---
title: "How to Create an App in 2026: Step-by-Step Guide | Superapp"
description: "How to create an app in 12 steps: validate the idea, pick a business model, build with AI, no-code or code, publish, get users, and grow it into a business."
image: https://superapp.dev/lovable-uploads/bc4914af-9cbc-4b4c-a764-13dde52ee116.webp
canonical_url: https://superapp.dev/blog/how-to-create-an-app
md_url: https://superapp.dev/blog/how-to-create-an-app.md
---
## How to Create an App in 2026: Step-by-Step Guide

## How to Create an App: The Short Answer

Last updated: September 2026. We re-check tools, prices, store rules, and revenue benchmarks at every update.

To create an app, define the problem it solves and who it is for, validate demand, decide how the app will make money, choose the platform (iPhone, Android, both, or web), choose how you will build it (AI, no-code, or code), build and test one core screen at a time on a real phone, publish it to the App Store or Google Play, and then get users and keep them. You no longer need to code: AI app builders such as Superapp turn a plain-English description into a native iPhone app with a backend, subscriptions, and App Store growth tools; no-code tools such as Adalo and FlutterFlow let you assemble an app visually; and developers build in Xcode (iOS) or Android Studio (Android). Publishing costs $99 a year for Apple and a one-time $25 for Google Play.

> **Quick answer:** The fastest way to create an app in 2026, and to turn it into a real app business, is to describe it to an AI app builder. Superapp turns a written description into a native Swift app for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac, adds sign-in, a database, push notifications, and subscriptions through StoreKit or RevenueCat, prepares the App Store submission, and then helps you get paying users with App Store optimization (ASO) and Apple Ads, from free credits and $25 a month (disclosure: Superapp is our product). If you want a drag-and-drop editor for iPhone and Android, use Adalo or FlutterFlow. If you want to learn to code, use Xcode with Swift for iOS or Android Studio with Kotlin for Android. Whichever route you pick, the steps are the same: idea, validation, business model, screens, build, test, publish, users, revenue.

> **The three ways to create an app:** **Describe it** (an AI app builder such as Superapp, Replit, or Anything writes the code for you), **assemble it** (a no-code tool such as Adalo or FlutterFlow gives you a visual editor), or **code it** (you write the app in Swift, Kotlin, or React Native). All three can reach the App Store; they differ in time, cost, skills, whether you own what you build, and how much of the business side (payments, store listing, ads) the tool handles for you.

> **An app vs an app business:** An app is software people can download. An app business is an app plus a way to make money (subscriptions, purchases, or ads), a repeatable way to get users (App Store search, Apple Ads, content), and numbers you track (revenue per install, trial conversion, churn). Superapp, RevenueCat, and App Store Connect cover different parts of that second list; this guide covers all of it.

## What Changed About Creating an App in 2026?

Three things changed, and together they moved the hard part of creating an app from writing code to getting and keeping paying users.

1. **AI now writes most of the code.** In March 2025, Y Combinator posted: "For 25% of the Winter 2025 batch, 95% of lines of code are LLM generated. That's not a typo. The age of vibe coding is here." Tools such as Superapp, Replit, Lovable, and Anything bring that same workflow to people who have never programmed.
 2. **Non-developers are shipping paying apps.** Greg Kowalczyk, a mechanical engineer whose "last coding experience was Visual Basic in university," shipped two iOS apps in 2025. Ryan Yao, a product designer, told Starter Story: "About a year ago, AI coding became a viable option for building iOS apps. And it was always my dream to shape one. So I just decided to try." His app, Cat on Chair, was reported at $18,000 in monthly revenue.
 3. **Distribution became the moat.** Jacob Eiting, RevenueCat's CEO, put it plainly on the Sub Club podcast: "There's a million apps on the app store. Building the app has never been the hardest part. Getting attention sustainably, building a community, building up a user base… that's where the rubber really meets the road."

That is why this guide treats "create an app" as the full path from idea to revenue, and why the tools that win in 2026, such as Superapp with built-in ASO and Apple Ads, RevenueCat for subscriptions, and App Store Connect for listings, cover what happens after the build.

## Which Way Should You Create Your App?

| Route | Example tools | Time to a first version | First-year tool cost | Skills needed | Business tools included | What you end up with |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Describe it with AI | Superapp (native iPhone, iPad, Watch, Mac), Anything and Replit (iPhone and Android), Lovable (web) | Minutes to days | About $220 to $300 plus store fees | Clear writing | Superapp: backend, subscriptions, submission, ASO, and Apple Ads; others vary | Real code; with Superapp, an Xcode project you own |
| Assemble it with no-code | Adalo, Thunkable, FlutterFlow, Bubble | Days to weeks | About $350 to $710 plus store fees | Logic and data basics | Built-in databases; payments through plugins | An app on the tool's platform; FlutterFlow exports code |
| Code it yourself | Xcode with Swift, Android Studio with Kotlin, React Native | Weeks to months | Free tools plus store fees | Programming | None; you add RevenueCat, analytics, and ads yourself | Full control of the code |
| Hire a freelancer | Upwork, local developers | 1 to 4 months | $15 to $150 an hour | Managing a project | Whatever you pay for | Custom app, ownership per contract |
| Hire an agency | Development studios | 4 to 18 months | $30,000 to $150,000 or more | Budget and management | Often launch marketing at extra cost | Custom app, usually owned by you |

For most first-time founders, the choice comes down to one question: do you want to learn to build apps, or do you want the app business? If you want the business, start with an AI builder such as Superapp that also handles payments and App Store growth; if you need both stores from one project, a no-code tool such as FlutterFlow or Adalo; if you want the skill, code.

## Are You Building an App, an App Business, or a Startup?

Decide this before Step 1, because it changes what "done" means.

| Goal | What "done" looks like | What you need beyond the app | How Superapp and other tools fit |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| An app business (bootstrapped) | The app pays for itself and then pays you | Subscriptions, ASO, a small ad budget, weekly metrics | Superapp builds the app, sets up StoreKit or RevenueCat, and runs ASO and Apple Ads; RevenueCat or App Store Connect reports revenue |
| A personal or hobby app | It works and people you know use it | Nothing beyond publishing | Superapp, Adalo, or Xcode all work; free plans are enough to start |
| An app for an existing business | Customers book, order, or return more often | Links to your booking, loyalty, or ordering system | Superapp or Adalo for the app; your existing systems for payments on physical goods |
| A venture-backed startup | Fast growth, then funding | Code you own, a team that can take over the code, growth numbers investors trust | Superapp exports a native Xcode project; FlutterFlow exports Flutter; Replit and your own code are yours by default |

A bootstrapped app business and a startup share the same first year: build fast, prove people pay, find one channel that brings users. The difference is what you do with the result. Apple highlights Slopes, which was "originally launched as a passion project by a solo developer" and is now "trusted by over 5 million skiers and snowboarders," as an example of a one-person app that grew into an international business.

## Step 1: What Problem Will Your App Solve?

Every app that keeps users does one thing well for one kind of person. Write one sentence before anything else:

**"[Who] uses this app to [do what], instead of [what they do today]."**

Example: "Yoga studio members use this app to book classes and get reminders, instead of texting the front desk."

That sentence decides your screens, your data, your price, and later your App Store keywords. If you cannot write it, the app is not ready to build.

**Where good app ideas come from.** Founders who built profitable apps with small teams describe three sources:

- **Your own problem.** Sebastian Rühl, who built the habit tracker HabitKit, said on Starter Story: "I just build apps that solve my own problems. I will always be my first customer." John McEvoy started the transit app Momego the same way: "The idea was I wanted an app for me."
 - **Searches people already type.** Ben Noland, who built the chore app Chorsee, told Indie Watch: "Now I try to validate my ideas before building them by checking the ASO trends to see if there's enough demand to build a business."
 - **Content people already watch.** Reza, who built the manifestation app Vix without prior coding experience, scanned TikTok for topics with high views, obvious buyer intent, and weak existing apps before building, according to his Starter Story interview.

> **Idea checklist:** A strong first app idea solves a problem you or a group you can reach has every week, matches words people already search for in the App Store, and has competitors with bad reviews. Superapp, FlutterFlow, and Xcode can all build it; the idea decides whether anyone pays.

## Step 2: How Do You Validate an App Idea Before Building?

Most apps fail after launch, not before. AppsFlyer's 2025 uninstall research found a 46.1% average 30-day uninstall rate for Android apps, based on about 1.3 billion installs, so it pays to test demand early.

The lean startup term for the first version is the minimum viable product. Eric Ries defines it as "that version of a new product which allows a team to collect the maximum amount of validated learning about customers with the least effort." In 2026, with AI builders, that least-effort version is often a working app rather than a landing page.

| Validation check | How to do it | What a good sign looks like | Time with Superapp or another AI builder |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Put a working version in real hands | Build the core screen in Superapp, install it on five target users' phones | Users finish the main task without help and ask when it launches | Same day |
| Store search | Search your keywords in the App Store and Google Play | Several competitors exist, some with 3-star ratings | 30 minutes |
| One-star reviews | Read the lowest reviews of the top three apps | Repeated complaints you can fix | 1 hour |
| User conversations | Talk to five people who match your Step 1 sentence | They describe the problem without prompting and already pay for a workaround | 1 week |
| Content test | Post short videos or posts about the problem | Views and comments asking for a solution | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Keyword data | Check keyword popularity in Apple Ads or an ASO tool | Specific searches with moderate popularity | 1 hour |

Three rules make validation work:

1. **Competition is good news.** It proves demand. Read the one-star reviews of the top apps; they list what people wish existed.
 2. **Recruit your first users by hand.** Paul Graham's advice to Y Combinator founders applies directly: "You can't wait for users to come to you. You have to go out and get them."
 3. **Test behavior, not opinions.** A native prototype from Superapp can run on your own iPhone the same day, so you watch what people do instead of asking what they would do.

## Step 3: How Will Your App Make Money?

Decide this before you design screens, because the business model changes the screens. A subscription app needs a paywall and a reason to come back every day; an ad-supported app needs lots of sessions; a companion app for a shop needs ordering.

| Business model | How it works | Good for | How to set it up |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Subscription (weekly, monthly, yearly) | Users pay on a schedule for premium features | Fitness, habits, education, productivity, AI apps | Superapp sets up StoreKit or RevenueCat; with code, StoreKit, Google Play Billing, or RevenueCat |
| Lifetime or one-time unlock | Users pay once for full access | Utilities, timers, simple tools | In-app purchase through StoreKit or RevenueCat |
| Consumables or credits | Users buy packs they use up | AI features with real usage costs, games | In-app purchase; credits tracked in your database |
| Hybrid | Subscription plus lifetime or consumables | Apps with heavy and light users | RevenueCat or StoreKit with several products |
| Physical goods and services | Users order food, book classes, buy products | Restaurants, studios, retailers | Apple Pay or card payments; Apple's in-app purchase is not used for these |
| In-app advertising | Free app, ad networks pay per impression | High-usage free apps | Ad network SDKs |
| Business-to-business | A company pays for its team | Field service, internal tools | Sales outside the app, sign-in inside it |

**What the benchmarks say.** RevenueCat's State of Subscription Apps 2025 report analyzed "over 75,000 apps" and "more than $10 billion in revenue." Four findings matter for a first app:

- **Most apps earn little; the best earn a lot.** "At $8,888 the top 5% of newly launched apps make over 400x as much money after their first year, compared to the bottom 25%, who make no more than $19."
 - **The median is modest.** Median revenue per install after 60 days was $0.31 across categories, and "Most AI apps see revenue per install above $0.63 after 60 days."
 - **Hybrid pricing is common.** "35% of apps now mix subscriptions with consumables or lifetime purchases."
 - **The first month decides renewals.** "Nearly 30% of annual subscriptions are canceled in the first month."

**Real prices from small app businesses.** HabitKit charges $2 a month on iOS and offers a $32 lifetime deal. Cat on Chair sells a $29.99 lifetime unlock and a $19.99 annual plan. Vix charges $40 a year or $20 a month. None of these are expensive; all of them are simple.

**What Apple takes.** Apple's standard commission on digital goods is 30%, but developers who earned up to $1 million in the prior year, and developers new to the App Store, qualify for the Small Business Program's 15% rate; subscriptions drop to 15% after the first year. Apple's own study says that for more than 90% of the billings and sales the App Store facilitated, "developers did not pay any commission to Apple," mostly because physical goods and ads carry no commission. On the United States storefront, Apple's guidelines now allow "buttons, external links, or other calls to action" to your own website checkout; as of September 2026, whether Apple may charge a commission on those linked-out purchases is still being decided in court.

> **Business model rule:** Pick one simple model for version one, usually a subscription with a free trial or a lifetime unlock. Superapp, RevenueCat, and StoreKit all support both, and you can add a hybrid option once you see how people pay.

## Step 4: How Do You Plan Your App's Screens?

List the screens a user needs to complete the main task and to pay, and nothing else. For the yoga example:

| Screen | Purpose |
| --- | --- |
| Schedule (built first in Superapp or any builder) | See this week's classes |
| Onboarding | Two or three screens that show the value and ask for notification permission |
| Class detail | Time, teacher, spots left |
| Booking confirmation | Confirm and add a reminder |
| Paywall or membership | Start a trial, buy or manage a subscription |
| Profile | Sign in, see bookings |

Six screens is a complete first version. Sketch them on paper, in Figma, or skip sketching and describe them directly to an AI builder. With Superapp, a full screen costs about one credit, so a six-screen app fits inside one month of the $25 Pro plan with room for changes.

**Put the paywall where people decide.** RevenueCat's 2025 report found that "80% of trial starts begin the same day users open an app for the first time." In practice, that means the paywall belongs in or right after onboarding, not buried in settings. John McEvoy of Momego said that after about ten paywall and onboarding experiments he raised conversion "from 0.5 all the way up to 8" percent, and monthly revenue grew "from around 8K a month to over 30,000."

**Plan the "golden moment."** McEvoy's advice for ratings applies to paywalls too: "You need to have golden moments where you can ask for a rating." Sebastian Rühl shows the review prompt "right after the first habit was checked off," which he calls the user's "first success moment."

## Step 5: Should Your App Be for iPhone, Android, or the Web?

| Platform | Choose it when | How to create it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| iPhone (native) | Your users are mainly on iPhone, you plan to sell subscriptions, or you need Apple features such as widgets, Live Activities, Apple Watch, HealthKit, or Siri | Superapp without code, or Xcode with Swift |
| iPhone and Android from one project | You need both stores from day one | FlutterFlow, Adalo, Thunkable, Anything, Replit, or React Native |
| Android (native) | Your users are mainly on Android | Android Studio with Kotlin |
| Web app | A browser link is enough and you do not need a store listing | Lovable, Bolt, v0, Bubble |

"Native" means the app is written in the platform's own language: Swift for Apple devices, Kotlin for Android. Cross-platform tools share one codebase across both stores. Web apps run in a browser and can be added to a home screen, but they are not store apps.

**Where the money is.** RevenueCat's 2025 report found North America leads revenue per install, and many small app businesses start on iPhone for that reason. Revenue mix still varies by app: indie developer Ivan Terekhin reported that Android sometimes outperforms iOS in his portfolio, "driven heavily by Sober Tracker in price-sensitive or emerging markets." Launch where your Step 1 users already are, and add the second store once the first one pays.

> **Platform rule for app businesses:** Start where your paying users are. For many subscription apps that is iPhone, which Superapp and Xcode build natively; if your users split evenly, FlutterFlow, Adalo, or React Native cover both stores from one project.

## Step 6: Should You Use AI, No-Code, or Code?

Match the route to your goal, not to what sounds most serious.

- **Use an AI app builder** when you want a working app quickly and can describe it clearly. Superapp creates native iPhone apps with subscriptions and prepares the App Store listing, then runs ASO and Apple Ads; Anything and Replit create React Native apps for both stores; Lovable creates web apps.
 - **Use a no-code builder** when you prefer to arrange screens by hand. Adalo is the simplest for both stores, Thunkable suits beginners, FlutterFlow gives you exportable Flutter code, and Bubble handles complex logic.
 - **Learn to code** when building apps is the skill you want. Apple's Xcode and SwiftUI and Google's Android Studio and Jetpack Compose are free, with live previews that make learning faster.
 - **Combine them.** Many founders use one AI tool to build and another to debug. Greg Kowalczyk used VibeCode for the foundation, Claude Code for architecture and problems, and Cursor for targeted edits. Superapp removes most of that juggling for native iPhone apps because it writes, compiles, and fixes the Swift in one place.

**Code ownership matters for a startup.** If you might hire a developer, raise money, sell the app, or leave a platform, choose a route that gives you the code: Superapp (a native Xcode project), FlutterFlow (Flutter), Replit, or your own code. An investor or acquirer will ask where the code lives and who can change it.

## Step 7: How Do You Build the First Screen?

Build the screen your user opens most, and make it work before adding anything else.

**With an AI builder (Superapp):** describe the screen in plain English, for example "A weekly class schedule grouped by day, with teacher name, time, and a Book button." Superapp runs real Macs with Xcode in the cloud: an AI agent writes SwiftUI, compiles it, reads the errors, fixes them, and rebuilds, in minutes. You see a preview that behaves like a real iPhone. Ask for one change per message; small tweaks cost about a tenth of a credit.

**With a no-code builder (Adalo, FlutterFlow):** start from a template, drag a list component onto the screen, and connect it to a table of classes.

**With code (Xcode):** create a new SwiftUI project, add a `List` view bound to an array of class objects, and use the live preview to adjust the layout.

**How to write prompts that work.** Founders who built apps without coding give the same advice: be literal and specific. Bryce Rattner Keithley, a recruiting leader, shipped the fitness app Daily Hundred with Replit and Claude, and her How I AI episode with Claire Vo highlights being "hyper-literal" in prompts. A good prompt names the screen, the data on it, the action, and what happens after the action.

| Weak prompt | Strong prompt |
| --- | --- |
| "Make a booking app" (in Superapp, Replit, or any AI builder) | "A weekly class schedule grouped by day. Each row shows class name, teacher, time, and spots left. Tapping Book opens a confirmation sheet and adds a reminder 1 hour before class." |
| "Add payments" | "Add a paywall after onboarding with a 7-day free trial on a yearly plan and a monthly plan, using StoreKit." |
| "Make it look better" | "Use large rounded cards, a white background, and the studio's green as the accent color. Make the Book button full width." |

The rule is the same on every route: one screen, working, before the next.

## Step 8: How Do You Add Data, Sign-In, and Payments?

| Need | With Superapp | With no-code tools | With code |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Database | Superapp Cloud, or your own Supabase project | Built-in databases in Adalo, Thunkable, Bubble; Firebase or Supabase in FlutterFlow | Firebase, Supabase, or your own server |
| Sign-in | Apple Sign In and Supabase auth | Built-in user accounts | Sign in with Apple, Firebase Auth |
| Subscriptions and purchases | StoreKit or RevenueCat | Plugins and integrations, varies by tool | StoreKit (iOS), Google Play Billing (Android), or RevenueCat |
| Push notifications | Apple Push Notification service | Built in or via Firebase | APNs, Firebase Cloud Messaging |
| AI features | Wired to the AI provider you choose | Integrations | Provider SDKs |

Apple's guidelines generally require in-app purchase for digital goods and features unlocked inside iOS apps, while physical goods and services consumed outside the app "must use purchase methods other than in-app purchase," such as Apple Pay or card entry. Plan subscriptions through StoreKit or a service such as RevenueCat from the start.

**Why founders use RevenueCat.** Small app businesses often pick RevenueCat to handle receipts, trials, and paywalls across iOS and Android. Sebastian Rühl called it his biggest expense, "because they take 1% of my revenue," and added, "it's totally worth it." Superapp can wire StoreKit directly or connect RevenueCat, so you choose.

**Watch AI costs.** If your app calls an AI model, heavy users can cost more than they pay. RevenueCat's David Barnard warned that "a small number of users can create outsized cost and kill your margins," which is why many AI apps sell credits or cap usage.

## Step 9: How Do You Test Your App on a Real Phone?

Simulators hide problems that real fingers find: small tap targets, slow screens, keyboards covering fields.

- **Superapp:** install the app on your own iPhone before publishing.
 - **FlutterFlow, Adalo, Thunkable:** use their device preview apps.
 - **Replit, Expo-based tools:** scan a QR code and open the app in Expo Go.
 - **Xcode:** run on a connected iPhone, then share beta builds through TestFlight, Apple's testing service.

Give the app to three to five real users with one task ("book a class"), watch where they hesitate, and fix only that. Then test the money path: start a trial with a sandbox account, cancel it, and restore the purchase. Ryan Yao's experience with Cat on Chair shows why: after an August 2025 launch, a stable version with working multi-device sync did not arrive until about four to five months later, according to his Starter Story interview.

## Step 10: How Do You Publish an App to the App Store and Google Play?

| Store | Account | Cost | What to prepare |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Apple App Store (Superapp prepares this for you) | Apple Developer Program | $99 a year | App name, subtitle, description, keywords, screenshots, privacy details, in-app purchase products, a build |
| Google Play | Google Play Console | $25 one time | Store listing, screenshots, content rating, data safety form, a build |

**What happens next:**

- **Apple review.** Apple checks every app against its App Store Review Guidelines. In its 2025 transparency report, Apple reported 9,100,620 app submissions and 2,093,244 rejections, so preparation matters.
 - **Google's testing rule.** Personal Google Play developer accounts created after November 13, 2023 must run a closed test with at least 12 testers opted in for 14 days before they can publish to production.

**How each route handles submission:** Superapp prepares the build, metadata, screenshots, and privacy declarations for you. Replit guides React Native apps to the App Store and says publishing "can take up to 45 minutes." With most no-code tools and with your own code, you complete App Store Connect and Play Console yourself.

**Name the app for search.** Ivan Terekhin explained why he named his app Sober Tracker: "I didn't invent a clever brand name... I called it exactly what it was." Sebastian Rühl did the same: "I'm focusing on the HabitTracker keyword, and that's why I put it right at the start of my app name." Your app name and subtitle are the strongest ASO fields, so put your main keyword there.

## Why Do Apps Get Rejected, and How Do You Avoid It?

The most common reasons are crashes, incomplete information, privacy problems, broken in-app purchases, and apps that do too little.

- **Guideline 4.2 (Minimum Functionality):** an app must be more than a repackaged website. In a rejection quoted on Apple's developer forums, App Review wrote: "Including iOS features such as push notifications, Core Location, and sharing do not provide a robust enough experience to be appropriate for the App Store." Adding push to a website is not enough; the app must be useful on its own.
 - **Guideline 4.3 (Spam):** near-identical template apps are rejected.
 - **Guideline 3.1 (Payments):** digital features must be sold correctly, with working restore purchases and clear subscription terms.
 - **Privacy:** every app needs accurate privacy details and, for many, a privacy policy link.

**Rejections are normal, not fatal.** Greg Kowalczyk's RunMate Pro was rejected "39 times total, across technical issues, compliance requirements, UI guidelines, privacy policy gaps, and incomplete feature requirements." His process: "copy the rejection message → paste it into Cursor or ChatGPT → get a specific explanation of what Apple requires → implement the fix → rebuild → resubmit." His conclusion: "Every rejection was a solvable problem. The emotional challenge was harder than the technical one." Bryce Rattner Keithley got Daily Hundred approved "on the second try."

Native apps built with Swift, such as those Superapp creates, avoid the wrapped-website problem by design, and Superapp prepares the privacy details and metadata that cause many first rejections. Whatever the route, make sure the core feature works without a website behind it.

## Step 11: How Do You Get Your First Users?

A published app with no plan for users gets no users. For App Store apps, most downloads start with search. Apple Ads states that "70% of App Store visitors use search to discover apps" and "Almost 65% of downloads happen directly after a search." Apple also says more than 850 million people visit the App Store every week.

| Channel | How it works | Cost | Who used it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ASO (in Superapp or an ASO tool) | Keywords in name, subtitle, and keyword field; screenshots that show the core task; steady ratings | Time, plus optional tool fees | HabitKit, Momego, Chorsee, Sober Tracker |
| Apple Ads | Bid on the searches your users type; ads appear at the top of App Store results | Your daily budget | Chorsee early on; HabitKit at $100 a month; Momego to defend keywords |
| Short-form video | Posts on TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube that show the problem and the app | Time, or creator fees | Vix, Stella, Cat on Chair |
| Creators and influencers | A creator shows your app to their audience | Flat fee or revenue share | Cedric's peptide app |
| Your existing audience | Email list, customers in store, social followers | Free | Local businesses, creators |
| Launch sites and communities | Product Hunt, Reddit, niche forums | Free | Mixed results |

**App Store optimization (ASO).** Put your main keyword in the app name or subtitle, fill the keyword field, and use screenshots that show the core task in the first two images. Ben Noland explained why ASO lasts: "The thing I like about ASO is people are already searching for the app and I'm just helping them find it." Sebastian Rühl went further: "My growth, my revenue is currently completely based on the ranking in the App Store and Google Play." And: "If you manage to secure a good ranking on the App Store, you don't need a big marketing budget and you can compete with bigger brands." Ivan Terekhin's approach: "Targeting thousands of small keywords beats chasing huge, highly competitive keywords."

**Apple Ads.** Bid on the searches your users type so the app appears at the top of results. Apple reports "an average conversion rate of over 60% for those at the top of search results." Start with a small daily budget and keep the keywords that bring paying users, not just installs. Noland: "Apple Search Ads (ASA) were very important in the beginning to get enough downloads so I could gather feedback, improve the product, and start to build some ratings and reviews." His warning matters as much: "running ads requires a fairly well-tuned onboarding / paywall / activation flow. If you can't communicate your value and convince users to pay, then ads won't work."

**Ratings.** Ask happy users for a rating after they complete the core task, not on first launch. McEvoy: "If you can get those ratings coming in your app will rise organically to the top."

**Content and creators.** Cedric, who built a peptide tracking app, said on Starter Story that one creator's first post drove about $4,000 in revenue that day, and his advice was blunt: "If you don't have a vision for how you will market it and distribute it, then I just don't even think it's worth building." Reza grew Vix with a network of roughly 25 TikTok accounts and paused feature work for three months to focus on distribution.

Superapp handles ASO and Apple Ads in the same place you created the app, so keyword research, listing changes, and ad campaigns sit next to the build; with other routes, use App Store Connect, an ASO tool, and Apple Ads directly.

> **First users rule:** Pick one channel and do it well for 90 days. For most App Store apps that is ASO plus a small Apple Ads budget, which Superapp runs for you; for creator-led apps it is short-form video. Add a second channel only after the first one brings paying users.

## Step 12: How Do You Measure, Keep, and Grow Paying Users?

An app becomes a business when the numbers work. Track a few of them weekly from the first day.

| Metric | What it tells you | Where to find it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cost per install (CPI) | What Apple Ads or other paid channels cost | Superapp for the Apple Ads campaigns it runs, or the Apple Ads dashboard |
| Revenue per install (RPI) | How much each download is worth | RevenueCat, App Store Connect |
| Trial start rate | Whether the paywall and onboarding work | RevenueCat, StoreKit reports |
| Trial conversion rate | Whether the app proves its value during the trial | RevenueCat, App Store Connect |
| Retention (day 1, day 7, day 30) | Whether people come back | Analytics tool, App Store Connect |
| Churn and refunds | Whether paying users stay | RevenueCat, App Store Connect |
| Keyword rankings | Whether ASO is working | Superapp's ASO tools, Astro, Appfigures |

**Revenue per install is the one number to watch.** Ben Noland: "One metric I really like is Revenue Per Install. There are lots of steps along the way, but Revenue Per Install rolls it all together and gives you an idea about how much each user is worth." His habit: "Track everything. The first few months of a new app I like to build out a weekly spreadsheet where I track all my key metrics."

**The paid growth test.** Paid ads scale only when revenue per install is higher than cost per install. If Apple Ads cost $2.00 per install and your app earns $0.31 per install, the RevenueCat median at 60 days, every ad loses money; fix onboarding, pricing, and the paywall first. If your app earns $3.00 per install, a $2.00 install is profitable.

**Keep users by building habits.** Jackson Huttleworth, head of retention at Duolingo, as quoted by RevenueCat: "The easiest way to retain a user is to not let them churn to begin with." Momego's paying users stay for features such as widgets and Live Activities, according to McEvoy's App Masters episode.

**Expect channels to change.** McEvoy relied on organic ASO for years until competitors started buying ads on his keywords and the local transit agency launched its own app: "I realized I can't just rely on organic ASO anymore. That time's over." Terekhin found the opposite for his apps: he spent "up to $750/month" on ads, turned them off in a test, and "Downloads held steady or even grew via ASO, MRR rose, and my costs dropped." Test both, and keep what your numbers support.

## How Do You Turn an App Into a Startup?

A startup is an app business built to grow fast, often with outside funding. The steps above still apply; four things change.

1. **Own the code.** Investors, acquirers, and your first engineer will ask where the code lives. Superapp exports a native Swift Xcode project, FlutterFlow exports Flutter, and Replit and hand-written code are yours by default. A no-code app that exists only inside a builder's platform is harder to hand over.
 2. **Show growth, not features.** Paul Graham's advice to Y Combinator founders is to measure weekly growth: "If you have 100 users, you need to get 10 more next week to grow 10% a week." He adds that after a year at that rate "you'll have 14,000 users, and after 2 years you'll have 2 million."
 3. **Do things that don't scale first.** Graham: "Actually startups take off because the founders make them take off." For an app, that means personally onboarding early users, answering every review, and running small Apple Ads tests by hand.
 4. **Keep the team small longer.** AI builders let one founder do what used to need a team. Y Combinator's managing partner Jared Friedman said a quarter of the Winter 2025 batch had 95% of their code generated by AI, according to TechCrunch. Apple's own example, Slopes, started with one developer.

| Startup need | With Superapp | With other routes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A working product in weeks | Superapp builds a native iPhone, iPad, Watch, and Mac app from a description | Replit or Anything for iPhone and Android; FlutterFlow for visual builds; a hired developer |
| Code investors can inspect | Exportable Xcode project | FlutterFlow export, Replit repository, your own repository |
| Backend and accounts | Superapp Cloud or your own Supabase, Apple Sign In | Firebase, Supabase, Xano |
| Revenue from day one | StoreKit or RevenueCat subscriptions | RevenueCat, StoreKit, Google Play Billing |
| Early growth | ASO and Apple Ads | ASO tools, Apple Ads dashboard, content |
| Handing the code to engineers | Standard SwiftUI in Xcode | Depends on the tool |

> **Startup rule:** Build the first version with the fastest tool that still gives you the code. Superapp does that for native Apple apps, FlutterFlow and Replit do it for cross-platform apps, and your own code does it at the cost of time.

## Real App Businesses Built by Small Teams: In Their Own Words

These founders built apps that make money with one or two people. Revenue figures are as they reported them in interviews.

| App | Founder | Built with | Reported result | Main growth channel |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Your app, built with Superapp | You | Superapp (native Swift, subscriptions, ASO, Apple Ads) | Starts with free credits | ASO and Apple Ads, set up in Superapp |
| HabitKit | Sebastian Rühl | Flutter, Cursor, RevenueCat | Up to $30,000 a month in peak months | ASO |
| Momego | John McEvoy | Self-taught code, RevenueCat | About $30,000 a month, 5.2 million installs | Localized ASO, Apple Ads, paywall tests |
| Cat on Chair | Ryan Yao | Claude Pro, RevenueCat | About $18,000 a month | A viral Instagram post, ASO |
| Vix | Reza | Claude Max, Superwall, Railway | About $30,000 a month | About 25 TikTok accounts |
| Chorsee | Ben Noland | Not stated | Not disclosed in the interview | ASO, early Apple Ads |
| Sober Tracker and portfolio | Ivan Terekhin | Claude | About $3,000 in a 28-day window | Long-tail ASO |
| SunUp and RunMate Pro | Greg Kowalczyk | VibeCode, Claude Code, Cursor | Two live apps, built in about 12 weeks | Existing e-commerce customers |

**Sebastian Rühl, HabitKit.** A former employee who quit twice to build apps. "At the end of 2023, I finally reached $3,000 in monthly recurring revenue. At the end of 2024, I achieved over $15,000 in MRR." On costs: "the rest can be added up to roughly $200 or $300 per month." On competing: "I was super surprised that I was able to compete in the App Store and Google Play with bigger companies."

**John McEvoy, Momego.** A graphic designer who taught himself to code. When the pandemic wiped out his banner ad revenue, "I rebuilt the app with subscriptions in mind with premium features that would entice people to pay on an annual basis." The real growth came from testing: "I started creating different paywalls to see which one performed better." His lesson: "I was relying on vanity metrics to see how well I was doing. Things like monthly active users."

**Ryan Yao, Cat on Chair.** A product designer who could not code. He began building with Claude Pro in May 2025 and launched in August 2025. Growth came when a Taiwanese Instagram creator featured the app in a post that reached 2 million views; downloads and daily revenue doubled. His advice: "Just keep trying, be consistent."

**Reza, Vix.** A former grad student with no prior coding experience who built the app in about four weeks, then shipped no updates from October through December 2025 to focus on marketing. His Starter Story interview reported a 16% conversion rate and 7,000 downloads in three days.

**Greg Kowalczyk, SunUp and RunMate Pro.** "I'm a mechanical engineer. My last coding experience was Visual Basic in university. That was the 1990s." His takeaway for business owners: "You need a real problem, patience, and enough persistence to try one more time when you're ready to quit."

**What they have in common.** Each founder kept the first version small, charged money early, picked one growth channel, and changed the paywall or listing based on numbers. None of them won because the code was clever. That is the gap Superapp is built for: the build takes minutes to days, and the same tool handles subscriptions, the App Store listing, ASO, and Apple Ads so more of your time goes to users.

**The honest counterpoints.** AI tools did not remove bugs for Yao, who spent months on stability. Kowalczyk went through 39 rejections. McEvoy lost ground when competitors bought ads on his keywords. And RevenueCat's data shows the bottom quarter of new subscription apps make no more than $19 in their first year. Building is faster than ever; a business still takes months of distribution work.

## One App Business, Three Routes: A Worked Example

Here is the yoga booking app from Step 1 created three ways, with a subscription for members who book through the app. Times and costs are typical ranges for a six-screen first version, not guarantees.

|  | Describe it with Superapp | Assemble it with Adalo | Code it in Xcode |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| What you do | Describe six screens, connect Superapp Cloud, add a StoreKit subscription, test on your iPhone | Pick a template, drag components, build the class and booking tables, add a payments plugin | Learn SwiftUI basics, build views, connect a backend, integrate StoreKit or RevenueCat |
| Typical time to a testable app | Hours to a day | Several days | Several weeks for a beginner |
| Tool cost for the first month | $25 (Pro, 50 credits) | $36 (Starter, billed annually) | $0 (Xcode is free; a Mac is required) |
| Publishing | Submission prepared for you; $99 Apple fee | You complete the listing; $99 Apple plus $25 Google | You complete the listing; $99 Apple fee |
| Getting users | ASO and Apple Ads built in | Your own listing work and ads | Your own listing work and ads |
| What you own | Native Swift Xcode project | An app on Adalo's platform, both stores | All the code |
| Best if | You want a native iPhone app business fast | You need both stores and prefer drag and drop | You want to become an iOS developer |

**The business math, illustrated.** Suppose the studio app reaches 1,000 installs in its first two months. At RevenueCat's overall median of $0.31 revenue per install after 60 days, that is about $310. At Health & Fitness's upper benchmarks, which RevenueCat reports climb to $4.19 at the 90th percentile, the same 1,000 installs would be worth several thousand dollars. The difference comes from the paywall, the price, and how often members open the app, which is why Steps 3, 4, and 12 matter as much as the build.

Unite.AI's hands-on review found Superapp "turned a written idea into a functional iOS app prototype within minutes," and AI Founder Kit reported: "We opened this in Xcode 15 and it compiled without any syntax errors or missing dependencies." Reviewers on SourceForge wrote "THE BEST VIBE CODING PRODUCT I TRIED" and "Native design is just next level." Adalo users describe it as "by far the easiest app builder I have used so far" (Capterra), with the caveat that "as you grow, your app really slows down."

## How Much Does It Cost to Make an App?

| Route | Build cost | Yearly running cost | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| AI app builder (Superapp) | $25 a month on Pro; free credits to start | $300 plan + $99 Apple | Credits valid 12 months; about 1 credit per screen; ASO and Apple Ads included in the workflow |
| Other AI builders (Anything, Replit, Lovable) | $19 to $25 a month entry plans | Plan plus store fees plus usage | Usage-based billing can rise with fixes |
| No-code builders (Adalo, Thunkable, FlutterFlow, Bubble) | $29 to $59 a month entry plans | Plan plus store fees | Most keep the app on their platform |
| Code it yourself | $0 for Xcode or Android Studio | $99 Apple, $25 Google once, hosting | A Mac is required for Xcode |
| Freelancer | $15 to $150 an hour | Maintenance hours | Quality and ownership depend on the contract |
| Agency | $30,000 to $150,000 or more | Often 15% to 25% of build cost for maintenance | Longest timelines |

For a first version, the cheapest real path is an AI or no-code builder. The most expensive mistake is paying agency prices before you know people want the app. See our [small business app ROI guide](https://superapp.dev/blog/mobile-app-roi-small-business) for how build cost changes the return.

### What Does It Cost to Run an App Business in Year One?

| Cost | With Superapp | Typical range on other routes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Building and updating the app | Superapp Pro, $300 a year | $0 (code) to $710 (no-code) or more |
| Store fees | $99 a year (Apple) | $99 Apple, $25 Google once |
| Backend | Superapp Cloud, or Supabase's free tier to start | Firebase or Supabase free tiers, then usage |
| Subscriptions infrastructure | StoreKit (Apple's commission applies) or RevenueCat | RevenueCat charges a share of revenue; Sebastian Rühl reported 1%, and Cat on Chair reported $200 to $300 a month |
| ASO | Included in the Superapp workflow | ASO tools; Ryan Yao reported about $10 a month for App Lyra |
| Apple Ads | Your chosen budget, run from Superapp | Your chosen budget; HabitKit spent $100 a month |
| AI model usage (if your app uses AI) | Pay your AI provider | Pay your AI provider |

A lean first year is a few hundred dollars plus whatever you choose to spend on ads. Sebastian Rühl kept HabitKit's non-RevenueCat costs at "roughly $200 or $300 per month" while it earned thousands. John McEvoy's costs are higher because Momego runs live transit data: "I run about 20 dedicated servers that cost around 2,500 a month."

## How to Make an iPhone App

1. Create the app in Superapp by describing it, or in Xcode with SwiftUI if you code.
 2. Add sign-in, data, and a subscription through StoreKit or RevenueCat.
 3. Test on your iPhone, including a sandbox purchase.
 4. Join the Apple Developer Program ($99 a year).
 5. Submit through App Store Connect; Superapp prepares the build, screenshots, and privacy details for you.
 6. Get users with ASO and Apple Ads.

You do not need a Mac with Superapp, because it compiles Swift on Macs in the cloud. You do need a Mac for Xcode. Our [no-code iPhone app guide](https://superapp.dev/blog/how-to-build-an-iphone-app-without-code) goes deeper on this route.

## How to Make an Android App

1. Create the app in a cross-platform builder such as FlutterFlow, Adalo, or Thunkable, or in Android Studio with Kotlin and Jetpack Compose if you code.
 2. Add payments through Google Play Billing or RevenueCat.
 3. Test on an Android phone or emulator.
 4. Register a Google Play developer account ($25 once).
 5. If your personal account was created after November 13, 2023, run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 days.
 6. Publish the production release and promote it.

If you also want a native iPhone version, Superapp can create it from the same description.

## How to Make an App for Free

You can create and test an app for free with Superapp's free credits, Adalo, Thunkable, FlutterFlow, or Bubble free plans, or with Xcode and Android Studio if you code. Publishing is where money starts: Apple charges $99 a year and Google $25 once. A free plan is enough to find out whether your idea works before you pay for anything.

## Common Mistakes When Creating an App

1. **Building every feature at once.** Ship the six screens that complete one task and take payment.
 2. **Skipping validation.** Put a working version in five people's hands before adding features.
 3. **Adding the paywall last.** Most trials start on day one, so design onboarding and the paywall together.
 4. **Choosing a route you cannot leave.** If the app may grow, pick a route that gives you the code, such as Superapp or FlutterFlow.
 5. **Wrapping a website.** A website in an app shell risks rejection under guideline 4.2.
 6. **Ignoring store rules until the end.** Plan privacy details, in-app purchases, and Google's 12-tester rule early.
 7. **Buying ads before the paywall works.** Ads lose money until revenue per install beats cost per install.
 8. **Launching with no plan for users.** Set up ASO and a small Apple Ads budget before launch day.
 9. **Tracking vanity metrics.** Downloads and active users matter less than revenue per install, conversion, and churn.
 10. **Quitting before finding the channel.** Reza spent three months on marketing alone before growth arrived.

## App Creation Terms, Defined

- **Native app:** written in the platform's language, Swift for Apple and Kotlin for Android.
 - **Cross-platform app:** one codebase for iPhone and Android, such as Flutter or React Native.
 - **AI app builder:** a tool that writes the app from a plain-English description, such as Superapp.
 - **No-code builder:** a visual editor for assembling apps, such as Adalo or FlutterFlow.
 - **MVP (minimum viable product):** the smallest version that lets you learn whether customers want the app.
 - **Xcode:** Apple's free development environment for Apple platforms, Mac only.
 - **Android Studio:** Google's free development environment for Android.
 - **TestFlight:** Apple's beta testing service.
 - **App Store Connect:** Apple's portal for submitting and managing apps.
 - **StoreKit:** Apple's framework for in-app purchases and subscriptions.
 - **RevenueCat:** a service that manages subscriptions and paywalls across iOS and Android.
 - **Paywall:** the screen where users start a trial or buy.
 - **ASO:** App Store optimization, improving a listing so it ranks in App Store search.
 - **Apple Ads:** Apple's advertising platform for App Store search results.
 - **RPI (revenue per install):** total revenue divided by installs.
 - **MRR (monthly recurring revenue):** subscription revenue you expect every month.
 - **Churn:** the share of paying users who cancel.

## Disclosure

As a disclosure, Superapp is our product, so weigh this accordingly. We recommend it for creating a native iPhone app business without code because it writes Swift you own, sets up subscriptions, and helps you get App Store users with ASO and Apple Ads. If you need Android from the same project, a drag-and-drop editor, or want to learn to code, the other routes in this guide are the better fit.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**How do I create an app with no experience?**
Use an AI app builder or a no-code tool. Superapp turns a plain-English description into a native iPhone app and prepares the App Store submission, while Adalo and Thunkable let you drag and drop an app for both stores. Start with one screen, test it on your phone, then add features.

**How much does it cost to create an app?**
From about $124 to $150,000 or more. With Superapp, a first year is $300 on Pro plus Apple's $99 fee; no-code builders run about $350 to $710 a year plus store fees; freelancers charge $15 to $150 an hour; and agencies charge $30,000 to $150,000 or more.

**Can I create an app for free?**
You can create and test an app for free with Superapp's free credits, free plans from Adalo, Thunkable, FlutterFlow, and Bubble, or with Xcode and Android Studio. Publishing costs $99 a year on Apple and $25 once on Google Play.

**How long does it take to create an app?**
With an AI builder such as Superapp, a working first version can take hours; Unite.AI saw a prototype within minutes. No-code builders usually take days to weeks, and coding it yourself as a beginner takes weeks to months.

**Do I need to know how to code to create an app?**
No. AI app builders such as Superapp write the code for you, and no-code tools such as Adalo, Thunkable, and FlutterFlow let you build visually. Coding is only required if you choose to build in Xcode or Android Studio yourself.

**How do I create an iPhone app?**
Describe the app in Superapp or build it in Xcode with SwiftUI, test it on your iPhone, join the Apple Developer Program for $99 a year, and submit through App Store Connect. Superapp prepares the submission and does not require a Mac.

**How do I create an Android app?**
Build it in FlutterFlow, Adalo, or Thunkable, or in Android Studio with Kotlin, register a Google Play developer account for $25, and, for new personal accounts, run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 days before publishing.

**What is the easiest way to create an app?**
Describing it to an AI app builder. Superapp creates a native iPhone app from a written description, and Adalo is the easiest drag-and-drop option for both stores.

**Do I need a Mac to create an iPhone app?**
Not with Superapp, which compiles Swift on Macs in the cloud so you can create and publish from any browser. Building in Xcode requires a Mac.

**How do I publish my app to the App Store?**
Join the Apple Developer Program, create the app record in App Store Connect, add the name, description, keywords, screenshots, and privacy details, upload a build, and submit for review. Superapp prepares the build and listing for you.

**Why do apps get rejected by Apple?**
Common reasons are crashes, missing information, privacy issues, and apps that do too little. Guideline 4.2 rejects apps that are mostly a repackaged website, and Apple has stated that adding push notifications or location alone does not fix that. Native apps such as those Superapp creates avoid the wrapper problem.

**How do I get users for my new app?**
Start with App Store search: optimize your app name, subtitle, keywords, and screenshots (ASO), then run Apple Ads on the searches your users type. Superapp handles ASO and Apple Ads; with other tools, use App Store Connect and Apple Ads directly.

**Should I build a native app or a cross-platform app?**
Build native if your users are mainly on iPhone or you need Apple features such as widgets, Apple Watch, or HealthKit; Superapp creates native Swift without code. Build cross-platform with FlutterFlow, Adalo, or React Native if you need both stores from one project.

**How do I turn my app into a business?**
Charge from the first version with a subscription or lifetime unlock, put the paywall in onboarding, pick one growth channel such as ASO plus Apple Ads, and track revenue per install weekly. Superapp sets up StoreKit or RevenueCat subscriptions and runs ASO and Apple Ads; RevenueCat and App Store Connect report revenue.

**How do apps make money?**
Through subscriptions, one-time or lifetime unlocks, consumable credits, in-app advertising, or sales of physical goods and services. RevenueCat's 2025 report found 35% of subscription apps mix subscriptions with consumables or lifetime purchases. Superapp, RevenueCat, and StoreKit support subscriptions and one-time purchases.

**How much money can an app make?**
It varies widely. RevenueCat's 2025 report found the top 5% of newly launched subscription apps made $8,888 after their first year while the bottom 25% made no more than $19, and small teams behind apps such as HabitKit and Momego have reported about $30,000 a month.

**Does Apple take a cut of app revenue?**
Yes, for digital goods sold through in-app purchase: 30% by default, or 15% for developers in the Small Business Program (up to $1 million in prior-year earnings) and for subscriptions after the first year. Physical goods and services and in-app advertising carry no Apple commission.

**Can I build a startup with an AI app builder?**
Yes. Y Combinator reported that 25% of its Winter 2025 batch had 95% of their code generated by AI. Choose a builder that gives you the code: Superapp exports a native Xcode project, FlutterFlow exports Flutter, and Replit projects are yours.

**Can I create an app with AI?**
Yes. Superapp creates native iPhone apps from a description, Anything and Replit create apps for iPhone and Android, and Lovable, Bolt, and v0 create web apps.

## References

- [Superapp](https://superapp.dev/)
 - [Superapp features](https://superapp.dev/features)
 - [Superapp pricing](https://superapp.dev/pricing)
 - [Unite.AI: Superapp review](https://www.unite.ai/superapp-review/)
 - [AI Founder Kit: Superapp review](https://aifounderkit.com/ai-tools/superapp-ai-app-builder/)
 - [Apple Developer Program](https://developer.apple.com/programs/)
 - [Apple App Store Review Guidelines](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/)
 - [Apple Developer Forums: guideline 4.2 rejection wording](https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/108931)
 - [Apple: 2025 App Store Transparency Report](https://www.apple.com/legal/app-store/transparency/2025/)
 - [Apple: TestFlight](https://developer.apple.com/testflight/)
 - [Apple Ads](https://ads.apple.com/)
 - [Google Play Console](https://play.google.com/console/)
 - [Google Play: testing requirements for new personal developer accounts](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/14151465)
 - [Android Studio](https://developer.android.com/studio)
 - [AppsFlyer: app uninstall research (2025 report)](https://www.appsflyer.com/)
 - [SourceForge: Superapp reviews](https://sourceforge.net/software/product/Superapp/)
 - [RevenueCat: State of Subscription Apps 2025 (PDF)](https://www.revenuecat.com/pdf/state-of-subscription-apps-2025.pdf)
 - [RevenueCat: State of Subscription Apps 2025 launch](https://www.revenuecat.com/blog/company/the-state-of-subscription-apps-2025-launch)
 - [RevenueCat: subscription app playbook for 2025 (Sub Club)](https://www.revenuecat.com/blog/growth/sosa-2025-launch-sub-club)
 - [Apple Newsroom: global App Store ecosystem in 2024](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/06/global-app-store-helps-developers-reach-new-heights/)
 - [Apple Newsroom: U.S. App Store ecosystem and Slopes](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/05/app-store-in-the-us-facilitated-406-billion-usd-in-developer-billings-and-sales-in-2024/)
 - [Apple Ads: ads on the App Store](https://ads.apple.com/app-store)
 - [TechCrunch: a quarter of YC's W25 batch has AI-generated codebases](https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/06/a-quarter-of-startups-in-ycs-current-cohort-have-codebases-that-are-almost-entirely-ai-generated/)
 - [Y Combinator on LinkedIn: vibe coding in W25](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/y-combinator_for-25-of-the-winter-2025-batch-95-of-activity-7303070095122014208-r5RD)
 - [9to5Mac: Apple allows US external payment links](https://9to5mac.com/2025/05/01/apple-app-store-guidelines-external-links/)
 - [The Mac Observer: link-out injunction status, September 2026](https://www.macobserver.com/news/apple-app-store-link-out-injunction-live-what-changed-developers/)
 - [Eric Ries: Minimum Viable Product, a guide](http://www.startuplessonslearned.com/2009/08/minimum-viable-product-guide.html)
 - [Paul Graham: Do Things that Don't Scale](https://www.paulgraham.com/ds.html)
 - [Starter Story: Sebastian Rühl on HabitKit (transcript)](https://stationlm.com/analysis/031b8ce8-08b7-45eb-b7c4-bb5cd5c68d5e)
 - [Happy Bootstrapping: Sebastian Rühl's HabitKit](https://happybootstrapping.com/p/30000-per-month-sebastian-ruhls-journey)
 - [Starter Story: John McEvoy on Momego](https://www.starterstory.com/momego)
 - [App Masters: John McEvoy on Momego](https://podscan.fm/podcasts/app-marketing-by-app-masters/episodes/how-a-solo-founder-built-a-30kmonth-app-with-52m-installs)
 - [Indie Watch: Ben Noland on Chorsee](https://indie.watch/issue-31-chorsee-ben-noland/)
 - [MRR Story: Ivan Terekhin](https://www.mrrstory.com/stories/from-10day-to-3kmo-his-simple-subscription-switch)
 - [Greg Kowalczyk: I built 2 iOS apps at 55 without writing a line of code](https://www.gregkowalczyk.com/news/how-i-built-2-ios-apps-without-coding/)
 - [BigGo Finance: Ryan Yao and Cat on Chair (Starter Story)](https://finance.biggo.com/news/d62c695862a154ca)
 - [BigGo Finance: Reza and Vix (Starter Story)](https://finance.biggo.com/podcast/fbb0f4aa8eac0d9b)
 - [BigGo Finance: Sarah and Stella (Starter Story)](https://finance.biggo.com/news/435ccd9f4d05042a)
 - [Starter Story: Cedric's peptide tracking app](https://www.starterstory.com/cedric)
 - [How I AI: Bryce Rattner Keithley builds an iPhone app](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-an-iphone-app-with-zero)
 - [Adalo pricing](https://www.adalo.com/pricing)
 - [FlutterFlow pricing](https://www.flutterflow.io/pricing)
 - [Replit docs: build a mobile app](https://docs.replit.com/build/mobile-app)
 - [Our no-code iPhone app guide](https://superapp.dev/blog/how-to-build-an-iphone-app-without-code)
 - [Our small business app ROI guide](https://superapp.dev/blog/mobile-app-roi-small-business)
 - [Our best mobile app creators guide](https://superapp.dev/blog/best-mobile-app-creators)

## Keep reading

[Best Native App Makers in 2026: 13 Tools Ranked

Sep 18, 2026](https://superapp.dev/blog/best-native-app-makers-2026) [How to Make an App on Your Phone in 2026 (No Mac, No Computer)

Sep 17, 2026](https://superapp.dev/blog/how-to-make-an-app-on-your-phone) [How to Make an App in 2026: A Complete Beginner's Guide

Sep 17, 2026](https://superapp.dev/blog/how-to-make-an-app)

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