Building it yourself, hiring a developer, a Progressive Web App, or AppifyWebsite. Each is right for someone. Here's how to tell which one is right for you.
| Build it yourself | Hire a developer | Progressive Web App | AppifyWebsite | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time to a working app | Weeks to months | Weeks | Hours (if already a PWA) | Minutes |
| Coding knowledge needed | Android Studio, Kotlin/Java | None, but you manage a project | Some web development | None — a short form |
| Play Store listing | ||||
| Play-ready AAB with 64-bit & current API | You configure it | They handle it | Built in | |
| Signing key / keystore | You create and manage it | They hold it (ask who!) | Yours — upload your own keystore | |
| Website updates appear instantly | ||||
| Push notifications | ||||
| Full-screen splash (static & animated) | You build it | Often extra cost | ||
| Your own AdMob monetisation | ||||
| Typical cost | Your time; $25 one-time Play fee | Thousands of dollars + updates | Your time | Free to start, plans from $9/month |
your product needs deep device hardware (Bluetooth, custom camera pipelines, AR), must work fully offline with complex local sync, or frame-perfect animation is the product. A wrapped website would frustrate you — budget properly for a native build.
your website is the product — content, courses, store, bookings, tools — and you want a real Play Store app with push, offline support and native navigation, without a second product to maintain.
A note on fairness: app converters (including us) wrap your live website. If your site works well on a phone, the app will too — if your site is broken on mobile, fix that first, whichever route you pick.
Free account, first app in minutes, APK and AAB included.
Build my app freeWant the details first? Read how to convert a website into an Android app or browse the glossary.