Key takeaways
- Median.co is a strong platform: cloud builds without a Mac, a large plugin catalog, downloadable source and apps that keep working without an active plan.
- The cost question is updates: Median includes six months of app updates, after which an active Support and Updates plan is needed to generate new builds.
- Stores force new builds regularly – Google Play raises its target API level every year – so plan how you will rebuild, not just how you launch.
- WebViewGold, made by our team, is a one-time purchase with free updates: you own Xcode and Android Studio projects and publish in your own developer accounts.
- Switching keeps ratings and reviews if the new build ships as an update with the same bundle ID and package name, from accounts you control.
Our recommended solution
Looking for a Median.co alternative? Meet WebViewGold
WebViewGold turns your website or web app into native iOS and Android projects for a one-time price – with push notifications, a native offline screen, deep links, a QR scanner, in-app purchases and more. You own the projects and publish in your own developer accounts. Built by our own team.
Median.co alternative: the short answer
The best Median.co alternative depends on why you want to leave. If you want to own a native project and stop paying for the right to rebuild, a one-time template such as WebViewGold fits. If you want a managed platform where someone else handles publishing, Median itself is hard to beat. Developers who want to write native code should look at Capacitor.
Median is the company formerly known as GoNative.io – old gonative.io links now redirect to median.co, and the rebrand was announced in September 2023. Its App Studio wraps your website in a native shell: WKWebView on iOS, Android System WebView on Android, plus native navigation, a JavaScript Bridge and a catalog of native plugins. One license covers one app on both platforms.
It suits businesses that want a managed platform with many integrations and, optionally, a team that publishes for them. Median details below reflect its documentation as of October 2026.
Why teams look for an alternative to Median.co
Median.co's feature set is broad. The trade-offs sit in its commercial model:
- New builds after month six. Median writes: "All new Median app licenses include 6 months of ongoing app updates." After that, "an active Support and Updates plan is required to generate new builds with the latest codebase updates". Its App Studio docs add that rebuilding needs an active plan, too.
- Plugins priced separately. Native plugins "may be purchased and added", and some depend on third-party subscriptions.
- A free tier you can't sell with. Median Free is for non-commercial apps, shows "Powered by Median.co" at launch and leaves out the JavaScript Bridge.
- No single-platform discount. Every license covers iOS and Android, even if you only need one of them.
To be fair, the lock-in is mild: Median states that your app "will function indefinitely on the devices supported at the time of its launch", and website changes appear without a store update. The plan matters when you need a new binary.
Not sure which tool fits your app? Ask an App Specialist – for free.
In a free consultation call we look at your website or web app and tell you honestly which route fits – WebViewGold, a framework or a native build – and what it takes to get through review. Prefer to hand it off? We set up signing and CI/CD and submit the app for you.
Median.co vs WebViewGold vs Natively vs Capacitor
Based on each vendor's documentation as of October 2026. Prices change too often to list, so the table shows how each one charges.
| Criterion | Median.co | WebViewGold | Natively | Capacitor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | SaaS website-to-app platform plus optional services | Ready-made Xcode (Swift) and Android Studio projects | SaaS website wrapper plus paid services | Open-source native runtime (MIT) |
| Platforms | iOS and Android, one license for both | iOS and Android | iOS and Android | iOS, Android, web |
| Pricing model | Free non-commercial tier; paid per-app license; paid plugins; plan for builds after six months | One-time purchase, Regular or Extended license, free updates | Free preview; monthly or annual subscription; Lifetime option | Free; optional paid third-party cloud services |
| Source code | Xcode and Android Studio source available for download | Both projects are yours | Binaries (IPA/APK/AAB); source code not mentioned | Your own native projects |
| Native features | Large catalog: push (OneSignal, FCM, Braze), biometrics, passkeys, scanners, NFC, IAP, AdMob | Push (OneSignal, Firebase, Pushwoosh), Face ID, QR and document scanner, NFC, IAP, AdMob, widgets, offline screen | Push, RevenueCat purchases, biometrics, social login, QR, NFC, Universal Links | Roughly 40 official plugins; third-party ones for biometrics and IAP |
| Who publishes | You, or Median's team as Admin in your own accounts | You in your own accounts, or appsubmitter.io for you | You, or paid services, in your own accounts | You, in your own accounts |
| Mac needed for iOS | No for the cloud workflow; yes to build from source | Yes for Xcode; no with the Cloud Builder | No Mac mentioned; upload via App Store Connect API key | Yes, or a third-party cloud CI |
| If you stop paying | App keeps working; new builds need an active plan | Nothing recurring to stop | Subscription apps drop to Preview with a blocking banner | Nothing to pay |
Natively and Capacitor have their own write-ups: our Natively alternative overview and the Capacitor alternative guide.
How often will you need a new build? More often than you think
In any WebView app, content changes need no new build: you edit your website and every user sees it. Everything native needs a new binary – and the stores keep moving the goalposts. Here a plan-based model and a one-time license differ most.
| Reason for a new build | How often | Median.co after month six | WebViewGold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Play target API level | Yearly – since August 31, 2026, new apps and updates must target API level 36 | Active plan needed | Update the project (updates included) and rebuild |
| New Xcode or iOS SDK minimum | Whenever Apple announces one | Active plan needed | Rebuild with the current Xcode |
| New native feature | Whenever the product grows | Active plan, plus the plugin if sold separately | Switch the module on and rebuild |
| Rejection that needs native changes | Unplanned, often under time pressure | Active plan needed | Change the project yourself |
| New icon, name or splash screen | Rebrands and redesigns | Active plan needed | Swap the assets and rebuild |
| New pages, products or texts | Daily | No build needed | No build needed |
If your native side is finished, the plan may barely matter. But apps that fall behind the target API level stop reaching new users on newer Android versions, so expect at least one Android build a year – see our target API level guide.
App Store and Google Play risks with Median-style wrappers
No wrapper changes what reviewers look for, and Median is open about it. Its Publishing Guide says: "Apps that include web content are welcome in the App Store but per Guideline 4.2 they must provide an elevated 'app-like' UI" – and recommends native navigation, hidden web footers, Sign in with Apple and account deletion. The same risks apply to WebViewGold and every other wrapper:
- Guideline 4.2. A developer reported on Median's forum in July 2024 that Apple called their app "not sufficiently different from a web browsing experience" – the classic wrapper rejection, not a Median defect. See WebView apps rejected under 4.2 for the native features that change a reviewer's mind.
- Guideline 4.2.6. Apps from app generation services must be submitted by the content provider. Median's publishing service works inside your own Apple and Google accounts, which is the right model. More in Guideline 4.2.6 for WebView apps.
- Guideline 4.3. Median offers agencies volume pricing. Many near-identical apps from one template is exactly what 4.3 Spam targets, whichever tool builds them.
- Guideline 5.6. In August 2026, a developer on Median's forum traced a rejection for features "intentionally hidden during the review process" to platform-conditional content in their own web app – a website fix, not a wrapper fix.
- Google Play. You must own the wrapped site or have permission, and many look-alike apps count as repetitive content – see the Google Play WebView spam guide.
Median's publishing FAQ promises app store acceptance when its own team manages publishing. Check what that promise covers – the decision itself rests with Apple and Google.
Our recommended alternative
WebViewGold: native iOS and Android apps from your website
Instead of building native features from scratch, start from WebViewGold. You get ready-made Xcode and Android Studio projects for your website, with native modules you switch on in the configuration:
- Push notificationsOneSignal or Firebase, for real, personal events
- Native offline screenNo browser error pages when the connection drops
- Native splash screenApp-like start instead of a loading web page
- Deep linksLinks open the right screen inside the app
- QR & barcode scannerDevice features the website alone can't offer
- In-app purchasesNative purchase flows where the store requires them
No tool guarantees an approval: Apple still judges what your app offers. Use the native features in your main user journey – our App Specialists review your WebViewGold app before it goes to the App Store.
When Median.co is the better choice
- You want no build tooling at all. Median builds and signs in the cloud and can upload through an App Store Connect API key – in its words, "You do not need a Mac, Xcode, or Apple Transporter for this standard workflow."
- You want someone else to talk to reviewers. With the publishing service, you invite Median as Admin to your Apple and Google teams, and Median's team handles all communication with the reviewers.
- You need a specific plugin. Braze push, passkeys, background location, contacts and calendar access are in Median's catalog. If you depend on one, confirm the alternative covers it.
- Your native side is done. If you rarely need a new build, the plan weighs less – and the app keeps running without it.
Median.co is a solid pick if you prefer a managed platform and an ongoing vendor relationship.
When WebViewGold is the better Median.co alternative
WebViewGold is the website-to-app product built by our own team at jocapps GmbH, so weigh this section accordingly. Instead of a platform, you buy a ready-made Xcode project in Swift and an Android Studio project. Your URL – or a local HTML folder – goes into the configuration (on iOS, Config.swift), you switch on the modules you need, and you build.
- One-time purchase, updates included. No plan to keep active for rebuilding. The Regular license covers most apps; the Extended license is needed for in-app purchases.
- Native modules in the box. Push via OneSignal, Firebase or Pushwoosh, a native offline fallback, universal links, Face ID and Touch ID, QR, barcode and VisionKit document scanning, NFC, StoreKit purchases, AdMob, a native rating dialog and a Sign in with Apple helper. iOS adds Widget Extensions, an App Clip and Siri; Android adds Google Play Billing and Health Connect.
- Full ownership. Both projects are yours; you publish in your own accounts.
- No Mac required if you don't want one. The separately sold Cloud Builder configures, builds and uploads in the browser, and a done-for-you setup service exists.
It wraps anything that runs in Safari or Chrome, from hand-written sites to Lovable, Bubble or Webflow projects.
Moving a live Median.co app to WebViewGold in eight steps
- Confirm you control both accounts. Median requires your own Apple and Google accounts, so the listings should be yours. Check that you – not a former agency – are Account Holder at Apple and owner in Play Console.
- Record the app's identity: bundle ID, package name, current version and build numbers, push provider credentials.
- Sort out Android signing first. With Play App Signing, Google holds the app signing key and you only need an upload key. If you can't get it out of your Median setup, the account owner can request an upload key reset in Play Console. If the app isn't enrolled, ask Median for the original keystore – updates must be signed with it.
- Configure WebViewGold with the same identifiers and a version and build number above your last Median release.
- Replace Median-specific web code. Search your site for JavaScript Bridge calls – push registration, biometrics, scanner, purchases – and replace them module by module, following the WebViewGold documentation.
- Keep your services: the same in-app product IDs and the same OneSignal or Firebase project.
- Test on real devices via TestFlight and an internal testing track.
- Ship it as an update. Submit to the existing listings, update App Privacy details and the Data safety form if SDKs changed, and remove Median's Admin access if you used its publishing service.
Updating instead of re-releasing keeps your ratings, reviews and installs.
Where appsubmitter.io comes in – switching or staying
appsubmitter.io is our submission service for the App Store and Google Play. For a switch, we set up code signing and a CI/CD pipeline (fastlane with GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Bitrise, Codemagic or Xcode Cloud), sort out upload keys and Play App Signing, prepare the store listing, App Privacy details and Data safety form, run an AI-powered pre-submission check and handle submission and review communication with Apple and Google – always in your own developer accounts. Code changes aren't included; we quote them upfront if needed.
Staying with Median.co? We can still help with listings, privacy forms and rejections, whoever builds the binary. Book the package for both stores or talk it through first in a free consultation call.
Checklist: choosing your website-to-app route
- You know when your Median.co update period ends and whether a Support and Updates plan is active.
- Every Median plugin and JavaScript Bridge call your website relies on is listed.
- You hold the Account Holder role at Apple and the owner role in Google Play Console.
- You know whether the app uses Play App Signing and who holds the upload key.
- The new build keeps the bundle ID and package name and uses a higher version code.
- App Privacy details and the Data safety form match the SDKs in the new build.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Median.co alternative?
Is Median.co the same as GoNative.io?
Will my Median app stop working without a Support and Updates plan?
Can I switch from Median.co without losing my App Store reviews?
Do I need a Mac to replace Median with WebViewGold?
Does Median.co publish apps under its own developer account?
Recommended solution
Switch with confidence: WebViewGold + appsubmitter.io
- 1 Build with WebViewGold Turn your website into native iOS and Android projects.
- 2 Add native value Push, offline screen, deep links or scanning in your main flow.
- 3 We submit it Our App Specialists submit and talk to the review team.
WebViewGold is made by our team (jocapps GmbH). It is a tool, not a guarantee – approval decisions are made by Apple and Google.
Sources and further reading
- Median.co Docs – Licenses (free tier, one license for iOS and Android)
- Median.co Docs – App updates and the Support and Updates plan
- Median.co Docs – Architecture and source code download
- Median.co Docs – Native plugins overview
- Median.co Docs – Publishing FAQ and publishing service
- Median.co Docs – Publishing Guide (Guideline 4.2 advice)
- Apple – App Store Review Guidelines, 4.2 Minimum Functionality
- Google Play Console Help – Use Play App Signing (upload key reset)
Store policies and third-party products change regularly – always check the current versions. This article is independent advice and not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple, Google or any other company or product mentioned; all trademarks belong to their owners. WebViewGold and appsubmitter.io are made by our team at jocapps GmbH.