Mobile app backend development your app can rely on
Our mobile app backend development covers everything behind the screens: user accounts, the database, payments, notifications and the APIs that connect your app to the CRM, booking, analytics and AI tools your business already runs on. We build it securely, document it and host it in accounts you own.
What mobile app backend development covers
The backend is the part of an app nobody sees. It stores accounts and data, checks who is allowed to do what, takes payments, sends push notifications and email, and answers every request the app makes through an API. When it is slow or unreliable, the app feels broken, however good the screens look.
We pick the backend for the product, not out of habit. A managed platform such as Firebase or Supabase suits many first versions: accounts, a database and file storage with little server code to maintain. Apps with complex business rules, heavy integrations or strict data requirements get a custom API, usually Node.js with a PostgreSQL database on AWS or Google Cloud. Either way, the recommendation and the reasons come in writing before the build.
Signs your app needs backend work
- Your app needs accounts, payments or saved data
- Staff retype app orders into another system
- The app slows down or fails when traffic rises
- Nobody can explain how the current backend works
- You want the app to talk to your CRM or booking tool
What’s included in our mobile app backend development
The servers, data and connections behind your app, built to be secure, documented and easy to hand over.
Architecture and data model
A written plan for the platform, the database and how data moves, agreed before any code is written.
Accounts and security
Sign-up, login, Sign in with Apple and Google, roles and permissions, with data encrypted in transit and at rest.
APIs for your app
Fast, documented endpoints for iPhone, Android and web, versioned so older app releases keep working.
Payments and subscriptions
Stripe for orders and bookings, plus in-app purchases and subscriptions through the App Store and Google Play.
Integrations
Connections to your CRM, booking system, analytics and AI tools, so data moves without anyone retyping it.
Hosting, monitoring and backups
Cloud hosting in your own account, with error alerts, uptime checks and automatic backups.
Mobile app backend development in depth
Three decisions behind the screens that shape cost, speed and security for years.
Managed platform or custom API
Firebase and Supabase give an app accounts, a database, file storage and real-time updates with little server code, which keeps a first version lean. The trade-off comes later: complex rules, reporting and integrations can become awkward, and costs rise with usage. A custom API takes longer to build but puts every business rule in one place you control. We compare both against your features, budget and growth plans, and some apps use a mix of the two.
Integrations with the tools you already use
Much of the value in a business app comes from what it connects to. A booking made in the app should appear in your scheduling system, a new customer should land in the CRM with the right tags, and orders should reach accounting without retyping. We connect through official APIs and webhooks where they exist, queue requests so a slow partner system never freezes the app, and log every sync so problems are easy to trace.
Security and privacy from day one
Apps hold personal data, so security is part of the design rather than a final check. We use proven authentication, give each user and staff role only the access it needs, encrypt data, keep secret keys out of the app itself and limit how fast the API can be called to stop abuse. Privacy details for Apple and Google are prepared from what the backend actually collects, and data handling is planned around GDPR and UK GDPR when your users are in the UK or Europe.
How our app backend development works
Discovery to launch in clear phases, with a progress update every week and a monthly report.
- Step 01
Discovery
Features, data and integrations listed, with an architecture recommendation, a scope and a price.
- Step 02
API design
Data model and endpoints agreed with the app team, so screens and server are built in step.
- Step 03
Build and test
Development in short cycles, with automated tests and a staging server you can try.
- Step 04
Launch and monitor
Production setup and load checks before launch, then monitoring and updates as the app grows.
Why Griffon for mobile app backend development
The team that builds your backend also designs and builds the app, so the API fits the screens instead of forcing workarounds. We also publish and support apps of our own on iPhone and Android, so our plans cover the months after launch.
The servers, databases and code live in accounts in your name. Once the work is paid in full, everything is yours, with documentation any experienced developer can pick up.
Part of our Mobile app development ↗2 hours
our usual reply to a new inquiry, one business day at most
Weekly
progress updates, plus a monthly report with the data and the work done
One team
strategy, design, development and marketing under one roof
You own it
the design, code and accounts are yours once the work is paid in full
Questions about app backends and APIs, answered
What is mobile app backend development?
Building the servers, database and APIs behind an app: accounts, stored data, payments, notifications and connections to other systems. Mobile app backend development is what lets an app remember its users and do real work for your business.
Should we use Firebase or a custom backend?
Firebase or Supabase often suits a first version with simple rules. A custom API suits complex business logic, heavy integrations or strict data needs. We recommend one after discovery, in writing, with the reasons.
Can the app connect to our CRM or booking system?
Usually, yes, if the system offers an API or webhooks, as most modern tools do. We check each one in discovery and tell you plainly what can sync and how often.
Where is the backend hosted?
In a cloud account in your name, on AWS, Google Cloud or the managed platform we agree on. You own the account and the data, and we work inside it.
Who owns the backend and the data?
You do. The data is yours from day one, and the code and accounts are yours once the work is paid in full.
Get a free app proposal
A 30-minute call. No deck, no pressure. Bring the site, the numbers and the goal, and leave with a plan and a price.