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A Xamarin consultant is a mobile development specialist who helps businesses assess and modernize apps built with Xamarin, Microsoft's former framework for building iOS and Android apps in C#. Today, most Xamarin consulting focuses on planning a safe move to a supported platform.

A Xamarin consultant reviews your existing app, identifies which code, libraries, and features can carry over, and estimates the effort needed to migrate. They also flag risks such as unsupported plugins, custom renderers, and outdated build tooling.

Businesses usually hire one when app store requirements start blocking updates, when their team can no longer build the app reliably, or when leadership needs a clear migration plan and budget before committing to the work.

No. According to Microsoft's official Xamarin support policy, support for all Xamarin SDKs ended on May 1, 2024. Xamarin no longer receives security updates, bug fixes, or support for new iOS and Android versions.

Existing Xamarin apps may continue to run for a while, but they become harder to maintain over time. App stores regularly raise the minimum SDK and platform versions required for updates, and Xamarin apps can't meet newer requirements without migrating.

This creates both security and business risks. A Xamarin consultant helps you understand your current exposure, how urgent migration is for your app, and which path makes the most sense for your team and budget.

Xamarin apps generally have three main migration paths:

• .NET MAUI: Microsoft's official successor to Xamarin.Forms. It keeps C# and XAML, so much of your business logic and many view models can carry over. This is usually the fastest path for teams with .NET skills.
• React Native: a JavaScript-based framework with a large ecosystem. It suits teams moving toward web technologies, but requires rewriting the app.
• Flutter or fully native: a rewrite in Dart, or in Swift and Kotlin, for teams prioritizing design control or deep platform access.

A Xamarin consultant compares these paths based on your codebase, team skills, and timeline. If you're leaning toward JavaScript, React Native consultants can provide a second opinion on that route.

Much of a well-structured Xamarin.Forms app can move to .NET MAUI with adjustments. Items that usually carry over include:

• Business logic and services written in C#
• View models following the MVVM pattern
• XAML layouts, with namespace and control updates
• Xamarin.Essentials features, which are now built into MAUI

Some parts typically need rework. Custom renderers must be converted to MAUI handlers, older third-party plugins may need replacements, and project files move to the new single-project structure.

Apps built with Xamarin.iOS and Xamarin.Android, rather than Xamarin.Forms, follow a slightly different path to .NET for iOS and .NET for Android. A consultant reviews your specific setup to estimate how much can be reused.

Based on Fiverr marketplace data, starting prices for mobile app consulting and development gigs on this page range from about $100 for focused reviews and fixes to $4,000 or more for full cross-platform app builds and rewrites. Experienced .NET mobile specialists who bill hourly commonly charge between $40 and $100 per hour.

Basic packages usually cover an assessment or a small fix. Standard and Premium tiers can include a detailed migration plan, partial or full migration, and app store release support.

Your budget will depend on:

• App size, including the number of screens and features
• Custom renderers and native code that need rewriting
• Third-party plugins without MAUI-compatible versions
• Target platform, since a rewrite in another framework costs more than moving to MAUI

For wider benchmarks, compare typical app developer costs.

Most Xamarin migration projects on Fiverr follow these steps:

1. Assessment: the consultant reviews your code, dependencies, build setup, and app store status.
2. Path recommendation: you receive a comparison of MAUI and alternative frameworks with effort estimates.
3. Migration plan: the work is broken into phases, often starting with shared libraries and core screens.
4. Project conversion: code is moved into the new project structure and updated.
5. Plugin and renderer replacement: unsupported components are swapped or rebuilt.
6. Testing: the app is tested on real iOS and Android devices.
7. Release: updated builds are submitted to the App Store and Google Play.

Assessments can take a few days. Full migrations often take several weeks to a few months, depending on app size.

Xamarin consultants work with Microsoft's current .NET tooling and mobile platform tools:

• .NET SDK: current .NET releases with MAUI workloads installed
• IDEs: Visual Studio, JetBrains Rider, and Visual Studio Code with the .NET MAUI extension
• Migration helpers: the .NET Upgrade Assistant for converting projects
• Libraries: .NET MAUI Community Toolkit and CommunityToolkit.Mvvm
• Platform tools: Xcode for iOS builds and Android Studio for Android SDK management
• Testing and monitoring: unit testing frameworks and crash reporting tools like Sentry

Consultants also check that each third-party library you rely on has a supported, maintained replacement before migration begins. A Mac is required for iOS builds, so confirm the consultant has access to current Apple hardware and tooling.

Common add-ons for Xamarin consulting gigs include:

• Full migration after the assessment
• UI refresh during the move to MAUI
• Plugin replacement or custom native code
• Automated tests to protect key features
• App store submission and release support

Apple and Google developer account fees, backend hosting, and paid component licenses are not included. Backend API changes are also usually quoted separately if the migration exposes issues on the server side.

Thorough testing is essential after a migration. Bringing in QA consultants helps confirm that features behave the same on every device before release. For broader strategy beyond migration, mobile app consulting covers roadmap and feature planning.