App and software development · Delivered online · anywhere in Ireland
Mobile app
Whether this needs a licence in Ireland
No licence required
Taken from the statute below; not yet reviewed by a lawyer
Mobile app: what the job involves
Designing and building an app for iPhone and Android phones, natively or with a cross-platform toolkit, together with the backend it talks to, and publishing it in the App Store and Google Play under the business’s own developer accounts.
Also asked for as: app developer · build an app · iPhone app · Android app · app for my business
How the job is usually done
- Agree what the app must do for its first release, who uses it, and which phones it must support.
- Design the screens and the flow between them, and test the design with a few real users.
- Set up the business’s Apple and Google developer accounts, the code repository and hosting for any backend.
- Build the app and backend in short cycles, sharing test builds to the business’s phones.
- Add privacy notice, consent for analytics, accessibility and security checks, then test on real devices.
- Prepare store listings and privacy details, submit for review and release.
- Hand over code, accounts and documentation, and agree support for updates and new phone software.
Mobile app: what is included
Usually included
- Screen design and a clickable prototype
- Building the app for the agreed platforms and the backend it needs
- Test builds on the business’s phones during the project
- Store submission and the privacy details the stores ask for
- A warranty period for fixing defects after release, as agreed
Usually not included — agree it separately
- Apple and Google developer account fees and hosting costs, paid by the business
- Ongoing updates for new phone operating systems after the warranty period
- Marketing the app and store optimisation
- Legal drafting of terms and privacy notices by a solicitor
- Content such as text, images and product data
Materials and who supplies them
- Apple and Google developer accounts, opened by the business in its own name
- Cloud hosting and third-party services, in the business’s account
- Brand files, text and images, supplied by the business
How long it takes
A simple first version usually takes a couple of months; logins, payments, offline use, many screens or connections to existing systems add time, and store review adds days.
When to book
Allow a few weeks before any launch date for store review and fixing what testers find.
Mobile app: the rules in Ireland
What the official sources say, checked against them on the date shown. A summary, not legal advice — follow the link to read the rule itself.
Software is protected by copyright, and the developer who writes it is the first owner unless they are the business’s employee. An assignment of the copyright to the customer is effective only in writing, signed by or on behalf of the developer.
Applies to: the business commissioning the software and the developer
Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000, sections 23 and 120 · irishstatutebook.ie · Checked 10 October 2026
An employer owns the copyright in work its employees make in the course of their employment; a freelancer or agency is not an employee, so the agreement must say who owns the code.
Applies to: the business commissioning the software
Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000, section 23 · irishstatutebook.ie · Checked 10 October 2026
Most software includes open-source libraries under their own licences; some, such as the GPL, require source code to be shared when the software is distributed. The customer should get a list of the components and their licences, since the developer can assign only what it owns.
Applies to: the developer, and the business that will own and distribute the software
Free Software Foundation, GNU General Public License · gnu.org · Checked 10 October 2026
Software that handles personal data should be built to collect only what it needs, protect it by default and let people use their rights, such as access and deletion; the business must also give a privacy notice when it collects data.
Applies to: the business, which should require it of the developer
GDPR, Articles 13, 25 and 32 · eur-lex.europa.eu · Checked 10 October 2026
The consent rules for cookies apply to apps too: analytics or advertising SDKs that store or read information on the user’s device need consent unless strictly necessary for the service the user asked for.
Applies to: the business publishing the app
ePrivacy Regulations (S.I. No. 336 of 2011), regulation 5; Data Protection Commission guidance on cookies and other tracking technologies · dataprotection.ie · Checked 10 October 2026
A developer or agency that hosts the system or can access its personal data on the business’s behalf is a processor, and must have a written contract with the business covering the matters in Article 28 GDPR, including security, sub-processors and deleting or returning data at the end.
Applies to: the business, as controller, and the developer, as processor
GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679), Article 28; Data Protection Commission guide to controller-processor contracts · dataprotection.ie · Checked 10 October 2026
Since 28 June 2025, e-commerce and certain other consumer services, including those delivered through mobile apps, must meet accessibility requirements, unless the business is a microenterprise providing services (fewer than 10 staff and turnover or balance sheet not over two million euro).
Applies to: the business offering the service to consumers
European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882), S.I. No. 636 of 2023, regulations 5 and 14 · irishstatutebook.ie · Checked 10 October 2026
Where a business supplies an app or online service to consumers, the Consumer Rights Act 2022 Part 3 gives those consumers rights that the digital content or service conforms to the contract, including updates, with remedies if it does not.
Applies to: the business supplying the app or service to consumers
Consumer Rights Act 2022, Part 3 · irishstatutebook.ie · Checked 10 October 2026
Grants
Digital Process Innovation (Enterprise Ireland)
Up to 50% grant funding towards implementing new digital production or delivery methods, covering an internal implementation team and external expertise.
Who qualifies: Start-ups, SMEs and large companies that Enterprise Ireland supports; confirm eligibility and apply before the project starts.
enterprise-ireland.com · Checked 10 October 2026
What mobile app costs, and why
What jobs on Talqero came to
Not enough comparable jobs yet to publish a range here. Talqero shows a price range only once at least five comparable jobs, agreed prices or offers exist — a range from fewer would describe a handful of jobs, not the market. Post your job and compare the offers you get.
What affects the price
- Number of screens and features in the first release
- iPhone, Android or both, and native or cross-platform
- Backend: user accounts, data storage, admin panel, notifications
- Payments, maps, offline use or connections to existing systems
- Design depth and testing with users
- Support and updates after release
What you should get at the end
- Full source code in a repository the business owns, with the commit history
- Written, signed assignment of copyright in the code made for you, or a licence that fits how you will use it
- List of open-source and paid components with their licences
- Admin access to hosting, cloud and third-party accounts in the business’s name
- App Store and Google Play listings under the business’s developer accounts
- Build and release instructions so another developer can publish updates
- Privacy notice and the store privacy details as submitted
What the provider should hand over
- Hand over the repository, accounts, signing keys and build instructions
- Give the signed copyright assignment and the component licence list
- Agree the warranty and support terms for updates
Safety
- Open the Apple and Google developer accounts in the business’s name; an app published from a developer’s account is hard to take back.
- Plan for yearly updates: phone operating systems change and stores remove apps that are not maintained.
- Keep analytics and advertising SDKs off until the user consents.
Mobile app: before you hire
Questions to ask before you hire
- Will the app be published under my business’s developer accounts?
- Will I own the source code and copyright, in writing?
- Native or cross-platform, and why for my app?
- What will hosting and third-party services cost me each month?
- Who will update the app when Apple or Google change their requirements?
- Can I see apps you have built that are in the stores now?
What you can do yourself
No-code app builders let a business test a simple idea itself, but anything handling payments or personal data needs a developer who can secure it and a proper privacy notice.
What to put in your task
- Which phones must the app work on?
- Roughly how many screens will the first version have?
- Which features does it need?
- Do you have designs or a prototype already?
- When do you need it in the stores?
Photos that help
- Sketches, wireframes or screenshots of apps that work the way you want
- Your brand files and logo
- A short list of what users must be able to do in the first version
- Details of any existing system the app must connect to
App and software development
Need mobile app? Describe the job.
Post it once, free. Professionals anywhere in Ireland reply with their own price and when they could start. You choose, and pay them directly.
Questions about mobile app
Does mobile app need a licence in Ireland?
No licence is required for this work in Ireland (source: www.irishstatutebook.ie). Ask instead for references and photographs of similar jobs.
Who owns the app?
Under Irish copyright law the developer owns the code it wrote unless the copyright is assigned to you in writing and signed. Ask for the assignment, the source code in your own repository and the store listings under your own developer accounts.
Do I need two apps for iPhone and Android?
Not always. Cross-platform toolkits build both from one codebase, which suits many business apps. Native apps can be better for heavy graphics or deep phone features. Ask the developer to explain the trade-off for your app.
Does my app need a privacy notice?
Yes, if it collects any personal data, and both stores require a privacy policy link and details of the data collected. Analytics and advertising SDKs need the user’s consent first under the ePrivacy rules.
Is there ongoing cost after launch?
Usually yes: store developer fees, hosting and third-party services, and updates when phone software changes. Agree a support arrangement before release.