The article was updated on March 24, 2025.
Today, app development outsourcing is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. 3 in 5 companies already use outsourcing, and in some industries, their share reaches 72%. Why is it so popular? How can your business benefit from hiring an external team?
While in-house development offers full control and faster communication, it often comes with a limited talent pool, higher costs, and technology constraints. On the contrary, outsourcing companies may offer faster completion, cost efficiency, access to the best talent, and scalability.
Which option suits your business more? In this article, we will discuss the pros and challenges of outsourced mobile app development and explain how to choose the right external company.
Benefits of outsourcing mobile application development
Outsourcing app development can be extremely beneficial for your business, leading to less stress, broader market reach, and higher revenues. In the paragraphs below, we want to discuss the main advantages of outsourcing app development in 2025.
Quick start of a project
Time is money, they say. And we can’t agree more! Even a couple of days can make a difference in our fast-moving world, and the earlier you start the development process, the better.
This idea leads us to one of the main benefits of outsourcing app development—quicker project implementation. External companies often have ready teams, which eliminates long-lasting recruiting and onboarding processes. They can effectively estimate the project and start working on it as soon as possible, moving from an idea to a ready app much faster.
Cost reduction
It is one of the main advantages of outsourcing over in-house development. An offshore outsourcing company helps businesses reduce development costs, which in turn frees up resources that can be used for new development opportunities.
Outsourcing saves time
The market typically requires a fast turnaround for the process of mobile application development. When outsourcing such a project, you do not waste time and money on hiring, training, and retaining employees.
Read also: 5 Reasons to Outsource Only Top-Notch Startups Know About
Best engineering talent
When you team up with employees from other countries, you are getting access to the best engineering talents from all over the world, as opposed to simply hiring people that are available within a radius of 30 km from the location of the company.
This factor becomes especially crucial when you have not just a company but a startup, where every new employee is an important decision that will almost certainly affect the outcome of your business.
You hire an experienced, well-coordinated, and dedicated team
Well-established outsourcing companies offer fully staffed and dedicated teams of developers where team members have known each other for a long time and worked together on many projects.
You can be sure that these employees are professionals and have a lot of experience to meet the requirements of your project and introduce the best solutions.
High communication standards
You get a team that follows the highest communication standards to ensure full transparency throughout the process, just as if you were working with an in-house team. Needless to say, they adapt to your local hours.
Close supervision
Your personal manager will keep you in the loop with regular meetings, demo sessions, and constant communication. As a result, you will always know exactly what your team is working on as well as monitor the progress status of the tasks and their expected completion date.
End-to-end services and support
On-demand access to a pool of developers, DepOps, QA, designers & architects. You can easily and accordingly adjust your team size or skill set(s) to the project requirements throughout the evolution of your project.
Risk reduction
After signing a contract, all project risks are transferred to the outsourcing company. Typically, an outsourcing company guarantees delivery on time and on budget.
Also, all your sensitive data regarding the project is protected due to signing a non-disclosure agreement so that you can be sure there is no risk of a “project theft” or any confidential information leakage.
Read also: How to Protect Your Idea and End Product When Outsourcing Software Development
Focus on core business activities
Concentrating on the main processes without spreading yourself out too thin across multiple tasks is essential for your company’s success.
Thanks to mobile app development outsourcing, businesses can focus on such areas as marketing and sales, boosting overall productivity and growth. They can dedicate attention to customer engagement and concentrate efforts on basic business functions, which leads to better performance and stronger positions on the market.
Managers also feel relieved as they don’t have to handle additional tasks of monitoring development teams.
Access to expertise and the latest tech
Another benefit of outsourced mobile app development services is access to the pool of first-class developers, designers, and testers. They have vast experience working on diverse projects that your employees might lack.
Thus, companies benefit from the latest practices and avoid common mistakes that are often made by less experienced teams. When hiring seasoned developers, businesses ensure their mobile apps have zero mistakes and meet user expectations.
In addition, outsourcing app development provides companies access to the latest technologies and frameworks. External companies often specialize in cutting-edge programs and platforms like machine learning, augmented reality, and AI. As a rule, these technologies require solid investments, and by outsourcing, companies bypass these costs, paying only for the knowledge and services they need.
Scalability and flexibility
Sometimes, it is quite difficult to adjust the team size and available resources to shifting business goals and technical requirements. That is when scalability—one of the core mobile app development outsourcing benefits—comes into play. External companies can adjust the size of the team and tools based on the app’s scope and complexity.
Companies teaming up with outsourcing services can quickly engage additional resources or, on the contrary, scale back. This gives enough flexibility and room for maneuvers to remain cost-effective and responsive, easily adapting to project requirements and market changes.
How to choose the right outsourcing company for app development
Choosing the right outsourcing company is crucial for your project’s success. In this section, we’ll discuss five key steps to help you distinguish good mobile app development outsourcing companies from mediocre ones and navigate the selection process.
By following these steps, you will easily find a company that meets your goals and delivers first-class applications.
1. Assess expertise and technical skills
When choosing an outsourcing app developer, companies should start by evaluating their expertise and technical skills. Schedule an interview with technical leads or developers to learn more about their methodologies and experience. You can also ask for completed training programs and certifications or request a small test task to check the skills firsthand.
Finding out if the team is proficient in such areas as backend development, security, and UI/UX design is important. You should also make sure that they have experience in your specific niche: eCommerce, FinTech, healthcare, etc.
2. Evaluate portfolio
In the next stage, you can try to request demos, sample codes, or prototypes that the app development outsourcing company has already created. To get more insights, ask them for projects similar to the ones you require.
Having practical domain knowledge ensures that they know how to make the development process smooth and face industry-related challenges with confidence. But be prepared for rejection, because such information often falls under the NDA agreement.
Some outsourcing companies also have public portfolios on their official websites, social networks, or such platforms as Clutch, GoodFirms, and Upwork.
3. Check references and client reviews
Before giving the outsourced mobile app development team a green light, always check their references and testimonials. An experienced and reputable company will usually have a separate page with success stories and reviews. If they are absent, look for feedback on public platforms with unbiased reviews like LinkedIn, Clutch, and GoodFirms.
Pay attention not only to their development skills but also to the way they meet deadlines, communicate with customers, and follow guidelines. If you have doubts, contact their past clients to get direct feedback. This will help you evaluate the company and check if they are the right fit for your project.
4. Evaluate communication
Mobile application development outsourcing becomes much simpler if communication is effective and streamlined. Before hiring an external team, you should evaluate how well they understand your needs and respond to the queries. Here are the aspects worth taking into account:
- Response time. Check how quickly they reply to your messages, emails, and calls.
- Clarity and language. Ensure that they understand your requirements and render their ideas without any confusion.
- Use of communication tools. Ask what instruments they use to streamline communication – Trello, Slack, Jira, etc.
- Transparency. Check how proactive and positive they are when it comes to solving problems and misunderstandings.
5. Review development process organization
Understanding how the outsourcing company organizes its development workflows is crucial to ensuring that it will meet your expectations. Well-structured processes guarantee smooth project execution, timely delivery, and overall satisfaction.
Ask whether they use methodologies such as Scrum, Agile, and Waterfall, and don’t be shy to request information about reporting progress and setting milestones. Ensure the company has clear testing and quality assurance procedures to avoid misunderstandings and delays. A transparent and properly organized development process keeps your project on track and makes communication clear and simple.
Challenges of outsourcing mobile app development (and solutions)
From time to time, companies that outsource app development face challenges that can cast a shadow on their experiences. If you want to learn from someone else’s mistakes, read about the possible challenges and their solutions in the section below.
Communication barriers
Direct, fast, and smooth communication may be an issue when it comes to external teams. Sometimes, they are located in different time zones and continents. Plus, you may have significant cultural differences that may lead to misunderstandings and additional stress.
To solve this challenge, discuss the communication process with the team’s project manager in advance. Share your worries and ask what measures and instruments they use to make communication simple, quick, and positive.
Quality concerns
One of the main challenges of outsourced application development is ensuring the quality of received services. With teams working remotely, a lack of communication and control may lead to mistakes, failed deadlines, and unsatisfactory results. Your company may also have a different perception of development standards and practices which may impact the overall quality.
To address this challenge, you should know what results you want to achieve. Conduct regular code reviews, ask for feedback, and establish direct communication with project managers to ensure high-quality results throughout the whole process.
Limited control over the development process
Another possible problem that may influence the quality and cost of outsourcing app development is limited control over the process. Controlling an external team from a distance is much more difficult than controlling an in-house one. It may be challenging to track day-to-day progress and make quick changes if necessary.
But the solution to this problem is similar to the ones which have already been discussed above. You should establish clear communication with managers and developers, use project management tools, and break the development process into clear milestones.
Security and privacy risks
When outsourcing app development, almost every company wonders how to keep themselves safe. They worry about sharing sensitive information and providing access to valuable software or instruments.
Luckily, in these modern days, such risks can be easily mitigated by signing confidentiality agreements and using encryption protocols for sharing information. The chosen outsourcing company should follow strict security protocols and international data protection laws. In addition, you can always set up regular audits and share your concerns with the outsourcing company to find out more about the security measures they offer.
Unclear expectations
You probably know how vague requirements and goals can lead to poor results, whether in your personal, academic, or professional life. This can also happen when companies outsource mobile app development without clearly defining their expectations and deadlines. As a result, both sides feel confused and stressed, and the overall quality of communication and development significantly deteriorates.
To avoid this, be very detailed from the start. Discuss your expectations, goals, and deadlines with the manager, and make sure that your vision is understood. To stay on the same page, set clear milestones and collect feedback during the development process.
Outsourcing mobile app development: the best choice for growth
Outsourced app development offers a wide range of advantages no matter how big or small your business is. Hiring an external development company can cut your costs by two or even three times, speed up project completion, contribute to flexibility, and provide access to the latest technologies.
By outsourcing certain functions or projects in full, businesses can focus on core activities and have access to the best developers on the market.
If you consider outsourcing application development, research the market and follow the tips discussed in this article. And to make your business thrive, contact us. We know how to take your business to a whole new level!
Companies choose outsourcing for many reasons, but the most common are a limited budget, tight deadlines, and lack of expertise. They also turn to external teams when there are no resources for in-house recruitment and when main business activities already feel overwhelming. Outsourcing offers multiple advantages depending on your company’s size, goals, and budget. The most common are cost efficiency, faster time-to-market, access to industry experts and cutting-edge technologies, scalability, and focus on the main activities. First, you should define your project requirements and choose the right outsourcing company based on the criteria we have discussed above. When the contract is signed, set up regular checks and communication, and review progress.Frequently Asked Questions
When to outsource your app development?
What are the benefits of outsourcing mobile app development?
How to outsource mobile app development?
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About the author:
Alexey Shalimov, CEO at Eastern Peak
As CEO at Eastern Peak, a professional software consulting and development company, Alexey ensures top quality and cost-effective services to clients from all over the world. Alexey is also a founder and technology evangelist at several technology companies. Previously, as a CEO of the Gett (GetTaxi) technology company, Alexey was in charge of developing the revolutionary Gett service from ground up and deploying the operation across the globe from New York to London and Tel Aviv.
