Introduction
Mobile app development continues to thrive on Upwork as businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs seek high-quality iOS and Android apps for everything from eCommerce to health tech, fintech, and social platforms. But mobile dev is a high-stakes game—clients expect polished UX, robust performance, and fast iteration across platforms.
For agencies, the real challenge isn’t writing Swift or Kotlin—it’s getting seen, selected, and trusted among thousands of competitors. This case study explores how 15 Mobile Development agencies used GigRadar to improve visibility, increase proposal replies, and close more deals—through smarter targeting, better timing, and refined messaging.
The Role of Mobile Development on Upwork
Mobile development jobs on Upwork range from full-featured native apps to cross-platform MVPs, UI revamps, bug fixes, and ongoing maintenance. Clients want modern stacks, scalable architecture, and fast delivery cycles. Agencies offering both design and development—plus experience with App Store/Play Store submission—stand out.
Popular technologies:
- Native: Swift, Kotlin, Java
- Cross-platform: Flutter, React Native
- Backends: Firebase, Node.js, Django REST, Supabase
- Tools: Figma, GitHub Actions, TestFlight, Fastlane, Expo
Hourly rates:
- Entry-Level: $20–40/hr
- Mid-Level: $45–75/hr
- High-End/Agency-Level: $80–130+/hr
According to GigRadar data, mobile dev agencies earned $16K–$38K per week in April 2025. The average project size ranged from $2,500 to $6,000, with long-term clients offering $10K–$25K for full-scale apps.
Performance Segmentation: 15 Agencies, 4 Trajectories of Growth
Quick-Starters: High Impact Within 90 Days
SwiftCraft Studio, MobiSpark, and InnoMapp joined GigRadar in the last three months and showed immediate growth. Before GigRadar, all three had low reply rates and difficulty competing on crowded job posts.
- SwiftCraft Studio raised their Lead Reply Rate (LRR) from 3.1% to 9.2% in two months, by focusing exclusively on “iOS app from scratch” and “SwiftUI MVP” job tags.
- MobiSpark booked $11K in projects within their first 60 days after shifting to proposals tailored for MVP builds using Flutter.
- InnoMapp reduced proposal volume by 35% but doubled replies. By submitting within 20–30 minutes and embedding short app demo videos, their LRR climbed from 4.6% to 12.4%.
Their results show that mobile dev agencies can stand out quickly when proposal timing and targeting align with the client’s stage and scope.
Mid-Scale Agencies: Sustainable Growth Through Focus
AppForge.io, ReactMob, DroidEdge, and MobilityCore send between 300–600 proposals per month. Before GigRadar, they struggled with volume-effort mismatch: lots of bids, low return.
- AppForge.io shifted from generic bidding to targeting only “Flutter + Firebase” jobs, raising LRR from 4.3% to 10.8% in 4 months.
- DroidEdge, an Android-first agency, used GigRadar’s filtering to prioritize enterprise clients. They landed 3 contracts over $7K each, while keeping monthly proposals under 500.
- MobilityCore improved Proposal View Rate (PVR) from 16.9% to 36.4% and built repeat business through follow-ups automated by GigRadar alerts.
This group grew by narrowing focus and adopting predictable routines for timing, customization, and value messaging.
Large-Scale Agencies: High Volume, High Conversion
Appify Systems, NativeWorks, and CloudTouch Studio each submit 900–1200 proposals monthly and used GigRadar to tame the chaos of scale.
- Appify Systems grew LRR from 3.2% to 8.1%, with average project sizes climbing to $4,300 by focusing on fintech and medtech clients.
- NativeWorks, working across Swift and Kotlin, created scanners around terms like “banking app MVP” and “HIPAA-compliant mobile backend.” They booked $28K in Q1 2025.
- CloudTouch Studio improved reply rates by 3x after filtering out short-term jobs under $500 and targeting cross-platform requests from startup founders.
GigRadar allowed these agencies to maintain high volume while dramatically improving proposal relevance and close rates.
High-Converting Boutiques: Precision Over Volume
TapEdge, UXMobi, HybridHatch, FlutterFlow Team, and AppFrame Studio each sent fewer than 150 proposals monthly. But what they lacked in quantity, they made up for in proposal quality and ultra-relevant targeting.
- TapEdge, a React Native agency, achieved a 57% PVR and 18.5% LRR within three months by combining Figma mockups and user stories in each proposal.
- UXMobi focused on UI/UX + mobile dev combo packages, winning 5 projects over $5K each in Q1 alone.
- AppFrame Studio reached 14.2% LRR by focusing exclusively on MVPs for pre-seed founders, embedding short Loom walkthroughs of onboarding flows and monetization logic.
These agencies showed that clients don’t just want developers—they want partners who understand product logic, monetization, and mobile UX.
What Changed with GigRadar?
Across all 15 agencies:
- Average LRR increased by 129%
- Proposal View Rate rose by 42%
- Top 5 agencies saw reply efficiency triple without increasing proposal volume
- Total revenue exceeded $340,000 in 3–6 month usage periods
GigRadar helped these agencies:
- Identify the right-fit jobs instantly
- Submit faster than competitors
- Customize pitches with contextual proof (UX flows, test apps, user feedback)
Instead of wasting time on unqualified leads, agencies spent more time closing high-value opportunities.
Mobile Dev Trends in 2025: What Clients Want
- Cross-Platform Efficiency: Flutter and React Native are now dominant for MVPs and internal tools.
- Design + Dev Bundles: Clients want all-in-one solutions (UI/UX + code + testing).
- Health, Fintech, and EdTech Apps: Strong demand for domain-specific knowledge.
- Offline Functionality and Sync: Increasingly important in emerging markets.
- AI-powered features: Chatbots, image analysis, speech-to-text—all rising in client briefs.
Agencies that understand product strategy, onboarding UX, and monetization models are winning more high-budget projects.
Final Thoughts
These 15 mobile development agencies didn’t win more because they wrote better code. They won because they wrote better proposals, faster—and to the right clients.
GigRadar wasn’t just a productivity tool. It became their advantage in a saturated marketplace—allowing them to match intent, demonstrate value, and scale results.
If you’re still sending generic bids or wasting hours on low-quality jobs, it’s time to evolve.
Join the top mobile dev agencies using GigRadar to land better clients and grow faster on Upwork.
