Founders often ask me the same first question about mobile apps: "Do I really need to build it twice, once for iPhone and once for Android?" The short answer for most business apps is no. React Native lets one codebase serve both, and that single fact can cut your build cost and your maintenance bill by a large margin.
I'm Arun Tyagi, a freelance developer in Sector 58, Noida. This page is about the React Native app development services I offer, with a focus on what you get at each stage and where the real costs hide.
What I deliver in a React Native engagement
- The app itself for iOS and Android from a shared codebase, written in TypeScript.
- Backend and API built in Laravel, so you are not stitching together an app from one vendor and a server from another. See mobile app development for the full-stack view.
- Admin dashboard on the web to manage users, content, and orders.
- Store release: developer account guidance, listings, screenshots, privacy declarations, and review handling.
- Analytics and crash reporting so you see how people actually use the app and where it fails.
Features I build often
- Phone-number or email login with OTP
- Push notifications through Firebase
- Payments with Razorpay or Stripe
- Maps, location tracking, and delivery status
- Offline mode with data syncing when the connection returns
- In-app chat and media upload
- Subscription or in-app purchase flows
Each of these has a hidden cost: edge cases. Push notifications look simple until you handle denied permissions, expired tokens, and users logged in on two devices. I quote with those cases in mind rather than discovering them mid-project.
Expo or bare React Native?
I start with Expo for most projects. It speeds builds, simplifies updates, and handles the majority of native modules. If your app needs unusual native code, such as custom Bluetooth hardware, we move to a bare workflow. That choice is made early, because switching later is painful.
Realistic timelines and prices
| App type | Time | Approx. cost (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| Content or companion app | 5-8 weeks | ?1,50,000 - ?3,00,000 |
| Booking, ordering, or service app | 10-14 weeks | ?3,00,000 - ?6,00,000 |
| Multi-role marketplace or logistics app | 4-6 months | ?6,00,000 - ?12,00,000 |
| Existing app rescue or upgrade | 2-6 weeks | ?40,000 - ?1,50,000 |
Costs below those figures usually mean the backend, testing, or store submission have been quietly dropped from the quote. Ask every vendor, including me, what is not included.
Common things that go wrong, and how I prevent them
- The app works on iPhone, breaks on a Samsung. I test on a set of real Android devices, including older, lower-memory ones.
- Store rejection. I follow Apple and Google policy checklists before the first submission.
- Slow lists and janky animations. Virtualised lists, memoisation where measured, and performance profiling.
- API changes breaking old app versions. Versioned endpoints, so users who never update do not crash.
What I will not build in React Native
Heavy 3D games, advanced camera pipelines, or apps tied to unusual hardware are better written natively. I will say so on the first call rather than spend your budget on workarounds.
Running costs to expect
Apple Developer is about USD 99 per year, and Google Play is a one-time USD 25. Server hosting for a typical app is a few thousand rupees per month at the start. Push notifications and maps may add usage costs as you scale. Ongoing updates after launch are covered under maintenance and support, from around ?8,000 monthly.
Related pages
If you are hiring rather than shopping for a service, read React Native developer India. For the API layer, see API development and Laravel SaaS development for subscription-based apps. General rates live on pricing.
Start
Send me a one-paragraph description of your app on WhatsApp: +91 8791775933. Or book a free call. I will ask a handful of questions, point out the expensive parts, and give you a ballpark.