Buildy vs Natively
Buildy vs Natively
Natively and Buildy both get an app into the stores, but they do fundamentally different things. Natively (buildnatively.com) is a website-to-app tool: it wraps your website/web app into an iOS/Android app by loading it inside a native WebView, so the shipped app is essentially your live site running inside a native shell, and content updates auto-sync without a resubmit. Buildy is an AI builder that generates a real, native React Native app from a natural-language description, code you own and can export as a zip or sync to your own GitHub. If you already have a polished website and just want it in the stores, that difference is the whole decision.
| Buildy | Natively | |
|---|---|---|
| Code ownership | Full. Standard Expo/React Native project, exportable as a zip or synced to your own GitHub. No proprietary runtime. | None of the app's code. You keep your website, but the app itself is a WebView wrapper and Natively doesn't provide app source code. |
| Native targets | Real native code: Expo/React Native (default), plus native Android (Kotlin/Compose) and iOS (SwiftUI). | WebView wrapper: your live website embedded in a native shell, not native UI or navigation. |
| Free tier | Build + live preview + install on your phone. No card required. | $0 tier converts a site to an app and allows real-device testing, but app-store builds and publishing require a paid plan. |
| Export | Zip download or GitHub sync of the whole project. A working app if you ever leave. | No code export. Offers a JS SDK / plugins to add native hooks (push, in-app purchase) to your existing site. |
| Pricing | Free; Pro €25/mo; Max €50/mo. Paddle is merchant of record (handles EU VAT). | Free $0; Essential ~$19/mo; Unlimited ~$49/mo; one-time Lifetime license ~$699. Annual billing is cheaper, check their site for current numbers. |
| App Store 2.5.2 / self-contained | Shipped binary is self-contained native code; the live preview runs on Buildy's servers and is not packaged in the app. | App loads your live website at runtime; pure wrappers face Apple's 4.2 'repackaged website' scrutiny. Natively sells approval support + a 100% release guarantee to mitigate. |
| Backend | Supabase wiring on Pro+ (bring your own project); env-var management built in. | Uses whatever backend already powers your website; adds native plugins rather than a new backend. |
| Learning curve | Describe the app in natural language; some technical comfort helps for export and customization. | Paste a URL. Easiest path if you already have a polished website; no coding at all. |
Where Buildy is the better pick
You own real code. Buildy outputs a standard Expo/React Native project you can export as a zip or sync to your own GitHub. Natively gives you a WebView wrapper around your site, not app source you control.
It's an actual native app, not your website in a shell. Buildy generates real React Native (plus native Android in Kotlin/Compose and iOS in SwiftUI) with native UI and navigation, instead of embedding your live site in a WebView.
Self-contained shipping. Buildy's final binary contains the app's code; the live preview runs on Buildy's servers and is not packaged inside the shipped app. Pure website-wrappers are essentially a browser pointed at a URL and tend to draw Apple's 4.2 'repackaged website' scrutiny.
No existing website required. Buildy builds the app from a description; Natively needs a web app to wrap in the first place.
No lock-in. Leave Buildy and you still have a working Expo project; leave a wrapper and the 'app' is just your website again.
Where Natively may be the better pick
No tool wins everything. Here's where Natively is genuinely the stronger choice.
If you already run a polished web app (Shopify, WordPress, Webflow, Bubble), Natively is the faster, cheaper path to the stores. There's no rebuild, you keep one codebase, and content updates auto-sync to the app without resubmitting.
Natively offers a one-time Lifetime license (about $699) plus hands-on App Store approval support and a 100% release guarantee. That's appealing if you want done-for-you publishing and no recurring AI subscription.
Single source of truth: web and app stay in sync automatically, so the two never drift apart. With a separate native codebase you have to keep them aligned yourself.
The verdict
Choose by what you're starting from. If you already have a website you love and just want it in the app stores fast and cheap, especially as a one-time purchase, Natively's WebView wrapper is a legitimate, low-effort option, and its hands-on approval support and release guarantee are a genuine perk. Just know what you're shipping: your website in a native shell, with no app source code you own, and a model that draws Apple's "minimum functionality" scrutiny for pure wrappers. Buildy is for people who want an actual app, real React Native (plus native Android/iOS) code you own and can export, a self-contained binary that doesn't depend on loading a live site at runtime, and a free tier that builds and previews on a real phone with no card. Wrap an existing site with Natively; build a real, owned app with Buildy.
Build your first app free →Two similarly named products exist. This page compares the WebView-wrapper "Natively" at buildnatively.com, which describes itself as converting your website into an iOS/Android app by loading it inside a native WebView. A separate, similarly named product ("Newly," at natively.dev) instead uses AI to generate native React Native code with source ownership, do not confuse the two. Natively's pricing was read from buildnatively.com/pricing in 2026 (Free $0; Essential ~$19/mo, ~$12/mo billed annually; Unlimited ~$49/mo, ~$32/mo billed annually; Lifetime license ~$699), and the Lifetime tier has carried promotional bundle offers, verify current numbers before quoting. Natively's site does not frame its model in terms of Apple guideline 2.5.2 or 4.2; those App Store points are general wrapper-review context. Natively does advertise a "100% app-store release guarantee" plus App Store approval support. Buildy's ~6M/~12M monthly token figures are approximate.