From the Summer of Love to Silicon Valley, San Francisco is among the very few cities in the world with a rich cultural and tech pedigree. The city attracts the most brilliant minds from across the globe and nurtures innovation. It has undoubtedly come a long way from its military tech roots and now houses global tech powerhouses.
So there is no questioning the availability of tech acumen in the city. But how to go about finding the one suited to serve your needs- your mobile app development needs. It can quickly get overwhelming to find the right partner in a city deemed best in the world for innovation. While it helps that you are specifically looking out for mobile app development companies, there will still be tons of options on the other side of the filter.
But worry not! We are going to tell you about the top 5 mobile app development companies in San Francisco. On top of that, we will share with you our recipe for scoping out a mobile app development company and mapping its services against your needs.
How to choose the right mobile development company
Portfolio
A company’s previous mobile app development projects would answer most, if not all, of the questions you have. Portfolios are readily available on the company’s website. You can take your own sweet time to comprehensively research the various projects they have worked upon and find out about the quality of work they usually provide. It will tell you about the features and capabilities they can include in the apps they build. Downloading the mobile apps designed by the company and checking them out yourself is also an essential part of the process. After a thorough portfolio analysis, you’ll have a good idea of what to expect when working with the company.
Technical expertise
Mobile apps can do pretty much anything these days, but to make the app do wonderful things, you need some technical experts to work behind the scenes. Assessing the technological expertise of mobile app development companies is an excellent way to start. You’d want to know the tech stack they generally use and also the technology partners they have. Microsoft, Vonage, and AWS are examples of some of the premier technology partners. If you plan on including some advanced features in your mobile apps, such as AR and voice recognition, then keep an eye out for the mention of these as well.
The mobile app development model
Here comes the critical part- the mobile app development model. So there are plenty of ways one can go about developing a mobile app. However, you want the partnering company to use the model which keeps you in the loop, is easy to monitor, and facilitates quick changes if needed. Agile is one such development model, and perhaps the best one if you are outsourcing development. Check with the company to find out the model they use and ask tons of questions about the frequency of updates, general workflow, adaptability to unforeseen developments, and whatever is in your mind.
Market reputation
Cherry-picked testimonials and reviews on company websites don’t always show the complete picture. While those are words from actual happy customers, you should look beyond the company website to discover the entire spectrum of their customers. Sites like Clutch and GoodFirms help you paint the real picture with honest and credible reviews. Going through client reviews from such sources would help you make the claims go through a litmus test.
Best mobile app development companies in San Francisco
Now that you’ve covered all the bases of choosing the right mobile app development company, here the best ones in San Francisco:
1. ArcTouch
Formed in 2009, ArcTouch has worked with Fortune 500 companies as well as influential startups. They create digital products to help companies form meaningful connections with their customers. The co-founders of the company were co-workers at Apple before they started this venture. They develop apps for phones, tablets, and TVs. The company provides a boutique specialist’s hands-on expertise, with a billion-dollar company’s stability and scale.
Services
- Market and user research
- UX design and UI design
- Native apps
- Cross-platform apps
- TV/OTT apps
- Voice apps
- AR/VR enhanced experiences
- Support and Maintenance
Key clients
- 3M Filtrete
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Audi
- HP Sprocket
- CBS
Number of employees: 250+
2. Simform
Simform is a leading mobile app development company in San Francisco. The company has catered services to more than 990 clients, including Fortune 500 companies and WHO featured NGOs, since 2010. They can help you build consumer-facing and B2B apps for multiple platforms, including mobile, desktop, web, smartwatch, VR, and AR. They will be the extended team, which is a part of your team. With Simform, you can expect to get high-performing and scalable apps built using the most advanced technologies and frameworks.
Services
- Mobile apps development services
- UI UX design and development services
- VR and AR apps development services
- Cross-platform (hybrid) desktop and mobile apps
- Cloud application development services
- Application maintenance and support services
Key clients
- Marriot
- Sony Music
- Red Bull
- Hilton
- Boy Scouts of America
Number of employees: 280+
3. Asap Developers
Asap has been developing mobile applications since 2008 for small and big companies alike. They have shown their expertise through 100 products, MVPs, and platforms developed over the years. They are passionate about technology and helping businesses grow and consider clients as strategic partners. Their skilled team uses Agile development methodology and keeps the customer in the loop at all development
Services
- Mobile development
- Full-stack development
- UI UX development
- Native app development
Key clients
- Conectorium
- Showclap
- The Yoga Collective
- YouVeda
- Mozzo
Number of employees: Approx 20
4. Velos
Velos is a mobile development agency and consultancy based out of San Francisco. With specialization in native iOS and Android app development, and help their clients deliver excellent mobile experiences. They adhere to best practices in development and are quite flexible. Their team of experts undertakes design, development, and QA to turn client’s big ideas into a splendid mobile app.
Services
- iOS development
- Android development
- Design
- Quality assurance
- Backend development
Key clients
- Masterclass
- Rally Health
- MLB Advanced Media
- Seasonal
- StickyMonster
Number of employees: 70+
5. Yeti
With more than 7 years of experience, Yeti collaborates with small teams poised for growth that care deeply about user experience and value true development partners. They take a user-centric approach and use Agile to develop solutions that seamlessly integrate between various platforms and fulfill user requirements.
Services
- iOS development
- Android development
- Internet of Things solutions
- Web development
- VR solutions
Key clients
- Westfield
- Hello Divorce
- Stay Play Grow
- Northeastern Fall Fest
- Punch Bowl Social
Number of employees: 600+
The Wrap-up
There is no dearth of mobile app development companies in a city like San Francisco. But the confusion starts when you start when you try to find the one that best suits your needs and fits your budget. We have done half of the leg work by cherry-picking some of the best mobile app development companies in San Francisco. All you need to do now is analyze them using the parameters mentioned at the beginning and subsequently kickstart the app development process.
