Table of Contents
Overview:-
- Explore offshore app development in detail from this article.
- Learn about its definitions, pros & cons, best practices, and even more useful information.
- Also, see who should choose this approach and how to select the right partner.
Did you know that many companies are saving approximately 60% of their total costs by using an offshore approach? The best part is, it is not just limited to software development but goes beyond that.
In the current competitive world, every business wishes to have an online presence, and the best way to attain this is by having their own mobile application. But, developing a mobile app from scratch can be extremely expensive depending on where you are.
So most firms often follow an approach known as offshore or offshoring. By utilizing these offshore app development services, they can reduce costs and gain access to global talents and markets. Apart from this, there are still many more benefits that will convince you to leverage this approach.
So in this guide, we will cover everything related to offshore mobile development from its definition to best practices and how to choose the best partner for offshore development. This guide will be really useful for both firms looking to scale their development teams or an individual client looking to develop an app without spending tons of money.
What is Offshore App Development?
Offshore app development is the practice of assigning mobile app development activities to a firm or a team of developers located in another country. This is usually done to take advantage of the low labor cost and favorable business conditions of another country.
Offshore mobile development usually means hiring a 3rd party service provider in another country. But in some cases, if a firm decides to create an application, instead of hiring another firm, they do it themselves by assigning it to their branch located in an offshore location, formally known as an offshore development center. But in most cases, mobile development is outsourced to an external firm to save on the hiring process.
Let’s see this definition with an example to understand it better. If Google or any large corporation wants to build an app, they can simply assign the work to their branch in India. But if a startup or an SMB needs to develop an app, they outsource it to a third-party offshore software development company like Soft Suave, and this practice is generally referred to as offshore outsourcing.
Offshore Vs Nearshore Vs Onshore: Key Differences
Now let’s see the differences between offshore, nearshore, and onshore. If someone decides to outsource the mobile development, offshore would be the most common choice. But there are two other approaches that are important to know.
If you feel that the offshore model is not for you, then consider looking more into the other 2 models. It is important to know about these models because offshore is not always the best model, it also has its pros and cons. So explore the other models and then decide what you need.
These are the types of outsourcing models that are classified based on the location of the service provider. Let’s start with Offshore.
- Offshore – When the service provider is located in another country, then this approach is called offshore.
- Onshore – When the service provider is located in the same country as the client, then this is called onshore. This is the major difference between offshore and onshore and they are exactly the opposite of each other.
- Nearshore – Here the service provider is located in a nearby or neighboring country, mostly with a similar time zone. Here the difference between nearshore and offshore is that offshore means a country located very far away from the client’s country while nearshore means, a country that is located near the client’s country.
How Much Does It Cost To Outsource App Development?
here is no straightforward way to answer this question. This is because the price of mobile app development will not be the same everywhere. It depends on several factors like:
- The country where you offshore the process
- The pricing model you choose
- The experience of the developers
- The technology that needs to be used
- The complexity and timeline of the development project
Based on these factors, the cost differs. Most firms offer just their base price as a starting point but this will not be the final price. Based on the different factors, the service providers will give the final price. Take us for example, at Soft Suave the starting price of the developers starts at just $14/hour. However, as we mentioned above, this is not the final price and it changes based on the factors we shared above.
With Soft Suave, you get top-tier offshore app development at affordable rates, ensuring faster project delivery, access to global talent, and seamless scalability.
Offshore vs. In-House vs. Freelance App Development: Which One is Best?
When you decide to develop an app, there are three ways in which you can do that. It is either by using an in-house team, hiring freelancers, or by hiring an offshore development company.
Now let’s see their differences and see why offshore would be a much better choice.
| Factors | In-House | Freelance | Offshore |
| Time to get the right developers | 4 – 8 Weeks | 2 – 4 Weeks | Within 48 hours |
| Time to start a project | 4 – 8 Weeks | 2 – 4 Weeks | Within 48 hours |
| Recurring cost | $2000 to $3000 | 0 | 0 |
| Project failure risk | Low | High | Extremely Low |
| Dedicated resources | Yes | No | Yes |
| Communications | Seamless | Uncertain | Seamless |
| Cost efficiency | Low | Medium | High |
| Quality of service | Yes | Uncertain | Yes |
| Flexibility and scalability | No | No | Yes |
| Top talents | Limited access | Uncertain | Yes |
| Reliability | Yes | Uncertain | Yes |
| Availability | High | Uncertain | High |
| Support and Maintenace | Yes | Uncertain | Yes |
| Access to technology | Limited access | Uncertain | Yes |
From this table, it must be quite obvious why offshore development would be a much better choice. The details about offshore development in the table are based on Soft Suave. This is what we provide our clients with.
Key Benefits of Offshore App Development
Let’s look at the benefits of offshore mobile app development. These are some of the reasons why this approach is widely used by almost all top companies. Apart from cost savings, it offers many more benefits that provide firms with a much needed competitive advantage in this dynamic business environment.
1. Lower Development Costs
This is a major reason why many people choose offshore mobile development. Since the development activities are assigned to developer teams located in different countries with a low cost of living, the overall cost of the project is significantly reduced.
This low cost of living ultimately leads to low labor wages.
2. Access to a Global Talent Pool
This approach allows access to a wide range of talent pool in different technologies across the globe. This allows you to hire experts for different technologies or different skill sets which may be difficult or expensive to hire locally.
3. Quality Mobile Apps
As a result of access to global talents and technologies, the quality of mobile apps will be significantly increased even though the cost is reduced.
4. Comprehensive Development support
Offshore companies do not just provide development services. Their services span from consultation and UI designing to testing and maintenance of the mobile app. So when you choose an offshore firm for developing your mobile app, they can take care of all the related activities from designing to maintenance and support.
5. Faster Time to Market
When you opt for offshore development, one major advantage is that projects can be completed and deployed faster. This is primarily due to the different time zones and focus on core activities. The clients and the offshore teams are located in different time zones, allowing for 24/7 productivity. Since development teams can fully concentrate on creating the mobile app without any added tasks, the work can be completed faster.
6. Market Expansion
With an offshore approach, it becomes easy for firms to scale their application globally. The offshore teams have insights about the regional markets and they know about the culture and behaviour of the domestic users. This will help firms to customize the applications for their audience.
7. More Focus on Core Business Goals
If a client wants to hire mobile app developers, it takes time to hire them which diverts their focus from other business activities. So giving the responsibility to a trusted offshore partner enables them to focus on their core business while the offshore firm takes care of the development process.
8. Flexibility & Scalability
The next major advantage of the offshore approach is that clients can scale the development teams up or down without any delays based on the project requirements.
Offshoring isn’t just about cost savings, it’s about scaling smarter, accessing global talent, and accelerating project timelines. And with Soft Suave, you get everything.
Challenges of Offshore App Development (and How to Overcome Them)
Now it’s time to look at the drawbacks of offshore mobile development and several ways to overcome them. Though this approach has a variety of benefits, it still has some drawbacks which must also be understood to avoid any issues.
Knowing about the challenges beforehand will help you tackle them.
1. Communication Barriers
This is the first challenge that one has to face when they choose offshore app development. Since the client and the offshore development teams are from different countries, there are going to be some language barriers. This can greatly affect the project causing delayed feedback, misunderstandings, etc.
One way to overcome this is by having the proper communication channels and structure. This aspect must be planned before working with an offshore partner. Furthermore, conduct regular meetings to check all members are aligned on project goals. Another way to overcome the challenge is by partnering with the right firms where the developers speak English.
2. Concerns About Quality Assurance
A major concern for clients when working with offshore teams is the quality of the mobile app. Since there is no way to directly manage the project and limited oversight, the quality concern is a major drawback. Poorly written code and differences in QA standards can lead to misunderstandings between the offshore developers and the clients.
One way to overcome this challenge is by choosing an offshore partner with a good track record. Have pre-defined quality standards and benchmarks so that everyone is aligned with the project. Some more ways to ensure smooth project progress is by conducting regular code reviews and third-party audits.
3. Security Risks
The next major concern for clients working with offshore development companies is security risks like data breaches and intellectual property risks. Working with an offshore team means clients have to share some confidential information one way or the other. If proper security measures and standards are not implemented, it may affect either one or both parties leading to loss of finance or reputation and sometimes even legal consequences.
Overcoming this requires you to follow certain steps like signing NDAs and SLAs to ensure protection, choosing a reliable offshore partner, etc. Limit the access to sensitive information as much as possible. Use secured means of communication and role-based permission to access information.
4. Time Zone
Another drawback is the wide time-zone gap. Though time-zone differences can be advantageous in some cases, like allowing 24/7 productivity. It can also cause delays in communication, and scheduling a meeting, and affect the project’s progress.
To overcome this drawback, you must properly plan and pre-schedule regular meetings and check in with the teams. Use proper communication tools like Zoom or Slack for this purpose. Working on overlapping work hours is also a common approach to overcome this drawback.
5. No Direct Control
Clients have no direct control over the process. Additionally, the teams are located in different countries and there’s no real-time supervision. So proper and strict project management is necessary without which the project will become a complete mess leading to delays in delivering the project, increases in budget, deviations from the goals, etc.
The best way to overcome this problem is by effectively managing the offshore teams. Choose a reliable partner who follows Agile methodology. Additionally, use proper project management tools like Trello or Asana to track progress and stay up-to-date. Also have frequent sprint and milestone reviews.
6. Cultural Differences
The next major drawback is the cultural differences between the client-side team and the offshore team. This denotes the difference in work ethics, working hours, problem-solving approaches, etc. This difference can make collaboration difficult and if not properly managed right from the start, it can negatively affect the project.
Providing flexible timing, culture awareness training, clearly defined work processes, and regular communication are some ways to overcome this issue.
7. Technology Gap and Requirements
When you choose a region for offshore development, make sure that the region is specialized in the technologies that the project might need, because not all countries specialize in all technologies. If you select a partner from the wrong country, they end up not understanding the technical requirements of the project.
To overcome this you should carefully select the region you want to outsource your project. Verify if the region is specialized in the technology that you want to use in your project.
8. Risks of Choosing the Wrong Vendor
The next major issue is selecting the wrong or underqualified vendor. This is a common fear among clients and for good reason. If you end up with the wrong vendor, it can increase your budget, delay projects, or finally end up with a poor mobile app with buggy code and complicated UI.
Similar to the above challenge, you must carefully select the service provider. We have shared some ways you can do this in a later section.
When Should You Consider Offshore App Development?
We have completed definitions and benefits and drawbacks. Now let’s see who should opt for offshore app development. As we mentioned above, this approach is not suitable for everyone. You have to choose wisely to get the maximum benefits.
1. Working With a Limited Budget
If a firm has a limited budget, then they can select this approach. Hiring an in-house team will be really expensive and with a limited budget, this is certainly not possible. In this case, they can choose offshore development which is not only affordable but also grants access to a global talent pool ensuring the quality of the mobile application.
2. Need for a Highly Scalable & Flexible Development Team
If your firm needs flexibility and scalability while developing the app, then this model is suitable for you. The offshore approach allows you to scale the team up or down based on the project requirement without any delays.
3. Long-term Vs Short-term Collaboration
Offshore app development is generally best suited for long-term projects. After developing a mobile app, it needs maintenance and support to ensure its smooth functioning. However, hiring an in-house team can be costly. By hiring offshore teams you can significantly reduce the cost.
4. Startups Vs Enterprises
Generally, offshore is better suited for startups and SMBs primarily because they have a limited budget. It offers them access to global talents and the latest technology. It also allows them to release their apps really fast. All these benefits will help to grow and stay competitive.
Best Practices for Successful Offshore Development
Here are some of the common best practices that will help you maximize your offshore benefits.
1. Risk Management
Have a clear risk management approach to identify and overcome any risks early in the development process. This will ensure that the project is completed successfully without any delays.
2. Clear Documentation
Having a clear technical document will help reduce misunderstandings and help with seamless development. The document will contain both non-functional and functional requirements, vital features, and all other vital information.
3. Well-Defined Development Plan & Roadmap
Set clear goals and expectations right from the start of the project. This consists of a clear outline of milestones, deliverables user stories, and acceptance criteria. Also, negotiate the project cost and timeline before signing any contract. This will save you from paying any hidden fees after the project starts.
4. Agile & Iterative Development for Better Efficiency
Agile methodology is one of the most used software lifecycle methodologies. This is an iterative approach where the project is broken down into small divisions known as sprints. Using this can give you flexibility and regular project feedback. Since this approach is iterative, the project requirements can be quickly changed and refined based on the feedback.
5. Timely Feedback
Share your feedback with the offshore development team as quickly as you can without any delay. This makes sure that the product matches your expectations.
6. Communication
Establish secure communication with the service provider to enable consistent collaboration. Use tools like Zoom, Jira, and Slack to work with the remote offshore teams. This is necessary to ensure that the project stays on track and to get regular updates.
7. Compare Other Factors Other than Pricing
When you select a service provider, don’t just compare prices. Along with it, look at their expertise, experience, and their project case studies. Only then, you can assess if the service provider is reliable or not.
Top Offshore App Development Locations in 2025
Choosing a good offshore location is vital for success. As we said before, not all countries specialize in every available technology, they have their own specialization. So we have shared with you some of the well-known countries for offshore app development.
1. Asia
Asia is a leading destination for software development in the world. This region has an established IT infrastructure and a wide talent pool. They can offer high-quality solutions at an affordable price. India and Vietnam are some of the leading countries in Asia specializing in offshore app development.
2. Europe
The next leading destination for hiring offshore mobile app developers is Europe, specifically the Eastern and Central regions. Major reasons for choosing these regions are their strong English speaking skills, skilled developers, strong education, favorable business environment, and cultural similarity to the western part of the world.
3. Latin America
Latin America is another top destination for offshore development. Due to its affordable rates, top talents, good communication, and similar time zones, this is one of the top choices for offshore development for companies in the United States.
Major Pricing Models in Offshore Mobile Development
Most offshore development firms offer three basic pricing models for their clients.
They are
- Fixed Price model
- Dedicated team model
- Time and Material model
1. Fixed Price Model
As the name suggests, the price of the service is fixed before starting the project. This is suitable for firms that have a clear vision and expectation of their products. But this may not be the right choice for firms that need flexibility in development.
Before agreeing on the final price, a clear and detailed assessment of what is required must be carried out in order to give the final price. Due to unforeseen incidents, if the project requirement changes, service providers will charge an additional price. Apart from this, the development time will also be increased.
2. Dedicated Team Model
With this model, you can get an entire team dedicated to only working on your project. By choosing this you can get an entire team offering you much more flexibility and better control over the project and team. By having an entire team working on just your project, it can be completed at a faster rate.
3. Time and Material model
This model offers much more flexibility than the fixed price model as the price is based on the working hours of the developers. This means you will be paying for the actual hours that the developers spend working on your project.
When you use this model, making changes to the product in the middle of the development becomes easier. You will also receive budget and timeline estimation before the developers start working.
How to Find the Best Offshore App Development Partner?
Choosing the best offshore development partner is the most important step that needs careful consideration. Everything from the country to the expertise and track record of the partner must be thoroughly analyzed. Below are some steps that you can use to select a good offshore app development partner.
1. Have a Clear Idea About the App
Before you start searching for the best offshore app development firm, the first thing you need to do is to have a clear understanding of what you need. You must clearly define your requirements. Having an initial idea about the app will help you narrow your search and find the right partner quickly. Apart from the goals and objectives of the app, having quality assurance metrics pre-defined will greatly help you during the development.
2. Selecting the Country
The first important thing you need to decide is what country are you going to outsource the work to. We have shared some of the top regions for offshore development. But be sure to analyze further and find a location that meets your needs. Take into account the cultural, language, and time-zone differences before selecting the country. Don’t just look if the country has affordable services, check if the business and legal environment is favorable and the country has a stable economic and geo-political scenario.
3. Partner Research
After selecting the country, the next step is to select the partner you are going to work with. For this, you need to carry out a proper and thorough research. Look at their experience and their expertise, the services they offer, and their project case studies. Search for their client testimonials and reviews not just from their own site, but also from other external sources like Clutch and Goodfirms. After comprehensive research, now shortlist the best companies that you want to work with.
4. Schedule a Meeting
Now have a meeting with the shortlisted firms to get to know them better. By directly interacting with your partner you will get a clear idea about their skills, communication, and expertise. This will help you greatly in selecting the right firm to partner with.
5. Engagement Model
Now it is time to select the best pricing model for your project. Choose the one that fits your project needs. This is essential because the right model can balance the project with your needs.
6. Establish a Solid Legal Framework
Before starting the project, always have a legal framework to overcome risks. Some legal documents that can help you overcome security risks are NDAs, SLAs, IP rights, and Payment terms. This will help you against data breaches, intellectual property issues, etc.
7. Communicate With the Developers Regularly
Establish good communication with the developers and keep in touch with them on a regular basis. Also, track and evaluate the progress regularly to make sure that the project stays on track. Schedule regular meetings with the development team to achieve this.
You can find plenty of offshore software development companies in the market, but there is no way to guarantee that they are as reliable and experts as they claim to be. By following the steps outlined above, you can choose the right partner for your project without fear. The steps shared above may look like a long and complicated process, but it is vital to follow them if you want to make sure you are choosing the right partner.
Then contact Soft Suave and take your business to the next level with our premier offshore app development services.
Why Soft Suave is the Ideal Offshore App Development Partner?
Now, let us share why Soft Suave would be the best offshore app development partner for your project. By partnering with us you can skip the long and complicated process mentioned above while getting all the benefits of offshore mobile development.
Soft Suave is a leading offshore software development company with more than a decade of experience in offshore development. We have completed 1250+ projects for more than 150 clients around the world. We specialize in developing all kinds of mobile applications such as native apps, web apps, and hybrid apps.
These achievements have been made possible by our AI-enabled developers and our agile approaches. These best practices help us to deliver top-quality products at affordable prices.
We have worked on projects across various industries from Health Tech to FinTech and you can view our impressive case studies and see that our developers are experienced across different technologies and domains and can easily overcome any challenge.
This dedication and innovation have earned us numerous awards and recognitions, placing us as one of the top offshore development companies.
Conclusion
We have covered everything that is to know about offshore app development from its definition to the basic details that will assist you in selecting the best offshore partner for your next project.
Offshore development has become a milestone in this industry as it provides various benefits that reduce costs and increase productivity. These benefits allow companies to gain a competitive advantage in the dynamic business environment and increase profits.
But to get these benefits, it is essential to select the right partner for offshore development. Choosing the best partner may be difficult and time-consuming but it is vital to ensure success. One way to avoid this difficult and time-consuming process is by partnering with a reliable offshore partner like Soft Suave with a proven track record.
So contact us today and experience top-tier IT talent with Soft Suave’s 40-hour free trial. Start your journey to success today with no risk but all the benefits.
Verified Expert
8 Years of experienceTable of Contents
Overview:-
- Explore offshore app development in detail from this article.
- Learn about its definitions, pros & cons, best practices, and even more useful information.
- Also, see who should choose this approach and how to select the right partner.
Did you know that many companies are saving approximately 60% of their total costs by using an offshore approach? The best part is, it is not just limited to software development but goes beyond that.
In the current competitive world, every business wishes to have an online presence, and the best way to attain this is by having their own mobile application. But, developing a mobile app from scratch can be extremely expensive depending on where you are.
So most firms often follow an approach known as offshore or offshoring. By utilizing these offshore app development services, they can reduce costs and gain access to global talents and markets. Apart from this, there are still many more benefits that will convince you to leverage this approach.
So in this guide, we will cover everything related to offshore mobile development from its definition to best practices and how to choose the best partner for offshore development. This guide will be really useful for both firms looking to scale their development teams or an individual client looking to develop an app without spending tons of money.
What is Offshore App Development?
Offshore app development is the practice of assigning mobile app development activities to a firm or a team of developers located in another country. This is usually done to take advantage of the low labor cost and favorable business conditions of another country.
Offshore mobile development usually means hiring a 3rd party service provider in another country. But in some cases, if a firm decides to create an application, instead of hiring another firm, they do it themselves by assigning it to their branch located in an offshore location, formally known as an offshore development center. But in most cases, mobile development is outsourced to an external firm to save on the hiring process.
Let’s see this definition with an example to understand it better. If Google or any large corporation wants to build an app, they can simply assign the work to their branch in India. But if a startup or an SMB needs to develop an app, they outsource it to a third-party offshore software development company like Soft Suave, and this practice is generally referred to as offshore outsourcing.
Offshore Vs Nearshore Vs Onshore: Key Differences
Now let’s see the differences between offshore, nearshore, and onshore. If someone decides to outsource the mobile development, offshore would be the most common choice. But there are two other approaches that are important to know.
If you feel that the offshore model is not for you, then consider looking more into the other 2 models. It is important to know about these models because offshore is not always the best model, it also has its pros and cons. So explore the other models and then decide what you need.
These are the types of outsourcing models that are classified based on the location of the service provider. Let’s start with Offshore.
- Offshore – When the service provider is located in another country, then this approach is called offshore.
- Onshore – When the service provider is located in the same country as the client, then this is called onshore. This is the major difference between offshore and onshore and they are exactly the opposite of each other.
- Nearshore – Here the service provider is located in a nearby or neighboring country, mostly with a similar time zone. Here the difference between nearshore and offshore is that offshore means a country located very far away from the client’s country while nearshore means, a country that is located near the client’s country.
How Much Does It Cost To Outsource App Development?
here is no straightforward way to answer this question. This is because the price of mobile app development will not be the same everywhere. It depends on several factors like:
- The country where you offshore the process
- The pricing model you choose
- The experience of the developers
- The technology that needs to be used
- The complexity and timeline of the development project
Based on these factors, the cost differs. Most firms offer just their base price as a starting point but this will not be the final price. Based on the different factors, the service providers will give the final price. Take us for example, at Soft Suave the starting price of the developers starts at just $14/hour. However, as we mentioned above, this is not the final price and it changes based on the factors we shared above.
With Soft Suave, you get top-tier offshore app development at affordable rates, ensuring faster project delivery, access to global talent, and seamless scalability.
Offshore vs. In-House vs. Freelance App Development: Which One is Best?
When you decide to develop an app, there are three ways in which you can do that. It is either by using an in-house team, hiring freelancers, or by hiring an offshore development company.
Now let’s see their differences and see why offshore would be a much better choice.
| Factors | In-House | Freelance | Offshore |
| Time to get the right developers | 4 – 8 Weeks | 2 – 4 Weeks | Within 48 hours |
| Time to start a project | 4 – 8 Weeks | 2 – 4 Weeks | Within 48 hours |
| Recurring cost | $2000 to $3000 | 0 | 0 |
| Project failure risk | Low | High | Extremely Low |
| Dedicated resources | Yes | No | Yes |
| Communications | Seamless | Uncertain | Seamless |
| Cost efficiency | Low | Medium | High |
| Quality of service | Yes | Uncertain | Yes |
| Flexibility and scalability | No | No | Yes |
| Top talents | Limited access | Uncertain | Yes |
| Reliability | Yes | Uncertain | Yes |
| Availability | High | Uncertain | High |
| Support and Maintenace | Yes | Uncertain | Yes |
| Access to technology | Limited access | Uncertain | Yes |
From this table, it must be quite obvious why offshore development would be a much better choice. The details about offshore development in the table are based on Soft Suave. This is what we provide our clients with.
Key Benefits of Offshore App Development
Let’s look at the benefits of offshore mobile app development. These are some of the reasons why this approach is widely used by almost all top companies. Apart from cost savings, it offers many more benefits that provide firms with a much needed competitive advantage in this dynamic business environment.
1. Lower Development Costs
This is a major reason why many people choose offshore mobile development. Since the development activities are assigned to developer teams located in different countries with a low cost of living, the overall cost of the project is significantly reduced.
This low cost of living ultimately leads to low labor wages.
2. Access to a Global Talent Pool
This approach allows access to a wide range of talent pool in different technologies across the globe. This allows you to hire experts for different technologies or different skill sets which may be difficult or expensive to hire locally.
3. Quality Mobile Apps
As a result of access to global talents and technologies, the quality of mobile apps will be significantly increased even though the cost is reduced.
4. Comprehensive Development support
Offshore companies do not just provide development services. Their services span from consultation and UI designing to testing and maintenance of the mobile app. So when you choose an offshore firm for developing your mobile app, they can take care of all the related activities from designing to maintenance and support.
5. Faster Time to Market
When you opt for offshore development, one major advantage is that projects can be completed and deployed faster. This is primarily due to the different time zones and focus on core activities. The clients and the offshore teams are located in different time zones, allowing for 24/7 productivity. Since development teams can fully concentrate on creating the mobile app without any added tasks, the work can be completed faster.
6. Market Expansion
With an offshore approach, it becomes easy for firms to scale their application globally. The offshore teams have insights about the regional markets and they know about the culture and behaviour of the domestic users. This will help firms to customize the applications for their audience.
7. More Focus on Core Business Goals
If a client wants to hire mobile app developers, it takes time to hire them which diverts their focus from other business activities. So giving the responsibility to a trusted offshore partner enables them to focus on their core business while the offshore firm takes care of the development process.
8. Flexibility & Scalability
The next major advantage of the offshore approach is that clients can scale the development teams up or down without any delays based on the project requirements.
Offshoring isn’t just about cost savings, it’s about scaling smarter, accessing global talent, and accelerating project timelines. And with Soft Suave, you get everything.
Challenges of Offshore App Development (and How to Overcome Them)
Now it’s time to look at the drawbacks of offshore mobile development and several ways to overcome them. Though this approach has a variety of benefits, it still has some drawbacks which must also be understood to avoid any issues.
Knowing about the challenges beforehand will help you tackle them.
1. Communication Barriers
This is the first challenge that one has to face when they choose offshore app development. Since the client and the offshore development teams are from different countries, there are going to be some language barriers. This can greatly affect the project causing delayed feedback, misunderstandings, etc.
One way to overcome this is by having the proper communication channels and structure. This aspect must be planned before working with an offshore partner. Furthermore, conduct regular meetings to check all members are aligned on project goals. Another way to overcome the challenge is by partnering with the right firms where the developers speak English.
2. Concerns About Quality Assurance
A major concern for clients when working with offshore teams is the quality of the mobile app. Since there is no way to directly manage the project and limited oversight, the quality concern is a major drawback. Poorly written code and differences in QA standards can lead to misunderstandings between the offshore developers and the clients.
One way to overcome this challenge is by choosing an offshore partner with a good track record. Have pre-defined quality standards and benchmarks so that everyone is aligned with the project. Some more ways to ensure smooth project progress is by conducting regular code reviews and third-party audits.
3. Security Risks
The next major concern for clients working with offshore development companies is security risks like data breaches and intellectual property risks. Working with an offshore team means clients have to share some confidential information one way or the other. If proper security measures and standards are not implemented, it may affect either one or both parties leading to loss of finance or reputation and sometimes even legal consequences.
Overcoming this requires you to follow certain steps like signing NDAs and SLAs to ensure protection, choosing a reliable offshore partner, etc. Limit the access to sensitive information as much as possible. Use secured means of communication and role-based permission to access information.
4. Time Zone
Another drawback is the wide time-zone gap. Though time-zone differences can be advantageous in some cases, like allowing 24/7 productivity. It can also cause delays in communication, and scheduling a meeting, and affect the project’s progress.
To overcome this drawback, you must properly plan and pre-schedule regular meetings and check in with the teams. Use proper communication tools like Zoom or Slack for this purpose. Working on overlapping work hours is also a common approach to overcome this drawback.
5. No Direct Control
Clients have no direct control over the process. Additionally, the teams are located in different countries and there’s no real-time supervision. So proper and strict project management is necessary without which the project will become a complete mess leading to delays in delivering the project, increases in budget, deviations from the goals, etc.
The best way to overcome this problem is by effectively managing the offshore teams. Choose a reliable partner who follows Agile methodology. Additionally, use proper project management tools like Trello or Asana to track progress and stay up-to-date. Also have frequent sprint and milestone reviews.
6. Cultural Differences
The next major drawback is the cultural differences between the client-side team and the offshore team. This denotes the difference in work ethics, working hours, problem-solving approaches, etc. This difference can make collaboration difficult and if not properly managed right from the start, it can negatively affect the project.
Providing flexible timing, culture awareness training, clearly defined work processes, and regular communication are some ways to overcome this issue.
7. Technology Gap and Requirements
When you choose a region for offshore development, make sure that the region is specialized in the technologies that the project might need, because not all countries specialize in all technologies. If you select a partner from the wrong country, they end up not understanding the technical requirements of the project.
To overcome this you should carefully select the region you want to outsource your project. Verify if the region is specialized in the technology that you want to use in your project.
8. Risks of Choosing the Wrong Vendor
The next major issue is selecting the wrong or underqualified vendor. This is a common fear among clients and for good reason. If you end up with the wrong vendor, it can increase your budget, delay projects, or finally end up with a poor mobile app with buggy code and complicated UI.
Similar to the above challenge, you must carefully select the service provider. We have shared some ways you can do this in a later section.
When Should You Consider Offshore App Development?
We have completed definitions and benefits and drawbacks. Now let’s see who should opt for offshore app development. As we mentioned above, this approach is not suitable for everyone. You have to choose wisely to get the maximum benefits.
1. Working With a Limited Budget
If a firm has a limited budget, then they can select this approach. Hiring an in-house team will be really expensive and with a limited budget, this is certainly not possible. In this case, they can choose offshore development which is not only affordable but also grants access to a global talent pool ensuring the quality of the mobile application.
2. Need for a Highly Scalable & Flexible Development Team
If your firm needs flexibility and scalability while developing the app, then this model is suitable for you. The offshore approach allows you to scale the team up or down based on the project requirement without any delays.
3. Long-term Vs Short-term Collaboration
Offshore app development is generally best suited for long-term projects. After developing a mobile app, it needs maintenance and support to ensure its smooth functioning. However, hiring an in-house team can be costly. By hiring offshore teams you can significantly reduce the cost.
4. Startups Vs Enterprises
Generally, offshore is better suited for startups and SMBs primarily because they have a limited budget. It offers them access to global talents and the latest technology. It also allows them to release their apps really fast. All these benefits will help to grow and stay competitive.
Best Practices for Successful Offshore Development
Here are some of the common best practices that will help you maximize your offshore benefits.
1. Risk Management
Have a clear risk management approach to identify and overcome any risks early in the development process. This will ensure that the project is completed successfully without any delays.
2. Clear Documentation
Having a clear technical document will help reduce misunderstandings and help with seamless development. The document will contain both non-functional and functional requirements, vital features, and all other vital information.
3. Well-Defined Development Plan & Roadmap
Set clear goals and expectations right from the start of the project. This consists of a clear outline of milestones, deliverables user stories, and acceptance criteria. Also, negotiate the project cost and timeline before signing any contract. This will save you from paying any hidden fees after the project starts.
4. Agile & Iterative Development for Better Efficiency
Agile methodology is one of the most used software lifecycle methodologies. This is an iterative approach where the project is broken down into small divisions known as sprints. Using this can give you flexibility and regular project feedback. Since this approach is iterative, the project requirements can be quickly changed and refined based on the feedback.
5. Timely Feedback
Share your feedback with the offshore development team as quickly as you can without any delay. This makes sure that the product matches your expectations.
6. Communication
Establish secure communication with the service provider to enable consistent collaboration. Use tools like Zoom, Jira, and Slack to work with the remote offshore teams. This is necessary to ensure that the project stays on track and to get regular updates.
7. Compare Other Factors Other than Pricing
When you select a service provider, don’t just compare prices. Along with it, look at their expertise, experience, and their project case studies. Only then, you can assess if the service provider is reliable or not.
Top Offshore App Development Locations in 2025
Choosing a good offshore location is vital for success. As we said before, not all countries specialize in every available technology, they have their own specialization. So we have shared with you some of the well-known countries for offshore app development.
1. Asia
Asia is a leading destination for software development in the world. This region has an established IT infrastructure and a wide talent pool. They can offer high-quality solutions at an affordable price. India and Vietnam are some of the leading countries in Asia specializing in offshore app development.
2. Europe
The next leading destination for hiring offshore mobile app developers is Europe, specifically the Eastern and Central regions. Major reasons for choosing these regions are their strong English speaking skills, skilled developers, strong education, favorable business environment, and cultural similarity to the western part of the world.
3. Latin America
Latin America is another top destination for offshore development. Due to its affordable rates, top talents, good communication, and similar time zones, this is one of the top choices for offshore development for companies in the United States.
Major Pricing Models in Offshore Mobile Development
Most offshore development firms offer three basic pricing models for their clients.
They are
- Fixed Price model
- Dedicated team model
- Time and Material model
1. Fixed Price Model
As the name suggests, the price of the service is fixed before starting the project. This is suitable for firms that have a clear vision and expectation of their products. But this may not be the right choice for firms that need flexibility in development.
Before agreeing on the final price, a clear and detailed assessment of what is required must be carried out in order to give the final price. Due to unforeseen incidents, if the project requirement changes, service providers will charge an additional price. Apart from this, the development time will also be increased.
2. Dedicated Team Model
With this model, you can get an entire team dedicated to only working on your project. By choosing this you can get an entire team offering you much more flexibility and better control over the project and team. By having an entire team working on just your project, it can be completed at a faster rate.
3. Time and Material model
This model offers much more flexibility than the fixed price model as the price is based on the working hours of the developers. This means you will be paying for the actual hours that the developers spend working on your project.
When you use this model, making changes to the product in the middle of the development becomes easier. You will also receive budget and timeline estimation before the developers start working.
How to Find the Best Offshore App Development Partner?
Choosing the best offshore development partner is the most important step that needs careful consideration. Everything from the country to the expertise and track record of the partner must be thoroughly analyzed. Below are some steps that you can use to select a good offshore app development partner.
1. Have a Clear Idea About the App
Before you start searching for the best offshore app development firm, the first thing you need to do is to have a clear understanding of what you need. You must clearly define your requirements. Having an initial idea about the app will help you narrow your search and find the right partner quickly. Apart from the goals and objectives of the app, having quality assurance metrics pre-defined will greatly help you during the development.
2. Selecting the Country
The first important thing you need to decide is what country are you going to outsource the work to. We have shared some of the top regions for offshore development. But be sure to analyze further and find a location that meets your needs. Take into account the cultural, language, and time-zone differences before selecting the country. Don’t just look if the country has affordable services, check if the business and legal environment is favorable and the country has a stable economic and geo-political scenario.
3. Partner Research
After selecting the country, the next step is to select the partner you are going to work with. For this, you need to carry out a proper and thorough research. Look at their experience and their expertise, the services they offer, and their project case studies. Search for their client testimonials and reviews not just from their own site, but also from other external sources like Clutch and Goodfirms. After comprehensive research, now shortlist the best companies that you want to work with.
4. Schedule a Meeting
Now have a meeting with the shortlisted firms to get to know them better. By directly interacting with your partner you will get a clear idea about their skills, communication, and expertise. This will help you greatly in selecting the right firm to partner with.
5. Engagement Model
Now it is time to select the best pricing model for your project. Choose the one that fits your project needs. This is essential because the right model can balance the project with your needs.
6. Establish a Solid Legal Framework
Before starting the project, always have a legal framework to overcome risks. Some legal documents that can help you overcome security risks are NDAs, SLAs, IP rights, and Payment terms. This will help you against data breaches, intellectual property issues, etc.
7. Communicate With the Developers Regularly
Establish good communication with the developers and keep in touch with them on a regular basis. Also, track and evaluate the progress regularly to make sure that the project stays on track. Schedule regular meetings with the development team to achieve this.
You can find plenty of offshore software development companies in the market, but there is no way to guarantee that they are as reliable and experts as they claim to be. By following the steps outlined above, you can choose the right partner for your project without fear. The steps shared above may look like a long and complicated process, but it is vital to follow them if you want to make sure you are choosing the right partner.
Then contact Soft Suave and take your business to the next level with our premier offshore app development services.
Why Soft Suave is the Ideal Offshore App Development Partner?
Now, let us share why Soft Suave would be the best offshore app development partner for your project. By partnering with us you can skip the long and complicated process mentioned above while getting all the benefits of offshore mobile development.
Soft Suave is a leading offshore software development company with more than a decade of experience in offshore development. We have completed 1250+ projects for more than 150 clients around the world. We specialize in developing all kinds of mobile applications such as native apps, web apps, and hybrid apps.
These achievements have been made possible by our AI-enabled developers and our agile approaches. These best practices help us to deliver top-quality products at affordable prices.
We have worked on projects across various industries from Health Tech to FinTech and you can view our impressive case studies and see that our developers are experienced across different technologies and domains and can easily overcome any challenge.
This dedication and innovation have earned us numerous awards and recognitions, placing us as one of the top offshore development companies.
Conclusion
We have covered everything that is to know about offshore app development from its definition to the basic details that will assist you in selecting the best offshore partner for your next project.
Offshore development has become a milestone in this industry as it provides various benefits that reduce costs and increase productivity. These benefits allow companies to gain a competitive advantage in the dynamic business environment and increase profits.
But to get these benefits, it is essential to select the right partner for offshore development. Choosing the best partner may be difficult and time-consuming but it is vital to ensure success. One way to avoid this difficult and time-consuming process is by partnering with a reliable offshore partner like Soft Suave with a proven track record.
So contact us today and experience top-tier IT talent with Soft Suave’s 40-hour free trial. Start your journey to success today with no risk but all the benefits.
