Most businesses that want an app do not need two of them. They need the thing they already have, on a home screen, working offline, sending push notifications, and listed where their customers look for it.
So the first question we ask is not which framework. It is whether you already have a working web application. If you do, converting it is usually a fraction of the cost of a native rebuild and it keeps you on one codebase, which means one place to fix a bug instead of three.
Where a genuine native build is the right answer, we say so. Heavy camera, Bluetooth, background location or offline-first work earns the extra cost. A booking form does not.
What is included
One codebase, both stores
React Native and Expo, so iOS and Android come from the same source. Two apps to your customers, one project to maintain and pay for.
Web app to mobile app
Your existing Next.js or React application wrapped and adapted into a genuine installable app, with native navigation and gestures rather than a browser in a frame.
Push notifications
The reason most businesses want an app at all. Set up properly, with permission prompts that ask at a sensible moment rather than on first launch.
Offline behaviour
Defined and tested, so the app degrades sensibly on a bad connection instead of showing an error screen and losing whatever the user had typed.
Store submission
App Store and Google Play listings, screenshots, descriptions, privacy declarations and the review process handled. Rejections are normal and we deal with them.
Updates after launch
Over-the-air updates for most changes, so a copy fix does not mean another week in app review.
How we work
- 01
Scope and route
We work out whether this is a conversion, a native build, or an installable web app, and we tell you which is cheapest for the outcome you want.
- 02
Design for touch
Screens designed against platform conventions, because an app that feels like a website on a phone gets deleted.
- 03
Build and device testing
Built in stages and tested on real iPhones and Android handsets, not only in a simulator.
- 04
Store launch
Developer accounts, signing, listings, submission and the first review round, then a check that installs and notifications are working in the wild.
Do you actually need a native app?
An honest answer saves most businesses a five-figure decision. A native app is worth it when you need hardware the browser cannot reach, when the app must work with no signal, or when being in the store is itself the point because that is where your customers look.
It is usually not worth it when what you want is a mobile-friendly booking or ordering flow. That is a website problem, and solving it as a website means one thing to maintain and no review queue between you and a fix.
- Push notifications to customers who have opted in — a real reason to build
- Camera, Bluetooth, background location or offline-first work — a real reason to build
- A home-screen icon and a store listing customers search — often achievable without a native build
- A form, a booking flow or a catalogue — almost always better as a fast website
Converting a web app you already own
This is the work we are asked for most often, and it is the least understood. If you have a working React or Next.js application, a large share of the logic, the API calls and the business rules move across unchanged. What gets rebuilt is navigation, gestures and anything that assumed a mouse.
The result is a genuine app in both stores, sharing a codebase with your website. When you change a price or a rule, it changes in one place. We have taken a client web application through exactly this path, and the case study below is that project end to end.
Frequently asked questions
What does a mobile app cost to build?
Converting an existing web application is typically a fraction of a native rebuild, because the logic already exists and only the interface layer is redone. A ground-up native app costs considerably more. We quote a fixed price per project after scoping, and we will tell you at that point if the cheaper route gets you the same outcome.
Can you turn my website into an app?
If it is a web application with real functionality, yes, and that is usually the sensible route. If it is a brochure website, an app would give your customers nothing a fast mobile site does not, and we would rather say so than sell you one.
Do you build for both iPhone and Android?
Yes, from a single codebase using React Native and Expo. You get a listing in both stores without paying to build and maintain the same app twice.
Do you handle the App Store and Google Play submission?
Yes, including developer account setup, signing, store listings, screenshots and privacy declarations. First-round rejections are a routine part of the process and we handle the back-and-forth.
How long does an app take?
A conversion of an existing web application is usually six to ten weeks including store review. A native build from scratch is longer and depends heavily on how much of the backend already exists.
Related work
Private Client
Extended an existing Next.js web application into native iOS and Android apps using Capacitor, reaching the App Store from a single shared codebase, without the cost and timeline of a ground-up native rebuild.
Read the case study →SaaS PlatformStorage Resolve Pty Ltd
A fully bespoke SaaS platform for the Australian self-storage industry that automates the entire lien recovery workflow, combining legal notice automation, multi-channel communications, payment processing, and real-time online auctions in one cohesive system.
Read the case study →Web DevelopmentThe Canberra Antiques Centre
A bespoke rent management platform that replaced a sprawl of linked spreadsheets with automated bank reconciliation, overdue detection, and one-click tenant communications for a 50+ space showroom business.
Read the case study →Next projectYours
We are taking on new App Development work now. Tell us what you are trying to fix and we will tell you honestly whether we are the right people for it.
Start the conversation →Often paired with
Or see every service we offer.