Mobile App Development
The backend your app needs: accounts, data, sync and notifications
Behind every good app is a reliable backend. We build the servers, databases and APIs that handle accounts, data, notifications and payments for your app.
The problem
The problem this solves
People judge an app by what they see, but most of the work happens on the server. Logging in, loading data, saving changes, syncing between devices, sending notifications, taking payments and giving your team an admin view all depend on the Backend. When it is slow or unreliable, the app feels broken no matter how good the screens are.
Many apps start on a backend-as-a-service platform, which is often a good choice early on. Problems appear later: costs that climb with usage, limits on complex queries, security rules that grow hard to reason about, and data that is difficult to move. Other apps start with a quick custom server that was never designed for growth.
We design the backend around what the app needs today and where it is likely to go. That means a clean REST API or GraphQL layer, a well-modeled Database, secure authentication, background jobs for slow work, push notification delivery, and monitoring from day one. We use managed services where they save effort and custom code where it gives you control.
A good backend also serves more than one app. The same API can power your iPhone and Android apps, a web version, an admin panel and integrations with partners. Designing it that way from the start saves rebuilding later.
If you already have an app with a struggling backend, we can audit it, fix the urgent problems and plan a migration that does not interrupt your users. Every change is tested against a copy of real data first.
What you get
What you get
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API layer
A documented REST or GraphQL API designed for your app screens and future clients.
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Database and data model
A data model designed for your features, with backups and migrations.
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Authentication
Accounts, social login, tokens and permissions for app users and staff.
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Data sync
Sync between devices and offline changes, with conflict handling.
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Push notifications
Notification delivery to iOS and Android with scheduling and preferences.
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Payments
In-app purchases or card payments, with receipts and webhooks.
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Admin panel
Tools for your team to manage users, content and support requests.
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Monitoring and scaling
Logs, alerts and cloud hosting that grows with your users.
How we build it
How we build it
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1
Map app needs
We list every screen's data needs, plus admin and integration requirements.
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2
Design
Data model, API design and hosting plan reviewed with you.
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3
Build
API, auth, jobs and notifications built with automated tests.
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4
Load and security tests
We test under expected load and check for common security issues.
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5
Launch and monitor
Deployed with monitoring, alerts and backups in place.
AI and people
Where AI helps, where people decide
AI makes the repetitive parts faster. The decisions that shape your product stay with experienced people.
Where AI speeds things up
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Drafting the API specification from app screens.
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Generating endpoints, data models and validation.
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Writing automated tests and load test scripts.
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Building admin screens from the data model.
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Producing API documentation for app developers.
Where people decide
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Managed platform or custom backend, and why.
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The data model and how it will grow.
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Security rules and what each user can access.
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Hosting, scaling and cost trade-offs.
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When the backend is ready for real users.
Is this right for you?
When this is the right choice
A good fit when
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You are building an app that needs accounts and shared data.
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Your current backend is slow, costly or hard to change.
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Several apps or front ends need the same data.
Consider something else when
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The app stores everything on the device and needs no server.
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A backend-as-a-service platform covers your needs today and costs are fine.
Timeline and cost
What affects the timeline and cost
A backend for a focused first release usually takes a few weeks and is built alongside the app. Complex sync, payments or migrations from an existing backend add time.
We do not publish fixed prices because scope drives cost. How we estimate.
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Features
Each feature the app offers usually needs backend work.
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Sync and offline
Multi-device sync and offline edits need careful design.
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Payments
In-app purchases and subscriptions add receipt validation and billing logic.
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Integrations
Connections to other systems add build and test time.
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Scale expectations
High traffic or real-time features need more infrastructure work.
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Migration
Moving from an existing backend without downtime takes planning.
Keep exploring
Related services, solutions and reading
Related services
View all related services- Mobile App Development iOS, Android and cross-platform apps with the backend and APIs they need, taken all the way to the app stores.
- Admin panels The back-office screens your team uses to manage users, content, orders and settings without a developer.
- Web applications Custom browser-based software for the work your team does every day, from booking tools to operations systems.
- Product scaling Keep a growing product fast and stable as users, data and features increase.
- Database design Data models that stay fast and correct as your business grows, with backups and access rules in place.
- Multi-tenant architecture One product serving many customer accounts, with each account's data kept separate and secure.
Solutions
View all solutions- AI automation and integrations Connect the tools you already use so data moves once, correctly, and AI reads the parts that arrive as text or documents.
- Scheduling automation Let customers book, change and confirm appointments themselves, by web, chat or phone, with reminders that cut no-shows.
- Payroll automation Turn pay rules, attendance and leave into tested software so the monthly run becomes a review and payslips go out in one batch.
- Automated reporting Reports that build themselves from your systems on schedule, with a plain-language summary of what changed.
- Forecasting dashboards Forecast demand from your sales history and seasonality, and flag items to reorder before they run out.
- Internal help desk assistant An assistant in Slack or Teams that answers policy and how-to questions from your handbooks and opens tickets when needed.
Industries
View all industries- Logistics and transportation Driver apps, order and shipment tracking, document processing and integrations for logistics and delivery companies.
- Healthcare Patient booking, intake forms, internal knowledge assistants and admin automation for clinics and care providers.
- SaaS and startups MVPs, subscription billing, AI features, multi-tenant platforms and scaling support for founders and product teams.
Case studies
View all case studies- Goal and effort tracking app A product design built around handwritten daily proof, locked plans and honest self-scoring. The build is in progress.
- Beach rental booking system A long-running booking system kept earning while it was extended, tested and given a safe, gradual path to a modern stack.
- Vacation rental operations system One calendar per property, cleaning tasks created from bookings, and owner statements built from the same records.
Guides and articles
View all guides and articles- React Native vs Flutter The two leading cross-platform app frameworks compared for business apps.
- Technology stack The frameworks, databases, AI tools and hosting ExecMedia uses to build websites, SaaS products, mobile apps and AI features, and how we choose them.
- How to migrate a legacy application Replace an old system step by step without stopping the business, with tests, data checks and a way back.
MCP servers
View all mcp servers- Databases Servers that let AI query and, where allowed, change data in SQL, NoSQL, analytics and vector databases.
- Cloud and infrastructure Servers that connect AI to cloud platforms and hosting, for documentation, resources, deployments and logs.
- Airtable Airtable's official hosted MCP server lets AI list workspaces, create bases and read records, with wider read and write access to tables and automations.
- BigQuery Google's remote BigQuery MCP server lets AI list datasets and tables and run SQL, with a read-only query tool and IAM controls.
- MongoDB MongoDB's official MCP server lets AI query collections, run aggregations and manage Atlas clusters, with a read-only flag for safe use.
- Snowflake Snowflake's managed MCP server exposes admin-defined tools, such as Cortex agents, Cortex Analyst, Cortex Search and SQL, to AI assistants.
Glossary terms
View all glossary terms- Backend The backend is the part of an application that runs on servers, storing data, applying business rules and serving the frontend through APIs.
- REST API A REST API is a common style of web API where systems use standard web requests, such as GET and POST, to read and change resources at specific URLs.
- Database A database is an organized store of data that software can search, update and keep consistent, such as customers, orders or bookings.
- Cloud hosting Cloud hosting runs websites and applications on servers rented from a provider, which can grow or shrink with demand.
- Cross-platform app A cross-platform app is a mobile app built from one shared codebase that runs on both iOS and Android.
- API An API, or application programming interface, is a defined way for one piece of software to request data or actions from another.
FAQ
Questions about app backend and APIs
Have a question that is not here? Ask us directly.
Firebase and similar platforms are great for getting started quickly. A custom backend gives more control over data, queries and costs as you grow. We often start managed and plan a path to custom if needed.
Yes. We design APIs so the mobile apps, web app and admin tools all use the same backend. See API development.
The backend sends messages through Apple and Google notification services to the right devices, based on user preferences and events in your system.
Yes. We audit it, fix urgent issues and plan improvements. See product scaling.