📱 Custom App Development · Updated May 2026

When no-code hits its ceiling.
Custom web + React Native, shipped in weeks not quarters.

We build custom web apps, internal tools, and React Native mobile apps for founders whose ideas outgrew Lovable, Bubble, or Webflow. Fixed-price quotes from $5,000. iOS + Android from one codebase. You own the App Store accounts and the source code.

Scope my custom app (48h) →Or: try Lovable first (free) →

From $5,000 fixed-price · React Native covers iOS + Android · You own App Store + source code · 4-10 week delivery

Quick Answer: In 30 seconds

We build custom web apps and React Native mobile apps when no-code tools (Lovable, Bubble, Webflow) cannot do what you need. Fixed-price $5,000-30,000, delivered in 4-10 weeks. iOS + Android ship from one codebase via React Native + Expo. You own the source code and all App Store accounts. As of May 2026 we have 1 slot open this quarter.

The "we outgrew no-code" moment

Most founders should start with Lovable, Bubble, or Webflow. We mean that. They are cheaper, faster, and good enough for the first 100-1000 users on most ideas. You should only hire us for custom development when you have hit one of these specific walls:

  1. You need a mobile app users install from the App Store. No-code tools generate PWAs at best. Apple deliberately limits PWAs (no real push notifications on iOS until 16.4+, no App Store distribution, no in-app purchases). If your users expect to find you in the App Store, you need a real React Native (or native) app.
  2. Data volumes past ~10,000 rows. Bubble performance degrades visibly around 5,000-10,000 rows in user-facing lists. Lovable's Supabase backend handles more, but the auto-generated query patterns get slow without index tuning. Custom code lets us add indexes, batched queries, and server-side caching.
  3. Offline support. No-code tools assume always-online. If your users work in warehouses, on flights, or in rural locations, you need a real app with local-first sync (we use TanStack DB or Replicache patterns).
  4. Hardware integration. Cameras, GPS, Bluetooth, NFC, payment terminals, barcode scanners. No-code does not touch these. React Native does, well.
  5. Custom business logic that does not map to visual programming. Some logic flows are genuinely too complex to express in Bubble's workflow editor without it becoming worse than code.
  6. Compliance requirements. SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS. No-code vendors will sometimes sign a BAA on enterprise plans, but the data-flow guarantees are easier to demonstrate with code you control.

What we build

  • Custom web applications — internal tools, dashboards, B2B SaaS, marketplaces. Next.js 16 + Supabase + Postgres. $5,000-18,000.
  • React Native mobile apps — iOS + Android from one codebase. Push notifications, deep linking, offline sync, in-app purchases via RevenueCat. $15,000-25,000.
  • Hybrid web + mobile — Next.js web app and React Native mobile app sharing one Supabase backend. Users sign up on the web, install the app, all data syncs. $20,000-30,000.
  • Internal tools — admin panels, CRMs, ops dashboards specific to your business. Often the fastest engagement (2-4 weeks, $5,000-10,000).

Stack and why

Web: Next.js 16 App Router on Vercel, Supabase for Postgres + Auth + Storage + Realtime, Stripe for billing, Resend for email, Tailwind + shadcn/ui for design. Same stack as our SaaS MVP service.

Mobile: React Native + Expo (managed workflow), NativeWind for Tailwind-style styling, React Navigation for routing, Expo Application Services (EAS) for build + submission, RevenueCat for in-app subscriptions, Supabase as the shared backend with web. One codebase ships to both stores; you avoid hiring separate iOS and Android developers.

Pricing

  • Internal tool / admin dashboard — $5,000-10,000. 2-4 weeks.
  • Public web app — $10,000-18,000. Auth + Stripe + custom feature + landing. 4-6 weeks.
  • React Native mobile app — $15,000-25,000. iOS + Android, App Store + Play Store submission included. 6-10 weeks.
  • Hybrid web + mobile — $20,000-30,000. Web app + companion mobile app, shared backend. 8-10 weeks.
  • Maintenance — $1,500-2,500/month. Bug fixes, feature additions, OS update compatibility. Cancel anytime.

When NOT to hire us

  • You have not tried Lovable yet for the web version. 70% of the time, Lovable is the right answer for the web piece.
  • You want a native iOS-only or Android-only app for performance reasons (games, AR/VR, video editing). We will refer you to native specialists.
  • Your app needs HIPAA or SOC 2 and you do not have a compliance officer on your side yet.
  • You want us to also handle marketing, ASO (App Store Optimization), and growth. We build software.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I hire you instead of using Lovable, Bubble, or Webflow?
No-code is the right answer for ~70% of internal tools and ~50% of MVPs. We come in when you hit one of these ceilings: (1) you need a mobile app users can install from the App Store or Play Store, (2) you have data volumes past 10,000 rows where Bubble/Lovable performance degrades, (3) you need offline support, (4) you need to integrate with hardware (cameras, GPS, sensors, payment terminals), (5) you have a custom business logic that does not map to a no-code visual language, (6) you need to be SOC 2 / HIPAA / PCI compliant and the no-code vendor will not sign a BAA. If none of those apply, try Lovable first and save money.
What does "custom app" cover in your scope?
Three categories. (1) Custom web applications — internal tools, dashboards, B2B SaaS, marketplaces. Next.js + Supabase + Postgres stack. (2) React Native mobile apps — iOS + Android from one codebase, ship to App Store and Play Store. (3) Hybrid web + mobile — Next.js web app with a companion React Native mobile app sharing the same backend (most common for consumer SaaS). We do NOT build native iOS-only Swift apps or native Android-only Kotlin apps — React Native covers 95% of what people actually need at half the cost.
How much does it cost?
Fixed-price quotes from $5,000-30,000. Internal tool / admin dashboard = $5,000-10,000 (2-4 weeks). Public web app with auth + Stripe + custom feature = $10,000-18,000 (4-6 weeks). React Native mobile app (iOS + Android) with backend = $15,000-30,000 (6-10 weeks). 50% deposit, 50% on production deploy. As of May 2026 we have 1 new project slot opening this quarter.
Will the mobile app actually get approved by Apple and Google?
Yes. We have shipped 7 React Native apps in 2025-2026 and all 7 passed App Store review (most within 24-48 hours). We follow the boring rules: no broken sign-in flows, no AI features that generate adult content without filters, no in-app payments for digital goods that bypass Apple's billing, clear privacy policy, age rating set correctly. The most common rejection reason for first-time founders is missing or wrong privacy disclosures — we handle the privacy nutrition labels and PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy manifest for you.
What stack do you use for mobile apps?
React Native + Expo (managed workflow), with the same Supabase backend you would use for the web. Expo Application Services for the build and submission pipeline so you do not need to maintain Xcode locally. NativeWind for Tailwind-style styling. React Navigation for routing. Push notifications via Expo. In-app purchases via RevenueCat if you need subscription billing. This stack lets one developer ship to iOS and Android simultaneously, which is why your project costs half what a native-team agency quotes.
How is this different from your SaaS MVP service?
The SaaS MVP service is opinionated: Next.js + Supabase + Stripe, the same scope every time (auth + billing + one core feature + admin + landing), priced for the 80% common case. Custom app development is for things outside that mold — internal tools without billing, mobile apps, marketplaces, hardware integrations, anything where the standard SaaS template does not fit. If you want to know which one applies to your project, send us a one-page brief and we will tell you honestly.
Do you do iOS-only or Android-only native apps?
Rarely. Native iOS (Swift) and native Android (Kotlin) are sometimes the right call for performance-critical apps (games, AR/VR, video editing) or apps that need deep platform integration (Apple Watch complications, Android widgets, CarPlay). For 95% of business apps, React Native is faster to build, cheaper to maintain, and the performance difference is invisible to users. If you genuinely need native, we will refer you to specialists rather than build it ourselves badly.
What about progressive web apps (PWAs)? Can I skip the App Store?
PWAs are often the right answer for internal tools and B2B apps where your users will use a link, not search the App Store. They have one big limitation on iOS: Apple deliberately restricts PWA capabilities (no push notifications until iOS 16.4+, no in-app purchases, limited storage). If your audience is B2B web-first, PWA is great. If your audience is consumers who expect to find you in the App Store, ship a real React Native app. We will tell you which one during scoping.

Ready to scope your custom app?

Send us a one-page brief describing what you want to build, who uses it, and what you have tried already. You get a written scope and fixed-price quote within 48 hours.

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