You have a website. Now you want an app. The good news: you don't need to start from zero. The approach depends on your budget, timeline, and how "native" the app needs to feel.
Option 1: WebView wrapper — $500-$1,500
The quickest approach. Your website loads inside a native app shell. It looks like an app, the icon is on the home screen, but it's really just your website in a container.
Pros: Fast (1-3 days), cheap, any website works Cons: No offline support, no push notifications, feels like a website not an app, slow on older phones
When to use this: you need an app icon on the App Store quickly and your website is already mobile-friendly.
Apple may reject pure WebView apps unless they add native features. I've seen it happen. At minimum, add push notifications and offline caching.
Option 2: React Native with shared logic — $2,000-$6,000
If your website is built with React or Next.js, you can share significant code between web and mobile. The UI is rebuilt with React Native components, but business logic, API calls, and data models are shared.
This is the sweet spot for most projects.
Pros: Real native feel, shared code = faster development, access to device features (camera, GPS, push) Cons: More expensive than WebView, still requires development time, some UI needs to be rebuilt
When to use this: you want a proper app experience and your website is React-based.
Option 3: Flutter with web-compatible architecture — $2,500-$8,000
If you're starting fresh or your website architecture allows it, Flutter can compile to web, iOS, and Android from a single codebase. This is the most unified approach.
Pros: One codebase for everything, best performance, most consistent across platforms Cons: Dart is less known than TypeScript, migrating existing React code to Flutter is a full rewrite
When to use this: you're willing to invest in a proper multi-platform architecture from the ground up.
What I recommend (based on real conversions)
For most businesses: Option 2 (React Native). Here's why:
- If your site uses React, you share 30-50% of the code
- The app feels native (smooth animations, proper gestures, native navigation)
- You get access to all device features
- You can ship both iOS and Android from one codebase
- It's faster and cheaper than building two native apps
I've done this conversion for clients. The process looks like:
- Audit the website — what can be shared, what needs to be rebuilt (1-2 days)
- Set up the React Native project — navigation, state management, API layer (2-3 days)
- Build the screens — reuse business logic, rebuild UI components (1-2 weeks)
- Add native features — push notifications, offline support, camera if needed (2-3 days)
- Test and submit — real device testing, App Store + Google Play submission (3-5 days)
Total timeline: 2-4 weeks. Total cost: $2,000-$6,000 depending on complexity.
The question you should ask before starting
"Do my users actually need an app, or do they just need a better mobile website?"
If your users mainly consume content (read, browse, look at products), a well-built mobile website with PWA features might be enough. If they need to interact frequently (book, chat, track, scan), an app is the right call.
Want to convert your website to an app?
I've done it before and I can tell you exactly which approach fits your project. Let's talk.