9 Freelance App Developer Success Stories [2025]
A freelance app developer is a programmer who creates mobile apps for Android and iOS devices. Freelance app development business targets creating various apps that give a user-friendly experience.
To become a freelance app developer, first, touch up on your skills. There are several courses available online. Once you obtain the certification, choose your niche and focus on your skill set.
Then the best way to showcase your work is to build a portfolio website where you will display your skills, projects, and testimonials. Another way to promote yourself is to create your brand and blog. This will, in turn, build a network, and you will be able to connect with people and attract more clients.
In this list, you'll find real-world freelance app developer success stories and very profitable examples of starting a freelance app developer that makes money.
1. Virtudesk ($6M/year)
Pavel Stepanov, the Founder and CEO of Virtudesk, came up with the idea for his business after experiencing the dramatic results of hiring a virtual assistant for his own real estate business. He realized the power of delegating tasks and saw that other agents and entrepreneurs faced the same time constraints. With connections in the Philippines, he was able to start sourcing virtual assistants, and within two weeks of launching, he had already gained paying clients.
How much money it makes: $6M/year
How much did it cost to start: $2K
How many people on the team: 367
Virtudesk provides virtual assistant services to entrepreneurs and business owners, helping them to scale and automate their businesses with highly-trained virtual assistants based in the Philippines, resulting in over $500,000 in monthly revenue and experiencing greater growth in 2020 than in previous years.
2. Krit ($1.09M/year)
Andrew, the founder of Krit, initially had no intention of starting a software agency. However, after taking an intro to Computer Science class in college, he became hooked on programming and the startup world. Through various pivots and a failed product launch, Andrew and his team eventually made the tough decision to shut down their product and transition into a full-time agency.
How much money it makes: $1.09M/year
How many people on the team: 7
A software agency started by a non-technical founder helps diverse clients with their minimum lovable product, boasting a revenue of over $700,000 this year with a 20% profit margin and a team of 8.
3. Appsitude ($600K/year)
Cameron acquired a stagnant app development company and relaunched it from the ground up. With a monthly revenue of $30,000 to $50,000, he plans on making Appsitude one of the biggest app development companies in the world.
How much money it makes: $600K/year
How many people on the team: 8
Cameron Upson acquired Appsitude, a stagnant app development company, and turned it into a thriving business earning between $30,000 to $50,000 a month by hiring overseas developers and investing in marketing.
4. Pioneer Mobile Applications ($360K/year)
Phil Scarfi, founder of Pioneer Mobile Applications, came up with the idea for his business while in college. He noticed the inefficiency in accessing dining hall menus online and developed an app that consolidated all the menus in one place. Word quickly spread about his app, leading to opportunities to develop apps for others and ultimately forming Pioneer Mobile Applications.
How much money it makes: $360K/year
How many people on the team: 3
Phil Scarfi, Founder of Pioneer Mobile Applications, shares how he tripled his client base and nearly doubled his website's monthly visitors through SEO, social media marketing and standardization of the development process.
5. Zovo Team Ltd. ($240K/year)
Mahamud Hasan, the founder of Zovo Team Ltd, started his business as a freelance graphic designer in 2016. After realizing the lack of technical and business knowledge among entrepreneurs, he expanded his services and formed a team of experts to provide comprehensive solutions for startups. With an estimated revenue of 12.5k$/month and yearly 150k$+, Zovo Team Ltd has become a top branding agency in Bangladesh.
How much money it makes: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $200
How many people on the team: 40
Zovo Team Ltd, founded by Mahamud Hasan and his co-founders, is a full-stack digital marketing solutions company with an estimated revenue of $12.5k/month and yearly $150k+. They have six subsidiary brands that provide A to Z solutions for entrepreneurs, and their team is dedicated to the development of new entrepreneurs by offering effective solutions.
6. LowCode Agency ($120K/year)
Jesus Vargas, founder of LowCode Agency, came up with the idea for his business after discovering a tool called Glide apps that allowed him to easily create apps from Google Sheets. He realized he could use this no/low code tool to build custom apps for businesses at a fraction of the cost and time of traditional app development. After finding success with his first client, an Airbnb owner, Vargas rebranded his company and has since been growing double digits every month, on track to do $150,000 in sales in their first year.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 3
LowCode Agency uses no/low code tools to build custom-made apps at 80% lower cost and 70% faster than traditional app development agencies, growing double digits every month and targeting $150,000 in sales in their first year.
7. Codemap ($84K/year)
Sasa Janicijevic, the founder of Codemap.io, came up with the idea for his business after experiencing the frustrations of traditional coding and software development while working on his previous startup. After discovering the world of no-code development, Sasa saw an opportunity to create a marketplace that connects founders and organizations with pre-vetted no-code experts, allowing them to build their products faster and at a lower cost. Since launching in October 2020, Codemap has attracted dozens of expert applications and client projects, proving the strong demand for their services in the rapidly rising no-code industry.
How much money it makes: $84K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 3
Codemap.io is a freelance & agency marketplace for no-code, low-code, and automation, enabling anyone to hire no-code experts to build their products, MVPs, and apps up to 10x cheaper and faster than with traditional development, with 900+ clients, close to $2,000,000 in created projects, and 110+ hires made, all achieved in less than 6 months.
8. No Code MBA ($72K/year)
Seth Kramer, founder of No Code MBA, came up with the idea for his business when he saw the growing trend of no-code tools and realized there was a need for a platform that taught people how to use these tools to build businesses. After pivoting from his previous business, ConferenceTap, he started creating video lessons and offering both free and paid courses on building apps using no-code tools. With over 400 paid members and organic growth through content sharing, No Code MBA is quickly becoming the go-to community for entrepreneurs looking to build businesses without code.
How much money it makes: $72K/year
How much did it cost to start: $200
How many people on the team: 0
No Code MBA founder, Seth Kramer, has built a training platform for entrepreneurs who want to learn how to launch their very own businesses and build apps using no-code tools, recording over 150 real-world video lessons which have resulted in over 400 paid members in just 6-months and a focus on growing the No Code MBA community.
9. Rank Trends ($72K/year)
Md. Yousuf Ali, the founder of Rank Trends and Khan, came up with the idea for his business after discovering the potential of digital marketing through oDesk. With his background in web design and development, he launched Rank Trends to provide SEO, web design, and graphics design services. The business quickly gained traction and was recognized as the "Best SEO Service Provider in Bangladesh 2019." Today, Ali is expanding his retail business into the online space and plans to resume activities for Rank Trends soon.
How much money it makes: $72K/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
How many people on the team: 2
This case study features Md. Yousuf Ali, the founder of Rank Trends, who shares how he started a successful digital marketing agency, which generated a revenue of over $6k per month through SEO and video production services.
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
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