Key takeaways
- Natively is a fast, feature-rich wrapper for Bubble, Webflow and AI-built apps, with cloud builds and automatic iOS uploads.
- On monthly or annual plans the app depends on the subscription: per Natively's FAQ, a blocking banner appears until you reactivate. Lifetime is one-time.
- WebViewGold sells Xcode and Android Studio projects once, with modules for push, purchases, Face ID, offline mode and scanning that you switch on.
- Switch with the same bundle ID, package name and upload key – and keep the old plan until most users run the new version.
Our recommended solution
Looking for a Natively 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.
Natively alternative: what you are really comparing
A Natively alternative is worth considering when you want to own your app project instead of depending on a subscription, or when your app needs more than a hosted wrapper offers. If speed and a no-code dashboard matter most, Natively is a strong option. If long-term control matters more, a one-time native template such as WebViewGold is the closer fit.
Natively (buildnatively.com) is a cloud service that turns a website URL into iOS and Android apps. Its footer says "We're from Ukraine", and the product targets makers on Bubble, Webflow, WordPress and Shopify and, increasingly, AI builders such as Lovable, Base44 and Replit. You configure the app on the Natively platform, Natively builds it in the cloud, and paid plans deliver app binaries – an IPA for iOS, APK and AAB files for Android.
That suits non-developers who want a store app quickly. Whether it stays the right tool depends on what you pay over time, what you own and what happens when a reviewer wants more than your website.
Why do Bubble and AI-builder makers look beyond Natively?
Four points drive most switches, all visible on Natively's own pages (as of October 2026):
- The subscription is part of the app. Plans are billed monthly or annually. Per the FAQ, a lapsed app drops to the Preview plan, and "a blocking banner will appear over your app, preventing normal use until you reactivate your subscription". The one-time Lifetime plan avoids recurring billing.
- Rebuild limits. The Essential plan comes with a limited number of rebuilds; extra rebuilds cost extra. Icons, native settings and new modules all need a new build.
- Binaries, not projects. The pricing page lists app binaries and doesn't mention source code, so you can't open the app in Xcode or Android Studio.
- Review outcomes vary. Paid plans advertise a release guarantee – read what it covers before you rely on it. On the Bubble forum, a developer reported in September 2025 that Apple rejected their Natively-wrapped app three times, the last time asking for more mobile features such as push notifications. One anecdote – but a familiar pattern for wrappers of every brand.
None of this makes Natively a poor product. These are the trade-offs of a hosted wrapper, and they weigh differently for a side project than for an app that carries your revenue.
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.
Natively vs. WebViewGold vs. Despia vs. AppMySite vs. Median.co
Five tools, one row each, as of October 2026:
| Option | Type and platforms | Pricing model | What you receive | Native features (examples) | Publishing and Mac | If you stop paying |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natively | Hosted wrapper; iOS, Android | Free Preview for testing; Essential and Unlimited, monthly or annual; one-time Lifetime | Binaries (IPA, APK, AAB); source code not mentioned | OneSignal or Firebase push, RevenueCat purchases, biometrics, social logins, QR, NFC | Your own accounts, automatic iOS upload via API key; no Mac mentioned; paid submission help | Preview plan with a blocking banner |
| WebViewGold | Native app template; iOS, Android | One-time purchase, Regular or Extended license, free updates; Cloud Builder sold separately | Xcode (Swift) and Android Studio projects you own | OneSignal, Firebase or Pushwoosh push, StoreKit and Play Billing, Face ID, offline fallback, QR, NFC, widgets | Your own accounts, by you or appsubmitter.io; Mac only to build the Xcode project yourself | Nothing to stop – the app keeps working |
| Despia | Native runtime with cloud builds; iOS, Android | Free start with watermark; one-time license per app and platform | Full source code export (Xcode, Android Studio) | JavaScript SDK: RevenueCat, OneSignal, Face ID, widgets, HealthKit | Your own accounts; no Mac for the automatic route | Per its terms, only tool access ends |
| AppMySite | No-code builder; iOS, Android, PWA | Free plan; monthly, yearly or lifetime per app | Cloud builds; no source code, keystore not shared | Push, in-app purchases for digital products, Google and Apple sign-in, offline mode | Your own accounts (required); no Mac on Premium | Preview plan with AppMySite branding until you pay again |
| Median.co | Hosted builder with services; iOS, Android | Paid per-app license and plugins; plan for new builds after six months | Cloud builds plus Xcode and Android Studio source download | Large plugin catalog: push, biometrics, scanning, IAP, offline page | Your own accounts, by you or Median's team; no Mac for cloud builds | App keeps working; new builds need a plan |
The pattern: on recurring plans, Natively and AppMySite tie the running app to an active plan, Median.co ties only new builds to one, and Despia and WebViewGold leave the app with you once paid.
Natively features and their WebViewGold counterparts
Most features carry over directly:
| In Natively | In WebViewGold | What to plan |
|---|---|---|
| Push via OneSignal or Firebase | Push via OneSignal, Firebase or Pushwoosh | Keep your existing provider account |
| RevenueCat purchases | StoreKit on iOS, Google Play Billing on Android (Extended license) | How existing subscribers keep access |
| Social logins (Google, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, KakaoTalk) | Sign in with Apple, with appleid.apple.com detected automatically | Google sign-in – see below |
| Biometrics, QR scanner, NFC | Face ID and Touch ID, Android biometrics, QR and barcode scanner, NFC tag reading | Nothing special |
| Deep links and Universal Links | Deep links, universal links and custom URL schemes; App Links on Android | Keep bundle ID and package name so association files stay valid |
| Service-worker offline caching | Native offline fallback; local HTML bundling on iOS | Which screens must work offline |
| AppsFlyer analytics | No dedicated module in the documented feature list | Use web analytics, or add the SDK to the native project |
Plan Google sign-in before you switch
Google forbids its OAuth in embedded user-agents, and a changed user agent is no way around that. On iOS, add ASWebAuthenticationSession or the native Google Sign-In SDK to the Xcode project as custom code, or keep Google login on the web and offer email and password plus Sign in with Apple in the app. Handing the login to the browser with WebViewGold's googlelogin:// prefix satisfies Google, but Apple calls linking out to the browser for sign-in a poor experience under Guideline 4. On Android, use Custom Tabs or Credential Manager.
Review risks for wrapped Bubble, Webflow and AI-built apps
Apple and Google review the app, not the tool behind it. These are the rules no-code and AI-built apps hit most:
- Guideline 4.2 Minimum Functionality. The forum report above is typical: the reviewer wanted native functionality, not a website in a frame. Push for real account events, native navigation and an offline state help – see how WebView apps get past Guideline 4.2.
- Guideline 4.2.6. Apps from an app generation service are rejected unless the content provider submits them. Natively and WebViewGold both work with your own developer accounts, so the app appears under your name – keep it that way, even when a freelancer does the upload.
- Guideline 5.6. Bubble and AI builders deploy changes in seconds. Features switched on after review, or hidden behind conditions and user roles, look like hidden features – our article on Bubble apps rejected under Guideline 5.6 lists the usual suspects.
- Guideline 4.3 Spam. Several near-identical apps from one template invite a spam rejection – details in Guideline 4.3 for WebView apps.
- Google Play. The Webviews and Affiliate Spam policy expects you to own the site you wrap – harder to show on a
*.webflow.ioor other builder subdomain, as the WebView spam policy guide explains. New personal accounts also need 12 testers for 14 days, a rule Natively's own docs point to.
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 Natively is the better pick
- You want the fastest route without code. Enter a URL, configure on the platform, receive builds – with automatic iOS uploads through an App Store Connect API key from your account.
- You rely on RevenueCat or many social logins. Natively integrates RevenueCat for digital subscriptions and one-time products, plus sign-in with Google, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft and KakaoTalk.
- You are still testing the idea. The free Preview plan lets you try the app before you pay for binaries.
- You want a one-time payment but no native project. The Lifetime plan removes the recurring fee and keeps the hosted workflow.
- You want the vendor to submit. Natively sells submission help for both stores.
When WebViewGold is the better fit
WebViewGold is built by our own team, so this is the case for our product – limits included. It is the better fit when:
- You want to own the app. You buy a ready-made Swift project for Xcode and an Android Studio project once, with free updates. Nothing in the app depends on a running subscription.
- The app may outgrow a dashboard. A developer can add native code later – an analytics SDK, a native screen – without changing tools again.
- Device features matter. A native offline fallback, local HTML bundling, a VisionKit document scanner, NFC tag reading, Widget and Share Extensions, an App Clip and Siri integration go beyond a typical wrapper feature list.
- You build with Bubble, Lovable, Base44, Replit, Webflow, Wix or Figma Make. If the app runs in Safari or Chrome, WebViewGold can wrap it: enter the URL in
Config.swiftand switch modules on.
The limits: building the Xcode project yourself needs a Mac – unless you add the separately sold Cloud Builder or let our team set the app up for you. And no tool can promise an approval; the modules need to serve your app's core journey. Compare WebViewGold's modules with your Natively setup.
How to switch from Natively to WebViewGold step by step
- Check account access. Natively requires your own Apple and Google developer accounts. Make sure you hold the Account Holder role at Apple and own the Play Console account.
- Copy the identifiers. Reuse the bundle ID and package name of the live apps in the WebViewGold projects; a new identifier would mean a new listing without your ratings.
- Sort out the Android key. Ask for the upload keystore if it isn't with you; otherwise the account owner can request an upload key reset in Play Console, since Play App Signing keeps the app signing key with Google.
- Rebuild the configuration. Start URL, icon, splash screen, push provider and the modules from the mapping table. Connect the same OneSignal or Firebase project you use today.
- Plan purchases. Product IDs live in App Store Connect and Play Console and don't change; decide how StoreKit and Play Billing purchases reach your backend and how RevenueCat subscribers keep access.
- Test on devices through TestFlight and a Google Play testing track: sign-in, purchases, push and offline behavior.
- Submit as an update with a higher version number and review notes that describe the native features.
- Revoke and cancel last. Once the update is live, revoke the App Store Connect API key you created for Natively. Users who haven't updated still run the old build, so time the cancellation – the blocking banner could reach them.
How appsubmitter.io supports the move – or your Natively app
appsubmitter.io covers the store side of either route. Our App Specialists set up signing and CI/CD in your own developer accounts, write the store listing, fill in the App Privacy details and the Data safety form, submit the app and answer App Review and the Google Play review team. AI-powered pre-submission checks flag guideline risks before a reviewer does. Code changes are quoted separately and upfront.
Staying with Natively? We can still prepare your listings and privacy forms or take over after a rejection. Moving to WebViewGold? We ship the new build as an update to your existing apps. Book appsubmitter.io or start with a free consultation call about your Bubble or AI-built app.
Checklist: choosing your website-to-app route
- Note your Natively plan and what happens if billing stops.
- List every native feature in use: push provider, RevenueCat products, social logins, scanners, deep links.
- Confirm you hold the Account Holder role at Apple and own the Play Console account.
- Find the Android upload keystore, or prepare an upload key reset in Play Console.
- Reuse the bundle ID and package name so the new build updates your current listings.
- Plan how existing subscribers keep access after leaving RevenueCat.
- Keep the old plan until the update is approved and most users have installed it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Natively alternative for a Bubble app?
What happens to my Natively app if I cancel the subscription?
Does Natively give me the source code of my app?
Can I keep my App Store ratings when I switch from Natively?
Do I need a Mac to build a WebViewGold app?
Why was my Natively app rejected by Apple?
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
- Natively – Website to native app (homepage)
- Natively – Pricing
- Natively docs – FAQ (subscriptions and Preview plan)
- Natively docs – Subscription plans
- Natively docs – iOS build (App Store Connect API key)
- Bubble forum – developer report on a Natively-wrapped app (September 2025)
- Apple – App Store Review Guidelines, 4.2.6 template and app generation services
- Google Play – Spam policy (Webviews and Affiliate Spam, Repetitive Content)
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.