Short answer
Look for real shipped apps you can download, ask who exactly will write the code, agree on overlapping hours, and keep the code repository and store accounts in your own name. Start with a small paid milestone, like one feature or a code review, before committing to a long contract.
Check shipped work
Ask for apps on the App Store or Google Play and what the person actually built in each. A portfolio of screenshots is not the same as code running in production.
Know who writes the code
With agencies, the person on the sales call is not always the developer. Ask to meet the engineer and review some of their code or pull requests.
Time zones
Pakistan (PKT, UTC+5) overlaps well with the UK, Europe, the Gulf and Asia. For US teams, agree on a fixed overlap window, usually your morning, and use written updates for the rest of the day.
Keep ownership with you
Use your own GitHub or GitLab, your own Apple and Google developer accounts, and your own cloud accounts. Give the developer access, not ownership. Put IP and confidentiality terms in the contract.
Start small
A one- or two-week milestone shows code quality, communication and reliability far better than an interview. If it goes well, extend it.
Common questions
How do payments usually work?
Common options are fixed price per milestone or a monthly retainer, paid by bank transfer or services like Payoneer or Wise. Agree on this in writing before work starts.
Is the work legal and taxed properly?
Pakistani software exporters can register with the Pakistan Software Export Board. Ask your developer how they invoice, and check with your own accountant.
Do you work with US companies?
Yes. I worked as a Senior Software Engineer for PsychPlus, a US healthcare company.
Further reading
Sources checked on 19 October 2026. This is planning advice, not results from a client project.