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Web app, app shell or native
A web app is your own site made installable with a manifest and a service worker. Your user opens a link, adds the app with an icon to the home screen and gets notifications, on an iPhone too since iOS 16.4. There is no store, no review and no second version; the term is explained under PWA. An app shell wraps your site in a webview so it can sit in the App Store and Google Play. A native app is two separate apps, for iOS and Android, built for the phone.
Wrapping only your website in an app shell does not pass at Apple: the App Store guidelines reject apps that merely repackage a website. An app in the store must add something, such as notifications, the camera, offline work or features your site lacks. Google's bar is lower, but someone still reviews every update. A web app has no such bar: an update reaches everyone at once. What each route costs to build is in app development cost; if your software mostly runs on a computer, it is rather a web application.
Three routes side by side
What each route takes over three years
An installation company wants its twelve technicians to fill in job sheets on their phones. Building the features themselves differs per quote; this is what each route adds on top.
| Over three years | Web app | App shell | Native |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Developer Program, 99 dollars a year | 0 dollars | 297 dollars | 297 dollars |
| Google Play, 25 dollars once | 0 dollars | 25 dollars | 25 dollars |
| Versions to maintain | 1 | 1 plus the shell | 2 |
| An update reaching the technicians | at once | after review, for what is in the shell | after review, per store |
The store fees are small; upkeep is what counts. An app is never finished, and every extra version means testing, reviews and updates, year after year. For technicians you can send a link to, the web app is the cheapest route, on any device they already have, as our work order app and time tracking app show.
What to check on your website first
A slow or poorly working site becomes a slow app; without a sound base, start with website design. Test your speed with the website speed test, check that the site works well on every phone, and that it is accessible; for EU webshops that is required since 2025, see the European Accessibility Act website requirements. If customers must log in to see their file, a client portal is often a better form than an app. If your team works with trips and planning, the app belongs with your transport management software; if it follows your own processes, it is custom software. Start small: turn your site into a web app, see for a month how often your team or customers open it, and only then decide whether a store app is worth the extra cost.
iPhone, WordPress and lead time
Does a web app work on an iPhone?
Yes. You add it to the home screen through Safari, and since iOS 16.4 it can send notifications if the user allows them.
Can I turn my WordPress site into an app?
Yes, as a web app with a plugin or your own manifest, or in an app shell. If your site is slow, the app will be too.
How long does it take to turn a website into an app?
A web app from an existing site can take a few days. An app shell for both stores takes weeks, review included.