HOW TO HIRE · MARKETING, DESIGN & TECH

How to hire an iOS developer in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No licence applies to iOS developers. Here is how to agree hours, own the account and code, and get the privacy side right.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring an iOS developer in five steps

  1. Use apps they releasedDownload the iOS developer's live apps and try them on your own iPhone.
  2. Estimate hours per featureWith a check-in before the estimate is exceeded.
  3. Enrol the developer account yourselfIn your business's name, with the iOS developer added as a team member.
  4. Write the privacy plan firstWhat data the app collects and why, so the store's privacy label and your notice are accurate.
  5. Agree code ownershipCopyright assigned to you on payment, code in your repository.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No law licenses iOS or mobile developers in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Released apps, a reference and the terms are the checks that matter.

Ask for apps in the store and a client you can contact.

Copyright in the iOS code

Under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 the freelance developer owns the code they write until they assign it in writing and sign it (section 90).

Include an assignment of code and assets, with third-party packages listed. legislation.gov.uk →

Users' data and the ICO

Data protection rules require users' personal data to be kept secure and users told how it is used. Most businesses processing personal data must pay the ICO data protection fee.

Agree the data list and privacy notice with the iOS developer before submission. gov.uk →

Off-payroll working (IR35)

A contractor working through their own limited company may fall under HMRC's off-payroll rules; the client usually decides employment status, except small private-sector clients.

Ask how the iOS developer is engaged. gov.uk →

VAT

App development is standard-rated, so a registered iOS developer adds 20% to the hours for each feature and to App Store submission work. Registration becomes compulsory once an iOS developer has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the iOS developer for the VAT number before the first invoice and for hours, net fee and VAT shown in turn. gov.uk →

“Which iOS apps have you released that I can download?”

A good answer: Live apps with the iOS developer's part explained.

“How many hours will this iOS feature take?”

A good answer: An estimate and a check-in before going over.

“Will the developer account be in my business's name, not the iOS developer's?”

A good answer: Yes, with the developer added as a team member, so you control releases.

“Swift and SwiftUI, or an older code base?”

A good answer: A clear view of the code you have and what it costs to maintain.

“How will the developer test the app before store review?”

A good answer: Real devices and test builds for your team.

“What data will the app collect for the privacy label?”

A good answer: A short, accurate list that matches the app's features.

“Will I own the code the iOS developer writes?”

A good answer: Yes, by a signed assignment on payment.

Getting the quote right

  • Hourly rate and estimated hours per feature
  • Who actually attends to the code: the iOS developer you interviewed, an employed developer, or a subcontractor
  • Devices covered: iPhone, iPad, watch or widgets
  • Store submission and review rounds included
  • Design, back end and third-party services: included or extra
  • Code assignment; account and repository in your name
  • Engagement basis
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% on the hours for each feature

Walk away if

  • Releases under their own developer account
  • No estimate before starting
  • No released apps
  • Privacy label that does not match what the app collects
  • Refuses to assign the code
  • Code kept where you cannot see it
LOW
£20
TYPICAL
£60
HIGH
£150

What an iOS developer costs: £20–£150 per hour

iOS developers usually charge by the hour or day against estimates, with larger builds quoted as fixed projects. iOS Developer price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

IOS developers near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you, or book by the hour.

  1. ScopingFeatures and screens agreed, hours estimated.
  2. DevelopmentCode written in Swift or SwiftUI in milestones.
  3. TestingTest builds on real devices for your team.
  4. SubmissionListing, privacy label and screenshots prepared and submitted.
  5. ReleaseLive under your account, code handed over.

Swift
The main language for iPhone apps.
SwiftUI
Apple's newer framework for building app screens.
TestFlight build
A test version shared before release.
Privacy label
The store's summary of the data an app collects.
App review
The store's check before an app or update goes live.
Team member
A person added to your developer account without owning it.

AFTER

When the job is done

Check the account and repositoryBoth owned by your business, with access you control.
Test the releaseOn older and newer iPhones; check sign-up, payment and offline use.
Plan for new iOS versionsEach year's update can need app changes; agree how they will be handled.
Review the jobYour review helps the next person choose; Locufy only accepts reviews of booked work. If there is a problem with the iOS developer, the make-it-right step gives them a chance to fix it first.

STEP 1Set it out for the iOS developerSet out the problem, the date and what would put it right. Trading as a business, the iOS developer owes you reasonable care and skill under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and where that was missing you can require the work done again or a lower price.
STEP 2Locufy's make-it-right stepUnder four stars, you are asked whether to send the problem to the iOS developer before reviewing. We chase it with them, and your review follows.
STEP 3Trading StandardsTrading Standards takes complaints through the national helplines: Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, and Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland, which is its own helpline there.
STEP 4A small claim for the moneyIf nothing else works, claim from the iOS developer in the small claims court: up to £10,000 in England and Wales, up to £5,000 in Scotland by simple procedure, and up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring an iOS developer: questions people ask

No. Not in any part of the UK; there is no licence, register or required qualification.

The developer until they assign the copyright to you in a signed document.

The label is a store requirement, but data protection law also applies: users must be told how their data is used and it must be kept secure.

Usually £20–£150 per hour, with £60 typical. Seniority, back-end work and extra devices such as iPad or watch move the hourly rate. See the iOS developer price guide for the detail, or enter your town above for iOS developers near you.

They can if the developer uses their own company; HMRC explains who decides employment status.

Small fixes take hours; a first release usually takes weeks to months.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in marketing, design & tech

How to hire: Android DeveloperHow to hire: App DeveloperHow to hire: Software DeveloperHow to hire: UX / UI DesignerHow to hire: Game DeveloperHow to hire: Web DeveloperHow to hire: Cloud ConsultantHow to hire: Project ManagerAll 701 hiring guides →

IOS developers near you

IOS developers in LondonIOS developers in ManchesterIOS developers in BirminghamIOS developers in GlasgowIOS developers in BelfastAll ios developers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, section 90 — assignment in writing
  2. gov.uk — data protection and your business
  3. gov.uk — understanding off-payroll working (IR35)
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  5. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  6. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  7. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  8. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register