How to build a CRM app for iOS
What a CRM app needs
- Contacts with companies, roles, and notes
- A pipeline of deals or leads with stages
- Activity history and follow-up reminders
- Search and filtering that stays fast as records grow
- Accounts and roles so a team shares data (Supabase auth)
- A backend so records sync across devices, not one phone
The MVP slice is contacts, a simple pipeline, and reminders. Email sync, reporting, and granular team permissions come after.
Core screens and data
A CRM app needs a contacts list, a contact detail view, a pipeline board, a deal detail view, an activity log, and a follow-up task screen. Here is what each screen does and the data behind it.
| Screen | What it does | What it stores |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts list | Search and browse people | Name, company, role, email, phone |
| Contact detail | Shows one contact and its history | Notes, tags, linked deals, activity log |
| Pipeline board | Moves deals through stages | Deal name, value, stage, linked contact |
| Deal detail | Edits a single deal | Amount, expected close date, stage history |
| Activity and notes | Logs calls, emails, and notes | Note text, type, author, timestamp |
| Follow-up tasks | Surfaces reminders that are due | Due date, linked contact or deal, status |
Starter prompt
This is the plain-English prompt you paste into AppFlight to build the first version. AppFlight reads it, plans the screens, and generates native Swift you can run in the live simulator and then refine in plain language.
Build a CRM app for a small sales team. The home screen is a searchable list of contacts, each with a company, role, email, phone, and notes. A pipeline board shows deals as cards that move through stages like new, qualified, proposal, and won, and tapping a deal opens its amount, expected close date, and history. Users log calls and notes on a contact and set follow-up reminders that surface on a tasks screen. Store contacts, deals, notes, and reminders in Supabase with accounts and roles so the whole team works from the same pipeline on any device. Offer a free tier with a contact limit, then unlock unlimited contacts, extra pipelines, and reporting through a RevenueCat subscription using in-app purchase.
How to build it with AppFlight
Describe it, for example: "A CRM where I add contacts, move deals through stages on a board, log notes and calls, and get reminders to follow up. My team sees the same pipeline." AppFlight plans the screens, generates native SwiftUI, and runs it in a live simulator. Use the Supabase connector for shared data, auth, and roles so the pipeline is not trapped on one device. You iterate by asking for changes in plain language.
Monetization for a CRM app
CRMs sell as a subscription with tiers by seat or by record limit. On iOS, unlocking app features through a subscription is a digital purchase, so it goes through in-app purchase with RevenueCat, and Superwall lets you test paywall designs. If your CRM also sends invoices or takes client payments for real-world services, that money runs through Stripe instead, because it is a real-world transaction.
Shipping it to the App Store
When it works in the simulator, AppFlight signs the build, uploads to TestFlight so your team can test on real devices, then submits to the App Store with metadata and screenshots. If Apple rejects the build, AppFlight reads the reason, fixes it, and resubmits. Apple reviews every app, so a submission is not the same as an approval, but the pipeline runs without you opening Xcode.
FAQ
Can a CRM app sync across a team?
Yes, with a backend. AppFlight connects Supabase for shared records, auth, and roles so a team sees the same pipeline.
How do CRM apps make money?
Usually a subscription by seat or record limit. On iOS that digital upgrade uses in-app purchase, which RevenueCat manages.
Do I need to code to build a CRM?
No. You describe it in plain English and AppFlight generates native Swift and SwiftUI. You can edit the code, but you do not have to.