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📱 Publishing Guide
Choose Your Perfect
Publishing Path
Built your app with Lovable, Base44, Bolt, or another AI builder? Let's find the best way to get it into your users' hands.
Quick Quiz
What's Right for Your App?
Answer a few questions and we'll suggest the best publishing path
Understanding Your Options
Both paths have their benefits — here's a side-by-side comparison
| Feature | PWA | App Stores |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue You Keep | 100%* *Excludes 3rd party payment processor fees | 67-70% (30-33% platform fee) |
| Time to Launch | Instant | 1-7 days review |
| Payment Processor | Your choice (Stripe, PayPal, etc.) | Native Apple / Google sheets In-app subscriptions handled by the wrapper |
| Discoverability | Direct links/QR | Store search |
| Push Notifications | (iOS 16.4+) | |
| Home Screen Install | ||
| Developer Account Fees | $0 | $99-124+/year |
How App Store Subscriptions Work
If your app includes subscriptions, here's what you need to know about publishing to app stores.
Platform fees apply
Apple and Google charge 30% of subscription revenue (15% for small businesses under certain programs)
Business Developer Account required
Personal developer accounts can't process subscriptions — you'll need a registered business
Must use Apple/Google payment sheets
For in-app subscriptions, store policy requires the native Apple/Google sheets — Stripe in-app isn't allowed. Good news: our wrapper plugs these in for you, so you don't have to write any native code. Stripe stays for your web/PWA build. How in-app subscriptions work.
You need your own developer account
Subscription revenue goes to the account owner — so the app must be on YOUR account, not ours
Revenue Comparison
See the Difference
App Store Subscriptions
Monthly subscribers:100
Price per month:$10
Gross revenue:$1,000
Apple/Google fee (30%):-$300
You keep:$700/mo
PWA with Stripe
Monthly subscribers:100
Price per month:$10
Gross revenue:$1,000
Stripe fee (~2.9%):-$29
You keep:$971/mo
That's $3,252 more per year
Developer Account Requirements
What you'll need if you choose app stores
Apple App Store
Personal Account ($99/year)
No in-app purchases or subscriptions
Organization Account ($99/year)
Can have subscriptions
Requires: D-U-N-S number, registered business
Google Play Store
Personal Account ($25 one-time)
No subscriptions or in-app purchases
Organization Account ($25 one-time)
Can have subscriptions
Requires: Registered business, identity verification
What Makes a PWA Different?
A regular website on your phone isn't the same as a real app experience
Your Lovable/Base44 URL alone:
- No install prompt
- No push notifications
- Shows browser UI
- No app icon on home screen
Our PWA Package adds:
- Web App Manifest for installation
- Push notification infrastructure
- Fullscreen app experience
- Proper app icons for all devices
When to Choose Each
Both options have their sweet spot
PWA is great when...
- You want to launch quickly
- Subscriptions are your business model
- You share your app via direct links/QR
- You don't have a registered business yet
App Stores are great when...
- Users expect to find you by searching stores
- Your app is free or has one-time purchases
- You already have a Business Developer account
- Brand credibility in stores matters to your audience
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Many successful apps start with PWA to launch quickly and validate their idea, then add app store presence once they've proven their concept. It's a great way to reduce risk.
Yes! iPhones can install PWAs to the home screen via Safari. Push notifications are supported on iOS 16.4 and later (released March 2023). Most iPhone users now have a compatible version.
For in-app subscriptions and digital goods, store policy requires the native Apple and Google payment sheets — Stripe isn't allowed inside the app. The wrapper plugs those sheets in for you (powered under the hood by our RevenueCat integration), so you don't have to write any native code. Stripe stays exactly as-is for your web build and PWA, and for physical goods or services consumed outside the app you can still use Stripe — though the rules are strict and enforced.
Apple and Google take 15–30% on in-app subscriptions — we take 0% on top of that. Your web and PWA build still runs your existing Stripe checkout with no store fee, so most teams keep both: Stripe for web/PWA, native sheets for the store builds. Subscription status is shared back into your web app so the same gated UI works everywhere.
A Business/Organization developer account requires you to have a legally registered business. For Apple, you need a D-U-N-S number (free to obtain but takes time). For Google, you need business registration documents and may need identity verification. Personal accounts cannot process in-app subscriptions.
Great question! When an app has subscriptions, the revenue goes directly to whoever owns the developer account. If we submitted your app under our account, all subscription money would come to us instead of you — which obviously wouldn't work. Apple's App Review Guideline 4.2.6 also asks for apps made with an app-building service to be submitted by the business that owns the content, under its own account. So every app is published under your own Apple and Google accounts, and we handle the certificates, builds and uploads.
A PWA (Progressive Web App) includes special files and code that enable app-like features: a manifest file for installation, push notification infrastructure, and proper icons for all devices. Your Lovable or Base44 project doesn't include these by default — we add them when you publish through our platform.
Apple review usually takes one to three days, and Google is often faster. Reviews can take longer if there are issues, and apps can be rejected for various policy reasons. PWAs bypass this entirely — they go live instantly.
Ready to Publish Your App?
Whether you choose PWA, app stores, or both — we're here to help you go live.
Want app stores? Just bring your Business Developer account for subscription apps.