Photo by Maxim Ilyahov on Unsplash
In recent years, numerous app development companies have popped up to deliver clients spectacularly performing apps. If you’re looking for a job and don’t know where to start, we’ve compiled a list of the top ten app development companies to work for by looking at their customer satisfaction scores, awards, and features in major publications. We also took a look at reviews from current and former employees on Glassdoor, to hear straight from the source what it’s really like to work for these companies.
Locations: Charlottesville, VA, Columbus, OH, and Durham, NC.
Biggest Clients: HBO, Dominos, Fox, Amex, National Geographic, Pepsico
WillowTree offers mobile app development services for iOS and Android as well as web apps. They handle systems architecture, backend engineering, quality assurance testing, and security and compliance.
WillowTree has been featured on a couple of lists of top app development companies and was featured as No. 3 out of the 50 best app development companies to hire according to Mobile App Daily in July 2021.
As for what it’s like to work at WillowTree, it has been featured on numerous awards lists over the years, including AdAge’s “Best Places to Work” list where it was ranked at No. 12 for companies with over 200 employees, and Fortune’s “Great Places to Work” list for small/medium technology companies in 2021.
The company currently has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars on Glassdoor, where it also ranked as one of the best places to work.
One Glassdoor review from an Administrative Coordinator at the Durham, NC office titled, “The rating isn’t a mirage” said, “I’ve had the same response to the question of what my favorite thing about working at WillowTree is for the entire 3 or so years that I’ve been here: I love coming to work every day being surrounded by people who aren’t only amazing at what they do, but who are passionate about doing their best work and constantly aiming to improve their craft.”
With their great reviews from clients and employees and high rankings on prestigious lists, WillowTree absolutely deserves to have the No. 1 spot on our list as well.
Locations: Boston, MA
Biggest Clients: Toyota, Microsoft, Santander, and Financial Times
Hedgehog Lab landed the No. 1 spot on The Manifest’s “Top 100 App Developers” list in July 2021 and No. 4 on Business of App’s “Top App Development List 2021.” The company was founded in London and has offices in the United States in Boston, MA.
Their mission is to, “Create software that people love” and offer clients services in front and backend app development for the web, as well as iOS and Android. They have also been implementing Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning based services as well as augmented and virtual reality solutions.
Hedgehog Lab has 4.5 out of 5 stars on Glassdoor.
One review lauding it as having an “Open and honest culture, approachable management, great perks and benefits for staff focused on L&D and wellbeing. The company really cares about being progressive and doing what’s best for their people.”
If you’re looking to work for a cool, international company focusing on creating software that people are sure to love and “make customers into fans” then Hedgehog Lab is a great place to work.
Locations: Palo Alto, CA, New York City, NY, and Miami
Biggest Clients: Universal, Guinness, Disney, and Nestle
IntellectSoft is a software development company and digital transformation consultancy. It landed the No. 5 spot on Mobile App Daily’s “Top 50+ App Development Companies in the USA.” They offer custom solutions using some of today’s hottest technologies like blockchain, cloud development, and the Internet of Things (IoT) across industries such as construction, healthcare, insurance, retail, and more.
IntellectSoft has a 4.6 out of 5-star rating on Glassdoor.
One Marketing Manager from the New York office calling it, “A proactive learning environment…Everyone has the space to express their thoughts and ideas, as well as be driven and creative.”
IntellectSoft is a company that’s looking into the future of tech. From their employee reviews, it seems like this app development company is a great choice for those just starting their tech careers.
Locations: Los Angeles, CA
Biggest Clients: Redbull, Sony, Instagram, Facebook, and NBC Universal
Sidebench may be a smaller app development company, but that does not stop them from being mighty. They have earned a plethora of awards, including “Top Web Developer” and “Top App Developer” from GoodFirms in 2019.
They offer expertise on not just app development, but also HIPPA compliant products for the healthcare field, user research, and systems integrations.
In an interview with Sidebench founder and 40 Under 40 Mobile App Industry Leader, Kevin Yamazaki, he explains that the culture at this app development company tends to be relaxed, sharing, “Generally, we try not to take ourselves too seriously.”
This is echoed in a review from their Glassdoor page, which has 4.5 out of 5-star rating, as one employee wrote, “Great balance between a fast-paced work environment and a small company atmosphere.”
Sidebench also offers benefits like 401k’s and parental leave, as well as everyday benefits like snacks and a pet-friendly workspace. They even have a technology stipend so that employees can always have “the right tools for the job.”
Although they have only one office in L.A., Sidebench is a small but mighty team that has a lot of satisfied customers on GoodFirms and positive reviews from employees on Glassdoor.
Locations: New York City, NY and Los Angeles, CA
Biggest Clients: Airbnb, Coca-Cola, NBA, Verizon, Warner Music Group, Samsung
Utility landed the No. 2 spot on GoodFirm’s “Top U.S. Based Mobile App Development Companies in 2021.”
One five-star GoodFirm review from Casey Huke, President & Co-Founder at Football Genius, said, “The app developed by the team of Utility achieved great reviews and significant social media activity from high-profile industry stakeholders. Users have stayed on the solution for upwards of 55 minutes per session, which is unheard of in our industry. This success enabled us to raise over $2 million in seed funding.”
Utility operates using a five-pronged approach to help its clients build the most “elegant” custom experiences. They conduct rigorous market research, come up with product planning strategies, design prototypes, develop and engineer the backend of the app, and even help with launching the app and getting it into the App Store.
Utility also boasts a 4.9 out of 5-star score on Glassdoor.
One Product Manager from their New York office said, “Utility has a very flat organizational structure, which gives everyone more opportunities to grow and definitely streamlines communication. Our leadership is very open and honest, and I feel like I can count on them whenever I need help.”
If you’re just starting out in app development and are looking to work with some of the biggest brands in the United States, be sure to check out Utility.
Locations: New York City, NY, Los Angeles, CA, and Chicago, IL
Biggest Clients: Wall Street Journal, Verizon, Google, MGM, Apple, and the United Nations
Fueled creates sophisticated web and mobile applications for huge companies. They also offer digital marketing strategies and exciting next-gen features for their apps like augmented and virtual reality experiences.
In 2016 they won Apple’s App of the Year Award for their work with glasses company, Warby Parker. They also developed an app for Barneys New York which won a People’s Voice award for “Best Shopping App or Software” at the Webbys in 2015.
Fueled currently has a 4.7 out of 5-star rating on Glassdoor.
One review from a Product Manager at their New York office expressed that Fueled offers, “Great learning opportunities: colleagues are consistently willing to share their knowledge and there are many ways to continue learning and developing.”
The review went on to say, “While working across time zones can require a bit of an adjustment on an individual level, having offices and people all over the world adds to our diverse talent and perspectives (and conveniently set us up for efficient remote operations).”
If you want to work at a company that is fresh and hip, Fueled is an app development company that has created some stellar apps in the past couple of years.
Locations: Silicon Valley, CA, Atlanta, GA, Indianapolis, IN, and New York City, NY
Biggest Clients: Home Depot, PayPal, Yeti, and California Pizza Kitchen
Y Media Labs is an app development company founded in Silicon Valley that was recently featured in a special report from AdAge, who named them a “standout” agency, especially during this past year.
Their staff is made up of “designers, architects, and engineers” who are building apps for Fortune 500 companies as well as small startups. In fact, nine of the apps they have helped develop for various startup companies like Thrive Market and Career Karma have reached IPO or billion-dollar valuations.
They currently have a 4.0 out of 5-star rating on Glassdoor.
One California employee who gave the company five stars expressed, “It’s so nice to be in a positive work culture where we lift each other up and celebrate our successes. Every team cares about Diversity initiatives and culture and it shows. YML is a shining star in a sea of companies with not-so-great cultures, I hope more companies follow suit and are a part of the change forward.”
While they may not have as high of a Glassdoor score as some of the others on this list, they do create great products and have many offices in the U.S.’s biggest tech hubs.
Locations: Austin, TX
Biggest Clients: Walmart, Disney, Audi, UnderArmor, Clorox, and Xerox
Mutual Mobile is a “digital experience company” featured on many lists such as Business of Apps’ “Top App Development Companies 2021,” The Manifest’s “Top 100 App Developers of 2021,” and GoodFirm’s list of the “Top U.S. Based Mobile App Development Companies in 2021.” They are a Google and Amazon Web Services-certified agency that offers design strategy, front and back-end engineering, and agile program management and maintenance.
Mutual Mobile offers a simple but reliable approach to their client services. Their CEO, co-founder, and Inc. “30 Under 30” recipient John Arrow states that, “We’re always looking for what’s in the customer’s best interest. When you do that, everything else falls into place.”
They have an employee rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars on Glassdoor. One 5-star rating from one of their SVPs says, “Mutual Mobile encourages all employees to develop solutions and solve problems together without needing to go through an old school hierarchy. Senior Management is very transparent and inclusive. For those that are proactive, knowledgeable, and curious, it is a wonderful environment.”
The review warns however that you need to be able to work independently, “For people who need to be directed on a daily basis, this is not the place.”
So, if you’re a talented and independent worker looking to work at a company that puts customers first, Mutual Mobile may be a great fit for you.
Locations: Las Vegas, NV
Biggest Clients: Oculus, The X Factor Online, and Blackboard
Eleks Software is a global company that offers software solutions for industries spanning from retail, healthcare, agriculture, to even media and entertainment. Although their biggest clients aren’t as recognizable as some of the other companies on this list, they were rated the No. 1 App Development Company by Business of Apps in March of 2021. They were also named a top software developer by Clutch, where they have a 4.8 out of 5-star rating from satisfied customers.
On Glassdoor, they have an overall rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars and for just their U.S. offices, a 5 out of 5-star rating. According to one software engineer, it is “A great company to work for,” and some of the company’s pros include, “Pay, culture, hours, support, and education.”
If you have a diverse set of interests and are ready to work on projects for all kinds of industries at an international company, Eleks Software might be a great company to work for.
Locations: Venice Beach, CA, San Francisco, CA, New York City, NY, and Chicago, IL
Biggest Clients: Google, Citi, the United Nations, YouTube, Redbull, and Lexus
Dogtown Media offers clients end-to-end app development and uses a “mobile-first” strategy. Since their inception in 2011, they have launched over 200 apps in the last decade.
Dogtown Media was featured on Mobile App Daily’s “Top App Development Companies in the U.S.” in July 2021, and their CEO Marc Fischer is a member of the Forbes Technology Council.
Despite their many large clients and awards, they have a 3.7 out of 5-star rating on Glassdoor. The reviews seem to agree that their main weakness is giving employees deadlines that are a little too tight.
However, one 5-star review from a California-based employee says that Dogtown Media is a “Great environment to start your career. Lots of projects and strong team-based communication.”
If you’re not afraid of deadlines and want to work with both huge brands and small startups, starting a career at Dogtown Media could be the next step on your path towards a thriving software development career.
Want to be a developer for one of the top app development companies?
If you want to break into the exciting, fast-paced world of app development and think one of these companies might be your dream place to work, WOZ’s Mobile Application Development curriculum offered at Southern Careers Institute can help jumpstart your career.
Maria Rotelli
Maria Rotelli is a Los Angeles-based writer who is currently the Editorial Lead at ENTITY Academy. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology from Clark University and a Master’s Degree in journalism from Emerson College.
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