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iOS app development
Custom iOS app development in Swift & SwiftUI
Develak builds custom iOS apps for founders and companies: native iPhone and iPad apps written in Swift and SwiftUI, from the first specification to App Store release — and the updates that follow. It is exactly how we have built the 34 apps of our own catalogue.
- Swift
- SwiftUI
- SwiftData
- CloudKit
- StoreKit 2
The service
What does custom iOS app development include?
Custom iOS app development means building an app around your product, instead of squeezing your product into a template. We start from your users and your business model, then design and code every screen natively for iPhone and iPad.
We write in Swift and SwiftUI and rely on Apple’s frameworks: SwiftData or Core Data for storage, CloudKit for iCloud sync, StoreKit 2 for subscriptions, and HealthKit, WidgetKit or App Intents when your features call for them. Native code means smooth scrolling, a small download, full access to new iOS features and far fewer surprises at each iOS update.
Still weighing native against cross-platform? Our guide SwiftUI vs Flutter vs React Native compares the options honestly. And when your app is ready to ship, our App Store submission checklist lists everything Apple reviews before approval.
At a glance
- Service
- Native iPhone and iPad apps, built to order
- Stack
- Swift, SwiftUI, SwiftData, CloudKit, StoreKit 2
- Includes
- Design, development, testing, App Store release
- Ideal for
- New apps, rebuilds and ambitious features
- Engagement
- Fixed-scope project or ongoing partnership
- Languages
- Projects run in English or French
Guides to go further
What’s included
Everything an App Store–ready app needs
One studio handles the whole build, so nothing falls between a designer, a developer and a release manager.
Native Swift & SwiftUI code
Clean, documented code organized in modules, with an architecture sized for your app — not the framework of the month.
Data, storage & sync
Offline-first storage with SwiftData or Core Data, and private iCloud sync through CloudKit so users find their data on every device.
Subscriptions & in‑app purchases
StoreKit 2 paywalls, free trials and restore purchases, configured in App Store Connect.
Apple frameworks
HealthKit, WidgetKit, Live Activities, App Intents, Swift Charts, Core Location, PDF export — integrated where your features need them.
Privacy & compliance
Privacy manifests, clearly worded permission prompts, App Privacy answers and the details App Review looks at.
Testing & release
TestFlight betas, testing on several iPhone and iPad sizes, then App Store submission and follow-up with App Review.
Inside the project
A project built to be handed over
Your app is delivered as a clean Xcode project: organized by feature, built on Apple frameworks and ready for the next developer, whoever that is.
Organized by feature
Each screen lives with its logic, so a change stays in one place and every new feature has an obvious home.
Apple frameworks, chosen per need
SwiftData for storage, CloudKit for sync, StoreKit 2 for purchases, WidgetKit for widgets: each one only when a feature calls for it.
Ready to hand over
A String Catalog, a privacy manifest and technical notes come with the code, in a Git repository that belongs to you.
Who it’s for
Is custom iOS development right for you?
It is the right choice when the app is central to your product and has to feel first-class on iPhone.
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Founders with a validated idea
You know your market and need a solid first version that can grow — not a throwaway prototype.
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Companies adding an iPhone app
You have a service, a website or a community, and your customers expect a native app to go with it.
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Teams rebuilding an app
Your current app is slow, hard to update or held back by a cross-platform stack. We rebuild it natively.
Deliverables
What you receive
At the end of the project, everything needed to run, publish and evolve the app is delivered to you.
- The app, published on the App Store under your developer account
- Complete Swift and SwiftUI source code in a Git repository
- Design files for every screen and state
- App Store Connect setup: products, subscriptions, metadata
- Privacy manifest and App Privacy answers
- TestFlight builds throughout the project
- Technical notes: architecture, dependencies, build steps
- A prioritized list of recommended next improvements
Process
How we build your iOS app
Five steps, each ending with something you can see, test or approve.
Discovery & scope
We clarify goals, users, must-have features and integrations, then write a scope with milestones and a quote.
You get: Scope, milestones & quote
UX & interface design
User flows, wireframes and final screens based on Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines, approved before development.
You get: Approved screens
Iterative development
Feature by feature in Swift and SwiftUI, with TestFlight builds so you test on your own device as the app grows.
You get: TestFlight builds
Quality & polish
Several screen sizes, Dynamic Type, VoiceOver, dark mode, performance and the edge cases users always find.
You get: Release candidate
Launch & handover
Store listing, screenshots, submission and App Review follow-up — then a handover or an ongoing maintenance plan.
You get: Live app & handover
Timeline
How long does it take to build an iOS app?
Scope decides, more than anything else. As a guide, this is how a typical project divides its time:
Discovery & scope
Typical duration: A few days
Calls, questions, written scope and quote.
Design
Typical duration: A few weeks
Flows, wireframes, then final screens.
Development
Typical duration: The longest phase
Feature by feature, with TestFlight builds.
Testing & launch
Typical duration: Days to a few weeks
Polish, submission and App Review.
Guidance, not a guarantee: you receive a dated plan with your quote, after the discovery call.
Tools & frameworks
Built with Apple’s own toolkit
We favor Apple frameworks over third-party dependencies: fewer moving parts, better performance and a longer life for your code.
- Swift
- The language of the whole app, from models to networking.
- SwiftUI
- Adaptive interfaces for iPhone and iPad.
- SwiftData / Core Data
- On-device storage that works offline.
- CloudKit
- Private iCloud sync without a server of your own.
- StoreKit 2
- Subscriptions, free trials and paywalls.
- HealthKit
- Apple Health data, read and written with consent.
- WidgetKit & App Intents
- Widgets, Live Activities, Siri and Shortcuts.
- TestFlight & App Store Connect
- Betas, releases and store configuration.
Proof
Apps we built the same way
Our own apps use the stack and the standards we apply to client work. A few examples, from health to motorsport:
FAQ
iOS app development: your questions
What clients usually ask before starting a custom iPhone app.
Ask your question Not covered here? Write to us — we answer every message ourselves.
contact@develak.comHow much does it cost to develop an iOS app?
The cost of an iOS app depends on its number of screens and features and on integrations such as subscriptions, iCloud sync, Apple Health or a server. Develak does not publish a price list, because no two apps share the same scope. After a first call, we send a written scope with a fixed quote, so the budget is clear before any work begins.
How long does it take to build an iPhone app?
A focused iPhone app can often be designed, built and published in weeks rather than months; a larger product takes longer. Development is always the longest phase. You receive a dated plan with the quote; treat it as guidance, since changes of scope move dates.
Why build a native app in Swift instead of Flutter or React Native?
Native Swift and SwiftUI apps get new iOS features first, feel consistent with the rest of the iPhone, run faster and are easier to keep up to date when Apple ships a new iOS. Cross-platform frameworks make sense when Android is a priority from day one. Our guide SwiftUI vs Flutter vs React Native compares them in detail.
Do you build iPad and Mac versions too?
Yes. SwiftUI lets one codebase adapt to iPhone and iPad, and it can be extended to the Mac when that makes sense. Develak publishes Mac apps of its own, such as Xlocalize and Appviary.
Can the app connect to our existing backend or API?
Yes. We connect the app to your existing API and accounts, or keep things simpler with CloudKit when all you need is private sync between a user’s own devices — no server to run or pay for.
Who owns the app and its source code?
You do. Client apps are published under your own Apple Developer account, and the Swift source code, design files and App Store assets are delivered to you.
What happens after the App Store launch?
Most apps need regular updates: new iOS versions, user feedback and new features. You can continue with an ongoing maintenance plan, or take the code in-house: the project is documented so that either option works.
Let’s build your iOS app
Tell us what you have in mind — a sketch, a spec or just an idea. We read every message and reply personally.