You’re a coach, creator, public figure, or community builder with some momentum. A loyal audience. Maybe it’s time for courses. Memberships. And you’ve outgrown Zoom links and Facebook groups.

A branded business app could change everything for your business: deeper engagement, better offers, and members that stick.

But if you’ve ever explored creating an app, it can be terrifying. You don’t have time to DIY and end up with something that looks… um… DIY. But you also know that custom app development runs in the multi-six figures. And the timelines are 6-12 months.

If you’re running a business that needs an app, this article will show you what you need to know.

We’ll show you how to create an app for your business, without needing to build the next Instagram.

We’ll cover:

• Why create an app for your business?

• How much does it cost to create an app?

• How long does it take?

• How to create an app.

• You're a business owner who’s been quoted $200k+ for creating a branded app and nearly fell over.

• You’re running memberships, offers, courses, etc. on bad software you don’t own and losing revenue to the friction.

• You’ve got some revenue and know that REAL mobile access is the next step.

• You want YOUR app in the App Store and Google Play Store (& not hiding in someone else’s app).

• You’re sick of “mobile friendly” solutions that aren’t really mobile or friendly.

• You want to get moving quickly, not in a year’s time.

In some cases, branded apps have seen 59% more weekly active members and 33% higher monthly engagement. Churn cuts in half. It’s the real deal for a digital business.

Here are some of the results we’ve seen when brands and creators build business apps:

The revenue doesn’t lie

• ManTalks Alliance saw a 47% member growth in 90 days.

• hit 1.2M contributions in a branded app with 91% retention.

• Startup Health turned their app into 150% price increase and saw +$500K revenue

• The Luckiest Club saw a 6-figure revenue increase. And most incredibly, 92% of members are active monthly.

• Kwik Brain sold 900 seats to its $997 flagship offer, in 72 hours.

But it’s not just money. It’s impact.

Businesses that build apps don’t just see more revenue. They see their impact grow too.

• The YWCA used their app to onboard 9,000 new members in under a week.

• Benevity saw a 70% engagement increase.

• The Sullivan Foundation managed $17.2M in scholarships with their app.

• Connect Health Tech connects 40+ research communities in Cambridge, UK.

So here’s what happens when you create a business app.

• Retention goes up. Emails pile up. Memberships on other platforms get forgotten. A branded app with push notifications boosts engagement by 85-93%, and people actually use it!

• You can charge more. A branded app is premium. It’s not a Facebook group or Slack channel. We’ve seen Hosts increase prices by 50% or 100% and retention still increases.

• Your members get the results. This is it. It’s not just about randomly raising prices or looking for more time spent. It’s about transformation. That’s what members pay for, and an app makes it easier to give.

The app you need exists. The question is how you're going to get it—and how much you're willing to pay (in money, time, and sanity).

This approach gives you the most custom possible app there is. Your app, completely from scratch. You hire a dev agency, and they control every feature and frame. And you end up with native apps for iOS and Android.

What’s involved

• High cost: Usually you’re looking at $500k - $1 million+ for an app at this level.

• Time heavy: It takes 6 - 18 months to plan, build, and launch.

• Process intensive: You’ll need to manage designers, developers, and Q&A.

• Upkeep stress: You need to either handle upkeep or hire someone; think about debugging, maintenance, updates, etc.

• Huge risk: At the end of the day, you don’t actually know if anyone will use this thing after all this work.

Who this is for

• Venture-backed companies building the next SaaS or networking app.

• Big budget businesses with millions to spend and time to wait.

There’s a new crop of DIY app builders online. And for some businesses, these might fit the bill. The premise is simple, if you can build a drag-and-drop website, you can build a drag-and-drop app. You put the seat equity into your app and it’s really affordable.

What’s involved

• Low cost: It’s affordable. Think $50-$500/mo for the current crop of DIY app builders.

• High effort: Maybe this comes when building. Maybe it’s when you try to actually use the app for your business. It will take a lot more work.

• Basic features: You’re looking at a wrapper with really limited, pre-set features and clunky UX.

• Self-publishing: Some of these DIY companies publish for you, some don’t. You’ll need to check in and get it approved and launched.

• No support: You’ll likely be handling down-time, updates, and anything else that needs to be done.

• Compliance nightmares: If you’re collecting money and data, there’s also extra security required, not to mention international law to follow (e.g. GDPR).

Who this is for

• People with time to build and zero budget.

• Hobbyists who want to try building apps for fun.

This app is already built by a professional app company. You add your brand to it and the company adds any customization you choose. You end up with fully native iOS and Android apps under YOUR name in the App Store and Google Play Store.

But you don’t have to build it. You don’t maintain it, the app company does.

For most businesses, a white-label app can be the right choice. It’s the best of both worlds. We covered the results above. 47% member growth in 90 days. $500K in new revenue. These are all results from white-label apps!

What’s involved

• Intermediate cost: $20k - $60k is about the average. It’s more expensive than DIY, but a fraction of the cost of custom building.

• Quick turnaround: Can launch in as little as 4 weeks.

• Full branding: It’s YOUR logo, your colors, your splash screens, notifications, etc.

• Built-in professional features: This is software built by people who build software. It’s pro, and it works well.

• Professional maintenance: You don’t need to maintain the app. Your white-label platform will.

• Real support: As with custom building, you still get access to pros who support you and work with you.

Who this is for

• Established brands and creators ready to launch an app with an offer.

• Communities and memberships looking for permanent homes.

• Anyone who wants a premium app without the dev budget and time commitment.

Obviously these prices can vary. But here are some simple numbers for reference.

Custom development: $500k - $1 million+ DIY Apps: $50-$500/mo White-label apps: $20k - $60k

Business App Comparison Chart

A branded app isn't just your logo slapped on a template. It's a full business engine—courses, community, payments, livestreaming, push notifications—all in one place under your brand.

Mighty Pro builds business apps for brands and creators. Here’s what they can do:

• Communities & memberships. Rich member profiles, activity feeds, member posts, and flexible Spaces (Add Feeds, Chat, Courses, Featured, Content, Livestreams, Events, or Pages).

• Courses & challenges. Deliver live or pre-recorded learning, structured challenges, track progress, add quizzes and assessments, or bundle with community access.

• Livestreaming & events. HD native livestreams, schedule events and workshops, high-velocity chat, multi-speaker view, RSVPs.

• Payments and business infrastructure. Collect in-app payments, sell subscriptions, digital products, and bundles, add promo codes and discounts, installments, and get analytics about what’s working.

• Member profile boosts, “show similarities”, 1-click introductions, discussion question generator, 1-click re-engagement, and an AI cohost to help you grow.

• Challenges, leaderboards, welcome sequences, unlocks, points, recognitions, and streaks.

Let’s compare a platform like Mighty to DIY app development.

It only takes four weeks from the kick-off call to having your branded app live. Here’s what it often looks like.

1. Understand your needs: Work through your business model and map out what your app needs to do.

2. Choose a white-label solution: Find an app company that builds what you need. (You can find out about Mighty Pro here.)

Look for:

• Fully native iOS & Android apps (not wrappers).

• Built-in features you need (ALL of them!)

• App store submissions and ongoing support included.

• Great testimonials and reviews.

• A solid track record of app-building.

3. Schedule a demo: Meet with one or more app-development companies to find out what they offer and see if it’s a good fit.

4. Work with the build team: You’ll bring your brand and ideas and the white-label team will make it a reality.

5. Test: You’ll work through the app to make sure everything works.

6. Plan your launch: Build out the strategy to support your app launch. This could mean announcing via email and social, or building awareness among current members.

7. Launch: Your platform will handle the submissions to the App Store and Google Play Store, as well as any technical details. You just announce it and get ready to welcome members!

8. Ongoing learning: Your app isn’t just “done.” You’ll keep learning and growing as your business grows. And the app team stays with you through the entire journey.

It’s not as popular as it was, but some companies like Squarespace, Wix, and Weebly offer mobile web apps from their website offers. As a rule, any web app (no matter how mobile friendly) won’t perform as well or get the same results as a native mobile app. They’re not designed for mobile, the UX isn’t mobile friendly, and the notifications and engagement just isn’t the same.

Mighty Pro has built 500+ white-label apps for some of the top brands and creators in the world: Mel Robbins, Marie Forleo, Jim Kwik, Matthew Hussey, TED, Mindbody, and keap. It’s fully branded apps on G2’s top-rated community management software. Book a call with us, and we’ll show you what we could build together!

Different app builders will have different timelines, but Mighty Pro usually takes as little as 4 weeks to build and launch.

Here are some rough estimates:

• Custom development: 6 - 18 months

• DIY Solutions: 5-30 days (you launch it yourself)

• White-label business apps: 4 weeks from a kickoff call

On a platform like Mighty Pro, you keep all your revenue (minus any relevant processing fees from payment providers). When you pay your app-builder up front, you keep your business revenue on the back end.

Make sure to understand the ownership details of any company you sign with.

But with Mighty Pro, yes. You own all your own data and content. You can export all this any time and take it with you if you go.

Yes! Mighty Pro includes branded app notifications so that your members know what’s going on. Here some examples of the push notifications you can send:

• When an event or livestream starts.

• When Hosts send a message or post.

• When there’s activity from members you follow.

• When you have a new chat notification.

• When you have a new offer.

• New invites or approvals.

• When there are content updates, responses, etc. (members can control how many updates they get).

It’s not an exhaustive list. You can read more here.

Yes, all of Mighty Network’s data collection follows compliance with GDPR and CCPA, as well as offering secure hosting, regular security updates, and data privacy. You can read more here.

Most white-label platforms integrate with major tools. Mighty Pro offers built-in Kit integration for email, and 2,000+ embed possibilities. Talk to us about any specific needs you have.

Yes, Mighty Pro is built to scale. It already hosts communities with tens of thousands of members seamlessly. Thanks to smart member management tools combined with customizable Spaces, it’s easy to organize and run content at scale. Mighty’s community software is built to grow with you.

Most white-label platforms offer migration support. Ask your provider what’s offered. Mighty Pro offers help with migrating members and payment. Ask us about it!

White-label platforms differ in what they offer. Mighty Pro offers ongoing strategy support, analytics, and check-ins, as well as access to a Mighty Pro host community where you can learn from others who have done it.