NETGATE

Mobile App Development in Sydney — From Idea to App Store

We don't just talk app development — we ship apps. Leado, our quoting and invoicing app for Australian tradies, is live on the App Store right now (au.leado.app). It's our own product, built and maintained by the same Sydney-based team you'll be working with. That matters because the app development industry is full of agencies that have never put their name on a finished App Store listing. We have. We know what it takes to get past Apple review, what makes a Play Store listing convert, and what breaks in production six months in. Whether you're scoping a native iOS app, a native Android app, or a cross-platform build that lands on both stores, you're hiring the team that has done it end-to-end and is still doing it.

What we build

Our Mobile App Development Capabilities

Native iOS, native Android, and cross-platform — we build whichever fits your audience, budget and timeline best. Honest advice on which to pick, not whichever pads our invoice.

Native iOS Apps

We ship our own iOS app, and we'll ship yours. Native iOS gives you the fastest performance, the smoothest animations, and full access to every iPhone and iPad capability — camera, GPS, push notifications, biometric login, offline storage, Apple Pay. Distribution is via the App Store with a full listing we write, design and submit. If your audience is iPhone-heavy — and in Australia, most premium audiences are — native iOS is the right call.

Benefits: Fastest performance, full hardware access, polished iOS feel.

Native Android

Native Android builds for the Play Store, designed around Material Design guidelines so the app feels like an Android app should — not an iOS app retrofitted onto a different platform. Full access to the Android hardware stack, background services, widgets, deep linking and Play Store features. We handle the Play Console listing, screenshots, content rating and release tracks (internal, alpha, beta, production) end-to-end.

Benefits: True Android feel, Play Store ready, full hardware access.

Cross-Platform

For clients who need iOS and Android from a single codebase, we build cross-platform apps that share roughly 90% of code across both stores. The trade-off is slightly less native polish in exchange for a build budget that's roughly 60-70% of going native on both. For most B2B and service-business apps, that's the right call. We'll tell you straight if cross-platform fits your project — or if you'd be better off going native.

Benefits: One codebase, two stores, lower build budget.

End-to-End: From Idea to App Store

Discovery, scoping, UX design, UI design, native build, backend, App Store and Play Store submission, screenshots, listing copy, content rating, ongoing updates and maintenance. We handle every stage in-house with our Sydney team — you don't get handed off to subcontractors halfway through. One team, one point of contact, one project plan, all the way from your first call to a live App Store listing your customers can download.

Benefits: One team end-to-end, no handoffs, single point of contact.

Why NetGate

Why Choose NetGate for Mobile App Development in Sydney?

There are a lot of Sydney app development agencies. Few of them have a live App Store listing with their own name on it.

We Ship Our Own iOS App

Leado is our quoting and invoicing app for Australian tradies, available on the App Store at au.leado.app. It's not a demo, it's not a prototype — it's a live, paying product we built, ship and support. When you hire us, you're hiring the team that has been through every stage of the App Store lifecycle and is doing it again right now. That's the difference between agencies that talk apps and agencies that ship them.

Sydney-Based

Our team is in Sydney. The developers writing the code, the designers laying out the screens, the project lead running your account — all sit in the same office. You can meet us, walk through your build face-to-face, and ring us when you need to. No offshore subcontractors handed your project after the sales call. Australia-wide delivery — we work with clients in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and the regions, but the build is always Sydney.

App Store + Play Store Listings

Submission is its own discipline. App Store rejections cost weeks; Play Store policy strikes can pull a listing overnight. We handle the whole submission process — screenshots designed for conversion, listing copy written to rank, content rating done correctly, privacy policies and data declarations filled in properly. Your app launches live on the store with a listing that converts, not just one that's technically present.

Ongoing Maintenance

Apps need updates as iOS and Android evolve — new OS versions, deprecated APIs, new device sizes, security patches. Apps that don't get updated get pulled from stores within 12-24 months. We offer ongoing maintenance contracts covering OS updates, bug fixes, security patches and a monthly allowance for new features. We stay with you for the life of the app — not just until the launch invoice is paid.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does mobile app development cost in Sydney?
A focused mobile app MVP in Sydney typically lands between $30,000 and $120,000, with most projects sitting around the $50,000-$80,000 mark. The big variables are platform count (iOS only vs iOS + Android), backend complexity, third-party integrations and the depth of the design work. Cross-platform builds usually come in 30-40% cheaper than going native on both stores. We scope every project against a fixed deliverable list before we quote — no surprises, no creep. Get in touch for a real quote against your scope.
Should I build native or cross-platform?
Honest answer: cross-platform fits about 70% of B2B and service-business apps, and native fits the rest. Go native if your app is performance-critical (real-time video, complex animations, heavy graphics, AR), if it relies on bleeding-edge OS features Apple or Google released in the last six months, or if you're shipping a premium consumer product where every touch needs to feel native. Otherwise, cross-platform gives you both stores for less budget and less ongoing maintenance. We'll tell you which fits — we don't sell native builds you don't need.
How long from idea to App Store launch?
3 to 6 months for most MVPs. The breakdown: discovery and scoping (2 weeks), UX and UI design (3-4 weeks), build (8-16 weeks depending on complexity), App Store/Play Store submission and review (1-2 weeks). Apple review currently runs 24-48 hours; Play Store usually clears in a few hours but new accounts get a longer first review. We work in fortnightly sprints with working software at the end of each one — you never wait six months wondering what we're building.
Do you handle the App Store and Play Store submission process?
Yes — submission is part of every build. We handle the developer account setup if you don't already have one, the App Store Connect or Play Console listings, screenshots designed for conversion, listing copy written to rank for relevant searches, content ratings, privacy declarations, App Tracking Transparency prompts, and the back-and-forth with Apple and Google review teams. Your app goes live on the store with a properly built listing — not a half-finished placeholder you have to fix yourself after launch.
What about app maintenance and updates after launch?
Critical — and most agencies don't do it. iOS and Android each ship a major OS version once a year, plus a steady stream of point releases. Apps that don't keep up either break or get pulled. Our ongoing maintenance contracts cover OS compatibility updates, bug fixes, security patches, third-party SDK updates, and a monthly allowance for new features and tweaks based on real user feedback. Sydney-based team, direct contact, transparent monthly reporting. We stay with you for the life of the app — see our contact page to talk through what your app would need.

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Build a mobile app with the team that ships its own.

0421 717 044 Get in touch with NetGate