This checklist walks through what to line up before submission, how to handle the review and rollout process on both App Store Connect and Google Play Console, and what to monitor daily once real users start opening your app.

Quick Answer

In launch week, submit early in your platform’s review queue, roll out gradually on Android instead of releasing to 100% of users at once, monitor crash reports and reviews daily, and have a rollback or hotfix plan ready before you hit publish.

Before You Submit: Final Pre-Launch Checks

Test the actual build you’re about to submit, not an older debug version. Install the release build (or a TestFlight/internal testing track build) on a couple of real physical devices, not just simulators, and walk through signup, core actions, purchases, and logout end to end.

Lock down your store listing assets: screenshots for each required device size, an app icon that matches your submitted binary, a clear short description, and accurate age rating and privacy answers. Mismatches between what your app actually does and what your privacy labels or data-safety form say are a common cause of rejections and delays on both platforms.

Set up crash and analytics monitoring (Firebase Crashlytics, Sentry, or similar) before launch, not after. You want data flowing from the first install, since the first 48-72 hours after real users arrive is when you’ll catch device- or OS-specific bugs your testing missed.

Prepare a support channel — an email address, in-app feedback form, or help page — and put it somewhere users will actually find it. Early reviewers often mention unresolved bugs publicly if they can’t find a way to report them privately first.

Submission, Review, and Rollout: What to Expect

On iOS, submit through App Store Connect and expect App Review to take anywhere from about 24 hours to a few days for a first-time submission; updates to an already-approved app tend to move faster since reviewers only need to check what changed. Submitting early in the week gives you buffer if Apple asks follow-up questions through the Resolution Center, since a same-day reply usually gets you back in the queue faster than leaving it overnight.

On Android, Google Play’s review for a brand-new app listing typically runs from a few hours up to a couple of days, though first-time developer accounts and apps in sensitive categories can take longer. Once approved, use a staged rollout rather than releasing to everyone immediately — Google Play Console lets you start at a small percentage of users (commonly 5-10%) and increase it manually as you confirm crash rates and ratings look healthy. Note that staged rollouts apply to updates, so for a brand-new app’s very first release you won’t have this option, which is exactly why pre-launch device testing matters so much.

Once live, don’t just wait for downloads. Check App Store Connect’s App Analytics and Play Console’s Android vitals daily for crash rate, ANR (app not responding) rate, and uninstall spikes. A rising crash rate on a specific OS version or device model is your earliest warning that something testing missed is now affecting real users.

Tips and Common Mistakes

Don’t submit late on a Friday if you can help it — if a reviewer flags an issue, you may lose the whole weekend waiting for a response window, and support requests from early users pile up faster than a small team can answer them.

Reply to every early review, especially critical ones. A quick, human response to a 2-star review about a fixable bug often gets it updated once the fix ships, and it signals to future readers that the app is actively maintained.

Have a hotfix path ready before launch: know how fast you can ship a patched build if a critical bug appears, and keep your previous stable build handy in case you need to pause a staged rollout on Android.

Avoid changing your app’s name, icon, or main category right after launch. Early keyword rankings and app-store search visibility take time to build, and resetting them in the first week can cost you the visibility you just earned.

Don’t ignore your data-safety/privacy forms after submission — if a later update adds a new SDK or data collection, update those disclosures too, since mismatches are a recurring cause of rejections and account-level review escalations.

Explore more: More app development guides.

Mobile app launch checklist FAQs

How long does it take for an app to go live after submission?

For iOS, first-time App Store review commonly takes anywhere from about a day to several days; updates usually go faster. For Android, Google Play review for a new app is typically a few hours to a couple of days, though it can run longer for new developer accounts or sensitive categories.

Should I release to 100% of users right away on Google Play?

No — use a staged rollout for updates, starting around 5-10% of users and increasing gradually while you watch crash and uninstall data. This only applies to updates; a brand-new app’s first release goes out to everyone once approved, which is why thorough pre-launch testing matters most for version 1.0.

What should I monitor in the first week after launch?

Watch crash and ANR rates in Crashlytics or your monitoring tool, check new reviews daily so you can respond quickly, and keep an eye on install-to-uninstall trends and any support emails coming in — these tell you faster than store rankings whether something is broken.

What’s the most common reason apps get rejected during launch week?

Mismatches between what the app does and what’s declared in privacy/data-safety forms, broken core flows found on a device or OS version that wasn’t tested, and incomplete or misleading metadata (screenshots, descriptions) are among the most common review issues on both platforms.

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This guide gives you the official fee for each platform side by side, what a full launch actually costs on Android versus iOS, and the extra costs — accounts, testers, compliance — that trip up first-time publishers.

Quick Answer

The Apple Developer Program — the official membership required to publish on the App Store — costs $99 per year (a separate Apple Developer Enterprise Program for internal-only company apps is $299/year). The Google Play Console — the official account required to publish on Google Play — costs $25, paid once, with no annual renewal.

Those two fees are the entire mandatory cost of publishing. Beyond them, both stores take a commission when you sell a paid app, in-app purchase, or subscription, and Google requires new individual accounts to complete a 12-tester testing period before they can go live.

Apple Developer Program Fee (Official): $99/Year

To publish on the App Store you need an Apple Developer Program membership, officially priced at $99/year on Apple’s own developer.apple.com/programs page. It’s a flat fee regardless of how many apps you publish or how much revenue they generate, and it renews automatically as an annual subscription until you cancel — so it’s easy to let it lapse right before a launch if you’re not watching for the renewal charge.

Nonprofits, accredited educational institutions, and government entities can apply for an official fee waiver through Apple. Setting up an organization account (instead of an individual one) also requires a D-U-N-S number, which is free to obtain but can take a few days to a few weeks to process — worth budgeting for if you’re publishing under a company name.

Google Play Console Fee (Official): $25 One-Time

Google Play’s official developer registration fee is $25, charged once when you create your Play Console account — confirmed on Google’s own Play Console Help pages. There’s no annual renewal, no per-app charge, and no monthly cost. Once verified, that single account lets you publish as many apps as you want for the life of those apps.

The catch for new developers: personal accounts created after November 2023 can’t jump straight to production. Google requires a closed test with at least 12 opted-in testers who stay active for 14 continuous days before you can apply for production access — testers have to actually open and use the app, and dropping below 12 active testers can reset the clock. Organization accounts and personal accounts created before November 2023 are exempt.

Apple Developer Program Fee vs. Google Play Console Fee, Side by Side

Put next to each other, the two official fees aren’t structured the same way at all: Apple’s $99 is a recurring annual charge tied to your membership staying active, while Google’s $25 is a single upfront charge that never comes due again. Miss Apple’s renewal and your apps come off the App Store; Google’s fee has no renewal to miss.

Both fees are per developer account, not per app — publishing five apps under one Apple account still costs $99/year total, and five apps under one Google account still costs $25 total, ever.

How Much Does It Cost to Publish an App on Android (Google Play)?

For a free app, the total mandatory cost to publish on Google Play is the one-time $25 Play Console registration fee — nothing else is required by Google. If you’re a new individual developer, factor in the time (not money) to line up 12 testers for a 14-day closed test before you can request production access.

If your app sells anything, Google also takes a commission (covered below), and after production access is granted, Google’s review of your submission typically takes about a week.

How Much Does It Cost to Publish an App on the Apple App Store?

For a free app, the total mandatory cost to publish on the App Store is the $99/year Apple Developer Program fee — that’s your entire ongoing platform cost if there are no in-app purchases. The $299/year Enterprise Program is a separate product for private, internal-only distribution to employees and isn’t required for (or usable for) public App Store listing.

If your app sells anything, Apple takes a commission on top of the membership fee, and app review can add review-queue time to your launch timeline.

Commission: What Apple and Google Take From Sales

Apple runs a simple split: 30% standard, dropping to 15% for developers enrolled in the App Store Small Business Program (available if you earned $1 million or less in App Store proceeds the prior calendar year). Subscriptions also auto-drop to 15% starting in their second year, regardless of program enrollment.

Google’s commission is not a copy of Apple’s. In most of the world it’s still tiered: 15% on a developer’s first $1 million in annual Play revenue and 30% above that, with subscriptions at a flat 15%. As of June 30, 2026, Google began rolling out a different model in the US, UK, and European Economic Area that unbundles the old single rate into a 10% service fee plus a separate 5% billing fee on a developer’s first $1 million in earnings for developers who use Google Play’s own billing system, with lower combined rates if you use alternative billing or link out to the web; subscriptions are billed at that same 10%+5% rate. Starting September 30, 2026, developers enrolled in Google’s Apps Experience or Games Level Up programs qualify for reduced rates on top of that structure — 15% (down from the standard 20%) on transactions from new installs and 20% (down from 25%) on transactions from existing installs, with subscriptions unaffected at 10%. Google has said it plans to extend this overall structure to more markets, including Australia, Japan, and Korea, through 2027. Because the exact rate now depends on your region, revenue, program enrollment, and payment method, check Google Play Console’s Service Fees page for your specific situation rather than assuming one percentage.

Does Google Play Have an Annual Fee?

No. Unlike Apple’s $99/year membership, Google Play’s $25 developer fee is charged exactly once — there’s no yearly renewal, no subscription, and no recurring charge tied to keeping your account or apps live. Your Play Console account stays active indefinitely once the one-time fee is paid, even if you never publish another update.

Tips / Common Mistakes

Budget for both fees before you start, not after your build is finished — the $99/year and $25 one-time charges are trivial next to development cost, but they block you from submitting anything until paid, and Apple’s yearly renewal is easy to forget and let lapse right before launch.

If you’re a new individual Google Play developer, line up your 12 testers early. Recruiting people willing to install a test build and actually use it for two straight weeks takes longer than most teams expect, and it directly delays your launch date.

Don’t assume Apple and Google charge the same commission, and don’t assume you automatically qualify for a reduced rate on either platform — check the current thresholds and, on Google Play, your region, program enrollment, and billing method, since the rate isn’t applied by default just because you’re a small developer. Factor in review time on both sides when you set a launch date.

app store and google play publishing costs FAQs

What is the official Apple Developer Program fee?

$99 per year, per developer.apple.com/programs. It’s an auto-renewing annual membership required to publish on the App Store, plus a separate $299/year Enterprise Program for internal-only company distribution.

What is the official Google Play Console registration fee?

$25, paid once when you create your Play Console account. There’s no renewal and no per-app charge — one account covers unlimited apps for life.

Is there a Google Play annual fee?

No. Google Play’s only account charge is the one-time $25 registration fee. Apple, by contrast, does charge an annual $99 membership fee.

How much does it cost to publish an app on Android?

For a free app, just the $25 one-time Google Play Console fee. New individual developers also need to complete a 12-tester, 14-day closed test before production access, and any paid sales incur Google’s commission.

How much does it cost to publish an app on the Apple App Store?

For a free app, just the $99/year Apple Developer Program fee. Any paid downloads, in-app purchases, or subscriptions also incur Apple’s commission on top of the membership.

Do I have to pay Apple or Google every time I update my app?

No. Updates are free once your account is active — Apple’s $99/year and Google’s one-time $25 cover unlimited app updates, not per-release charges.

What percentage does Apple or Google take from app sales?

Apple takes 30%, or 15% if you qualify for the Small Business Program or after a subscription’s first year. Google takes 15% on the first $1 million in annual revenue and 30% above that in most markets, with a 10%+5% service/billing split now rolling out in the US, UK, and EU, and further reduced 15%/20% tiers for qualifying Apps Experience or Games Level Up program developers starting September 30, 2026.

Can I skip Google Play’s 12-tester testing requirement?

Only if your account is an organization account or a personal account created before November 2023 — those are exempt. New individual accounts must complete the 12-tester, 14-day closed test before requesting production access.

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This guide walks through how to tell if you’re actually ready for an app, what your realistic options are (native app, mobile-friendly ordering site, or white-label platform), what it costs, and the mistakes that make owners regret the investment.

Quick Answer

Most independent restaurants don’t need a fully custom native app right away. A mobile-optimized ordering website or a white-label branded app usually delivers the same customer-facing benefit — direct orders, no per-order commission to a marketplace, your own customer data — at a fraction of the cost and time. A custom native app makes sense once you have consistent order volume, a loyal repeat-customer base, and a reason a browser can’t satisfy, like push notifications, a loyalty program, or offline ordering at the table.

Signs You’re Ready (and Signs You’re Not)

You’re a good candidate for your own app if you already have steady repeat business, you’re currently paying significant commissions to third-party delivery platforms on a regular basis, and you have the staff bandwidth to promote a new app and actually get customers to download it. An app only pays off if people install and reopen it — a great app with no downloads is just a cost center.

You’re probably not ready yet if you’re a single new location still building a customer base, you don’t yet have a reliable way to take direct online orders at all, or you don’t have anyone on staff who can manage menu updates, push notifications, and app store listings on an ongoing basis. In that case, get a solid mobile-friendly ordering website live first — it’s the foundation everything else builds on, and it works for every customer regardless of whether they’ve downloaded anything.

It’s also worth noting that most restaurants that succeed with delivery marketplaces and their own direct channel run both at once: third-party apps for discovery and reaching new customers, and a direct app or website for retaining regulars and keeping the highest-margin repeat orders in-house.

Your Options: Web Ordering, White-Label App, or Custom Native App

A mobile-friendly ordering website is the cheapest and fastest option. It works in any phone browser, requires no download, and can be added to many existing restaurant websites or point-of-sale systems relatively quickly. For many small and mid-size restaurants, this alone covers the core benefit owners want from ‘having an app’ — direct orders without a marketplace commission.

A white-label app platform gives you a branded app with your logo, menu, and colors, built on shared technology that a vendor maintains for many restaurants at once. These typically run as a monthly subscription rather than a large upfront project, and they get you into the App Store and Google Play without hiring developers. The tradeoff is less flexibility — you’re limited to the features the platform offers.

A fully custom native app, built specifically for your restaurant, offers the most control — custom loyalty features, kitchen and POS integrations built your way, and a unique customer experience. It’s also the most expensive and slowest path, and it comes with ongoing costs: bug fixes, OS updates, app store fees, and feature maintenance don’t stop once the app ships. Custom builds typically make sense for multi-location operations or restaurant groups with the volume and budget to justify it, while cross-platform frameworks (used to build for iOS and Android from one codebase) have become the standard way to keep custom-build costs down compared to fully separate iOS and Android apps.

Tips / Common Mistakes

Don’t build an app before you have a reliable way to get customers to download and reopen it — a QR code on the receipt or a mention from staff isn’t enough on its own; plan a real launch push (email list, in-store signage, a first-order incentive) before you spend on development.

Don’t skip the ongoing cost conversation. Get clear, in writing, on who handles OS updates, bug fixes, app store renewals, and menu changes after launch, and what that costs per month or year — this recurring cost is often bigger over time than the initial build.

Don’t ignore your point-of-sale integration. An app that can’t sync orders, menu items, and 86’d items with your POS in real time creates more manual work for your staff, not less.

Don’t assume ‘more channels’ automatically means more profit. Every ordering channel (marketplace apps, your own app, your website, phone) needs someone accountable for keeping menus, prices, and hours consistent across all of them, or customers get frustrated fast.

Explore more: explore more app development guides.

restaurant mobile apps FAQs

How much does a restaurant app cost to build?

It varies widely by approach. A mobile ordering website addition is usually the least expensive option. A white-label branded app typically runs as a recurring monthly subscription rather than a big upfront project. A fully custom native app is the most expensive route, with costs scaling up based on features, integrations, and whether it’s built for one platform or both iOS and Android.

Is a mobile app better than a website for a restaurant?

Not necessarily. A mobile-friendly website reaches every customer instantly with no download required, which is why it’s usually the better starting point. An app can add value later through loyalty programs, push notifications, and a faster repeat-order experience, but only once you have enough regulars willing to download it.

Should I still use delivery marketplace apps if I build my own app?

Most restaurants keep using marketplace apps for discovery and new-customer reach while steering repeat customers toward their own app or ordering site, where there’s no per-order commission. Dropping marketplaces entirely usually means losing a channel that brings in customers who wouldn’t have found you otherwise.

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This guide walks through exactly what to include in a mobile app requirements document, in plain language, with a simple prioritization method so you don’t have to guess what belongs in version one versus version two.

Quick Answer

A mobile app requirements document explains, in plain language, what your app should do (features), who will use it (target users), how success is measured, and what’s in versus out of scope for the first release. You don’t need technical skills to write one — you need to describe the problem, the user, the core features, and the constraints clearly enough that a developer can’t misinterpret them.

The Core Sections Every Requirements Document Needs

Start with a one-sentence elevator pitch that anchors everything else: “[App name] helps [target user] do [task] by [key approach].” If you can’t compress your idea into one sentence, that’s a sign the concept still needs sharpening before you brief a developer.

Next, describe your users. You don’t need formal market research — a short paragraph on who’s using the app, what device they’re likely on, and what problem brings them to it is enough. Developers use this to make dozens of small decisions (like what happens on a slow connection, or whether an onboarding flow needs to be simple or can assume tech-savvy users) that you’ll never think to specify individually.

Then list features as user stories rather than technical specs. The standard format is: “As a [type of user], I want to [do something], so that [benefit].” For example: “As a returning customer, I want to save my payment details, so that I can check out faster next time.” This format forces you to explain the why behind a feature, which is what developers actually need to build it correctly — a feature list alone leaves too much open to interpretation.

Finally, cover the non-functional requirements: how fast should screens load, does the app need to work offline, what happens with poor signal, and any must-haves around data privacy or accessibility. These are easy to forget because they’re invisible when things go right, but they’re often the source of expensive rework when they’re missing.

Use MoSCoW to Prioritize Without Fighting Over Features

Every founder’s first draft has too many “must-haves.” The MoSCoW method solves this by sorting every feature into one of four buckets: Must Have (the app doesn’t work without it), Should Have (important, but launch is survivable without it), Could Have (nice extras if time and budget allow), and Won’t Have (explicitly out of scope for this release, so nobody assumes it’s coming).

Run every feature on your list through this filter before you talk to a developer or agency. It does two things: it keeps your first build lean enough to ship on a reasonable budget and timeline, and it gives you a documented answer when someone later asks “why isn’t X in the app?” — you decided, on purpose, that it was a Could Have or a Won’t Have.

Pair this with simple, screen-by-screen descriptions where you can. You don’t need wireframing skills — a numbered list of screens (“Screen 1: Login. Screen 2: Home feed with a search bar and filter button…”) plus rough sketches on paper or a free tool gives developers something concrete to build against instead of an abstract feature list.

Tips and Common Mistakes

Write out edge cases, not just the happy path. What happens if a user’s payment fails, their session times out, or they try to sign up with an email that’s already registered? Spelling out even a handful of these shows developers you’ve thought past the ideal scenario, and it reduces the number of back-and-forth questions during the build.

Don’t skip the goals and success metrics section, even if it’s just one paragraph. Saying what you’re trying to achieve (more signups, faster checkout, higher retention) helps a development team make good judgment calls on the countless small decisions a written spec can never fully cover.

Bring developers in early, even just to review your draft, rather than finalizing everything alone first. A quick technical read-through before the document is “final” catches feasibility issues, unrealistic timelines, or missing details while they’re still cheap to fix.

If your developer or agency keeps asking the same clarifying questions, treat that as a signal the document itself is unclear, not that the team is asking too much. Update the requirements doc with the answer so the same question doesn’t resurface later.

Keep the document living, not static. As decisions get made, update the doc rather than letting the answer live only in a chat thread or email — six weeks into a build, the written requirements document should still be the single source of truth.

Explore more: more app development guides.

Mobile app requirements document FAQs

What’s the difference between a requirements document and a PRD?

They’re largely the same thing for a small team or solo founder. Technically, a Business Requirements Document (BRD) covers high-level business goals, while a Product Requirements Document (PRD) gets into specific features and user stories — but for most app projects, one combined document covering both is all you need.

Do I need wireframes or mockups to write this document?

No. Rough sketches, screen descriptions, or even reference apps you like (“the checkout flow should feel like X app”) are enough to communicate intent. Professional wireframes help later, but they’re not a prerequisite for a useful first draft.

How long should a mobile app requirements document be?

Long enough to cover your users, your prioritized feature list, key screens, and constraints — often a handful of pages for a simple app, more for a complex one. Length matters less than clarity: a short document that leaves no room for misinterpretation beats a long one full of vague statements.

Should I write the requirements document before or after getting development quotes?

Before, if possible. A clear requirements document lets agencies or freelance developers quote against the same scope, so you’re comparing like-for-like estimates instead of guessing why one quote is triple another.

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This guide walks through the practical differences between building on iOS and Android first, gives you a simple framework for deciding, and flags the mistakes that slow teams down when they rush the decision.

Quick Answer

Build for iOS first if your customers are consumers or professionals in the US, Western Europe, or other markets where iPhone usage is high, or if you’re selling a premium/paid product. Build for Android first if you need to reach the broadest possible global audience, are targeting price-sensitive or emerging markets, or want the lowest cost of entry. If your app is internal-only (used by your own employees), the decision often comes down to what devices your company already issues.

The Practical Differences That Actually Matter

Developer account cost and setup: Apple’s Developer Program is $99/year and requires enrolling with an Apple ID plus (for most business apps) a D-U-N-S number if you register as an organization. Google Play’s developer account is a one-time $25 fee with no annual renewal. Cost alone rarely decides the platform, but it affects how fast you can get moving.

Review and launch timelines: Apple’s App Store review is typically fast once you’re set up — often a day or two per cycle — but budget extra time for a first submission and for any rejections that trigger another review cycle. Google Play has a different bottleneck: as of 2026, personal (non-business) developer accounts created after November 2023 must run a closed test with at least 12 opted-in testers for 14 consecutive days before they can apply for production access. Verified organization accounts (registered under a real business entity) are exempt from this closed-testing requirement, which is a meaningful advantage if you’re launching as a company rather than an individual.

Device and OS fragmentation: iOS apps only need to support Apple’s own hardware and a small number of active iOS versions, which keeps QA scope tighter. Android apps run across a much wider range of manufacturers, screen sizes, and OS versions, so testing and support tend to take more planning on that side.

Development environment: Building and submitting an iOS app requires a Mac and Xcode. Android development with Android Studio runs on Windows, macOS, or Linux, which can matter if your team isn’t already on Apple hardware.

Monetization and payments: Both platforms take a cut of in-app digital purchases (Apple’s standard commission is 30%, dropping to 15% for qualifying small businesses and subscriptions; Google offers comparable reduced rates for smaller developers). If your business app doesn’t sell digital goods through the app itself — e.g., it’s a services, logistics, or internal tool — this consideration mostly disappears.

How to Decide Which Platform to Build First

Start with your actual users, not assumptions. If you already have a website, check your analytics for the mobile OS split among your current customers — that’s a far better signal than any general industry pattern. B2B and enterprise audiences frequently skew toward iPhone in North America; global consumer or budget-conscious audiences often skew Android.

Match the platform to your goal. If the app supports a premium or subscription product, iOS users have a stronger track record of paying for apps and subscriptions. If the goal is maximum reach with minimal friction (think logistics, field service, or emerging-market retail), Android’s broader device reach and lower cost of entry usually wins.

Factor in your timeline and team. If you need to launch fast and you’re registering as a verified business, Android’s exemption from the 14-day closed-testing rule can shave real time off your schedule. If your team already has Mac hardware and iOS experience, that head start matters too.

Consider cross-platform frameworks as a middle path. Tools like Flutter and React Native let you ship to both iOS and Android from a largely shared codebase. They’re a reasonable option if you genuinely need both platforms close to launch, though a platform-native app still tends to give you the tightest performance and the fastest access to new OS features.

Tips and Common Mistakes

Don’t try to launch on both platforms simultaneously with a small team just because you can — it usually means shipping two mediocre apps instead of one solid one. Pick a primary platform, launch it well, and expand once you have real usage data.

Don’t register your Google Play developer account as a personal account if you’re launching as a company — verifying as an organization from the start avoids the 12-tester, 14-day closed testing requirement later.

Don’t underestimate Android QA scope. Budget real testing time across a handful of representative device tiers (not just your own phone) rather than assuming one build behaves the same everywhere.

Don’t skip beta testing on either platform. Apple’s TestFlight and Google Play’s closed testing tracks both let you catch bugs and gather feedback before a public release — use them even if you’re not required to.

Don’t wait until submission day to read the current App Store Review Guidelines or Play Console policies. Both platforms update their rules regularly, and a policy violation you didn’t know about is the most common reason for review delays.

Explore more: More app development guides.

iOS vs Android for business apps FAQs

Can I build for the other platform later?

Yes — most teams launch on one platform first, validate the app with real users, then build the second version once they have budget and usage data to justify it. Using a shared design system and API backend from the start makes the second build faster.

Do I need a Mac to build an iOS app?

Yes, Xcode (Apple’s development tool) only runs on macOS, and it’s required to build and submit iOS apps. Android development with Android Studio works on Windows, macOS, or Linux.

Should I just use Flutter or React Native to build both at once?

It’s a valid option if you need both platforms close together and want to share most of the codebase. The tradeoff is usually slightly more work to fine-tune performance and platform-specific UI polish compared to a fully native app.

Which platform is cheaper to launch on first?

Google Play has a lower upfront cost — a one-time $25 developer fee versus Apple’s $99/year — but if you register as a personal (non-business) Play developer, the mandatory 14-day closed testing period can add time to your launch. Verified business accounts on Google Play skip that requirement.

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