PWA to App Store
publish your website as an app
Convert your Joomla or WordPress website into an app and publish it to the Google Play Store and Apple App Store — at a fixed price, based on your PWA
If you want to convert a website to an app, native development quotes quickly reach five figures — plus ongoing costs for every content change. There is a simpler way: if your website runs on Joomla or WordPress, I turn it into an installable app with PWA technology and publish it to the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store on request. You keep managing content in your CMS, the app stays up to date automatically.
Your PWA as an app in the
App Store and Google Play
Your PWA is the foundation — published as an app, your website becomes visible where users actually search for apps. I package your Joomla or WordPress PWA as a full app, handle submission and the review process, and you keep managing your content in your CMS as usual.
Google Play Store
Android App
- fixed price, one-time
- EUR 500.00 plus VAT
- Android app (Trusted Web Activity) built from your existing PWA
- app signing and secure keystore management
- your PWA push notifications keep working
- Google Play Console setup
- submission and review handling
Apple App Store
iOS App
- fixed price, one-time
- EUR 1,100.00 plus VAT
- iOS app (native app wrapper) built from your existing PWA
- native push integration via the Apple Push Notification service (APNs) and Firebase
- Universal Links — website links open directly in the app
- TestFlight testing before release
- App Store Connect setup, including 2 Apple review rounds
Good to know
Optionally I also take care of the complete store listing for both stores — screenshots in all required device formats, listing texts with keywords, privacy policy including hosting, and the feature graphic — as a package for EUR 800.00 plus VAT. Additional Apple review rounds beyond the two included ones are charged at EUR 150.00 per round.
You need a Google Play Console account (one-time 25 USD paid to Google) and an Apple Developer account (99 EUR/year paid to Apple) in your name — I help you set both up. You keep managing your content in Joomla or WordPress: the app loads your website, so content changes never require a store update.
Reference: What's On Lincoln on the App Store and on Google Play — a Joomla PWA built with miTT PWA, published in both stores.
What does it cost to publish a PWA as an app?
The costs are predictable because the app builds on your existing website. All items at a glance:
| Service | Price | Due |
|---|---|---|
| miTT PWA plugin (Joomla or WordPress) | from EUR 39.00 (Joomla) / EUR 49.00 (WordPress) | subscription, prerequisite |
| Google Play Store package | EUR 500.00 plus VAT | one-time |
| Apple App Store package (incl. 2 review rounds) | EUR 1,100.00 plus VAT | one-time |
| Store listing package for both stores (optional) | EUR 800.00 plus VAT | one-time |
| Google Play Console account (paid to Google) | 25 USD | one-time |
| Apple Developer Program (paid to Apple) | 99 EUR | yearly |
For comparison: a custom native app usually starts at 10,000 EUR depending on scope — and every content change needs an app update. The PWA approach uses your website as the single source: maintain once, current everywhere.
How to publish a PWA to the Play Store and App Store
- Your website becomes a Progressive Web App with the miTT PWA plugin — installable, offline-capable, with push notifications.
- For Android I package the PWA as a Trusted Web Activity (TWA), sign the app and set up the Google Play Console.
- For iOS I build a native app wrapper with its own push integration via the Apple Push Notification service (APNs) and set up App Store Connect including TestFlight.
- I submit both apps and handle the review process until release.
Web app only, or into the app stores?
A PWA is installable without any store — straight from the browser. For many projects that is enough. The stores pay off when your audience actually searches there: a store listing adds visibility, works as a trust signal and makes your app discoverable via store search. My recommendation is deliberately staged: PWA first, stores second — so you only pay for store publishing when it adds real value.
The Apple factor: publishing a PWA to the App Store
Apple deliberately makes life harder for web apps than Google does. There is no service worker inside iOS apps, so web push does not work there — which is why the iOS app gets its own native push integration. Apple also requires genuine native functionality such as push notifications and Universal Links, otherwise the review rejects the app.
From real experience: the first submission of the reference app What's On Lincoln was rejected by Apple because an autoplaying intro video led to a blank launch screen on iPad. After a targeted fix, the second round passed. This is exactly why two Apple review rounds are included in the fixed price.
Case study: What's On Lincoln
The events portal What's On Lincoln from the UK runs on Joomla and became a Progressive Web App with miTT PWA. On top of that I built the Android app as a Trusted Web Activity and the iOS app as a native wrapper with push integration — both apps are live: on the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
Apps by mittl medien: our own products in both stores
I do not only publish for clients — I build and run these apps myself, from a web project in the stores to fully native apps with watch companions.
parkplace
own product · web to app (TWA + native wrapper)
Parking marketplace for Germany and Austria. The Laravel web app runs as an Android app (Trusted Web Activity) and as an iOS app with a native wrapper in both stores — four store apps from one codebase, technically the same route as my app store packages.
Callvent
own product · fully native, Watch and Wear OS
Turns phone calls into calendar entries. Fully native iOS and Android app with Apple Watch and Wear OS companions, Siri Shortcuts and in-app subscriptions — available in eight languages.
Inkward
own product · native + AI backend in Germany
The journal companion: syncs handwritten pages from reMarkable and Supernote, reads them via OCR and delivers an AI reflection. Native apps with Apple Watch and Wear OS, subscriptions on both platforms, AI backend on Hetzner servers in Germany.
Joomla mobile app and WordPress app without double maintenance
Whether Joomla mobile app or WordPress app — the content always comes from your CMS. Editing, approvals and SEO stay in one place, the app loads the website. If you are also looking for hosting with the PWA already set up, PWA hosting has you covered. App icons and splash screens in all sizes are generated by the free PWA Asset Generator.
Frequently asked questions
Answers to the most common questions about publishing a website as an app.
Quite fast on a PWA basis: the Android app is usually submitted within a few days after I get access to your Google Play Console. Apple adds review time on top — expect one to two weeks until release, review included.
Based on your existing Joomla or WordPress website, publishing to the Google Play Store costs 500 EUR and to the Apple App Store 1,100 EUR, each one-time plus VAT. A natively developed app usually starts in the five-figure range.
Yes, the accounts run in your name so you stay the owner of your app: Google Play Console costs a one-time 25 USD, the Apple Developer Program 99 EUR per year. I help you set both up.
No. The app loads your website — you keep managing content in Joomla or WordPress only. Content changes appear in the app immediately, no store update required.
Yes. The Android app inherits your PWA push notifications automatically. For iOS I set up a native push integration via the Apple Push Notification service (APNs), because web push is not available inside iOS apps.
Your website should run as a Progressive Web App — for Joomla and WordPress the miTT PWA plugin takes care of that. You also need HTTPS and a high-resolution logo for the app icon and splash screen.
Questions about app publishing?
A short online meeting or an e-mail clears up open questions — just drop me a line
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