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Questions to ask before hiring an app developer: a vetting checklist for non-technical founders

· By Oguz Delioglu, founder of ODEL

Before you hire an app developer, ask to see apps they have published that are live in the App Store or Google Play, ask whose developer account your app will be published under, and get in writing that the source code is assigned to you and pushed to a repository you own. Those three answers screen out most bad outcomes, and you do not need to read code to check them.

The rest of this checklist covers how the work will run, how you pay, and what happens after launch. Copy it into your notes and ask every candidate the same questions, so the answers are comparable.

1. Proof

  • Which apps have you published, and can I download them now? Ask for store links, not screenshots. Check the developer name on the listing, the release history and the reviews.
  • What exactly did you do on each one? Design, code, backend, store setup, or only one part.
  • Have you shipped apps with subscriptions or in-app purchases? If your app makes money that way, StoreKit, Google Play Billing, paywalls and restore purchases are a skill on their own.
  • Have you had an app rejected, and what did you change? Everyone who ships has been rejected. A good answer names the guideline. Apple reported 1,931,400 rejections out of 7,771,599 submissions in 2024 (Apple transparency report via MacRumors, 2025).
  • Can I talk to a past client? Small studios that mostly build their own products may have few. Then their own apps are the reference.

2. Ownership and accounts

  • Will the app be published under my Apple and Google developer accounts? The answer should be yes. When an app lives in the agency's account and the agency closes, the app can vanish, as one company described on the Apple Developer Forums.
  • Does the contract assign the code and design to me? In the US, transfers of copyright ownership must be in a signed writing (17 U.S.C. 204). Payment alone is not that writing.
  • Where does the code live during the project? Best answer: a Git repository in your account, with commits you can see.
  • Which third-party services will the app use, and in whose name? Hosting, database, analytics, payments, email, AI APIs. Each should be in your name or transferable.
  • What open-source libraries and licences are you using?

Full detail in who owns your app code and developer accounts.

3. Scope and process

  • What do you need from me to quote? A serious developer asks many questions first. A fixed price after a two-line message is a guess.
  • What is out of scope? Get a written list. It prevents most disputes.
  • When will I install the first build on my phone? TestFlight on iPhone, internal testing on Android. You should see working software, not status reports.
  • How are changes handled? New ideas mid-build are normal. Ask how they are priced and how they move the date.
  • Who designs the screens? And will you see them before code is written?
  • Native or cross-platform, and why for my app? A good answer is about your app's needs, not the developer's favourite tool. See native vs React Native vs Flutter.

4. Money

  • Fixed price, phased or hourly? Fixed price suits a clear first version. Hourly suits open-ended work. Phased plans fix the price per phase.
  • How is payment tied to milestones? Tie each payment to a build you can install, not to the calendar. Founders who paid everything upfront describe losing their bargaining power (r/startups).
  • What will I pay every month after launch? Apple charges 99 USD per membership year (Apple); Google Play charges 25 USD once (Google); add hosting and services.
  • Do you want equity? Be careful offering equity to a vendor. It is a partnership, not a payment method.

5. App Store and Google Play

  • Who handles App Store Connect and Google Play setup? Privacy details, age rating, subscriptions, screenshots, review notes.
  • How do you avoid rejection? Listen for specifics: demo account for the reviewer, privacy policy and support links, purpose strings for permissions, in-app account deletion if users can sign up. Apple requires that last one under guideline 5.1.1(v) (Apple).
  • Is my app built from a template you resell? Apple rejects template-generated apps unless the content provider submits them (guideline 4.2.6) and flags repeated similar apps as spam (4.3) (App Review Guidelines, October 2026).
  • For Android: do I need a closed test first? New personal accounts created after November 13, 2023 need 12 testers for 14 days (Google).

6. After launch

  • What happens when iOS or Android ships a new version?
  • Who fixes crashes in the first weeks, and is that included?
  • Can you help with store listings and keywords (ASO)? Launching without it often means few downloads.
  • If we stop working together, what do I get? Repository, documentation, credentials, and a handover call.

7. If the app uses AI

  • Which models do you use, and what happens when the provider is down or changes prices? A commenter in an r/ArtificialInteligence thread (2026) suggests exactly this question; vague answers can signal a reseller of a thin API wrapper.
  • Where do user inputs go, and is that in the privacy policy?

Red flags

  • No live apps you can download, or apps listed under someone else's name.
  • The app will be published "under our account for now".
  • No written contract, or a contract that says nothing about code ownership.
  • Large upfront payment with no milestone builds.
  • A price before any questions about what the app does.
  • No access to the code until final payment, with no repository you can see.
  • Promises of a ranking, a download count or guaranteed approval. Nobody controls App Review.

Where ODEL fits, and where it does not

ODEL is a one-person studio. Here are our answers to the checklist: our own apps are live in the stores under our own developer accounts (for example BidCraft, PillBuddy and Unvay); your app is published under your developer account; the code is yours; you install builds at each milestone; we quote after a discovery call, fixed or phased. After launch we do updates, ASO and subscription work. See iOS app development or app rescue and maintenance.

Not a fit: projects that need a large team, 24/7 on-site support or a certified vendor for regulated systems such as HIPAA business associate agreements or banking cores. A larger agency serves those better. If you want to run these questions on us, start here.