With 137 to choose from, it was tough to choose the best 13 mobile agencies in London and the greater United Kingdom. However, we believe each and every one of these deserve to be included due to their impressive portfolios of apps.
If you’re looking for mobile developers with a track record of success and notable eye-to-detail in the UK, these 13 mobile agencies (not in rank order) should be a perfect place to start.
Waracle
Waracle is a full solutions mobile agency, offering development services like complete app production and feature upgrades, as well as mobile marketing, app management and optimization. While they can build apps from the ground up, they believe in not “re-inventing the wheel,” offering pre-written modules for field sales apps, healthcare apps, event apps, tourism apps, and more. Their long list of app clients includes well-known names like H&M, Virgin Atlantic, Honda and the 2014 Ryder Cup.
- Portfolio examples: 2014 Ryder Cup, H&M
- App categories: Retail, property, tourism, education, health, food & drink, manufacturing & software
- Follow on Twitter: @WaracleUK
Ustwo
Ustwo has earned a spot on this list because, simply put, they build beautifully designed, user-friendly app experiences. With their own Monument Valley mobile game, recognized Apple Game of the Year 2014 and winner of Apple Design Award 2014, and relaxation and meditation app PAUSE at #3 in the App Store for paid apps, these guys certainly understand innovative app design. Ustwo prides itself on partnering with smart clients looking to launch new products, services or even companies, such as live music discovery platform, DICE.
- Portfolio examples: Monument Valley, PAUSE, DICE
- App categories: Music, games, health & fitness
- Follow on Twitter: @ustwo
Ribot
Ribot has made a name for themselves in the mobile industry by focusing on innovative retail experiences that mix loyalty and frictionless payment, with beautifully simple design. Harris + Hoole, their multi-award-winning loyalty and coffee payment app, and the Tesco Groceries app, are prime examples of their ability to build beautiful retail experiences that are simple and easy to use. The Tesco app took nine months to research, design and build, and only 1 week for Tesco to make their money back.
- Portfolio examples: Harris + Hoole, Tesco Groceries
- App categories: Food & drink, lifestyle
- Follow on Twitter: @Ribot
Nodes Agency
Nodes Agency, with offices in both London and Copenhagen, produces both consumer-facing service apps, as well as internal-facing enterprise utility apps – an arena that many mobile agencies have yet to touch. Some of their best work can be seen with their Crowdit app for Carlsberg beer and Snapp it! for Scotland’s railroad stations and trains. Crowdit is a B2C campaign platform tool where users can find and redeem vouchers and Carlsberg special offers on behalf of the brand or local bars with Carlsberg on tap. Snapp it! focuses on improving Scotland transit, allowing ScotRail staff and customers snap a photo to report issues and concerns.
- Portfolio examples: Crowdit, Snapp it!
- App categories: Internal enterprise utilities, consumer-facing services
- Follow on Twitter: @Nodesdk
Future Platforms
Future Platforms specializes in building products that focus on utility – so much so, that they challenge clients to define exactly how their app will improve a process or experience for the end-user. Their insistence on bringing app users value works – their Glastonbury Music Festival App boasts over 4.1 million app opens during this year’s 4-day festival alone. But Future Platforms’ best work is showcased through their nine-year partnership with Domino’s Pizza, whose multichannel app generates £5 million in sales each week and represents nearly 70% of sales.
- Portfolio examples: Domino’s Pizza, Glastonbury Music Festival App, Wembley, Twickets
- App categories: Retail, e-commerce, sports, events, travel
- Follow on Twitter: @futureplatforms
Future Workshops
Future Workshops not only creates quality apps, they also make a point to act as a strategic partner for their clients. The team partnered with R&A to bring a modern app experience to one of the oldest sports with The Open Championship, and helped the Saudi Telecom team produce an app to improve its self-service experience for customers. Future Workshops’ mantra reflects their outlook on client relationships: “We’re here to develop your business…we look at your future.”
- Portfolio examples: The Open Championship, Saudi Telecom, Time Out
- App categories: Lifestyle, sports
- Follow on Twitter: @FutureWorkshops
Monitise Create
Monitise Create is a London and San Francisco-based app design and development studio that works with brands and companies recognized as industry innovators, including Visa, Virgin, Fiat and Fifa. Monitise is behind the most downloaded sports app of all time – the 2014 FIFA World Cup app, which received 28 million installs and topped the App Store in 200 countries. When asked about the World Cup app, FIFA president said: “This has been the first truly mobile and social World Cup.”
- Portfolio examples: FIFA World Cup 2014, Santander
- App categories: Sports, retail, utility
- Follow on Twitter: @MonitiseCreate
Locassa
Locassa touches multiple app verticals, including social, health and fitness, education, music and in-store experiences. What truly sets Locassa apart is their ability to deliver app experiences that beautifully align with the client’s brand image and target customer. Their hydration reminder app, iDrated is frequently featured in health media and has been both number one in the App Store overall, as well as number one several times in its Health and Fitness category. And their app, The Accent Kit, is a go-to tool for actors practicing new dialects.
- Portfolio examples: iDrated, The Accent Kit
- App categories: Health & fitness, reference
- Follow on Twitter: @locassa
Somo Global
Somo is one of the London and international mobile scene success stories. Originally launching in 2009, Somo has since opened offices in Bristol, San Francisco and New York. Their mission is to help you increase sales, drive customer engagement and productivity. Their De Beers Diamonds “For You, Forever” service, which allows visitors to craft their own diamond engagement ring, is a great example of their talent for not just designing apps, but actually driving results. They created a luxury in-store experience and sales tool for brand ambassadors, which was cash flow positive in just two weeks!
- Portfolio examples: What’s News for the Wall Street Journal, the connected world experience for Audi at the Goodwood Festival of Speed
- App categories: Retail, luxury goods, events, travel, publishing, automotive, home automation
- Follow on Twitter: @Somoglobal
Apadmi
Located in Manchester, Apadmi has been fortunate to work with many of the world’s high profile household names like the BBC, X Factor and the Guardian, as well as large FTSE 100 corporations like AstraZeneca, EE and BT. Check out their BBC iPlayer Radio app, which unites BBC Radio stations in one interactive and award-winning media hub. They’re also recognized for their work with the NHS to modernize the paper-based healthcare process through a tablet app that boosts efficiencies and patient care.
- Portfolio examples: iPlayer Radio
- App categories: Entertainment, news, B2B
- Follow on Twitter: @apadmi
Sybite Technologies
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Based in Bristol Temple Quay, Sybite has an impressive variety of successful apps that range multiple categories. Sybite boasts over 280 customers from small businesses to Fortune 500s. Whether you want to buy a new pair of shoes with Stylect, hit the clubs with Nightlife, have a gourmet chef cooked meal delivered to your door with EatFirst, or burn off all those calories with Quick Fit 7 Minute Workout, they have it all.
- Portfolio examples: Stylect, Nightlife, EatFirst, Quick Fit 7 Minute Workout
- App categories: Lifestyle, health & fitness, food & drink
- Follow on Twitter: @Sybite
Brightec
Headquartered in Brighton with offices in London and Amsterdam, Brightec’s apps have received hundreds of thousands of downloads, transforming conversion rates and delivering ROI to keep their clients ahead of competitors. Their lowcostholidays app was the first of its kind to offer a complete holiday booking experience – flights and hotel – within one app. Also check out balamii, their revolutionary music discovery app.
- Portfolio examples: lowcostholidays, balamii
- App categories: Travel, music
- Follow on Twitter: @brightec
Pocket App
Pocket App is the UK’s largest independent app developer and has been around since 2010. Some of their best mobile apps span the charity, healthcare, retail and hospitality sectors. Their Med eTrax internal app for hospitals and healthcare professionals, is revolutionizing how doctors and nurses communicate patient observations and assessment protocols. Lastly, be sure to check out their My Poppy digital donations app for The Sun newspaper’s Poppy Appeal campaign, which is a finalist for the UK Digital Experience Awards.
- Portfolio examples: My Poppy, Med eTrax
- App categories: Healthcare, charity, retail, hospitality
- Follow on Twitter: @PocketApp