If you’re searching for an Android developer, you’re probably looking to build or fix an app. You’re also right in assuming that you can find a competent Android developer on Fiverr. Never mind what’s now an increasingly bad reputation, Fiverr is still home to some rather skilled freelancers, and that includes Android developers.
I’ve hired a couple Android developers on Fiverr, and I’m confident in saying I know what works to screen out the hacks responsible for Fiverr’s falling reputation. I’ll talk about how I do that in this guide to hiring an Android developer on Fiverr.
But first, can you hire a good Android developer on Fiverr?
The answer to that question, as it is for many other developer categories on Fiverr (e.g. the web development category), is yes. Fiverr is something of a decentralized platform with developers from all corners of the world. And that means you get a sizable portion of both skilled Android developers and unskilled Android developers.
What happens most times when people hunt for an Android developer on Fiverr is they fall into the hands of the unskilled bunch. Usually, because they’re more aggressive with their lobbying and especially because they quote cheaper rates.
With unskilled developers, you’ll get shoddy, buggy and unoptimized apps, hence Fiverr’s infamous reputation of being ground zero for quacks. But like I said, not all Android developers on Fiverr are quacks. I’ve personally worked with some exceptionally skilled devs, and I’m sure there are more. You just need to know where and how to search for and hire them on Fiverr.
Finding a skilled Android developer on Fiverr
Skip the hassle. Use my list of handpicked top Android devs on Fiverr
The first step to finding and hiring an Android developer on Fiverr is to understand your needs. What type of Android app are you looking to build, what functionalities will it have, and what audience are you looking to serve with the app? Once you’ve figured all that out, it helps to pinpoint the kind of Android developer you should attempt to hire on Fiverr.
If this is just a routine app with few if any functionalities, then you might not need to go all the way to hire the absolute best (and expensive) Android developer on Fiverr.
If you’re dealing with an app that you plan on using to upstage the competition, then yes, you need to hire a top-draw Android developer.
1. Start with search and not the post a request option
On Fiverr, there are two ways to hire an Android developer; by searching and sorting through the list of recommended Android developers or by posting a request to which suitable Android developers can apply.
The former, not the latter, is the best way to find and hire a skilled Android dev and here’s the reasoning behind this. Unlike most other platforms, the Fiverr job request page or ‘Buyers request’ as it is officially known, is tended to by devs in search of work.
Eight out of ten times, these are unskilled devs (or devs with another issue) who’ve been hit by Fiverr’s shadow ban or who rank low on Fiverr’s algorithmic freelancer ranking.
Yes, there might be one or two skilled devs lurking around Fiverr’s buyers’ request, but I’ll say it’s not worth the risk. Fiverr ranks Android developers on its platform based on certain performance metrics. When a developer fails to ‘perform’ for an extended period, they’re sidelined and then find their way to the Fiverr buyers request portal.
Got your needs figured out? Search for an Android developer based on those needs (for example, ‘real estate booking app’) and work with the Android developers returned from the search.
2. Make a shortlist of Android devs from the search result
You can use the freelance section of my how to hire an Android dev guide to screen through developers returned from search, it’s what I recommend. Alternatively, you could just go ahead and pick suitable candidates from the list of returned freelancers based on the following criteria;
The number of positive reviews
More is better.
The seller badging
For a comprehensive explanation of Fiverr badges, see my Fiverr freelancer hiring guide.
But to summarize, sellers with Fiverr Choice, Fiverr Pro and Fiverr Top-rated badges are usually better crop developers than their counterparts; this is especially true for sellers with the Fiverr Choice badge.
The negative review count
Be wary of sellers who have an excess of negative reviews even if they do have an excess of positive reviews. Anything above ten purely negative reviews is a red flag you shouldn’t ignore, regardless of their number of positive reviews.
3. Experience beats everything else
The absolute best indicator for a good Android developer on Fiverr is the number of past clients and commissioned Android apps they’ve built. Nothing else matters more than this, not their certifications, their University degree in Comp. Sci. or their Udemy certificate for completing the Android development boot camp.
Luckily Fiverr just introduced a showcase and portfolio feature for freelancers that allows them to actively ‘showcase’ past projects and clients directly on their page. This is what it looks like.
Go through their portfolio and past clients. Does it look like the dev has the experience to develop the kind of app you want developed? It’ll be more than obvious as you scroll their past projects and clients. Developers who’ve worked for known big brands get extra points, so keep your eye out for that as well.
Not every skilled dev will have the showcase and portfolio feature configured on their gigs. In those cases, you can ask directly via the contact seller button on their gig page. You want to see actual evidence that they built whatever Android app they claim they built.
Usually, developers worth the hassle who’ve not configured their Fiverr showcase page will have a portfolio website hosted somewhere else. Don’t just take their words for it. Ask for evidence!
4. Describe your requirements and ask for a quote
Once you’ve culled your list of potential candidates to two, three or five devs, it’s time to fill them in on what you hope to get with your project. Explain your expected deliverables clearly to each one and ask for a quote.
Now I should add that the most expensive quote doesn’t necessarily mean the best Android developer. I’ve only emphasized pricing because it’s the trap many unskilled devs use to lure new customers on Fiverr. As long as the pricing looks reasonable and the freelance dev ticks the relevant checkboxes, you should be fine.
What you need to do is examine each quote from each developer and see which one best appeals to you. Other subtle cues that might single out the developer you should choose include how they respond to your inquiries and messages, how prompt their responses are and how detailed their quote is.
Again, provided you followed through with the screening phase of the hiring process, your intuition is enough to single out the best fit Fiverr Android developer for your needs.
5. You’re not going to build the next Reddit app with a $1000 budget
There’s no going around it; you’ll have to pay top dollar for a top tier app. Fiverr is great because it has some of the cheapest Android developer rates right now, but even at that, you still need to pay respectable money to get a respectable app.
And this should be more than apparent by now; if you’ve followed the tips I just described, you will notice devs fitting to the criteria have fairly expensive rates. In fact, an Android developer quoting incredibly low prices for app development is a definite red flag you shouldn’t ignore.
Except you plan on building an absolute bare-bones app with maybe two or three pages (in which case it might not be too expensive), you should avoid developers with bare minimum pricing for their services.
6. Sign a detailed contract
Once you’ve picked out an Android dev and negotiated the terms of the project with them, the next step is to sign a contract. I can’t emphasize this enough, make sure to sign a detailed contract that transfers all the copyrights to you once the app is launched. Ignore this, and it might come back to bite you later.
Additionally, your contract should contain information specifying the delivery date for the app, payment details and all the other relevant bits of info like who’s responsible for maintaining the app and what happens in the case where there’s a bug. Of course, it goes without saying that you’ll need to negotiate these terms with the freelancer before including them in the contract document.
How much should you expect to pay for an Android app
There’s no set in stone pricing structure for getting an Android app made on Fiverr. Most times, the quote you’ll get depends on the nature and complexity of the app you intend to build. That said, as a guide, expect to pay;
- Up to $800 for a simple Android app that does all the basics right
- Up to $3,000 for a moderately complex Android app that has added custom functionalities and user login and identification features
- Up to $20,000 for an app with complex functionalities built-in like secure payment, user profiles, and other custom functionalities.
Is your payment secure on Fiverr?
Yes, Fiverr runs a rather robust buyer protection program that provides cover for when a developer fails to deliver an app that meets your requirements. You can either ask for a revision, in which case the dev works on the app to make it better or an outright refund.
Note that the refund will be credited in ‘Fiverr dollars,’ which means you still have to spend the money on the Fiverr platform on any other service of your choosing.
Any recommendations for a skilled Android dev on Fiverr?
If you’ve followed this guide to the latter, then you’ll have no issues finding the crème de la crème of Android developers on Fiverr. If you’d rather skip the hassle, I’ve done the not so hard work of screening and identifying some Android devs on Fiverr who meet the threshold for being skilled and experienced.
Futuristicdev
This Fiverr Android developer is actually a team of developers, and if you don’t mind their sky-high quotes, they are about the best crop of Android developers you can get on Fiverr. And I mean that; with over ten years of experience and an Android app portfolio list featuring some impressively built applications, there’s very little else you can ask for.
Their basic package, however, costs a sizable $5,000 with the premium package – what you’d pick if you were building a mildly complex app – costing about $10,000. That’s costlier than any other Android app developer on my recommended list, but I recommend it anyway. These are the guys I’d pick if I wanted a robust and feature-packed Android application.
Pros
- Vetted and demonstratable experience building high-yield, highly complex Android applications
- Experience working with blue-chip startups and global companies
- Guarantee of a clean and easily maintainable codebase
Cons
- Very expensive
Gotitech99
Coming in at second on my recommended list is gotitech99 (note that these are Fiverr usernames, not actual names), a Fiverr Android developer with an incredibly long list of satisfied past clients. Over one thousand satisfied buyers (all with five-star reviews) is not an easy tally for any freelance Android developer to rack up, but it’s apparent why this guy has managed to do so.
For one, his gig is the absolute definition of value for money spent. The base package costs just $120 for a simple Android app with just two pages and nothing else. Take it up a notch to $1,150, and you get an Android app with eight pages and some functionalities.
What’s apparent from the gig pricing and set deliverables is that this service is for the average business owner looking to create a somewhat basic Android app to complement their lead generation faucet. If this is you, this is about the best Android development gig you can get on Fiverr.
Pros
- Notable experience developing top Android applications for top brands
- Value for money spent – not too cheap but not pocket crunchingly expensive either
- Very skilled at developing business-specific Android applications
Cons
- The onboarding process might be a little bit drawn out
Farooq_arshad
If you were on a tight budget and needed a simple or moderately complex app, Farouq is the Fiverr Android developer I’d recommend. You might experience some problems with communication, but it’s nothing too serious. Provided you’re clear with what you want, you shouldn’t run into any issues.
That’s a fair price to pay when you consider that this developer charges like a third of what the other two devs I’ve recommended charge. He’s arguably the cheapest dev on Fiverr I’d willingly recommend – most other developers in this price range lack either the skill or experience to build quality Android apps.
Fair warning though, I wouldn’t necessarily commission this dev to complete a complex Android development project. Anything simple to moderately complex, and you’re fine. But above that, you’re probably better hiring a dev with a better track record of developing robust apps.
Pros
- Cheap and easy to work with
- Excellent for developing simple to moderately complex Android application
- Extra value-added services like Play Store submission at no extra cost
Cons
- Communication might be tedious
To conclude
Fiverr is a safe place to hire an Android developer. You just need to know your way around the platform and how to handle screening and selection. I’ve covered much of what you’ll need in this guide but, if you want more info on how to find and hire an Android developer (not just developers on Fiverr) check out my guide to hiring an Android developer.
