Guide · For founders & operators
How to turn a website into an app
"Turn my website into an app" means three different things depending on who you ask. Here's the honest breakdown · what each option actually delivers, what it costs, and how to pick the right one.
The three options
| Option | Cost | Time | App Store | Push | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PWA (Progressive Web App) | Free | 1 day | No · install via browser prompt | Limited · iOS unreliable | Cheap, weakest UX |
| Capacitor shell | £399 done-for-you · or 40h DIY | 10 days | Yes · App Store + Google Play | Full APNs + FCM | Best value for most |
| Native rebuild (Swift / Kotlin / React Native) | £15k-£80k | 3-6 months | Yes | Full | Only when you need native rendering |
Option 1 · PWA · cheap, but not in the App Store
A Progressive Web App is your existing site with a manifest and a service worker. Users tap "Add to Home Screen" and an icon appears. No App Store listing, no real push on iOS, no biometrics. Fine for a content site, useless for anything users return to daily.
Option 2 · Capacitor shell · best value for almost everyone
Capacitor is the native runtime by the Ionic team. It wraps your existing site in a real iOS and Android container · the user sees an app icon, splash screen, and native chrome. Your site renders inside a native WebView with full access to push, biometrics, camera, deep links, and secure storage. App Store and Google Play distribution under your own developer accounts.
This is the right answer for ~90% of "turn my website into an app" requests · your existing site stays the source of truth, updates ship instantly, and you get the native features Apple and Google require for store distribution.
Option 3 · Full native rebuild · only when you need it
Rebuilding in Swift, Kotlin, or React Native is the right answer when your app depends on heavy native rendering · games, AR/VR, video editing, real-time audio, offline-first sync. For a typical SaaS, marketplace, social, or content app it's a 6-figure mistake.
What about WebView wrappers?
Tools like Median.co, GoNative, or Convertify wrap your URL in a thin shell. They work · but they often skip the native plumbing that makes an app feel like an app · no real push, no biometrics, no deep links done properly. Apple's review team is also stricter on these now · expect a 4.2 rejection if the wrapper does too little beyond rendering the website.
How to decide in 30 seconds
- Content site, occasional visitors · PWA is enough.
- SaaS / marketplace / social / utility / community · Capacitor shell. Best ratio of cost, time, and native parity.
- Game, AR, video editor, heavy 3D · full native rebuild.
Turn your website into a real native app
Done-for-you Capacitor shell · App Store + Google Play · from £399 one-time · 10 business days · full source code on day one.
