Hiring a Pakistani app development team from the US: a practical checklist

Why US companies hire in Pakistan

Pakistan has a large, English-speaking engineering workforce with deep experience in React Native, Next.js, Node.js and Flutter, and senior rates well below US agency rates. A focused MVP that a US agency quotes at USD 40,000 or more is commonly USD 4,000 to 12,000 with a senior Pakistani studio. The savings are real; the risk is in picking the wrong team.

Seven things to check before you sign

• Overlap hours: Karachi is 9 to 10 hours ahead of New York. Agree a fixed daily overlap window in your morning, in writing.
• Who writes the code: meet the engineers who will build it, not only a sales lead.
• IP assignment: the contract should assign all code, designs and content to your company.
• Accounts in your name: Apple, Google Play, cloud hosting and the code repository should belong to you from day one.
• Milestone billing: pay per working milestone you can test, never a large upfront sum.
• Shipped apps you can download: ask for live store links, not only screenshots.
• Release experience: getting through App Store and Play review is its own skill. Ask how they handle rejections.

Red flags

• A fixed price before anyone has asked about your users and flows.
• Reluctance to give you repository access until the end.
• No written scope, or a scope that only lists features without acceptance criteria.
• Every update is a video call; no written progress or test builds.

How payment usually works

Most Pakistani studios invoice in US dollars per milestone and accept international wire transfer or Payoneer. Agree the currency, who pays transfer fees, and what happens to the work if either side stops early.

Wraplet works this way: USD milestones, IP assigned to you, accounts in your name, and a standing call in your morning. If that fits, send a short brief and we will come back with questions and a scope.