Creating an app from your website can cost as little as EUR 40/month with automated platforms like Appo, or as much as EUR 20,000-50,000+ with custom development. The difference comes down to three factors: technical approach, level of customisation, and ongoing maintenance costs.
This guide breaks down every cost line in detail, with real numbers and comparisons between the options available in 2026. The goal is not to push you toward one approach over another, but to give you the tools to make an informed decision based on your specific situation.
The short answer: it depends on the approach. But "it depends" does not help you plan a budget, so let us put the numbers side by side.
There are three main paths to turn a website into a mobile app: custom development (from scratch or close to it), a webview wrapper (a "container" that loads your site inside a native shell), and automated platforms that convert your existing site into a native or hybrid app.
Here is a direct comparison:
The range is enormous: from less than EUR 500 per year to over EUR 70,000 in the first year alone. The point is not which option costs the least in absolute terms, but which delivers the best return for your type of business.
When evaluating the cost of an app, the upfront development price is only the tip of the iceberg. There are at least five cost categories to consider, and some of them recur over time.
1. Design and development The ideation, interface design (UI/UX) and actual programming phase. In custom development, this is the heaviest line item. With automated platforms, it is included in the subscription.
2. Visual assets and branding App icons, splash screens, store screenshots, and adapting graphics for various form factors (iPhone, iPad, Android). If your website already has a defined visual identity, this phase is faster. If you are starting from scratch, expect additional design costs (EUR 300-1,500 with a freelancer, less with templates).
3. App store publication Apple requires a developer account at EUR 99/year (Apple Developer Program). Google requires a one-time payment of EUR 25 (Google Play Console). These costs are fixed regardless of the approach you choose, though some platforms like Appo handle them internally as part of the service.
4. Maintenance and updates Apple and Google release operating system updates every year. Each update may require changes to your app to ensure compatibility. With custom development, that means billable hours every time. With automated platforms, maintenance is included.
5. Additional features Push notifications, analytics, deep links, payment system integrations, or CRM connections. Every additional feature has a cost, whether in development hours or a plan upgrade.
Custom development means hiring an agency or a development team to build the app from scratch (or nearly so), starting from your website.
Typical costs in 2026:
On top of that, maintenance costs average 15-20% of the initial cost every year. A EUR 30,000 app therefore requires EUR 4,500-6,000/year in routine maintenance alone, without counting feature additions.
Timeline: 3 to 6 months for the first version, depending on complexity.
Advantages: full control over every aspect, ability to build unique features, complete code ownership.
Disadvantages: high costs (both upfront and recurring), long timelines, dependency on the development team, risk of going over budget.
This approach makes sense for enterprise companies with dedicated budgets, very specific technical requirements, and an internal team capable of managing the project. For a typical e-commerce store or an SMB, the cost-benefit ratio rarely justifies the investment.
The webview wrapper is the simplest approach: the app is essentially a browser that opens your website inside a native container. The user downloads the app from the store, opens it, and sees your website.
Typical costs:
Timeline: 1-2 weeks.
Advantages: very low cost, fast turnaround, any change to your website is automatically reflected in the app.
Disadvantages: user experience is often poor (the app "feels like a website" and users notice), limited native functionality (basic push notifications, no offline access, lower performance), risk of store rejection. Apple in particular has strict rules about webview wrappers and can reject apps that do not offer a meaningfully better experience than the mobile website.
A pure webview works for internal projects, quick prototypes, or situations where the app serves as a shortcut to access a web service. For an e-commerce store looking to boost conversions and retention, the limitations are too significant.
Automated platforms represent the middle ground: they take your existing website and turn it into an app with native features (push notifications, native navigation, partial offline access) without requiring development from scratch.
The cost is structured as a monthly or annual subscription, with everything included: conversion, store publication, maintenance, and updates.
Appo starts at EUR 40/month for the Starter plan, which includes converting your website into an iOS and Android app, push notifications, and publication on both stores. The Business plan at EUR 90/month adds advanced features for growing businesses. The app preview is free: you can see how your app will look before paying anything.
The main advantage of this approach is cost predictability. There are no surprises, no extra invoices for bug fixes or compatibility updates. You know exactly how much you will spend every month.
Timeline: with Appo, the app is ready within 48 hours of configuration.
For an e-commerce store or SMB that wants to test the app channel without risking tens of thousands of euros, automated platforms offer the best risk-to-reward ratio.
Regardless of the approach you choose, an app has recurring costs. Ignoring them in your initial budget is one of the most common mistakes.
Fixed annual costs:
Variable costs (custom development):
Variable costs (automated platforms):
Real-world example over 3 years:
With custom development: EUR 30,000 (development) + EUR 18,000 (3 years of maintenance at EUR 500/month) + EUR 297 (store accounts) = EUR 48,297
With Appo Starter: EUR 1,440 (3 years of subscription at EUR 40/month) + EUR 0 (store accounts managed by Appo) = EUR 1,440
The difference is over 33 times. Even accounting for the greater flexibility of custom development, for the majority of e-commerce stores and SMBs the economics clearly favour automated platforms.
The cost of the app is only half the equation. The other half is return on investment. Let us work through the numbers with real data.
The cart abandonment rate on mobile devices reaches 80-85% (source: Baymard Institute). That means out of 100 users who add a product to their cart from a phone, 80-85 never complete the purchase. For an e-commerce store with an average order value of EUR 50-100, every abandoned cart is lost revenue.
Data shows that mobile apps convert on average 3 times more than mobile web (source: MobiLoud/Tapcart). The reason is straightforward: smoother experience, saved login, one-tap payment, push notifications that bring the user back to complete the purchase.
With Appo Starter at EUR 40/month, break-even requires less than one additional order per month for most e-commerce stores. No optimistic projections needed: a single recovered cart covers the monthly cost.
With custom development at EUR 30,000+, break-even requires months (or years) of incremental revenue before recouping the initial investment. And in the meantime, maintenance costs keep accumulating.
The market for "website to app" platforms in 2026 offers several options. Here is a direct price comparison at the entry level:
A few important notes on this comparison:
Shoppy and Shopney only work with Shopify. If your website runs on WooCommerce, WordPress, Wix, or any other platform, these options are not available to you. Appo works with any website, regardless of the underlying technology.
MobiLoud is a managed service, not a self-service platform. The higher price includes a team that handles everything for you. It makes sense for enterprise brands with high traffic, less so for SMBs and smaller e-commerce stores.
AppMySite has a free plan, but with very limited features and the platform's branding visible in the app. The $49/month plan removes the branding and unlocks essential features.
Twinr offers solid value for money at $85/month, with support for multiple platforms (WordPress, Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix) and some AI-powered push notification features.
The point is not just the monthly price, but the total cost over time. On an annual basis, the difference between Appo Starter (EUR 480/year) and MobiLoud (EUR 4,188/year) is nearly EUR 3,700. Over three years, that is over EUR 11,000 in savings.
Automated platforms like Appo start at EUR 40/month, including store publication, maintenance, and updates. The preview is free, so you can see the result before committing. Custom development starts at EUR 15,000 for the initial phase alone, with recurring maintenance costs on top.
Yes. An Apple Developer account costs EUR 99/year, and a Google Play account costs EUR 25 one-time. These are mandatory requirements for publishing on the App Store and Google Play Store. With Appo, these costs are handled by the team and included in the service, so you do not need to create and maintain developer accounts yourself.
Yes, significantly. A website that is already optimised for mobile reduces configuration time and improves the quality of the final app. If your site is responsive and fast, the conversion to an app will be smoother. With platforms like Appo, the website is converted as-is within 48 hours, but a mobile-first site will produce a better result.
Yes. With an automated platform like Appo Starter at EUR 40/month, the annual cost is EUR 480 -- just under the EUR 500 threshold. Everything is included: conversion, publication, push notifications, maintenance. The DIY webview approach can cost even less (EUR 0-200), but with significant limitations on user experience and the risk of store rejection.
It depends on the approach. Custom development takes 3-6 months. A webview wrapper can be ready in 1-2 weeks. Automated platforms like Appo deliver the app within 48 hours of configuration. On top of these timelines, add the store review process: Apple typically takes 24-48 hours for review, Google a few hours.
Absolutely. Apple and Google release operating system updates every year, and each update may require changes to the app. With custom development, maintenance costs EUR 500-2,000/month. With automated platforms, maintenance is included in the subscription: the platform handles compatibility with new operating systems, bug fixes, and security updates.
The data says yes. Push notifications have an average conversion rate of 4.4% (source: PushPushGo), significantly higher than traditional email marketing. For e-commerce, push notifications serve to recover abandoned carts, announce promotions, notify about product availability, and stay in touch with customers. Considering that mobile cart abandonment sits at 80-85% (source: Baymard Institute), even a small percentage of recoveries translates into meaningful revenue.
Design investment ranges from $5,000 for template-based layouts to $30,000+ for custom mobile commerce interfaces optimized for conversion. Budget Design App...
You'll get everything you need from a real mobile app while managing essentially one codebase. Anything you build or improve on your website shows up in the ...
The decision depends on three core questions.
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