Here's something that might surprise you: the cheapest mobile app developer you can find will probably end up costing you more than the most expensive one. I know that sounds backwards, but stick with me here. When businesses start looking for app developers, they naturally want to keep costs down—who doesn't? But what they don't realise is that choosing developers based purely on price is one of the biggest hiring mistakes you can make.
The cost consequences of poor hiring decisions don't show up immediately. They creep up on you weeks or months later when your mobile app crashes constantly, when features don't work properly, or when you need to completely rebuild everything from scratch. I've seen companies spend three times their original budget trying to fix problems that could have been avoided with better hiring choices from the start.
The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten
This isn't about being snobby or dismissive of budget-conscious developers. Some brilliant developers charge reasonable rates. But when you see quotes that seem too good to be true, they usually are. The real question isn't how much you'll pay upfront—it's how much you'll end up paying in total. Let's explore why cutting corners on developer costs often leads to spending far more than you ever planned.
The True Cost of Cheap Development
When you're planning a mobile app project, it's tempting to go with the cheapest quote you receive. I get it—budgets are tight and every pound counts. But here's something I've learned after working with clients who've been burned by bargain developers: cheap development almost always ends up costing more money in the long run.
Think about it this way: if you hire a developer for £20 per hour instead of £80 per hour, you might feel like you're saving £60 every hour. But what happens when that cheap developer takes four times longer to complete the same task? Or when their code breaks after a few months and needs to be completely rebuilt? Suddenly that £20 per hour doesn't look like such a bargain anymore.
The Mathematics of Poor Development
I've seen projects where clients initially saved £10,000 by choosing the cheapest developer, only to spend £30,000 fixing the problems later. The app crashed frequently, couldn't handle more than a few users at once, and had security vulnerabilities that put user data at risk. By the time they came to us, they'd spent twice what they would have if they'd hired quality developers from the start.
The real kicker? They still had to pay for proper development after all that trouble and expense.
Common Hiring Mistakes That Lead to Expensive Problems
After working with countless clients who've been burnt by poor hiring decisions, I've noticed the same patterns emerging time and time again. The biggest mistake? Choosing developers based purely on price rather than value. Sure, that £5-per-hour developer from overseas might seem like a bargain, but when your mobile app crashes every time someone tries to make a purchase, suddenly that "saving" doesn't look so clever.
Another costly error I see regularly is hiring developers who don't specialise in mobile app development. Web developers and mobile developers might both write code, but they're working with completely different beasts. Mobile apps need to handle battery life, different screen sizes, offline functionality, and app store requirements—skills that take years to master properly.
The Most Expensive Hiring Mistakes
- Selecting developers based solely on the lowest quote
- Hiring generalists instead of mobile app specialists
- Skipping proper technical interviews and code reviews
- Not checking previous mobile app projects and client feedback
- Choosing developers without app store submission experience
- Ignoring communication skills and time zone differences
Perhaps the most damaging mistake is failing to properly vet technical skills. Just because someone can build a website doesn't mean they understand iOS or Android development. The cost consequences of this oversight can be brutal—I've seen projects that needed complete rebuilds, costing three times the original budget.
Always ask to see actual mobile apps the developer has built and published, not just screenshots or demos. Download their previous apps and test them yourself.
How Poor Code Quality Creates Long-Term Financial Burden
When developers write messy code, it's like building a house with wonky foundations—everything that comes after becomes more expensive and difficult to fix. I've seen this happen countless times with clients who come to us after working with cheaper developers, and the pattern is always the same.
Poor code quality means your app becomes harder to update over time. Every new feature takes longer to build because developers have to work around the messy bits. What should be a simple one-day job turns into a week-long project because nobody can figure out how the original code works.
The Maintenance Nightmare
Bad code breaks more often too. You'll find yourself constantly fixing bugs that keep popping up in different parts of your app. Each fix creates new problems elsewhere because everything's connected in ways that don't make sense. This means you're paying for emergency fixes instead of building new features that actually help your business grow.
When Growth Becomes Impossible
The worst part? Eventually your app becomes so tangled that adding new features becomes nearly impossible. You're forced to rebuild everything from scratch—which costs far more than hiring quality developers in the first place. This is where technical debt spirals out of control, and I've seen businesses spend three times their original budget just to get back to where they started, but with proper code this time.
The Hidden Costs of Project Delays and Endless Revisions
Picture this: you hire a cheap developer who promises to deliver your mobile app in three months. Six months later, you're still waiting for basic features to work properly. Sound familiar? These hiring mistakes don't just delay your launch—they cost you real money in ways most people never see coming.
When inexperienced developers can't get things right the first time, you end up paying for the same work multiple times. That "simple" login screen gets rebuilt four times because it keeps crashing. The payment system needs constant fixes because it wasn't coded properly from the start. Each revision eats into your budget whilst your competitors race ahead.
The Domino Effect of Poor Planning
What's worse is how these delays create a domino effect. Your marketing team can't launch campaigns without a finished app. Your sales team has nothing to show potential customers. Meanwhile, app development projects should be improving your customer service, not creating more problems for your business.
Every month of delay typically costs businesses 20-30% more than their original development budget when you factor in lost revenue and additional expenses
I've seen projects that should have cost £20,000 balloon to £50,000 because of endless revisions and missed deadlines. The cost consequences of these hiring mistakes don't just hurt your wallet—they can kill your entire business before it even gets started.
Why Inexperienced Developers Struggle with Mobile App Complexity
Mobile app development isn't like building a simple website—it's far more complex than most people realise. I've watched countless inexperienced developers take on projects they thought would be straightforward, only to discover they're in way over their heads. The problem is that mobile apps need to work seamlessly across different devices, operating systems, and screen sizes whilst handling things like offline functionality, push notifications, and device permissions.
When someone without proper experience tries to tackle these challenges, they often make decisions that seem fine at first but create massive problems later. They might choose the wrong architecture, ignore performance optimisation, or—and this is a big one—fail to properly test across different devices. I've seen apps that work perfectly on one phone but crash constantly on another.
Common Areas Where Inexperienced Developers Fall Short
- Memory management and performance optimisation
- Proper handling of different screen sizes and orientations
- Security implementation and data protection
- App store submission requirements and guidelines
- Integration with third-party services and APIs
- Offline functionality and data synchronisation
The worst part? These issues often don't surface until the app is nearly finished—or worse, already launched. App store submission alone can become a nightmare when developers don't understand the guidelines, and by then, fixing them can cost three times more than doing it right from the start.
The Real Price of Fixing Someone Else's Mistakes
Here's something that might surprise you—fixing a badly built mobile app often costs more than building it properly from scratch. I've seen this countless times over the years, and it's one of those harsh realities that nobody warns you about when you're shopping around for the cheapest developer.
When you inherit a mess of code from inexperienced developers, you're not just paying for new features or improvements. You're paying for detective work. Your new development team needs to understand what the previous team was trying to do, why they did it that way, and how to untangle the mess without breaking everything else.
The Hidden Costs of Code Cleanup
Poor code doesn't just need fixing—it needs complete reconstruction. This means your budget gets eaten up by tasks that should have been done correctly the first time:
- Rewriting entire sections of broken code
- Fixing security vulnerabilities that put user data at risk
- Optimising performance issues that make your app crawl
- Adding proper documentation that was never created
- Testing everything again because nothing was tested properly
The real kicker? You're essentially paying twice for the same functionality. Once to the cheap developer who built it wrong, and again to the professional team who has to fix their hiring mistakes.
Before hiring a cleanup team, get them to audit the existing code first. This assessment will help you understand whether it's worth fixing or if starting fresh would actually save money in the long run.
How to Spot Quality Developers Without Breaking the Bank
Finding skilled developers on a budget isn't impossible—it just requires knowing what to look for. I've worked with brilliant developers who charge reasonable rates and expensive ones who deliver subpar work. The trick is understanding the difference between value and cost.
Start by examining their portfolio carefully. Quality developers showcase real projects with clean code samples, not just pretty screenshots. Look at what top app developers have achieved and compare that to what you're seeing from potential candidates.
Red Flags to Watch For
- Promises that sound too good to be true (like "we'll build your app in one week")
- Reluctance to show previous work or provide references
- Communication that's vague or unprofessional
- Quotes that are significantly lower than everyone else's without explanation
- No questions about your target audience or business model
What Good Developers Do Differently
Skilled developers explain their process clearly and break down costs transparently. They discuss potential challenges upfront rather than discovering them halfway through your project. They also suggest solutions that fit your budget whilst maintaining quality—maybe turning your app idea into reality with a simpler version first and adding features later.
Remember, the cheapest option usually costs more in the long run. Focus on finding developers who offer the best value for your specific needs and budget constraints.
Conclusion
After eight years of working with clients who've been burned by cheap developers, I can tell you that the pattern is always the same—what starts as a bargain quickly becomes a financial nightmare. The hiring mistakes we've covered aren't just theoretical problems; they're real issues that can sink your mobile app project before it even launches.
Poor code quality, endless revisions, project delays, and the massive cost consequences of fixing someone else's work—these aren't risks you want to take with your business. I've seen too many companies spend three times their original budget trying to salvage apps built by inexperienced developers who promised the world for a fraction of the price.
The good news? You don't have to choose between quality and affordability. There are skilled developers out there who offer fair pricing without cutting corners. The trick is knowing what to look for and being willing to invest properly from the start. Your mobile app is likely a significant part of your business strategy—treat it that way. Pay for experience, demand quality work, and save yourself the headache of dealing with the hidden expenses that come with poor hiring decisions. Trust me, your future self will thank you for it.
