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Publishing Websites and Apps

News App Development for Publishers Who Want Paying Subscribers

DeveloperLook handles news app development for publishers, plus the news sites, headless CMS, and paywalls behind it. One team builds the article page, the app, and the subscriber login.

  • 1

    CMS for your site and app

  • 301

    Redirect for every old article URL

Let's Discuss

Teams we have built for:

  • WordPress
  • Stripe
  • Firebase
  • Cloudflare
  • Google Analytics

The Problem

Your Newsroom Publishes Everything Twice and Still Loses Readers

Publishers often run the website on one system, the app on another, and subscriptions on a third. Editors copy stories between them, and readers hit slow pages and broken logins.

  1. 01 · Double publishing

    Editors paste each story into the app's separate backend.

    One CMS feeds the website and the app, so editors publish once.

  2. 02 · Slow articles

    Ad scripts make article pages slow on phones.

    Templates are tuned for mobile speed, and ad slots reserve their space.

  3. 03 · Split logins

    Website subscribers can't sign in to the app.

    One subscriber account works on the site and in the app.

  4. 04 · Broken archive

    An old site move broke links to archive stories.

    Every old article URL gets a 301 redirect, checked before launch.

A story breaks at 7 a.m. Your editor publishes it in WordPress, pastes it into the app's separate backend, and then rebuilds it for the newsletter. The article page loads slowly under three ad scripts, and readers leave before the second paragraph. Subscribers who paid on the website can't log in to the app. Last year's site move broke links across the archive, and search traffic still hasn't recovered.

We start with a free publishing review that follows one story from draft to a reader's phone. Then we set up one CMS that feeds the website and the app, with editorial roles, scheduling, and newsletter sign-ups on every article. Templates are tuned for mobile speed, ad slots reserve their space, and one subscriber account works on the site and in the app. Editors publish once, instead of three times.

  • One CMS for site and app

    Stories, authors, and sections live in one editorial CMS that feeds your website and your app.

  • Fast article pages

    Templates tuned for mobile speed, with ad slots that reserve space so the page stays put.

  • One subscriber login

    Readers who pay on the website sign in to the app with the same account and plan.

Our Services

Media Software Development for Newsrooms, Magazines, and Members

Each service below covers one part of a reader's path: the article page, the app, the CMS behind both, and the subscription that pays for it.

Who We Build For

Reader Products for Five Kinds of Publishers

A magazine needs an app and subscriber logins, while a B2B publisher needs gated research and seat-based access. Pick the publisher closest to you to see the services we combine.

The stack we usually build

4 services, one project plan

All services

  1. News site

    News Website Design for Publishers

    Section fronts, story blocks, and ad slots with reserved space.

  2. Editorial CMS

    CMS Development Services

    Story types, approval steps, and scheduling in WordPress or headless.

  3. Accessibility

    ADA Website Compliance Services

    A WCAG 2.2 AA audit and fixes on your article templates.

  4. Newsletter sync

    API Integration Services

    Sign-ups and stories passed to your email and CRM tools.

Publish faster stories that readers can find and finish

Your site slows down on the days traffic spikes, and editors fight a page builder to post corrections. You want fast article pages and a CMS built around how your newsroom works.

Independent news sites on WordPress: Your WordPress news site slows to a crawl on breaking stories, and editors fight a page builder every time they publish a correction.

  • Article pages tuned for phones
  • Editorial roles and scheduling
  • Ad slots that keep the page steady
Plan this setupTypical timeline: 4 to 8 weeks

Our Process

From Free Publishing Review to Live Stories in Five Steps

You approve the content model and price first, watch editors publish on staging, and see every old URL redirected before readers reach the new site.

  1. We read your site like a subscriber and publish a test story like an editor. You get a written list of what slows readers down, what slows the newsroom down, and what to fix first.

Projects We've Built

News Apps and Sites We Have Built

Three news and blog apps and a news website, designed and built by our team for publishers.

View All Projects

What Our Clients Say

What Clients Say After Launch

What clients said after we launched their new sites and handed editing back to their teams.

What I appreciate most is that the website is actually easy for us to manage now. We can update content ourselves instead of sending a developer a message every time we need to change something small. They also paid attention to the technical SEO side, which mattered to us because we didn’t want a new website to create problems for the traffic we already had. I’ve probably asked more questions than I should have since launch, but every question has been handled patiently and without any fuss. The team is easy to work with, they explain things clearly, and when we need something changed, they focus on getting it done rather than making the process complicated.

Sarah MitchellOperations Manager of Harborline Commerce01 / 03

  • 1,000+

    Projects shipped

  • 10+

    Years of experience

  • Top 3%

    Upwork Top Rated Plus

  • 5 stars

    Average review score

Overview

What do news app development services include?

DeveloperLook provides news app development for publishers, along with the news sites, CMS, and subscriptions behind it. We build iOS and Android news apps with push alerts, fast article templates, one CMS that feeds web and app, and paywalls with shared logins. Projects start at $1,150, and site builds take 3 to 8 weeks.

DEVELOPERLOOK

Project facts · News App Development for Publishers

Service
News app development for publishers (apps, news sites, CMS, paywalls)
Typical timeline
3 to 8 weeks for sites, 12 to 16 weeks with an app
Platforms
WordPress, Ghost, Strapi, Sanity, Contentful, iOS, and Android
Built with
Next.js, React Native, Flutter, Stripe, and Google Ad Manager
Experience
10+ years of development experience and 1,000+ shipped projects
Post-launch support
30, 60, or 90 days, depending on plan
Communication
Calls in US, UK, and AU business hours
Starting price
From $1,150 USD, fixed scope after a free publishing review

Reviewed 6 Oct 2026 by Saimul Islam

Not a fit

  • Budget under $1,150

    Your budget is under $1,150 and you need a simple blog. A WordPress or Ghost theme you set up yourself will publish just as well.

  • Live video streaming

    You need live video streaming or a TV channel app. We build article, membership, and subscription products, so a dedicated video platform fits better.

  • Speed fix only

    Your site works and only needs faster pages. Our Website Speed Optimization service fixes load times without a rebuild or a new CMS.

  • Accessibility audit only

    You only need your current templates checked for accessibility. Our WCAG Audit Services page covers that as a short, fixed-price audit.

Not sure we're the right fit?

Send a two-line brief. We'll tell you honestly whether we're the right team.

Ask on WhatsApp

Pricing

Transparent Starting Prices for Publishing Websites and Apps

These are starting points in USD. Your final price depends on archive size, paywall rules, and whether you need an app, and you get a fixed proposal after a free publishing review.

$2k$4k$6k$8k$10k$12k$1,150$3,600$9,400

For publishers starting with one piece, from a WordPress magazine site at $1,150 to a CMS setup at $1,200.

$1,150one-time, USD

Book a strategy call
  • One site, CMS, or setup from the services above
  • Free publishing review before the quote
  • Written scope with one fixed price
  • Editorial roles and scheduling
  • Content and accounts kept in your name
  • 30 days of post-launch support

Recommended

For established publications moving an archive to a faster site with ad slots and consent, in about 6 to 8 weeks.

$3,600one-time, USD

Get a custom quote
  • Custom section fronts and story blocks
  • Editorial CMS with approvals and scheduling
  • Ad slots with reserved space
  • Certified consent platform setup
  • Archive migration with 301 redirects
  • 60 days of post-launch support

For publishers selling subscriptions who need one headless CMS feeding the site and an iOS and Android app.

$9,400one-time, USD

Talk to our team
  • Everything in Publisher Platform
  • Headless CMS feeding site and app
  • iOS and Android app with push alerts
  • Metered or hard paywall with Stripe
  • Subscriber accounts shared by site and app
  • 90 days of post-launch support

More Industries

Other Industries We Build For

Content, membership, and app work we do for other industries, from education to SaaS startups.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Straight answers on cost, timelines, shared CMS setups, paywalls, and who owns your app.

  • Publishing projects start at $1,150 for a WordPress magazine site and $3,600 for a publisher platform with ad slots, consent, and archive migration. A site, an iOS and Android app, and a paywall built together on one CMS start at $9,400. Each price is fixed after a free publishing review of your site and newsroom.

  • A publisher's app starts at $4,700 for a first release on iOS and Android, with sign-in, push alerts, and an admin panel. We build both from one React Native or Flutter codebase, after a tested prototype that starts at $1,300. When the app shares a headless CMS and paywall with your website, the full bundle starts at $9,400.

  • A WordPress magazine site launches in about 3 to 5 weeks, and a publisher platform with an archive move takes about 6 to 8 weeks. Adding an iOS and Android app on a shared headless CMS brings the full build to 12 to 16 weeks, including app store review. Archive size usually sets the pace.

  • A news app is a mobile app that delivers a publisher's stories to readers' phones. Most add push alerts for breaking news, saved articles, and offline reading. Many pull stories from the same CMS as the website. Subscribers sign in with the account they already have, so paywalled stories open in the app too.

  • Media development software is the set of tools a media company uses to create, manage, and deliver content. That covers the CMS, apps, paywalls, ad tech, and analytics. Some of it is bought, like a hosted CMS or an ad server. The parts that make your publication different, such as your app or subscription flow, are usually built.

  • Software publishing is the business of developing and selling software, such as apps, games, or business tools, rather than articles or books. Media companies cross into it when they launch an app or sell a digital product. At that point the app needs the same care as the newsroom: planned releases, updates, and support.

  • Yes. A headless CMS such as Strapi, Sanity, or Contentful stores each story once and sends it to the website and the app through an API. Editors publish one version, and section fronts, alerts, and author pages update everywhere. WordPress can play the same role through its REST API when your team already knows it.

  • A paywall checks each reader's subscription before showing a full story, either after a few free articles or from the first line. We build metered or hard paywalls with Stripe and one subscriber record. Readers who subscribe on the website sign in to the app, while purchases made inside the app follow Apple's and Google's billing rules.

  • Choose one that has shipped both reader products and newsroom tools, because the hard part is usually the hand-off between them. Ask to see an app and a site that share a CMS. Ask how they redirect an archive without losing search traffic, and who owns the code and app store accounts after launch.

  • You own the code, the CMS content, the subscriber records, and the app store listings, all under your company's accounts. Stripe pays out to you directly, and your ad accounts stay yours. Your plan includes a support window of 30, 60, or 90 days, and your editors get a recorded walkthrough of the CMS.

Saimul IslamFounder & CEO, DeveloperLook

Still have questions?

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