Introduction
Building an app has never been faster. With AI app builders like Lovable, Bolt, Base44 and v0, a working prototype can take a weekend. Launching that app is a different story.
Once your app works, it has to get through App Store and Google Play review, take payments the way Apple and Google require, send notifications, catch crashes and tell you what users actually do. Each of those jobs has a tool that does it well, and choosing the right ones early saves weeks of rework.
Why launching is the hard part
AI builders are brilliant at making web apps, but the app stores want native apps that follow a long list of rules. Apps get rejected for missing account deletion, for having Google login without Sign in with Apple, or for feeling too much like a website. New Google Play accounts also need a 14-day closed test with 12 testers before they can publish at all.
None of that is about your idea. It's about the launch, and the right tools make it a lot easier.
Disclosure: this list is from LetsDeployIt, so we're number one. The other eight are tools we see working well in the apps we ship.
Tools for launching your app
1. LetsDeployIt
LetsDeployIt takes apps built with AI builders like Lovable, Bolt.new, Base44 and v0, converts them into native React Native and Expo apps, and takes them through App Store and Google Play review until they're approved. It's built for founders who made something great with AI and don't want to spend the next month learning native builds and review guidelines.
Beyond the conversion, LetsDeployIt handles the store work that causes most rejections: store listings, privacy forms and Google Play's Data safety answers, account deletion that really deletes the account, and Sign in with Apple. For Google Play, it runs the 12-tester closed test with vetted testers. You can see what's included in each plan.
2. Expo
Expo is the standard toolkit for building React Native apps. Its EAS services build your iPhone and Android apps in the cloud, so you don't need a Mac, and submit them to both stores from the command line.
One of Expo's most useful features after launch is over-the-air updates: you can push small fixes to your users without waiting for a new store review. Combined with a large library of ready-made native modules, it's the foundation of most modern React Native apps.
3. Supabase
Supabase gives your app a Postgres database, user accounts, file storage and server functions in one place. If your app came from Lovable, Bolt or v0, there's a good chance it already uses Supabase.
It supports email, Google and Sign in with Apple login, and its row-level security keeps each user's data separate. Its Edge Functions are ideal for server work like deleting an account, which you need for both app stores.
4. RevenueCat
RevenueCat handles in-app purchases and subscriptions on both iPhone and Android. Apple and Google generally require digital goods and subscriptions to go through their own billing, and building that yourself, including receipt checks and renewals, is a lot of work.
With RevenueCat you add one SDK and get both stores' billing, a paywall builder, experiments to test prices, and clear subscription analytics like trials, revenue and churn. It's the go-to choice for any app that sells digital content.
5. OneSignal
OneSignal sends push notifications, in-app messages and emails from a single dashboard. It works with Expo through a plugin and lets you target segments of users or set up automated messages, such as a reminder for people who haven't opened the app in a week.
Push notifications are one of the best ways to bring users back, and they're also a genuinely native feature, which helps show Apple's reviewers that your app is more than a website.
6. PostHog
PostHog shows you what people actually do in your app: which screens they visit, where they drop off, and which features they use. It covers product analytics, funnels and retention, plus session replays and feature flags for rolling out changes gradually.
It has a generous free tier, which makes it easy to add from day one. That way, your first real users start shaping what you build next.
7. Sentry
Sentry catches crashes and errors in your app and shows you exactly where they happened, down to the line of code. It works with React Native and Expo, and also monitors performance so you can spot slow screens.
The best time to find a crash is before your users write about it in an App Store review. Sentry makes that much more likely.
8. Figma
Figma is where most teams design their app icon, App Store screenshots and marketing graphics. Its community has plenty of templates for icons and store screenshots, and sharing work with a designer or teammate is as easy as sending a link.
Your store listing is the first thing people see, often before they ever open your app, so it's worth making it look as good as the app itself.
9. TestFlight
TestFlight is Apple's own beta testing app, included with your Apple Developer account. You can invite up to 10,000 testers by email or with a public link, and they can send feedback and screenshots straight from the app.
Testing with real people before launch catches the problems you're too close to notice. On Android, Google Play's closed testing does the same job, and for new personal accounts it's required anyway.
Your launch stack in one line
LetsDeployIt or Expo to ship, Supabase for accounts and data, RevenueCat for payments, OneSignal for notifications, PostHog for analytics, Sentry for crashes, Figma for visuals and TestFlight for testing. For everything Apple and Google ask for at launch, see the launch checklist.
FAQ
What do I need to launch an app on the App Store? An Apple Developer account ($99 a year), a native build of your app, a store listing with screenshots, privacy details, and an app that follows Apple's review guidelines, including account deletion if people can sign up.
Can I launch an app built with Lovable or Bolt? Yes, but it needs a native build first, because those tools make web apps. LetsDeployIt does that conversion and the store work for you.
How long does it take to get an app approved? Apple usually reviews in a day or two. New personal Google Play accounts need a 14-day closed test with 12 testers first. Here's how that works.
Conclusion
Building the app is now the quick part. Launching it well is what decides whether people find it, pay for it and keep using it. With the right tools, from LetsDeployIt for getting through the stores to Sentry for catching crashes, you can spend your time on your users instead of on the plumbing.
What's in your launch stack? Share your favorite tools in the comments.
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