5 Alternatives to React Native for Converting Your Website into a Mobile App

Today, only having a website isn’t enough for most web-first businesses.

It’s par for the course; table stakes. But to level up engagement on mobile, and retain more of your top customers, you need a mobile app as well.

If you already have a mobile-optimized website, the good news is you don’t have to rebuild everything from scratch. Instead, you can convert your website into an app and retain the features you’ve already built, while cutting down the time and cost to launch.

Many businesses go the React Native route to build a mobile app (especially those who built their website on React). And while React Native is a solid alternative to native development, it’s not the best fit for converting a website into a mobile app.

In this article, we’ll break down the best alternatives – helping you go live for less cost, in less time, and with less operational complexity down the line.

1. MobiLoud (Full-Service Website-to-App Conversion)

MobiLoud is a fully-managed service that converts your existing website into high-performing iOS and Android apps—without rebuilding or maintaining a separate codebase.

It's not a DIY tool or a framework, but a strategic partner that delivers native-like mobile apps and ensures real business outcomes like adoption, engagement, and revenue growth.

With MobiLoud you'll save months of work, and hundreds of thousands in development costs, compared to what's required to rebuild your website as a mobile app with React Native.

It works with any tech stack and website platform, allowing sites on Shopify, BigCommerce, Adobe Commerce, WordPress and more (including fully custom sites) to build apps that fully sync with their website.

Why MobiLoud?

• No Rebuilding, No Code Required: You don’t need to touch a line of code or manage a new platform. MobiLoud takes your existing website (no matter the tech stack) and turns it into a fully branded app, fast.
• Your Website Powers the App: Maintain one platform. Your app syncs in real-time with your website, so every update, feature, or content change instantly appears in the app. No duplication, no separate workflows.
• Native App Experience, Minus the Complexity: MobiLoud apps go far beyond a basic webview. They include native navigation, tab bars, splash screens, loading indicators, and powerful push notifications with segmentation and automation.
• Fully-Managed from Build to Growth: MobiLoud handles everything—app configuration, deep QA testing, App Store and Play Store submission, and post-launch optimization. You also get launch support, promotional strategies, and ongoing updates to keep your app running smoothly as platforms evolve.
  
• Retention-Focused & ROI-Driven: With built-in push notification automation, MobiLoud helps you unlock a retention channel that outperforms crowded inboxes and costly SMS. Brands commonly see increases in engagement and repeat revenue shortly after launch.

Best For:

Mid-market and SMB ecommerce brands, content publishers, marketplaces, or any web-first business that wants a high-quality mobile app—without rebuilding, managing separate platforms, or hiring developers.

Check out these case studies for an idea of the kind of businesses having success with MobiLoud.

Pricing:

Plans start at $299/month plus a one-time setup fee. No revenue share, no hidden fees.

Get a first-hand experience of what MobiLoud can do with a free preview of your app (all you need is your website’s URL).

2. AppMySite (No-Code DIY Platform)

AppMySite is a no-code app builder designed to convert websites (primarily WordPress and WooCommerce sites) into native mobile apps through a visual editor interface.

It's an affordable option, at less than $100 per month. The conversion process is simple, and takes just a matter of hours to be able to launch. However, understand that, for these tradeoffs, you're going to run up against limitations if your plan is to build anything more than a very simple app.

Key Value Propositions:

• DIY Simplicity: Connect your website, and AppMySite automatically imports your content (pages, posts, products, menus) to create a basic native app interface.
• Visual Customization: The platform provides an intuitive editor to design your app's branding, navigation, and styling without coding.
• Try Before You Buy: You can design and preview your app for free before committing to a paid subscription, reducing risk.
• Ecommerce Integration: Built-in support for WooCommerce includes in-app purchases and abandoned cart notifications to re-engage customers.

Best For:

Small businesses, bloggers, and online retailers with WordPress or WooCommerce sites seeking an extremely quick, affordable way to establish an app store presence. Ideal if you want a do-it-yourself approach without technical complexity.

Pricing:

Plans start around $49/month for Android-only and roughly $99/month for both iOS and Android.

3. BuildFire (Plugin-Based App Platform)

BuildFire is a powerful no-code/low-code platform that lets you create customized mobile apps through a plugin-based architecture and intuitive drag-and-drop interface.

Its DIY, no-code editor is a convenient way for non-coders to create mobile apps, and they have templates to let you go live fast. On the downside, it requires rebuilding - you can't directly convert your existing web UI into a mobile app.

Key Value Propositions:

• Modular Functionality: The platform includes over 150 pre-built plugins for common app features like ecommerce, media streaming, loyalty programs, and user management.
• Truly Native Experience: BuildFire creates high-performance native apps, not just web wrappers, ensuring smooth operation and access to device features.
• Advanced Customization: The visual builder lets you design custom layouts, navigation, and branding to match your company's look and feel.
• Optional Developer SDK: For unique requirements, BuildFire offers a developer SDK that allows custom plugin development, bridging the gap between no-code ease and technical flexibility.

Best For:

Small businesses and organizations that want extensive app functionality without coding, but need more features than simple website conversion tools provide. Ideal for companies needing specific functionalities like loyalty programs, complex user accounts, or custom media experiences.

Pricing:

Plans start around $165/month for the Standard package.

4. AppPresser (WordPress-Specific Platform)

AppPresser is a specialized app builder that converts WordPress websites into native mobile apps, managed directly from your WordPress admin dashboard.

Like AppMySite, it's a straightforward and convenient way for WordPress site owners to launch simple apps, which comes with limitations for businesses with more complex requirements. The price point and simplicity makes it a good fit for simple websites, like blogs or communities, which may not have consistent revenue just yet.

Key Value Propositions:

• WordPress Integration: AppPresser leverages your existing WordPress site as the app backbone, with support for popular plugins like WooCommerce, BuddyPress, and LearnDash.
• Familiar Management: If you know how to manage a WordPress site, you can handle AppPresser—customize your app using an interface similar to the WordPress Theme Customizer.
• WordPress-Native Push Notifications: Send push notifications directly from your WordPress dashboard when publishing content, driving engagement through familiar workflows.
• Plugin Ecosystem: Tap into the WordPress plugin ecosystem you already use, ensuring consistent functionality between your website and app.
  

Best For:

Digital publishers, content sites, online communities, and ecommerce stores built on WordPress. Perfect for teams already comfortable with WordPress who want to extend their content to mobile users without learning new systems.

Pricing:

Subscriptions range from $59 to $79 per month (billed annually).

5. Cordova/Capacitor (Open-Source Frameworks)

Cordova (and its modern incarnation Ionic Capacitor) are open-source frameworks that wrap web applications built with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript into native mobile app containers.

They're not as direct conversion platforms as MobiLoud—you're not simply converting your website into mobile apps. What happens is, you use your existing website or web app as a starting point, and use the platform's native APIs to build a mobile app around your HTML/CSS/JS code.

These platforms are certainly faster, and require less rebuilding and less maintenance than React Native. Though you will need an in-house development team to manage your apps.

Key Value Propositions:

• Leverage Existing Web Code: Reuse your responsive website or web application code in a mobile environment—reduce the amount of unique code you need to manage.
• Native Device Access: Access device features (camera, GPS, push notifications) through a unified JavaScript API and plugin ecosystem, bringing your web experience to parity with native apps.
• Complete Control: As open-source frameworks, Cordova and Capacitor give you full control over the build process with no vendor lock-in or ongoing platform fees.
• Framework Agnostic: Use with any web framework (React, Angular, Vue, or plain JavaScript), allowing you to continue with your preferred web technologies.

Best For:

Organizations with strong web development teams and complex web applications who want to offer mobile apps without learning new programming languages. Particularly suitable for SaaS companies whose primary product is already a web app.

Pricing:

Free and open-source. Costs limited to development time and standard app store developer account fees.

Choosing the Right Approach for Your Business

When selecting from these React Native alternatives, consider the following factors:

• AppMySite and AppPresser offer extremely fast time to market, designed to integrate deeply with WordPress (with limitations).
• Cordova/Capacitor are popular options for teams who want to build and manage their apps in-house, using their own web developers.
• BuildFire offers a no-code option with the ability to build a fully differentiated app (unique from your website).
• MobiLoud is a mix of affordability, time to market, and high-quality end product (and the best choice for most brands).

Each approach offers a different balance between development effort and flexibility. While React Native provides ultimate customization for those willing to rebuild from scratch, these alternatives are all faster, more affordable, and easier to manage.

Our recommendation – if your mobile website already looks and functions well, and you don’t want to have to juggle multiple platforms – is MobiLoud.

We’ll directly convert your website into an app that looks and feels like a million-dollar mobile app (at a much lower cost).

The best part, compared to React Native, and these React Native alternatives, is that there’s relatively little to manage once you launch.

Unlike other approaches, which double your work by giving you another platform to update and maintain, your MobiLoud app comes with zero overhead; it updates automatically with your website, and our team handles maintenance, as well as the launch and growth strategy.

MobiLoud levels the playing field; allowing any business to launch amazing mobile apps, with none of the risk or downsides.

Curious? Just want to see what the end product will look like? Get your free preview now.