Building a mobile app is not a trend anymore, but a necessity in every industry out there – and that’s because the mobile app industry makes billions of dollars in revenue every year! According to Statista, the in-app generated revenue will hit close to $950 billion by 2023. So, if you’re thinking of building a mobile app in 2022, you are making a great decision for your business! The first step of the process? Choosing between an in-house team and an app development agency. There are pros and cons to both sides, and today we are going to discuss them all in order for you to make the best decision:
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What is in-house mobile app development?
In-house app development is when a company uses its own resources to develop an app – this means you will need to create a team of software developers, designers and project managers in order to coordinate the app development project. Oftentimes, depending on the complexity of a project, the company finds itself in the position of having to hire new software developers in order to successfully deliver the project on time, and even having to invest in their internal infrastructure to support the development.
Pros and cons of an in-house app development team:
The biggest perk an in-house team brings to the table is an effective communication process – as the team share the same space (or the same online communication tools, if it’s the case of a remote team), it will be easier for the in-house team to share ideas, brainstorm or just send daily progress updates. This way, you can rest assured that the mobile app development process won’t face any delays and that you can always check on the progress of the app thanks to the fact that your team is in the same time zone as you. Another advantage of this approach is that the in-house team will have a better understanding of your company’s values and mission, so they will be able to reflect them in the design of the app.
On the other hand, an in-house mobile app development team has certain drawbacks, the main one being that it implies a higher cost with the salaries and other non-financial benefits such as health insurance, sick leaves, but also by having to put at their disposal high-end equipment. Another thing to consider is that you might have to hire new app developers or designers, which also comes with a cost, but also with the challenge to quickly find the right people from a local, limited pool of talent.
What is outsourcing app development?
Outsourcing mobile app development is when you decide to hire an app development agency that has an already established, highly-specialized, team of app developers and designers to choose from.
Pros and cons of outsourcing app development:
One of the biggest advantages outsourcing software development brings is its cost-effectiveness – by hiring an app development agency, you only need to pay the cost of the development project and you don’t have to worry about needing to hire new people or about providing them with a high-end infrastructure. Moreover, if you choose the right app development partner that has a rigorous project management process in place, the team of outsourcers will always respect the deadlines for completing the project.
An experienced app development agency will also come up with innovative improvement ideas based on their previous experience, helping you build a mobile app that is really useful to its target audience – this way, your user base will expand and so will your revenue – this is the benefit of having access to a large pool of talented developers from all over the world.
This brings us to the main disadvantages of using this method: a not so effective communication caused by different time zones, and language barriers. Our advice? Choose a nearshore software development company that is geographically close to your headquarters – this way, the time difference will be of a maximum of 2-3 hours, helping you communicate with the outsource team during your work schedule. Another tip is to search for an Eastern Europe app development agency from countries such as Romania, which is known as an emerging hub for software developers but also as really good English speakers.
If you are in the position of choosing between an in-house team and outsourcing app development, you need to consider all the pros and cons of these methods in order to decide which one is more convenient for your business requirements. Or, even better, you can always try both and combine the benefits of in-house and outsourcing for the same project.
