tech
5. ELEKS
ELEKS offers a wide range of services to help businesses innovate, optimize operations, and drive digital growth across industries such as finance, healthcare, retail, and logistics.
ELEKS developed an iOS app for Civex, a fintech company aiming to empower individual investors in corporate governance.
The app provides a user-friendly platform for solo investors to participate in proxy voting, allowing them to connect with like-minded individuals, view their network’s opinions on various proposals, and cast their votes accordingly. This digital solution simplifies the voting process, making it more accessible and engaging for retail shareholders.
The app was designed with scalability in mind, accommodating future growth and feature enhancements.
Overview
ELEKS was founded in 1991 by Oleksiy Skrypnyk. The company started as a small software development firm in Ukraine. Since then, it has grown into a global tech solutions provider.
ELEKS has worked with prominent clients across various industries, including Hewlett-Packard (HP), Deutsche Bank, The World Health Organization (WHO), and Yelp.
Services
ELEKS provides its customers with the following services:
- Analyzes target audiences, competitors, and industry trends to shape features
- Creates visually appealing and intuitive interfaces that enhance user engagement
- Assesses key business goals and then develops a strategic plan for mobile apps
6. 3 Sided Cube
3 Sided Cube is an app developer specializing in creating impactful and innovative mobile apps.
The development of the American Red Cross Blood Donation App began with an intensive discovery phase, where 3 Sided Cube worked closely with the Red Cross to understand the donation process, volunteer behavior, and barriers to engagement. Through user research and workshops, they identified key features that would truly support and empower donors, such as appointment scheduling, donation tracking, eligibility notifications, and personalized reminders.
On the technical side, the app was built natively for iOS using Swift, allowing for seamless performance and integration with device features such as location services and push notifications. Security and privacy were top priorities, given the sensitive nature of user health data.
The project followed an agile methodology, enabling continuous feedback and iteration, and post-launch analytics helped guide updates that have since led to over 5 million downloads and 200,000 monthly bookings; a true example of tech for good.
Overview
3 Sided Cube was founded in 2009. The company has focused on using tech to create products that drive social impact and innovation, helping organizations and causes achieve their goals.
They are known for their work on projects that aim to drive social change. For example, they developed the American Red Cross Blood Donor app and the Disaster Preparedness app, which have been instrumental in saving lives and providing critical support during emergencies.
Services
3 Sided Cube provides its customers with the following services:
- Conducts research to understand user needs, the competitive landscape, and industry trends to inform an app’s development
- Early-stage design processes that help visualize the app’s functionality and flow
- They work with clients to define the app’s purpose, target audience, and key features
7. Light IT Global
Light IT Global is an app development company that delivers innovative web and mobile solutions for startups and enterprises. With over 18 years of experience, they have completed over 500 custom projects for clients worldwide, including in Europe, the United States, and Japan.
One of Light IT’s standout iOS projects is a migraine tracking app created for a healthcare company. The goal was to provide users with a tool to log migraine occurrences, symptoms, and potential triggers, while also generating clear health reports for medical consultations.
From a technical standpoint, the team used React Native to create a high-performance, cross-platform solution, with a particular emphasis on optimizing the iOS experience. One major challenge was fixing a slow login issue caused by data sync errors, which they resolved by moving synchronization to run in the background. Extensive testing was carried out to guarantee stability across all features, especially for users managing sensitive health data.
Overview
Light IT Global was founded in 2006 in Ukraine. The company began as a small team of three individuals engaged in reconstructing local historic landmarks.
Over time, it transitioned into a software engineering firm, expanding its services to include web and mobile development, IT consulting, and business digital transformation.
Today, Light IT Global employs over 100 professionals and has completed over 500 custom projects for clients worldwide.
Services
Light IT Global provides its customers with the following services:
- Designing and building mobile apps for iOS that support customer engagement
- Developing robust, secure, and scalable platforms
- Crafting visually appealing designs that enhance the user experience and boost engagement
Why iOS for app development?
As you probably know, Apple is in its prime right now having emerged as the ultimate platform, with macOS, iOS, watchOS and tvOS being used by hundreds of millions of people around the world.
And if you have done a competitor analysis and market research, you may have quickly realized that your potential customers are among those Apple users. You therefore obviously want to engage in OS app development.
But because the iPhone is the main device the majority of people own to use apps, we will mainly focus on the importance of iPhone app development for you to reach a much wider audience.
Swift for iPhone app developers
The iPhone has established an image as a more powerful device in the mobile phone world. There are several reasons for this, but the one most relevant is the efficient programming language, Swift.
So what is so cool about Swift?
It’s simple
Today, the Apple App Store has 1.96 million downloadable apps available that are mainly written in Swift, including the major apps Facebook, LinkedIn, Slack and Uber.
It is a programming language that is easy to learn and read, as it requires much less code than other languages.
Once your app is developed, Swift also makes it easier to maintain. This is mainly due to the language combining the Objective-C header (.m) and implementation files (.h) into one program (.swift) file.
It’s safe and stable
Another advantage of Swift is its safety, as it is a type-safe and memory-safe programming language. These attributes ensure the language prevents any type errors and avoids vulnerabilities referring to ‘uninitialized pointers’, which may cause a program to crash.
Moreover, Swift also provides Application Binary Interface (ABI) stability, which is a binary equivalent to its Application Programming Interface (API).
But what’s more is that the Swift ecosystem offers the ultimate benefit, which is the ability to talk to apps and libraries built with other versions and ensure binary compatibility.
Time & cost efficient
Swift is a simplified programming language that is becoming the preferred choice for iPhone app developers.
It requires minimal effort to adopt and maintain, having integrated functions that are programmed to eliminate crashes and errors, so that developers can focus on more important aspects of the app, such as its performance and efficiency.
With Apple offering a user-friendly and efficient programming language along with a popularized platform that will instantly reach a wider audience, developing your app for iOS will drive your ROI to new heights.
How to choose an iPhone app developer?
If you’re building an app yourself, you may have a million other things on your plate and building the app can be extremely overwhelming – especially if that isn’t your field of expertise.
We have got you covered though. There are several top iOS app developers, operating both freelance and full-time, available for you to hire, allowing you to create an app of high-quality that will drive major installs on the App Store.
But before you choose an iPhone app developer or iOS app development company, here are some things you should consider to create a viable product for guaranteed success.
Do your research
You want to understand the basic requirements of app developers and what their day-to-day tasks are, so it is crucial to see what responsibilities app developers usually have.
In essence, an iOS app developer writes, tests and improves applications for devices that use the iOS operating system. So logically, they will need to have an advanced understanding of iOS and how it works across all Apple devices, being able to adapt the software to the business’ requirements.
Choose your app developer type
Once you have browsed the world of iOS app development, getting to know the different types of app developers can be useful to understanding which of these your business really needs.
There are four main types of app developers, but you can find many subsets within these, such as specializations in a particular platform.
In general, enterprise-level companies tend to cost more but have the quickest and most effective methods to develop your app, while boutiques are more like small artisans, with the final category being freelancers that are your all-in-one players.
| Enterprise (in-house) | Enterprise (outsourced) | Boutiques | Freelancers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large companies with higher charges & budgets | Specialized developer for existing project | Smaller team (2-4 developers) | All in one( design, coding, testing, publishing) |
| Complete entire lifecycle of app development | More flexibility | Fewer projects, more time to focus on | Expensive & rare talent |
| Designers and coders are employees | Cost-effective | Specialized in particular app types. / industries | Close relationship & communication |
| Reliable & tractable expertise level | Narrow expertise level | Quality deliverables | Time-efficient & flexible |
Communicate your business objectives
When you are meeting with potential iOS app developers, make sure you communicate the main concept of your app, including target audience, as well as the overall needs and objectives of your business.
This way you can avoid longing the app making process and have an expert that knows exactly what you envision your app to be.
Experience is key
In fact, not all job positions need a rich background of experience in the field. But when it comes to app or software developers, and in general, roles that require more niche skills and expertise, experience is essential.
Just like how you would not trust a surgeon who has never performed surgery before, a developer who has never developed an app before may not be your best option.
So be sure to look out for previous work and significant projects they have done in the past to really understand their level of expertise.
You want the best players for your app.
What to look for when hiring iPhone app developers
Here is a breakdown of crucial skills and requirements your candidate should ideally have to ensure you choose the best iOS app developer in the field:
- Frameworks, libraries, technologies relevant to your app
- Coding languages: Objective-C, Swift, Javascript, Pyton, HTML5
- Apple Xcode IDE
- IT certification (required)
- Benchmarking & optimization
- Offline storage, threading and performance tweaking
- Familiar with Apple Human Interface and design guidelines
- UI & UX experience
- Cloud message API & push nofitications
- 2D & 3D graphics
- iOS frameworks (Core Data, Core Animation)
When hiring, you want to have an idea of what their day-to-day tasks will look like. These can vary depending on what type of developer you are hiring.
For example, if you are going with a freelancer for your project, they may be handling a wider range of tasks, as they usually handle the entire lifecycle of an app. However, an app development company may have take on selective tasks, as they have a larger team with multiple expertise.
- Entire app lifecycle: concept – design – testing – release support
- Collaborate with cross-functional team
- Write clean, efficient codes & build apps for iOS
- Benchmarking & optimization
- Troubleshooting & bug fixes
- Present innovative enhancements
- Recommend efficient changes
- Integrate applications for iPhones & iPads
- Maintain code quality, organization and automation
- Create prototypes & inquiring concepts
- Use encryption tools to protect content
