What does an app developer cost?

The price depends more on the scope of the app than on the hourly rate. I give a fixed price on the first version once we have scoped it, so you know what you are paying before I start.

An app developer, an app agency or a software company can. The most important difference is who writes the code and how many layers sit between you and that person. With me there are none.

What is the difference between an app agency and a freelance app developer?

An agency has several disciplines in-house and can staff large projects on several platforms at once. A freelance app developer is one person who both advises and builds, with no project management or overhead in between. For iPhone apps with a clear first version, that is often the most efficient route.

What should I have ready before contacting an app developer?

A short description of who the app is for, what it has to do on day one, and whether it needs to talk to an existing system. Designs, sketches and a deadline help, but are not required.

How do we make sure the app does not depend on one developer?

By keeping the code in your own repository, the app under your own Apple account, and documentation alongside. I write the app in Swift and SwiftUI, Apple's own standards, so other iOS developers can take over.

Can you help if we already have an app?

Yes. I am happy to take over an existing iOS app whose original developer has moved on. The first step is a review of the code and an assessment of what can be built on.

Do you design the app as well?

I can design the app based on Apple's own guidelines, which gives an app that feels at home on the iPhone. If you already have a design in Figma, I build from that.

Do you work with businesses outside Copenhagen?

Yes. I am based in Herlev and take on work from across Denmark. Test builds of the app are sent through TestFlight, so everyone can test on their own phone wherever they are.

How do we get started?

Write or call and briefly describe what the app should do and who it is for. You get a reply the same day, and then we have a 20-30 minute call to scope the first version.

Experienced iPhone app developer

When you are looking for an app developer, what matters most is not how many people sit in the office, but who writes the code. With me, that is me. I have built software since 2010, build native iOS apps in Swift and SwiftUI, and you talk directly to me from the first call until the app is on the App Store.

+45 22 51 31 79

I usually reply the same day
Written estimate before work starts

star reviews

Read every review

Lightning fast with an eye for detail
Mikkel is a man after my own heart. Executes at lightning speed, has an eye for detail and is always there when you need him. It does not get better than that.
Tini Owild(translated from Danish)
Dedicated and capable like no one else
I have never come across a developer as dedicated and capable as Mikkel.
Jonas Krogslund(translated from Danish)
Helpful and lightning fast to reply
Mikkel is seriously good, helpful, lightning fast to reply — and on top of that he is a nice person.
Trine Handskemager(translated from Danish)

App developer

A developer who understands the business too

I have been a co-founder and CTO in several companies and have sat on both sides of the table: the one paying for the solution and the one building it. That is why I ask what the app should achieve for your business before we talk about features.

It also means I say so when an app is not the answer. Sometimes a better mobile-friendly website or an integration between two systems solves the problem for less, and then that is what you will hear.

What you can hire me for

A new iOS app from idea to App Store, with scoping, screen flow, development and release.
Further development of an existing app, including when the original developer or agency is no longer involved.
The backend and API for the app, built by the same person, so app and server fit together.
Technical sparring before you choose a supplier: an assessment of the idea, the scope and the quotes you have received.
Updating an app that has been rejected by Apple or no longer builds in the latest Xcode.

App agency or independent app developer?

An app agency is the right choice when the app has to ship on iOS and Android at the same time with a team for each, when designers, testers and project managers need to be on it full time, or when you need an agreement that guarantees cover, including when one person is ill or on holiday.

An independent app developer fits best when the app is for iPhone, when you want to talk directly to the person building it, and when you would rather pay for development than for an agency's overhead. There are no internal handovers between you and the code.

What does an app developer do?

An app developer builds the apps that run on phones and tablets. On iOS that means writing the app in Swift, building the interface in SwiftUI, connecting it to a server, testing it on real phones and getting it through Apple's review for the App Store. Many app developers also work on the server side, because an app rarely stands on its own.

The role covers more than the code itself. A good app developer helps scope what the first version should do, points out what will be expensive to maintain, and knows Apple's rules well enough to avoid the app being rejected on the last day. That experience saves both time and money.

I am a developer with 16 years of experience and have built software since 2010. Most of that time has been about the web, which is an advantage in app projects, because I can build both the app and the backend it gets its data from.

How to choose the right app developer

Start by asking who writes the code and whether you can talk to that person. At a company with many employees, the person you met at the sales meeting is not necessarily the one who builds your app.

Then ask about ownership. The app should be published under your own Apple developer account, not the developer's, and the source code should live in a repository you have access to yourself. Otherwise changing supplier later can become both hard and expensive.

Ask about maintenance, too. Apple releases a new iOS version every year and keeps requiring apps to be built with newer tools. An app nobody keeps up to date ends up unable to receive updates on the App Store. A good quote says something about what it costs to keep the app running over the next years, not just about the launch.

Red flags are a price given without knowing the scope, promises of specific download numbers, a developer who wants to publish the app under their own account, and a quote with no description of what is not included.

Professional app development for businesses

When a business has an app built, the app is rarely the product itself. It is a new way into something that already exists: orders, bookings, memberships, tasks or data. That is why the work is as much about the integrations with your existing systems as about the screens.

Internal apps for staff do not have to go on the public App Store. Apple offers private distribution options for businesses, so an app can only be downloaded by your own people. I help you pick the right option when the app is for internal use only.

Whether the app is for customers or staff, the same applies: data has to be handled properly, the app has to describe its data honestly on the App Store, and it has to be maintainable by people other than me. That last point is part of the delivery, not an afterthought.

What you get

Concrete deliverables, not a report of recommendations someone else has to find time for.

A written quote
With a scope for the first version: what is included, what is not, and when it will be ready.
One point of contact
You talk to the person writing the code, from the first call until the app is on the App Store.
The app under your own account
The app is published under your Apple developer account, and the code lives in your repository from day one.
A handover
Documentation and a walkthrough of the code, so another developer can take over if you want them to.

How it works

Four steps. You know what happens when, and you can stop after any of them.

01 / 04
We scope the first version
A 20-30 minute call about who the app is for and what it has to do on day one. I ask about data, login and existing systems, and tell you honestly if an app is not the answer to your problem.
02 / 04
Screen flow before code
I sketch the screens and the path between them, so we agree on the first version before any code is written. If a design already exists in Figma, I build from that.
03 / 04
Building with TestFlight
The app is built in pieces, and each piece lands on your iPhone through TestFlight. You test on real phones along the way, so changes get made while they are still cheap.
04 / 04
Release and upkeep
I prepare the App Store page, submit the app for Apple's review and fix whatever Apple may ask for. After launch I keep the app updated for new iOS versions, if you want me to.

Brands I've worked with

Frequently asked questions

What does an app developer cost?: The price depends more on the scope of the app than on the hourly rate. I give a fixed price on the first version once we have scoped it, so you know what you are paying before I start.
Who can make an app?: An app developer, an app agency or a software company can. The most important difference is who writes the code and how many layers sit between you and that person. With me there are none.
What is the difference between an app agency and a freelance app developer?: An agency has several disciplines in-house and can staff large projects on several platforms at once. A freelance app developer is one person who both advises and builds, with no project management or overhead in between. For iPhone apps with a clear first version, that is often the most efficient route.
What should I have ready before contacting an app developer?: A short description of who the app is for, what it has to do on day one, and whether it needs to talk to an existing system. Designs, sketches and a deadline help, but are not required.
How do we make sure the app does not depend on one developer?: By keeping the code in your own repository, the app under your own Apple account, and documentation alongside. I write the app in Swift and SwiftUI, Apple's own standards, so other iOS developers can take over.
Can you help if we already have an app?: Yes. I am happy to take over an existing iOS app whose original developer has moved on. The first step is a review of the code and an assessment of what can be built on.
Do you design the app as well?: I can design the app based on Apple's own guidelines, which gives an app that feels at home on the iPhone. If you already have a design in Figma, I build from that.
Do you work with businesses outside Copenhagen?: Yes. I am based in Herlev and take on work from across Denmark. Test builds of the app are sent through TestFlight, so everyone can test on their own phone wherever they are.
How do we get started?: Write or call and briefly describe what the app should do and who it is for. You get a reply the same day, and then we have a 20-30 minute call to scope the first version.