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What is Ben Dodson?
Ben Dodson is a UK-based freelance Apple app developer and consultant. He builds native software for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro, and has been doing so since the App Store launched in 2008. His work is aimed at clients who need senior, hands-on expertise rather than a large agency team — typically founders, product teams, agencies, and established brands.
What he does
- Builds polished, fast, maintainable native Apple apps across the company's full device range.
- Works directly with clients, often maintaining apps long-term after launch.
- Publishes his own apps as well as client work, which gives a useful signal of how he approaches product decisions independently.
Evidence of his work
His portfolio includes U (formerly UKTV Play), where he built the native tvOS app with privileged connectivity to the Apple TV app; it reached #1 on the App Store within 24 hours and is now pre-installed on Apple TV devices in the UK. He also built Channel 4 Horse Tracker with Monterosa Productions, a live second-screen Grand National experience that hit #1 in the App Store charts. Self-published apps include WallaBee (named Best European Gaming Startup of 2012 and later acquired by Munzee), Highlights (an Apple iPad App of the Week and App of the Year), Music Library Tracker (covered by MacRumors, 9to5Mac, and TechRadar), and Browser Note. Client work also spans NBC, Natural Cycles, L'Oréal, Glenfiddich, Oxford University, and others.
He also runs a monthly newsletter, The Dodo Developer, and maintains a weblog about his work.
Who this suits
If you are a founder or product lead who needs one experienced developer to own an Apple app end-to-end — especially tvOS or a multi-platform native build — this is the kind of profile to evaluate. If you need a large team, ongoing design capacity, or Android and web alongside Apple platforms, a studio or multi-disciplinary agency may fit better.
Next step
Look at the notable apps section and try two or three of them on the devices you care about. That gives you a concrete sense of his polish, performance, and platform range before you make contact.
How much does it cost to hire Ben Dodson for an Apple app project?
Pricing for Ben Dodson's freelance work is not published on his site, so there is no listed rate to quote. The page presents him as a senior independent Apple developer and consultant who works directly with founders, product teams, agencies and established brands, which usually means project-based or retainer engagements rather than a fixed public price list.
What that means in practice
- Cost depends on scope: platform coverage (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro), whether you need a new build or maintenance of an existing one, and how much design, backend or tvOS-specific work is involved.
- His track record — U (formerly UKTV Play), Channel 4 Horse Tracker, Music Library Tracker — suggests rates in line with an experienced specialist rather than a junior contractor or a cheap template shop.
- For a rough budget, expect to pay for discovery and scoping first; a short paid scoping phase is common for senior freelancers and reduces the risk of a mismatched fixed-price quote.
Next step
Use the contact route on Ben Dodson and send a brief that states: the platforms, whether it is new or existing code, your target launch window, and your budget range. Ask for an indicative day rate or a fixed-price range for the first milestone. If you need comparison points, look at other independent Apple specialists such as Martian Craft or Black Pixel to see how senior iOS consultancies structure engagements — then decide whether you want a solo senior developer or a small team.
What types of clients and projects does Ben Dodson take on as a freelance Apple developer?
Ben Dodson works as a senior, hands-on contractor rather than an agency. He builds native Apple apps across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch and Vision Pro, and describes his typical clients as founders, product teams, agencies and established brands that need experienced help rather than a large team.
Who he tends to work with
- Broadcasters and media companies — the strongest pattern in his portfolio. He built the native tvOS app for U (formerly UKTV Play), including integration with Apple's TV app, and later rebuilt the iPhone and iPad versions. He was also the sole iOS developer on Channel 4's Grand National app, working with Monterosa Productions.
- Startups and product teams — WallaBee, a location-based collecting game he built, was named Best European Gaming Startup of 2012 and was later acquired by Munzee.
- Health, charity and consumer brands — his listed work includes Natural Cycles, DrinkCoach, Friends of the Earth, L'Oreal, Glenfiddich, Calm Radio and Oxford University.
- Global brands and publishers — he mentions work for NBC and various publishers, alongside Foodim.
The kind of project that fits him
The common thread is a finished, maintained native app rather than a prototype or a cross-platform compromise. Two examples show the range:
| Project | Type of work | Notable outcome |
|---|---|---|
| U (UKTV Play) | Native tvOS app, then iPhone/iPad rebuild | Reached #1 on the App Store within 24 hours; pre-installed on Apple TV devices in the UK |
| Channel 4 Horse Tracker | Sole iOS developer with Monterosa | Live second-screen data on horse position, speed and distance; reached #1 in the App Store charts |
He also builds and self-publishes his own apps, including Music Library Tracker, which monitors an Apple Music library for additions, deletions, metadata changes and Spatial Audio upgrades, and Browser Note. That matters for clients: it shows he can take a product from idea to release and support it afterwards, not just execute a spec.
If you are deciding whether to approach him, a useful test is whether your project needs one senior developer who owns the whole Apple side of the build. If you need a large team, a cheap first prototype, or a single codebase covering Android as well, his positioning suggests he is a poor fit. If you have a live app that needs rebuilding, extending to another Apple platform, or long-term maintenance, that is closer to the work he describes.
How can I subscribe to The Dodo Developer newsletter and what does it cover?
You can subscribe to The Dodo Developer through the newsletter section of Ben Dodson's site, using the subscribe option next to the archive of previous issues. It is free, and the page notes more than 4,500 subscribers. There is no need to be a client or enquire about his consulting services first — the newsletter is open to anyone interested in his work.
What it covers
- The apps he is building, including his own self-published projects
- The tools he is making along the way
- Things he has learned in the process of developing and shipping software
It is written from the perspective of a working Apple-platform developer, so expect first-hand notes on building for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch and Vision Pro rather than general industry news. His own apps, such as Music Library Tracker, and client work like the tvOS app for U (formerly UKTV Play) and the Channel 4 Horse Tracker, give a sense of the kind of projects that may appear.
A practical next step
Read two or three previous issues before subscribing. That tells you whether the mix of build notes, tooling and lessons matches what you want, and how often it actually lands. If you are weighing it against other Apple-development writing, Ben Dodson is the only place to get this particular newsletter, while broader independent coverage appears on sites such as MacRumors and 9to5Mac, which have covered his apps.
What apps has Ben Dodson built for major brands like UKTV Play and Channel 4?
Ben Dodson's brand work centers on native Apple apps, with two projects standing out for scale and reach: U (formerly UKTV Play) and Channel 4 Horse Tracker.
U (formerly UKTV Play) — He built the native tvOS app, including privileged connectivity with Apple's "TV" app. It hit #1 on the App Store within 24 hours and is now pre-installed on every Apple TV device in the UK. He was then commissioned to rebuild the iPhone and iPad apps, which he still maintains.
Channel 4 Horse Tracker — Working with Monterosa Productions as sole iOS developer for Channel 4's Grand National app, he delivered a live second-screen experience showing horse position, speed and distance data. It also reached #1 in the App Store charts.
Beyond those, his portfolio spans NBC, Natural Cycles, Foodim, Friends of the Earth, L'Oréal, Glenfiddich, Calm Radio, Oxford University and DrinkCoach, plus his own apps: WallaBee, Highlights, Music Library Tracker and Browser Note.
If you're evaluating him for a project, the relevant signal is the mix of high-traffic broadcast apps and long-term maintenance relationships. A useful next step is to browse his own apps to judge polish and upkeep for yourself, then check whether your project needs tvOS, iOS or cross-device work — that determines which of these examples is the closest match. His monthly newsletter, The Dodo Developer, is a low-commitment way to see how he thinks about building.
How do I contact Ben Dodson to discuss a potential app development project?
Use the contact route listed on Ben Dodson: the site invites enquiries about his services, and that is the right channel for a project discussion rather than a newsletter signup or a general social message.
What to do
- Go to the site’s contact option and send a short project enquiry.
- Include the platforms you are targeting (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro), your timeline, and whether you already have designs or a specification.
- Say who you are: founder, product team, agency, or brand. His stated work spans all of these, plus broadcasters, charities, publishers, healthcare teams and global brands.
- Mention the stage: concept, existing app needing senior hands-on help, or a rebuild. The site notes he maintains apps he has built, so ongoing work is plausible.
- Keep the first message brief and offer to follow up with a fuller brief or a call.
A useful framing If you are a founder with an idea and no code, lead with the outcome you need and your budget range. If you are an agency needing extra senior capacity, lead with the scope and duration. If you have an app that is slow or hard to maintain, describe the symptoms rather than the solution.
Next step Write a five-line brief: what the app does, who uses it, which Apple platforms, what exists today, and when you need it. Send that through the site’s contact route and ask what information he needs to quote.
For background before you write, his own apps and client work are listed on the site, including U (formerly UKTV Play), Music Library Tracker, and Channel 4 Horse Tracker. Referencing a relevant one shows you have done your homework. If you want to follow his work first, the monthly newsletter, The Dodo Developer, is a free way to see how he thinks about building apps.
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