Cross-Platform App Development
Our cross-platform app development team ships iOS and Android apps from a single codebase using React Native and Flutter. This can cut roughly 40% of the cost and time compared with building two native apps, while keeping performance close to native.
- Fixed-scope quoteA written price and milestone plan before any work starts.
- From $4,999 CADTypical single-platform apps $5,000 to $12,000.
- You own the codeSource, designs and store accounts are yours.
- Reply within 24 hoursMon to Fri, Toronto time. Call +1 (365) 440-1786.
Who this service is for
Cross-platform mobile app development fits companies that need iOS and Android on the same day, startups proving a product with a limited budget, and internal business apps where consistent behaviour matters more than platform-specific polish. It is a poor fit for apps built around deep hardware features, heavy 3D or the very latest platform APIs.
What's included
- One shared codebase for iOS and Android
- React Native or Flutter, chosen to fit your product
- Near-native performance and smooth animations
- Shared business logic with platform-specific polish
- App Store and Google Play submission for both platforms
- About 40% savings on cost and time versus two native apps
What is not included
- Web versions, unless scoped as a separate deliverable
- Platform-only features that need a fully native build
- Ongoing marketing and store campaigns
Anything on this list can still be quoted as a separate line, so nothing is hidden inside the main price.
How the engagement runs
- Discovery and framework choice. We review your feature list against what each framework does well, pick React Native or Flutter with you, and agree a fixed-scope quote.
- Shared design system. One set of components that follow each platform's conventions where they differ, so the app looks right on both.
- Build in short cycles. Shared code in one to two week cycles, with iOS and Android builds delivered together so both platforms stay in step.
- Native bridges and testing. Native modules for the few features that need them, then testing on real devices on both platforms.
- Dual store release. We prepare both listings, submit to the App Store and Google Play, handle review questions and hand over both accounts.
Every step ends with something you can open and check: a document, a prototype or a build on your own phone. Read the full four-step process for how milestones and payments line up.
Deliverables and what you own
- One Git repository with the shared codebase, native modules and a README
- Design files and a component library
- Backend source and deployment notes if we built the API
- Both store accounts, certificates and signing keys in your name
- Milestone release notes and a handover call
You own all of it on final payment. Nothing is licensed back to us and nothing is held on our accounts.
How we approach it
We help you decide whether cross-platform is the right call. For most business apps it is, because you reach both platforms at once and maintain one codebase. We build the shared parts once and add native touches where each platform needs them.
We pick React Native or Flutter based on your team, your integrations and your performance needs. Either way you get a well structured codebase that is straightforward to extend as your product grows.
Technology choices and when each fits
| Option | Fits when | Look elsewhere when |
|---|---|---|
| React Native | Teams with JavaScript or React experience, content and commerce apps, products that also have a React web app | Heavy animation or graphics work, or apps that depend on brand-new platform features |
| Flutter | Highly custom, branded interfaces, apps that must look identical on both platforms, smooth animation | Teams that want to reuse a React web codebase, or products that rely on many third-party native SDKs |
| Native iOS and Android | Hardware-heavy apps, the best possible performance, one dominant platform | Tight budgets that need both stores on day one |
| Progressive web app | Simple tools that do not need store presence or device features | Anything that needs push notifications on iOS, offline data or store discovery |
Tools we use
- React Native
- Flutter and Dart
- TypeScript for React Native projects
- Shared REST and GraphQL API layers
- Native modules where a feature needs them
What drives the cost
Most apps we build land between $5,000 and $25,000, and these drivers decide where yours sits in that range. Your quote is fixed-scope once they are known. See our price sheet or try the app cost calculator.
| Cost driver | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Share of native code | Each feature that needs a native module (Bluetooth, background location, custom camera) reduces the saving from shared code. |
| Design parity | Deciding whether the app should look identical on both platforms or follow each platform's conventions changes design and test time. |
| Integrations | Payments, maps, analytics and business systems add work on both platforms even with shared code. |
| Offline and sync | Local storage and conflict handling remain complex whichever framework you pick. |
| Backend | A new API is a project of its own and is scoped as one. |
Timelines and what moves them
- Focused first version on both stores. 6 to 10 weeks
- Full business app with backend and integrations. 3 to 6 months
- Store review, both platforms. usually days, longer for new developer accounts
What shortens or extends these ranges:
- How much of the app needs native modules
- Whether an API already exists
- New Google Play accounts have extra testing requirements before production
- Feedback speed each week
Risks and how we handle them
- A third-party library falls behind a new OS release. We choose widely maintained libraries, pin versions and keep a maintenance plan so upgrades happen on our schedule, not in a panic.
- Performance on older Android devices. We test on low-end devices early and move heavy work off the UI thread.
- The app feels foreign on one platform. The design system respects each platform's navigation and gesture conventions where users expect them.
How to prepare before you ask for a quote
You do not need a specification. These five things are enough for us to scope accurately:
- Whether your users skew iOS or Android, and by how much
- A feature list marked must-have and nice-to-have
- Any hardware features the app needs (camera, Bluetooth, NFC, background location)
- Existing systems the app must connect to
- Whether you have a web app whose code could be shared
Why choose us
- One team and one codebase instead of two
- Lower cost and faster time to market
- Consistent features across iOS and Android
- You own the full codebase at handover
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
For most business apps, yes. React Native and Flutter deliver near-native performance and a native look. We recommend native only when a product depends heavily on advanced device features.
Building one codebase instead of two often saves around 40% of cost and time, since you design, build and maintain a single app that runs on both platforms.
Both are strong. React Native suits teams with React or web experience, while Flutter gives very consistent visuals. We help you pick based on your product and team during the consultation.
Yes. We handle App Store and Google Play submission for the same codebase, including store listings and review preparation.
Yes. We structure the code and shared APIs so you can rebuild a platform natively later if your needs change, without starting from scratch on the backend.
Shared code typically saves a meaningful share of build and maintenance time compared with two native apps, which is where the widely quoted 40 percent figure comes from. The saving shrinks as more of the app needs native modules, so we estimate it for your feature list rather than promise a percentage.
React Native if your team knows JavaScript or you have a React web app to share logic with. Flutter if you want a highly custom, pixel-identical interface on both platforms. Both are mature. We explain the trade-off for your specific features in the first call.
People use the terms interchangeably. Both mean one codebase that ships to iOS and Android, and sometimes web or desktop as well.
Yes. Many products start cross-platform to reach both stores quickly and later rebuild specific screens natively where performance matters. Because you own the code and the backend, that path stays open.
Free quote
Tell us about your app
A senior engineer reads your brief and replies within 24 hours with questions and a fixed-scope estimate. No obligation and no sales sequence.
- Written, fixed-scope quote before any work starts
- You own the code, designs and accounts
- Typical apps from $4,999 CAD
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