Expert catalog
Specialists with ratings, “online” status and area of expertise
Consulting services · Android app
Esoterics: Android app for online esoteric consultations
A native Android app that fully replicates an existing web service for esoteric consultations: rated expert catalog, instant call ordering, per-minute billing and a personal account with a balance. Built with Flutter and PHP Symfony to ship to Google Play within three months.
EsotericsOnline consulting services
About the product
The owner of an established web service for esoteric consultations came to us to reach a wider audience and let users access the service from their smartphones. They needed a native Android app that fully reproduced the core functionality of the web version: the expert catalog, consultation ordering and payments.
The challenge was compounded by the lack of a formal specification at the outset and a tight timeline: three months from first contact to publication on Google Play.
The challenge
Build a native Android app that mirrors the core functionality of an already running web platform, on a compressed schedule of three months from kickoff to app store publication.
With no formal specification at the start, the team had to analyze requirements quickly, define the core feature set and prioritize it so the deadline would hold.
Project highlights
Expert catalog with ratings and live statusInstant callback, no queuePer-minute call billingWallet and payment historyCards, mobile account and PayPalShared Symfony backend with the web
Solution and approach
To meet the three-month deadline we chose Flutter: it let us carry the business logic of the existing web platform over to Android quickly while delivering a native UX. The backend stayed on PHP Symfony, giving the web and mobile app a single source of data.
With no formal specification, the team ran an intensive requirements analysis, defined the core features and prioritized them. During final testing an additional developer joined the project to guarantee an on-time release.
Product features
Search by name
Find the right expert quickly, right from the list
Consultation ordering
Instant callback from the expert with the rate shown upfront
Call billing
Cost calculated automatically from call duration
Personal account
Profile, balance and history in one place
Balance top-up
Bank cards, mobile phone account and PayPal
Expert catalog
The main “Experts” screen opens with search by name and a feed of specialist cards. Each expert has a photo, name, “online” or “on a call” status, a star rating and a short description of their specialty, such as horary astrologer or cosmoenergetics practitioner.
Each card shows a green “Call” button with the per-minute rate, while booked experts get an orange “Book” button. A separate badge highlights the “expert of the day”.
Finding a specialist
Tapping the search bar switches the screen to input mode with the keyboard and filters the list instantly as the name is typed: entering “Krista”, for example, immediately shows the right expert.
The result card keeps everything from the catalog, including status, rating, description and the order button, so users can call straight from search results.
Ordering a consultation
The “Order a consultation” screen pulls in the user’s phone number and the selected expert’s card with the rate and telephony surcharge. Below are the current account balance and an estimate of how long the call can last.
The user starts the call with “Get a consultation”, and if funds are short, can go straight to “Top up balance”.
Topping up the balance
The “Top up balance” screen offers a grid of preset amounts and a choice of payment method: saved card, new bank card, mobile phone account or PayPal.
A separate “Personal account” screen repeats the balance and top-up button and stores the user profile with name and phone number.
Why Flutter for Android
The choice of Flutter followed from the task: the logic of an existing web platform had to move to Android fast, with a native UX for catalog navigation, call management and the payment flow. Flutter renders UI natively and allows business logic to be reused, which was decisive under a three-month deadline.
React Native was considered but fell short on audio call performance and access to native Android telephony APIs. Pure native Kotlin would have required more time to build a component architecture from scratch.
By the numbers
3 mo.from first contact to Google Play release
1platform: native Android built with Flutter
3payment methods: card, mobile account, PayPal
100%of core web functionality carried over
Android app built and published on Google Play within 3 months from first contact to release.
Catalog of esoteric specialists with profiles, areas of expertise and rates.
Per-minute billing: users see the cost of a call before it starts and stay in control of their spending.
Built-in payments: bank cards and PayPal, with no redirects to external pages.
Rating system: specialists are rated based on completed consultations.
The app is based on the existing web version of the platform, adapted to the Android mobile interface.
Architecture and personal data
The app handles users’ personal data, including phone numbers, balances, consultation history and payment information, so payments and authorization run on top of a proven PHP Symfony backend shared with the web platform.
A single backend keeps balances, consultation history and expert rates in sync between web and mobile. Payments go through providers (bank cards and PayPal), and card details are never stored on our servers.
Personal data is processed under the requirements of the client’s jurisdiction, stored on locally hosted servers, with role-restricted access.
Tech stack
PHP SymfonyBackend and business logic for the web platform and the app
FlutterNative Android app reusing the web platform’s logicBuild a consultation app like this — talk to us
Have a web service that needs a mobile app on a tight deadline? Tell us about it, and we will help define the core features and plan a realistic release.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to build a mobile app with a specialist catalog and payments?
It depends on the feature set: catalog, calls, payments, ratings, notifications. For an MVP of this class the benchmark is the standard range for custom mobile development; we give an exact estimate after discovery, once scenarios and integrations are defined.
How does per-minute billing for phone consultations work?
Before the call starts, the user sees the specialist’s rate per minute. When the consultation ends, the amount is calculated from the actual call time and charged to the balance or the linked payment method.
Why Flutter rather than native Android development?
Flutter let us reuse the business logic of the existing web platform and meet the three-month deadline. Native Kotlin development would have taken longer to build a component architecture. If needed, the app can be extended to iOS without rewriting the codebase.
How are payments implemented: PayPal and cards?
The payment flow is integrated through provider SDKs: users pay for a consultation by card or PayPal right in the app. Card details are not stored on our servers; that is the responsibility of the payment provider.
How long did development take?
Three months from first contact to publication on Google Play. Flutter, which let us reuse logic from the web version, and an additional developer brought in for final testing and publication helped speed things up.
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