App Developer Vetting Checklist: How to Hire Without Getting Scammed

Red flags to catch before hiring. Framework for evaluating developers who ship apps. Checklist + real examples.

Hiring + trustBy Daniel Castellani8 min read
hiringvettingred-flagsfreelancerchecklist

You're hiring a developer to ship your app to the App Store.

You've posted on Upwork. Got 40 responses. They all say they've "shipped 100+ apps." They all charge different rates. You don't know who to trust.

Here's the vetting framework I use. It catches 90% of incompetent developers before you waste time.

The Reality About App Developers

Truth: Most freelancers claiming "app shipping expertise" have never actually submitted to the App Store.

What they've done:

  • Built internal apps for companies (not published)
  • Made hobby projects (never hit review)
  • Used no-code tools once (didn't ship)
  • Copied tutorials

What they haven't done:

  • Handle App Store rejections
  • Deal with certificate issues
  • Navigate app review process
  • Ship a real app under review guidelines

Your job: Separate the people who've actually done this from the people who've watched YouTube tutorials.

The Vetting Framework (Do This First)

This takes 30 minutes. It answers: "Is this person even qualified?"

1. Ask for App Store Links (Not Portfolio)

Your question:

"Can you send me 3 apps you've shipped to the App Store or Google Play? I want to see real, published apps."

What to look for:

  • ✅ Real apps with real reviews
  • ✅ Apps with recent updates (last 3 months)
  • ✅ Variety of complexity (not just single-screen apps)
  • ✅ Their name in the developer account or credits

Red flags:

  • ❌ They can't name a single published app
  • ❌ "I've shipped apps but can't share them (NDA)"
  • ❌ Apps with 0 reviews and 1 download (probably their own test)
  • ❌ They show you GitHub repos instead (repos ≠ shipped apps)
  • ❌ "I shipped 50 apps but can only show you 2"

Why this matters: Anyone can claim experience. Published apps are proof.

2. Check the App Store Presence Yourself

Don't just trust their word. Verify.

What to check:

On App Store:

  1. Go to apps.apple.com
  2. Search for the app they mentioned
  3. Look at the developer name
  4. Check if their name/company matches

On Google Play:

  1. Go to play.google.com/store
  2. Search for the app
  3. Click the developer name
  4. See all their published apps

Red flags:

  • ❌ App doesn't exist on the store they claimed
  • ❌ Developer name is completely different from their name
  • ❌ App was published 5 years ago and never updated
  • ❌ App has 1-star reviews complaining about crashes

3. Download and Test Their Apps

Spend 10 minutes actually using the apps they showed you.

Questions to answer:

  • Does the app launch without crashing?
  • Is the UI polished or janky?
  • Does it have basic features (navigation, buttons working)?
  • If there's authentication, can you sign up?
  • Are there obvious bugs?

Red flags:

  • ❌ App crashes on launch
  • ❌ Buttons don't work
  • ❌ UI is misaligned on your phone size
  • ❌ Can't sign up or authenticate
  • ❌ The app feels unfinished

These are apps they're showing you. If they're buggy, what will they deliver for you?

4. Ask Specific Technical Questions

This separates experienced developers from people who watched tutorials.

Ask these questions directly:

Question 1: "Walk me through your app submission process. What was the hardest part?"

What experts say:

"The hardest part is usually handling App Store rejections. On one app, we got rejected for guideline 4.2 initially. We added offline support with a service worker and appealed. That took about 4 hours and got approved on the second try."

What amateurs say:

"I just uploaded it and it got approved. Pretty easy, honestly." "Um... I'm not sure. The process was straightforward."

Red flag: If they can't describe the process in detail, they haven't done it.

Question 2: "What's your process for handling App Store rejections?"

What experts say:

"First, I read the rejection email carefully. Most are specific. If it's 4.2 (insufficient functionality), I add a native feature. If it's about missing privacy policy, I fix that. I appeal with a detailed response explaining what I changed."

What amateurs say:

"I've never been rejected." "I just resubmit and hope it works next time."

Red flag: Everyone gets rejected eventually. If they claim they never have, they haven't shipped much.

Question 3: "What's your experience with Capacitor/Expo/React Native?"

If they claim to wrap web apps into native apps:

What experts say:

"For web apps, I use Capacitor. I'm familiar with signing apps, building APKs/AABs, and handling the signing key management. I also know when NOT to use Capacitor—like if you need heavy native features."

What amateurs say:

"Yeah, I've used that. It's pretty easy." "Um, I've heard of Capacitor."

Red flag: If they're vague or haven't actually used it, they're improvising.

Question 4: "What's the typical timeline from 'ready to submit' to 'live on App Store'?"

What experts say:

"Apple usually reviews in 24-48 hours. Google Play is 1-4 hours. I always leave 2 weeks before a deadline to account for rejections and revisions."

What amateurs say:

"Usually a few days?" "I'm not sure."

Red flag: If they don't have realistic timelines, they'll overpromise and under-deliver.

The Evaluation Scorecard

Use this to rate developers. Anything under 6/10 → don't hire.

Criteria 0 pts 1 pt 2 pts Score
Can show 3+ real published apps Can't show any Can show 1-2 Shows 3+ on store —
Apps are actually good Crashes/broken Functional but buggy Polished, working well —
Can describe submission process Vague/can't explain Generic description Specific details + rejections handled —
Technical questions answered well Deflects/guesses Basic understanding Deep knowledge —
Realistic timelines "Super fast, guaranteed" Vague "Apple 24-48hrs, plan 2 weeks" —
Communication quality Slow/unclear responses Okay Clear, detailed, responsive —

Scoring:

  • 12 pts: Hire with confidence
  • 10-11 pts: Good hire, check references
  • 8-9 pts: Risky, negotiate lower rates
  • Below 8: Skip, find someone better

Red Flags That Disqualify Immediately

If you see ANY of these, don't hire:

  1. "I guarantee your app will be approved"

    • No one can guarantee App Store approval. Anyone claiming they can is lying.

  2. "I've shipped 200+ apps but can only show you 1"

    • If they've shipped that many, they should have a portfolio. Vague numbers = vague experience.

  3. "I'll have it done in 2 days"

    • App shipping takes time. Design, build, test, submit, revise. Rushing leads to rejections.

  4. "I don't do revisions after submission"

    • Apps get rejected. If they won't handle revisions, don't hire them.

  5. "I can ship for half of what everyone else charges"

    • Pricing that's too low usually means corners being cut or someone who hasn't done this before.

  6. "I'll just wrap your web app with no modifications"

    • Unmodified web wrappers get rejected. They should know this.

  7. No response for 24+ hours

    • If they're slow before you hire them, they'll be slower after.

Questions to Ask References

If they offer references, ask these:

  1. "Did they ship the app successfully?" (Simple yes/no)
  2. "Were there rejections? How did they handle them?"
  3. "Did the timeline match what they promised?"
  4. "Would you hire them again?"
  5. "What would you change if you hired them again?"

Listen to the hesitation. That tells you everything.

Interview Template

Use this exact interview format:

Hi [Name],

Thanks for applying. Quick questions:

1. Can you send me 3 apps you've published to the 
   App Store or Google Play? [Links]

2. [Download and test them. Report back in 24 hrs]

3. Can you walk me through how you'd ship MY app?
   What's the exact process?

4. Have you ever had an app rejected? How did 
   you handle it?

5. What's your timeline for getting this live?

6. Can you provide 2 references from past clients 
   who shipped apps?

Based on your answers, I'll decide if we move forward.

Takes 30 minutes of their time. Filters 80% of unqualified developers.

What You Should Pay

Bad developers: $40-60/hr (and deliver bad work) Average developers: $80-150/hr (competent, slow) Good developers: $150-300/hr (actually ship, handle problems) Experts: $300+/hr (rare, but worth it if you have budget)

For first app shipping, I recommend:

  • Fixed price: $3,000-8,000 (caps their liability)
  • Hourly with cap: $150/hr, max 40 hours

Don't go cheaper than $3k fixed price. You get what you pay for.

The Hiring Process (Start to Finish)

  1. Post job (Upwork, Angel List, or referral)
  2. Collect responses (you'll get 20+)
  3. Run vetting checklist (reject 80%)
  4. Interview finalists (maybe 2-3 left)
  5. Check references (quick calls)
  6. Run paid trial (give them a small task first, $200-500)
  7. Hire winner

The paid trial is key. You find out if they actually deliver before committing to the full project.

What I Look For (Actual Hiring Criteria)

I've hired 40+ developers for app shipping. The pattern:

They get hired if:

  • Published apps on real stores
  • Can explain the process in detail
  • Have references who ship with them
  • Respond quickly and clearly
  • Price is $150+/hr (shows confidence)
  • Willing to do revisions

They don't get hired if:

  • Can't show real apps
  • Vague on process
  • Cheap rates
  • Overpromise timelines
  • Slow communication
  • Won't handle rejections

It's that simple.

Final Thought

Hiring the wrong developer costs you:

  • $500-2000 in wasted money
  • 3-4 weeks of time
  • A broken app that doesn't work
  • Stress

Spending an extra 2 hours vetting saves you all of that.

Use the checklist. Ask the hard questions. Verify everything. Hire the person who's actually done this before.

Need help evaluating a specific developer? Share their info and I'll review them.

Already hired someone? Use this post-hire checklist to make sure they're on track.