Mobile Development
React Native, Flutter,
or Hotwire Native —
we'll build it right.
Cross-platform mobile apps built with React Native, Flutter, or Hotwire Native — tightly integrated with your existing or new Rails backend. One team, one codebase, both stores — built by the people who know your API.
Stack Selection
React Native, Flutter, or
Hotwire Native — we'll tell you which.
Three strong frameworks, each with a different set of tradeoffs. The right choice depends on your Rails codebase, your team, and what your users actually need. We make a specific recommendation after understanding your context.
⚛
React Native
JavaScript · Meta · Battle-tested
✓
Shared logic with your web app — if your team already uses React, significant code and knowledge can be reused across web and mobile.
✓
Massive ecosystem — the largest library of third-party packages. Almost any integration has a well-maintained package.
✓
Easier hiring — React Native developers are far more common than Flutter developers in most markets.
→
Performance — excellent for most apps. Complex animations or 60fps game-like interfaces may benefit from Flutter.
Best when
You have an existing React web codebase
You need a large library ecosystem
You want easier long-term hiring
Rapid iteration is the priority
◈
Flutter
Dart · Google · High performance
✓
Pixel-perfect UI control — Flutter renders its own widgets, giving you complete control over every pixel on both platforms.
✓
Consistently high performance — compiled to native ARM, Flutter delivers smooth 60fps/120fps on even mid-range Android devices.
✓
Identical UI across platforms — no platform-specific behavior differences. What you design is what every user gets.
→
Dart learning curve — your team will need to learn Dart. Not difficult, but it's a distinct language from JavaScript.
Best when
UI consistency across platforms is critical
Complex animations or rich interactions
Performance on low-end Android matters
No existing React web codebase
⚡
Hotwire Native
Rails-native · Turbo · Fastest to ship
✓
Reuse your Rails views — wrap your existing web app in a native shell. Most screens render as web views; native code handles only what truly needs it.
✓
Dramatically faster to launch — no duplicate business logic, no separate API layer to build. Ship a real mobile app in weeks, not months.
✓
One team, one codebase — your Rails developers maintain the mobile app. No context switching, no mobile specialists required.
→
UI constraints — complex native gestures, camera, or highly custom animations require native bridge code. Best for content-heavy apps.
Best when
You already have a Rails web app
Speed to market is the top priority
Your team is Rails-only (no mobile devs)
Content-driven UX (no heavy animations)
Rails Integration
The backend advantage
of building with one team
Most mobile agencies build against an API they didn't write. We build the API and the app — or extend your existing Rails backend — with full context of both sides.
🔐
Authentication done right
Token-based auth, refresh token rotation, biometric unlock, and session management — designed across the API and app together, not bolted on separately.
⚡
Real-time without the overhead
ActionCable websockets or server-sent events for live updates. Push notifications via APNs and FCM wired to your Rails background jobs.
📴
Offline-first architecture
Local state management and sync strategies designed from day one. Your users can keep working when connectivity drops — and sync cleanly when it returns.
📦
API versioning that doesn't break things
We version your mobile API from the start so you can ship new app versions without forcing all users to update immediately.
# Rails API — mobile auth endpoint
module Api::V1
class SessionsController < ApplicationController
# Skip CSRF for mobile clients
skip_before_action :verify_authenticity_token
def create
user = User.find_by(email: params[:email])
if user&.authenticate(params[:password])
token = user.generate_jwt
refresh = user.generate_refresh_token
render json: {
token: token,
refresh_token: refresh,
expires_in: 24.hours.to_i
}
else
render json: { error: "Invalid credentials" },
status: :unauthorized
end
end
def refresh
# Rotate refresh token on each use
token = RefreshToken.find_and_rotate!(
params[:refresh_token]
)
render json: { token: token.jwt }
end
end
end
Our Process
Discovery to App Store
in five phases
STEP 01
Discovery & Architecture
User flows, API design, offline strategy, and platform requirements defined before any code is written.
STEP 02
Design & Prototype
Mobile-first UX design with platform-specific patterns. Clickable prototype before development begins.
STEP 03
Sprint Development
Two-week sprints. Working builds on TestFlight and Play Console each cycle — not a big reveal at the end.
STEP 04
QA & Device Testing
Real device coverage matrix, edge case testing, performance profiling, and App Store compliance review.
STEP 05
Launch & Support
App Store and Google Play submission handled end-to-end. Post-launch monitoring and OS update support.
What You Get
Production apps and
the code to maintain them
📱
iOS + Android Apps
Production builds submitted to both stores. Source code fully handed off — no binary-only delivery.
🔗
Versioned Rails API
A documented, versioned API built for mobile — auth, push, sync, and media handling included.
🧪
Test Suite + CI
Unit and integration tests for mobile and API. TestFlight and Play Console pipelines configured.
📋
Documentation
Architecture guide, environment setup, API spec, and build instructions. Your team can take it over.
🏪
Store Listings
App Store and Play Store metadata, screenshots, privacy policy, and review submission handled.
🔔
Push Notifications
APNs and FCM configured, integrated with your Rails jobs. Segmented, reliable, and testable.
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Who We Build For
Right fit for your situation
🌐
Web products adding mobile
You have a successful Rails web app and your users are asking for mobile. We extend your existing API and build the apps — without disrupting what's working.
🚀
New products mobile-first
Your product is inherently mobile — field ops, consumer health, logistics, fintech. We design the Rails API and app together from day one.
🔄
Replacing an underperforming app
Your existing app has poor ratings, crashes, or a UX that's hurting your brand. We rebuild it properly — same backend, new frontend, clean migration.
FAQ
Common questions
Yes. Mobile-only engagements against an existing Rails API are common for us. We start with an API audit to understand what's available, what needs to be extended for mobile, and where versioning needs to be introduced — then scope the mobile build from there.
We review against App Store guidelines before submission and handle the back-and-forth with Apple's review team as part of our standard engagement. We've navigated rejections for privacy policy issues, in-app purchase requirements, and UI guideline violations — we know the common failure modes and design around them proactively.
Yes. iOS and Android release major OS updates annually and both frequently introduce breaking changes. We offer a post-launch support retainer that covers compatibility updates, security patches, and minor feature additions. Without this, apps typically start breaking within 12–18 months of launch.
Yes. We've integrated payment processors (Stripe, Braintree), communication platforms (Twilio, SendBird), health APIs (HealthKit, Google Fit), maps (Mapbox, Google Maps), and many others. Third-party integrations are scoped as part of the discovery phase so you know the full cost before work begins.
Native apps are built separately for iOS (Swift) and Android (Kotlin) — two codebases, two teams, double the cost. React Native and Flutter compile to native code and access native APIs, delivering near-native performance from a single codebase. For the vast majority of apps, the performance difference is imperceptible to users. We'd only recommend native if you need very deep platform-specific integration (like ARKit-heavy apps) that cross-platform frameworks can't support.
Get Started
Ready to ship on
iOS and Android?
Tell us about your existing backend, your target platforms, and what you're building. We'll give you a clear picture of what it takes — and which framework we'd recommend.
Related Services
Often paired together
Ready for mobile?
Let's talk.
Book a call to discuss your mobile project. We'll review your existing Rails API and show you what's possible.