How do I choose a web or app development company?
The short answer
Look at live work you can open yourself, find out who will actually build your project, and get a written scope that says what is and is not included. Then ask who owns the code, the domain and the accounts at the end, how you will see progress, and who looks after the product after launch. A team that answers those plainly is a safer choice than the lowest quote.
Check the work, not the pitch
- Open the live sites and apps they list, on your own phone.
- Run a page through Google PageSpeed Insights to see how it loads on a phone.
- Ask which parts they did: design, code, content, or all of it.
- Ask for work like yours, but judge the quality more than the industry.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Who will build it, and will I talk to them directly?
- What exactly is in the scope, and what is not?
- How will I see progress: a live link, demos, written updates?
- Who owns the code, the domain, the hosting and the app store accounts at the end?
- How do you test before launch?
- What happens after launch, and what does looking after it cost?
- How do you protect personal data and keep the system secure?
Warning signs
- A price before anyone has asked what the product must do.
- No live work you can open.
- Vague answers about who owns the code and the accounts.
- Every account registered in their name rather than yours.
- No plan for what happens after launch.
Fixed price or paid by the hour?
A fixed price suits work you can describe in advance: a site with known pages, or the first release of an app. Paying for time suits work that will change as you learn, such as ongoing improvements. Many projects use both: a fixed scope for the first release, then a monthly block of hours to look after it and keep improving it.
How we can help.
- Our published work links to the live sites and apps, so you can open them yourself. See our work.
- There is no account layer: you talk to the engineer who knows your system, before and after launch. Maintenance retainers.
- Not sure what to build or which stack to pick? Technical advisory gives you a written recommendation and a prioritised action list. Technical advisory.
Questions people ask.
Should I hire a freelancer or a company?
A freelancer can suit a small, well-defined job. A team is safer when the product needs design, a backend, apps and someone to call after launch, because the work does not depend on one person.
Should I pick the cheapest quote?
Only if it covers the same scope. Put the quotes side by side against one written list of screens, features and integrations, and include what each team charges to look after the product after launch.
How does Round Robin work?
You talk to the people writing the code. We agree the scope and what it costs, show progress on a live URL with weekly demos, test the work and hand over a system your team can use. About us.
Sources.
- Google PageSpeed InsightsChecked 23 October 2026
Other companies change their prices and fees. Check the source before you rely on a figure.
Have a project in mind?
Tell us who it is for and what it must do. We reply within one working day.