You can do it yourself for the store fees and a lot of your time, hire a freelancer by the hour, or pay an agency a larger fixed quote. LetsDeployIt is a flat fee for the native conversion and every store task, with a refund if a compliant app isn't approved. The right choice depends on your time, budget and how much risk you want to carry.
Time, cost and risk at a glance
| Do it yourself | Freelancer | Agency | LetsDeployIt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time to live | 6 to 12 weeks | 3 to 6 weeks | 4 to 8 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Cost | Your time | $1k to $4k, hourly | $8k to $20k, plus hourly | Flat fee |
| If it's rejected | You fix it | Often billed per cycle | Often billed per cycle | Unlimited resubmissions |
| Approval guarantee | No | Almost never | Rare | Full refund for a compliant app |
These are our estimates, not quotes. Apple's $99 a year and Google's $25 one-time fees apply to every route.
Doing it yourself
The cheapest route in money and the most expensive in time. You'll need to:
- Turn the Lovable web app into a native app, with a wrapper like Capacitor or by rebuilding it.
- Enroll in the Apple Developer Program and create a Google Play developer account.
- Build and sign the app, which for iOS means a Mac with Xcode.
- Write the listings, make screenshots for every size, and fill in privacy labels and the Data safety form.
- Run Google Play's 14-day closed test with 12 testers on a new personal account, then answer reviewers until you're approved.
Every step, with the fees, is in the Lovable launch checklist and costs.
Hiring a freelancer
A freelancer who has shipped apps before can save you weeks, usually billed by the hour. Agree up front on who owns the developer accounts (they should be yours), what happens after a rejection, and whether the 12-tester closed test is in scope.
Hiring an agency
An agency brings a team and a project manager, and usually a larger fixed quote. It suits bigger builds; for getting an existing Lovable app into the stores, much of the cost is overhead. Ask how resubmissions are billed.
LetsDeployIt: a flat fee for the whole thing
We convert your Lovable app into a native React Native and Expo app and do every store task, for a flat fee. You preview the native app on your phone for free first. Resubmissions are unlimited, and if a compliant app isn't approved, you get your money back.
Current plans are on the LetsDeployIt pricing page.
How LetsDeployIt helps
Send us your Lovable app's link and we'll come back within two business days with how we'd get it into the stores, and what it costs. See pricing.
Try a free native preview of your app on your phone: letsdeploy.it.
Common questions about publishing your app
How much does it cost to publish an app to the App Store?
Apple charges $99 a year and Google $25 once. On top of that, it's your time, a freelancer's hours, an agency's quote or our flat fee.
Can I publish a Lovable app myself?
Yes. You'll need to make it a native app, set up developer accounts, build and sign it (a Mac for iOS), and handle the listings, privacy forms and review yourself.
Should the developer accounts be mine or the freelancer's?
Yours. The app lives in the account that publishes it, so keep the Apple and Google accounts in your name and give access to whoever helps.
What if the app gets rejected?
Doing it yourself, you fix and resubmit. Freelancers and agencies often bill each cycle. With us, resubmissions are unlimited and a compliant app is approved or refunded.
How long does it take?
From our experience: 6 to 12 weeks doing it yourself, 3 to 6 with a freelancer, 4 to 8 with an agency and 3 to 4 weeks with us, including review.
Sources
- Apple Developer Program
- Google Play: developer account fee
- Google Play: testing requirements for new personal accounts
- Apple App Review Guidelines
Originally published on letsdeploy.it. Facts checked 2026-10-12.
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