Guides
How Much Does It Cost to Turn a Website Into an App? (2026 Pricing Guide)
Pricing across the market ranges from $0 to $999/month. Here's what drives the difference, and how to figure out what you actually need to pay for.
The honest answer is: anywhere from $0 to several hundred dollars a month, and the number that matters isn't the lowest one — it's the one that matches what your app actually needs. Here's how pricing breaks down across the market, and where the money is actually going in each tier.
The four pricing tiers
One-time: Capsule $100 · Subscription: Median.co $66/mo × 12 · Managed: Mobiloud $399/mo × 12 + $850 setup
Free (ad-supported or feature-limited)
Tools like AppsGeyser let you build an APK for $0. The cost shows up elsewhere — ads inside your app, converter branding you can't remove, or limits on rebuilds. Good for testing an idea, not ideal for something customer-facing.
One-time flat fee (~$100)
This tier trades a bit of flexibility for a fixed, predictable cost. Capsule is priced here: $100 once per app for a signed Android APK with your own package name, custom icon and splash screen, and unlimited rebuilds — no ongoing bill. This tier makes sense when your site is already built and you just need it packaged, not redesigned.
Monthly subscription ($66–$250/mo)
Platforms like Median.co (from ~$66/mo) and AppMySite (from ~$69/mo, up to $999/mo for agency tiers) charge recurring fees in exchange for a visual builder, native plugin access, and ongoing dashboard control. This tier is worth it if you're actively iterating on the app's design or need authenticated-session handling that goes beyond a plain WebView.
Fully managed service ($399+/mo plus setup)
Mobiloud sits here: roughly $399/month plus a setup fee starting near $850, aimed at publishers who need push notifications and a managed reading experience handled end-to-end by someone else's team. This tier is priced for businesses where the app is a primary engagement channel, not a nice-to-have.
| Tier | Typical cost | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 (ads/branding trade-off) | Prototyping, testing an idea |
| One-time | $100 flat (Capsule) | Existing sites that just need packaging |
| Subscription | $66–$999/mo | Active builders, SaaS with auth needs |
| Managed | $399+/mo + setup fee | High-traffic publishers |
Costs that apply no matter which tool you pick
Google Play Developer
$25
one-time, paid to Google directly
Apple Developer Program
$99/yr
only if you add iOS later
- Google Play Developer registration — a one-time $25 fee from Google, separate from any app-building tool
- Apple Developer Program (if you add iOS later) — $99/year from Apple
- Your time preparing an icon, splash screen, and store listing assets
How to decide what to pay for
Ask what the app actually needs to do. If it's mirroring an existing, already-good website for the sake of a home-screen icon and Play Store presence, a one-time fee covers that completely. If you need authenticated sessions, native plugins, push notifications at scale, or an actively managed publishing workflow, that's when a subscription or managed service starts earning its price.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the average cost to convert a website into an app?
- It ranges from free (with ads/branding trade-offs) to $999/month for agency platforms. A one-time flat fee around $100 covers most sites that just need to be packaged as an app, without a subscription.
- Are there hidden costs beyond the app-building tool?
- Yes — a Google Play Developer account is a one-time $25 fee, and Apple's Developer Program is $99/year if you add iOS. These are paid to Google/Apple directly, not to the conversion tool.
- Is a monthly subscription ever worth it over a one-time fee?
- Yes, if you need ongoing native plugin access, authenticated session handling, or a managed publishing service like push notifications at scale. For a straightforward website-to-app packaging job, a one-time fee is usually cheaper overall.