Best app development companies in the UK

How we picked these

We looked at UK agencies that list app development or app design as a service and show app or platform work for named clients. Several are web and platform agencies where app development is one service among others, and we say so in each entry. Every agency here has a UK office.

The order follows fit first: how central app and digital product work is to what the agency sells. After that we looked at what each agency can show, meaning measured results, published prices, a named team and stated support terms. For an app the shipped product is the best evidence you have, so specialists with measured outcomes come first, followed by web and platform agencies that also build apps. This is desk research from public sources only, and we have not watched any of them run a project. More on how we choose agencies.

1. Future Workshops

Future Workshops is an independent London mobile app studio with offices in Barcelona and Riyadh. It builds iOS and Android apps and AI products for large clients including Saudi Telecom, Bloomberg NEF, the NHS and Louis Vuitton.

What they do best

• Measured retention. The UN General Assembly app reached 51.8% day-one retention against a benchmark of roughly 26% that the studio cites, over 8 releases in 4 weeks.
• A public-sector result. The NHS UHCW staff-concerns app reports 700% more concerns raised.
• Fast response. It promises a working prototype in week two and a reply to every enquiry within one working day.

Where they fall short

• No prices or team detail. It publishes no app project prices, no team size and no named engineers.
• Few UK reference clients. Several flagship clients are in Saudi Arabia, so UK buyers see little local reference work.

2. ustwo

ustwo is an employee-owned B Corp digital product studio founded in London in 2004, with studios in Malmo, Lisbon and New York. It designs and builds apps and platforms for health, finance and energy clients.

What they do best

• Measured product results. RVO Health’s AI coaching pilot enrolled 1,500 users in its first month, three times the anticipated number, and Soph’s Plant Kitchen reports 84% month-one retention settling at 61% by month three.
• Described engagements. The services page lays out four types (Discover, Shape, 0-1 and Boost) with typical activities and minimum lengths.
• Embedded teams. Case studies describe embedded squads working inside client organisations.

Where they fall short

• Enterprise-scale terms. No prices or team size are published, and engagements start at six to twelve weeks, which points to enterprise budgets.
• Unconfirmed awards. We did not count its BAFTA or Fast Company mentions, because neither was confirmed on an organiser’s list.

3. KIJO

KIJO is a Birmingham web design agency founded in 2014 by brothers Kirk and Jordan Thompson, with a London location and a remote team. It builds WordPress and custom sites and lists app and web app development among its services.

What they do best

• Commercial results. Case-study headlines state £1.1 million in pre-order revenue in 6 months for Olympian Motors and a 988% increase in online orders for Crucial Trading.
• A stated floor and timeline. Most projects start around £10,000, and the homepage FAQ gives a typical timeline of 8 to 12 weeks.

Where they fall short

• Only the founders are named. You cannot see who designs or builds your project before a sales call.
• Web builds, not apps. The case studies we read are web builds, so ask to see a shipped mobile app. The headline results also show no baselines.

4. Shout Digital

Shout Digital is a Newcastle agency that builds Umbraco platforms and mobile apps for large organisations including the ICO, Novuna, Northumbrian Water and Newcastle Airport. It describes itself as the UK’s first Umbraco Contributing Platinum Partner and offers 24/7 managed support.

What they do best

• Enterprise outcomes. The Novuna case study reports Azure savings above £100,000 a year and 10 million page views a year across the estate, and the ICO case study reports 60% faster response times.
• An embedded delivery team. Case studies describe it working with client marketing and IT staff.
• Managed support. The service runs around the clock.

Where they fall short

• Little published detail. It publishes no prices, no team page and no headcount.
• A narrow focus. Its focus on platforms and apps leaves little room for brochure-site or marketing work. Neither the Novuna nor the ICO figures show a baseline.

5. SimpleClick

SimpleClick is an Ipswich web, app and software agency of about 10 people, founded in 2008, with a proprietary CMS called Doddle. Long-running clients include Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines and BJ Waller.

What they do best

• Reported trade results. The BJ Waller case study reports visits up 60 per cent, orders up 23 per cent and bounce rate down 55 per cent.
• Scale and longevity. The Fred. Olsen page cites 2.5 million annual visitors and £20 million of annual online transactions, and the relationship dates from 2009.
• A visible team. Project managers, a product owner and named developers appear on the team page.

Where they fall short

• No prices. None are published, and our £5,000 to £30,000 per project range is an estimate.
• Missing baselines and unconfirmed awards. The headline results lack baselines and time windows, and its awards page lists UK Dev Awards wins that we could not confirm on the organiser’s site.

6. Versantus

Versantus is a Drupal and WordPress development agency in Oxford, founded in 2009, that also offers design, SEO, PPC and hosting. Clients include MS Trust, the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and The Orders of St John Care Trust.

What they do best

• Long-term support. It publishes a support packages page and a process page.
• Complex builds for charities and universities. Its case-study index runs to five pages.
• Checkable details. Its Oxford address is published and its Companies House registration matches the 2009 start date on its about page.

Where they fall short

• No prices and one result. Prices are not published, and the one stated result, 183% more enquiries for Guides for Brides, has no baseline or time window.
• Apps are a side line. App work is a listed service, but the case studies we read are web platforms.

7. Expect Best

Expect Best is a Poole web design, SEO and custom software team of about eight, trading since 2010.

What they do best

• A priced starting point. Custom websites start from £1,600 +VAT, which is a web price and gives no guide to an app build.
• A named team. The team page names the managing director and six staff with roles.
• A large project list. It lists 172 projects across Dorset and the South, with trades and construction the largest group.

Where they fall short

• No before-and-after figures. Case studies describe scope only, so results claims cannot be checked.
• No stated working terms. The site states no account model, meeting cadence or support response times.

Which one fits your project

What app development actually costs

The build is only part of what an app costs. Quotes often leave out running costs and the work that follows launch. When you compare proposals, check whether each of these is included or extra:

• Discovery and design. Research, prototyping and user testing may be a separate phase before the build.
• Both platforms. iOS and Android can double the engineering unless the build is cross-platform.
• Back end and integrations. APIs, accounts, payments and analytics usually sit outside the front-end estimate.
• App store fees and review. Developer accounts carry annual fees, and submissions can need rework.
• Hosting and cloud services. Monthly usage costs grow with your user numbers.
• Maintenance. Operating-system updates and bug fixes need a support plan after launch.

None of the seven publishes a price for an app build, so any figure here is our estimate. As a rough guide (our estimate), a custom app from an established UK studio costs from about £30,000 to £100,000, and enterprise apps with integrations cost well above that. Ask each company for a scoped proposal that lists these items.