Mobile App Development in Ireland
We design and build iPhone and Android apps for Irish businesses, from a first version for your own staff to a subscription product you sell to others.
Mobile app development for Irish businesses
GBA Solutions designs and builds custom iPhone and Android apps for small and medium businesses in Ireland and Northern Ireland, whether the app is for your own staff in the field, for your customers, or a product you want to sell. A first version usually costs from €3,000 to €8,000, a mid-sized app €8,000 to €12,000, and a simple app typically takes 4 to 8 weeks to build.
We're a technology company based in County Kildare. You deal directly with the person building your app, from the first conversation through to launch on the App Store and Google Play, and for as long as you need support afterwards.
The short version
- What we build: native apps for iPhone (Swift) and Android (Kotlin), usually with a web dashboard for your office, all running on Google Cloud and Firebase.
- Who it's for: Irish SMEs in construction, health and safety, farming, trades, food safety and tourism, and anyone with paperwork, field staff or customers that an app could help.
- What it costs: from €3,000 for a first version, with a fixed price agreed before any development starts.
- How long it takes: 4 to 8 weeks for a first version, then the app grows in stages as you need it.
- How we work: you see a working app on your phone early, get updates almost every week, and we handle the App Store and Google Play submissions for you.
Who our apps are for
Most of the apps we build fall into one of three groups. Plenty of projects mix them, for example an app for your crews alongside a dashboard for the office and a login for your customers.
Apps for your own staff
These replace clipboards, spreadsheets and WhatsApp threads with something your team uses every day: job tracking, timesheets, safety checks, inspection forms and reports that go out as a PDF the moment the job is done. They're built to be quick and simple for people working on site, in a van or in a field.
Apps for your customers
Customer apps let people book, order, check their account or get their documents without ringing you. For AM Site Solutions, clients scan a QR code on a machine and get its safety certificate on their phone straight away, with no emails back and forth.
Apps you sell to others
If you know your industry well, an app can become a product of its own. We build these as subscription products with self-service sign-up, multiple users per account and Stripe billing, so other businesses can pay to use what you've built.
What our apps do, with real examples
These are features we build into business apps regularly. Where an app is written up as a case study, we've linked it so you can read how it works for that business.
GPS location tracking
We've built GPS tracking into several apps, so you can see where your crews, vans or equipment are, record where a job or inspection took place, and log time on site against a location. It's the kind of feature that ends the "where are you now?" phone calls and gives you a record you can stand over if a customer queries a visit.
Barcode and QR code scanning
Apps we build can scan barcodes and QR codes with the phone's own camera, so there's no separate scanner to buy. That's used for checking stock in and out, logging deliveries, looking up equipment and pulling up documents for whatever is in front of you.
Working offline
Plenty of our apps keep working without a signal. Staff carry on filling in forms, taking photos and recording jobs on a site, out on the road or on the bottom floor of a building, and everything syncs back to the office once they're in coverage again.
QR codes and document access on site: an example
For AM Site Solutions, a health and safety consultancy working with contractors across Leinster and beyond, we built iPhone and Android apps for field staff, office admin, site managers and clients, with a web dashboard behind them. Each certified machine carries a QR code, and scanning it on site brings up the latest certificate on any phone. Engineers record GA1 inspections on site and the certificate is generated straight away. The company now saves 492 hours a year on GA1 certificate processing, roughly three months of one person's time, and spends 80% less admin time tracking certificate renewals. You can read more in the GA1 audit case study.
Tablet forms for field staff
Big H The Plumber in Wexford and Wicklow used to fill in paper surveys and then type them into Excel. We built them a survey system designed to be filled in on a tablet, where surveyors can sketch plans in different colours, add photos and flag anything the office needs to look at, with every entry saved as they go. It saves them 12 hours out of 80 every week, a 15% saving. This one is a web app rather than a store app, which is often the better fit for tablets that stay with the company.
Maps, and more apps that cope with poor signal
The Salzburg Pocket Guide is an iPhone app for visitors to Salzburg with both an online and an offline map, walking routes, commentaries on the sights and suggested itineraries. TillageTrack lets farmers log spraying, sowing and harvesting from the tractor or the yard and produces inspection-ready reports for the Irish Grain Assurance Scheme.
Quotes, invoices and job tracking on the phone
For Tom O'Grady Heating and Plumbing we built an iPhone app that tracks every job, builds quotes and invoices from a materials list with mark-ups applied automatically, places orders with suppliers and stores photos and gas certificates against each job. Tom has won back about 10 to 15 hours a week that used to go on evening admin.
Safety documents, quizzes and site sign-in
For Instaspace Modular we built an iPhone and Android app where subcontractors read and acknowledge safety documents before they arrive, complete quizzes and Toolbox Talks, and sign in and out of sites. Staff manage everything from an admin console that reports on acknowledgements, quiz results and who's been on site.
App case studies
A selection of the mobile apps we've built for Irish and European businesses.
Compliance and certification app for AM Site Solutions
iPhone and Android apps with a web dashboard for certificates, expiry reminders, digital GA1 and GA2 forms, QR codes and Stripe subscriptions.
Read moreTillageTrack, a subscription app for tillage farmers
Started as an MVP for one Wexford farmer and grew into a product on the App Store and Google Play for farmers across Ireland.
Read moreSafety compliance app for Instaspace Modular
Subcontractors acknowledge safety documents, take quizzes and sign in and out of sites from their phones.
Read moreiPhone app for Tom O'Grady Heating and Plumbing
Jobs, quotes, invoices and supplier orders on the phone, winning back 10 to 15 hours a week of evening admin.
Read moreTablet surveys for Big H The Plumber
Paper surveys replaced with tablet forms, sketches and photos, saving 15% of the working week.
Read moreSalzburg Pocket Guide iPhone app
A city guide with online and offline maps, walking routes and commentaries on the sights.
Read moreThe end result surpassed what we could have hoped for, not only meeting all our criterion but also incorporating suggestions from Warren and resulting in a clean, user friendly App. From the first phone call to handover, we found that Warren listened and delivered and is a genuine pleasure to deal with.
Director, Big H The Plumber
iPhone, Android or both?
Most of our clients go for both, so the app works for everyone. In Ireland, Android has around 60% of the mobile market and iPhone around 40%, but what matters is which phones your own staff or customers carry. If they mostly use one type, or you want to keep the first version smaller, starting with one platform is perfectly sensible.
We build native apps, in Swift for iPhone and Kotlin for Android. These are the official languages Apple and Google use, which gives the app full access to the phone's camera, location, notifications and storage, and tends to keep it reliable as each new version of iOS and Android comes out. You can read more on our iOS app development and Android app development pages, or see how we use Kotlin and Google Firebase.
Do you actually need a mobile app?
Not always, and we'll tell you if you don't. A mobile app makes sense when you need the phone's camera, location or push notifications, or when you want a permanent place on your customers' home screens. If you mainly need forms, dashboards or a customer portal, a web app runs in any browser, skips the app store approval process and is often quicker and cheaper to build. Plenty of people come to us sure they need a mobile app and leave happier with a web app, which can always become a mobile app later. Our custom app development page covers both.
How an app project runs
A simple app typically takes 4 to 8 weeks from the first conversation to launch. A bigger app starts with a first version in that time and then grows in stages. Here's what happens along the way.
Talk it through
We start with a conversation about your business, the problem the app needs to solve and who'll use it. We then agree what goes into the first version and give you a fixed price before any development starts.
See real screens early
Rather than weeks of diagrams, we build real screens straight away, so you can tap through an actual app on your own phone early in the project and tell us what fits and what doesn't.
Build with weekly updates
You'll get an update almost every week and can see the app growing. We adjust as we go, and we don't penalise you for changes, so by launch it has already been tested against how your business really works.
Launch on the stores
Apple and Google need developer accounts, store descriptions, screenshots and compliance forms, and Apple is known for rejecting apps over small details. We handle all of it, and can publish under our own accounts if that's easier.
Support and grow
Apps need occasional updates as iOS and Android change. You can have a monthly support plan or call us in when you need something, and add new features in phases once the first version has proven itself.
What an app costs in Ireland
Most of the apps we build for Irish SMEs start with a focused first version costing between €3,000 and €8,000, and grow from there once you've seen how your staff or customers use it. We always agree a fixed price before development starts, so you know exactly what you're committing to.
| Type of app | Typical cost | What's usually included |
|---|---|---|
| MVP or first version | €3,000 to €8,000 | Logins, user profiles, one or two core features such as digital forms, saving to a cloud database, and push notifications. |
| Mid-sized app | €8,000 to €12,000, depending on complexity | Accounts, task management, notifications, a reporting dashboard and possibly a link to your other systems. |
| Larger build | €15,000 and up | Branded design, bookings or loyalty features, payments and reporting, usually built once the MVP has proven itself. |
Running costs to plan for
- Store accounts: Apple charges €99 a year and Google Play charges €25 once. We're happy to publish under our own accounts if you'd rather not set these up.
- Updates: if the app hasn't changed, keeping it current with new versions of iOS and Android usually takes just a few hours a year.
- New features: costs only grow when you decide to add features or scale up, and you can do that in phases.
For a fuller breakdown, with example projects and what drives the price up or down, read how much it actually costs to develop a mobile app in Ireland. If you're not sure how small your first version could be, our MVP development page explains how we approach it.
Why work with a small Irish app developer
With us, you deal with one person from start to finish, the person building your app. You won't be passed between salespeople, account managers and developers, so your questions get a clear, direct answer from someone who knows your app inside out.
- You see progress all the way through. Working versions on your phone from early on and updates almost every week, rather than a developer who disappears for months.
- Clear prices. A fixed price agreed before development starts, and no features you don't need.
- Plain English. You don't need any technical knowledge. Tell us how your business works and we'll turn it into an app that fits.
- We start small. A first version reduces your risk and lets us both see how we work together before you commit to anything bigger.
- We don't disappear after launch. We're here to support and improve your app, and many of our clients come back to us for further projects.
Working with businesses across Ireland
We're based in County Kildare and work with businesses all over Ireland, from Dublin and Cork to Galway, Limerick, Wexford and Waterford, and we take on projects from Northern Ireland too. We've also built apps for clients in the UK and Europe. Most day-to-day contact happens by video call, phone and email, which works well wherever you are, and we're happy to meet in person when it's practical. If you'd like to hear from someone we've worked with, just ask and we'll put you in touch.
Related services and reading
iOS App Development
Native iPhone and iPad apps written in Swift, and how we get them approved on the App Store.
Android App Development
Native Android apps written in Kotlin and published on Google Play.
Custom MVP Development
How we scope and build a lean first version so you can test your idea before spending more.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to build an app in Ireland?
With us, a first version or MVP app usually costs from €3,000 to €8,000. A mid-sized app costs €8,000 to €12,000 depending on complexity, and larger builds start at €15,000, usually once the first version has proven itself. We agree a fixed price before development starts.
How long does it take to build an MVP app?
A simple app typically takes 4 to 8 weeks from the first conversation to launch. Bigger apps start the same way and then grow in stages over the months and years that follow. You'll see working screens on your own phone early on, so you aren't waiting until the end to find out how it's going.
Do you build apps for both iPhone and Android?
Yes. Most of our clients choose both so the app works for everyone, but you can start with one platform if your users mostly have one type of phone or you want to keep the first version smaller. We'll help you decide which makes more sense.
Do you build native apps or use cross-platform tools like Flutter?
We build native apps, in Swift for iPhone and Kotlin for Android, which are the official languages Apple and Google use. Native apps get full access to the phone's camera, location and notifications, and they tend to keep working well as iOS and Android change. For SMEs that want an app to last, we think that's the safer choice.
Should I build a mobile app or a web app?
If you need the phone's camera, location, push notifications or a place on your customers' home screens, a mobile app is the right choice. If you mainly need forms, dashboards or a customer portal, a web app is often quicker and cheaper and runs in any browser. We'll tell you honestly which suits your project, and a web app can become a mobile app later.
Can your apps use GPS, scan barcodes and work offline?
Yes. We've built GPS location tracking, barcode and QR code scanning with the phone's camera, and offline working that syncs when the signal comes back into several business apps. We'll recommend the ones that make sense for how your team actually works.
Do I need my own Apple and Google developer accounts?
Not necessarily. Apple charges €99 a year and Google Play charges €25 once, and we're happy to publish your app under our own developer accounts if that's easier for you. If you'd prefer your own accounts, we'll guide you through setting them up, and apps can be transferred later.
How much does it cost to maintain an app after launch?
If nothing major changes, keeping an app up to date with new versions of iOS and Android is usually a few hours' work a year. Costs only grow if you're adding features or scaling up. You can have a monthly support plan or simply call us in when you need something.
Can you take over or fix an app another developer started?
Yes. Clients sometimes come to us with an app that was started elsewhere and has stalled. We can take it over, fix bugs, improve performance, update an outdated design and add new features.
Will my app and its data be secure?
We build on Google Cloud and Firebase, with secure logins and role-based access so each person only sees what they need. Data is encrypted in transit, and Google Cloud gives you the option to keep your data in the EU. We'll also advise you on good habits, because shared passwords and unlocked phones can undo even a well-built system.
Do you work with businesses in Dublin, Cork and Northern Ireland?
Yes. We're based in County Kildare and work with businesses all over Ireland, and we've also built apps for clients in the UK and Europe. Most day-to-day contact happens by video call, phone and email, and we're happy to meet in person when it's practical.
Will I be able to follow progress while my app is being built?
Yes. You'll get an update almost every week and a working version of the app to try on your own phone from early in the project. You give feedback as we go, so changes are made before features are finished rather than after launch.
Can you build an app I can sell to other businesses on subscription?
Yes. TillageTrack started as an app for one Wexford farmer and is now a subscription product used by other tillage farmers, available on the App Store and Google Play. For AM Site Solutions we added Stripe subscriptions and free trials, so their app now brings in recurring revenue.
Ready to Talk About Your App?
Tell us what you'd like the app to do and who'll use it, and we'll tell you honestly what it would take, what it would cost and whether a web app might suit you better.