App Development Company Hong Kong

iOS & Android App Development

The proof is on the App Store.

Native app development means building iOS apps in Swift and Android apps in Kotlin — the languages each platform was designed around — rather than forcing one codebase to serve both. Schnalz.net is a Hong Kong software studio and digital-marketing agency that builds native iOS and Android apps for clients, and ships its own. Four apps are live on the App Store under the Schnalz Studio label: DB Transport, Vokabel, Lumina Sudoku and Circles. When we say something is buildable, we have already built it.

We default to native where it matters and cross-platform where it is faster. Consumer apps get Swift and Kotlin with WidgetKit, Live Activities and on-device persistence — the polish users feel and the App Store rewards. Internal tools and MVPs get Flutter or React Native, where one codebase reaching two stores is the smarter trade. You hear which one fits before anything is quoted, with the trade-offs explained in plain language.

Every build is run end-to-end by senior, hands-on people — no junior handoffs, no offshore, no rotations. The scope is fixed and quoted upfront from your brief, App Store submission is included, and client apps stay confidential by default. And because the same studio runs Google Ads and GEO, your app launches with people who know how to get it found.

What's included

What a build includes.

Concrete deliverables, not adjectives — from the first Swift file to the live App Store listing.

Native iOS in Swift

Swift built for the platform, not ported to it — the performance and polish that show up in App Store ratings and keep users from deleting.

Native Android in Kotlin

Kotlin apps that follow Android conventions instead of copying the iOS build. Our own DB Transport ships on both platforms.

WidgetKit & Live Activities

Home-screen widgets, lock-screen Live Activities and on-device persistence — the platform features that keep your app in front of the user between opens.

Flutter or React Native

Cross-platform for internal tools and MVPs, when shipping one codebase to both stores beats maintaining two. We spell out exactly what you give up.

Submission, end-to-end

Listing, screenshots, review notes and the back-and-forth with Apple — handled until the app is live, not handed off at the binary.

Confidential by default

Your app stays out of our portfolio unless you put it there. Client work is only showcased with explicit permission.

How it works

From brief to App Store.

The same four-step rhythm we run everything on — pointed at a build instead of a campaign.

01 · Week 1

Discovery & Scoping

We dig into what the app must do, who will use it and what already exists — then recommend native or cross-platform based on the answers, not a default. You hear the trade-offs before anyone writes code.

02 · Week 2

Proposal & Architecture

A one-page fixed-scope proposal: screens, features, platforms, timeline, price. Once you sign off, the number holds — scope changes are discussed before they cost anything.

03 · Build

Build & TestFlight

Development starts with the riskiest features first. You watch the app take shape on your own phone through TestFlight builds — working software, not status decks.

04 · Ongoing

Submission & Scaling

We take the build through App Store review, then stay for updates, OS releases and new features. If you want installs marketed, certified App Campaigns run under the same roof.

Fit

Built for teams like yours.

Founder-led FinTech and web3 companies that need a credible native app, SaaS teams taking a web product to mobile, and e-commerce brands whose customers buy on their phones. If your last vendor delivered a webview in a wrapper — or a deck instead of a build — this is the correction. Based in Hong Kong, serving Asia Pacific, working worldwide.

You want native quality, not a website in a wrapper.
You need one senior team for iOS and Android, not two vendors.
You want a fixed price before the first line of code is written.
You'd rather test a TestFlight build than read a status deck.
You need the app kept confidential until you decide otherwise.

Pricing

One brief. One page. One number.

App builds are quoted as a fixed scope, upfront. Send a brief — even a rough one — and you get a one-page proposal back: what we will build, on which platforms, by when, and what it costs. The number holds unless the scope changes, and you hear about that before it happens. No setup fees, no annual contract, no meter running.

See full pricing Book a 20-min call

App Development questions

What people usually ask.

How much does it cost to develop an app?

App builds are quoted as a fixed scope upfront — send a brief and you get a one-page proposal with the exact price. The figure is driven by platforms (iOS, Android or both), screen count, backend needs and features like widgets or Live Activities. Cross-platform costs less than two native codebases, and we will say so when it is the right trade. No setup fees, and the price holds unless the scope changes.

Why choose a Hong Kong app development company over an offshore team?

Because the senior people who scope your app are the ones who build it — in your time zone, in English, Cantonese, Mandarin or German. There are no offshore handoffs, no junior rotations, and no project managers relaying messages to developers you never meet. Offshore rates look cheaper per hour; they are rarely cheaper per shipped feature once rework and translation loss are counted.

Can you build for both iOS and Android?

Yes. Native Swift for iOS and Kotlin for Android when polish matters, or one Flutter or React Native codebase when speed matters more. Our own DB Transport ships on both platforms, so the Android version is engineered, not ported. The discovery week settles which route fits your app before anything is quoted.

Who handles App Store review and submission?

We do — the listing, screenshots, review notes and the back-and-forth if Apple pushes back. We have taken four of our own apps through App Store review under the Schnalz Studio label, so we know what triggers rejections and how to answer them. You launch with a live listing, not a binary and a wish of good luck.

Will my app appear in your portfolio?

Only if you say so. Client apps are confidential by default — no case study, no logo, no screenshot leaves the building without explicit permission. NDAs are welcome. The apps we show publicly are our own Schnalz Studio titles, which exist partly so we can prove the craft without exposing client work.

What happens after my app launches?

Whatever the app needs — updates, new features and OS-release maintenance, each quoted as a fixed scope like the original build, so there is no open-ended retainer meter. And because the same studio holds Google Partner certification for App Campaigns, we can run the install marketing too. If a channel or feature is not earning its keep, we say so — honest advice, even against our own invoice.

Related services

Ready when you are

Got a brief? Got a hunch?

Either is enough to start a conversation. We'll tell you within a call whether we're the right fit.

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Native apps, built by a studio that ships its own.