App Store Without a Mac

Best Ways to Build an iOS App on Windows (2026)

Seven realistic ways to build and ship an iPhone app from a Windows PC in 2026, ranked by who they suit, with prices from each provider’s own pages.

Floot ·

Key Takeaways

  • Every option uses a Mac somewhere. The difference is whether you operate it (a rented Mac), a service runs it for your code (Expo, Codemagic) or a platform hides it completely (Floot, FlutterFlow).
  • Non-developers: start with a builder that submits for you. Floot builds the app from a description, with a database and sign-in, and submits iOS and Android builds with your developer accounts.
  • React Native developers: Expo EAS is the default. Expo’s docs say iOS builds run on macOS runners in Expo’s cloud and that EAS Submit works on Windows. The free plan includes up to 15 iOS builds.
  • Flutter developers: a cloud CI with macOS machines. Codemagic’s free tier includes 500 macOS M2 build minutes a month; pay-as-you-go is US$0.095 a minute.
  • The Apple fee is unavoidable. App Store distribution needs an Apple Developer Program membership at US$99 a year, whichever route you choose.

Quick-Start Prioritization Framework

OptionBest forStarting priceYou write code?
1. FlootNon-developers who want a full app with backendFree to start; Pro $25/moNo
2. Expo EASReact Native developersFree (up to 15 iOS builds); Starter $19/mo + usageYes
3. FlutterFlowVisual builders who want Flutter codeFree; store deploy from Basic $39/moOptional
4. CodemagicFlutter and native developers needing CIFree 500 macOS min/mo; $0.095/min afterYes
5. Rented cloud MacDevelopers who want full XcodeVaries; see providerYes
6. GitHub Actions macOS runnersTeams already on GitHub CI$0.062/min (standard macOS)Yes
7. .NET MAUI with Hot RestartC# developers testing on a deviceVisual Studio; production still needs a MacYes

Apple’s build tools only run on macOS, so “building an iOS app on Windows” really means letting a Mac somewhere else do the compiling and signing. In 2026 there are good ways to do that for every kind of builder: AI and no-code platforms that build and submit for you, cloud build services for developers writing React Native or Flutter, rented Macs, and CI runners. We ranked seven options for someone on Windows who wants an app in the App Store, noted who each is best for, and took prices from each provider’s own pricing page or documentation as of November 2026. Every route still needs an Apple Developer Program membership (US$99 a year).

How we ranked these

The reader we had in mind owns a Windows PC, may or may not write code, and wants a real app in the App Store, not just a demo. We weighed four things: how much Apple-specific work you still do yourself (certificates, provisioning, uploading), whether the option includes a backend if your app needs accounts and data, total cost for a first app, and how well each provider documents the Windows path.

Prices come from each provider’s own pricing page or docs as of November 11, 2026. Plans change, so check the linked pages before you buy. This site is published by Floot, which appears in this list; we’ve tried to say plainly who each option suits, including when another one is the better choice.

What every option still needs

An Apple Developer Program membership (US$99 a year), an app icon, screenshots, a privacy policy URL and Apple’s review. If you also want Android, a Google Play developer account costs US$25 once, and new personal accounts need a 12-tester, 14-day closed test before production.

1. Floot: best for non-developers who want a complete app

Floot is an AI app builder. You describe the app in plain English, in Floot’s editor or from ChatGPT, Claude, Claude Code, Codex or Cursor through Floot’s MCP server, and it builds a full-stack web app: a React frontend, serverless endpoints and a Postgres database, with its own sign-up and login (email, Google, Microsoft) and roles. From that same app, Floot builds the native iOS and Android apps in the cloud and submits them with your Apple and Google developer accounts. No Mac is involved at any point on your side.

What it does well

It covers the parts that usually stop non-developers after the screens are done: the backend, user accounts, file storage, sending email, scheduled jobs and push notifications for web and phone. You test the app in a live preview in your browser before spending a mobile build. Apple publishing works on every plan.

What to watch

Mobile builds are counted per month: 2 on Free, 12 on Pro and unlimited on Power, so test in the web preview first. Connecting Google Play needs a paid plan. Code download is on paid plans. Floot Payments handles checkout and subscriptions through Stripe, which suits physical goods and services; if your iPhone app sells digital content, read Apple’s in-app purchase rules first, because Floot doesn’t provide Apple in-app purchase. Like any builder, it can’t guarantee App Store approval.

Price

Free $0 a month (100 building actions a day, $3 one-time hosting allowance). Pro $25 a month (1,000 actions a day, $10 hosting included, custom domains). Power $100 a month (5,000 actions a day, $25 hosting included). Publishing is free on every plan; hosting is metered by usage. You can connect it from the Claude connector directory, the ChatGPT app directory or the Cursor Marketplace.

2. Expo EAS: best for React Native developers

If you or a developer write the app in React Native, Expo Application Services (EAS) is the most widely documented way to produce iOS builds from Windows. Expo’s docs say iOS builds “run on macOS runners hosted in Expo’s macOS cloud,” and that EAS can manage your provisioning profiles and certificates. EAS Submit then uploads the build to App Store Connect and TestFlight, and Expo says it “works on macOS, Linux, and Windows, so you don’t need a Mac to ship iOS builds.”

What it does well

Full control of your code and libraries, a large community, and over-the-air updates for JavaScript changes. It’s a strong fit for developers who want to own every line.

What to watch

You are still the developer: the backend, database, sign-in and store listings are yours to build and maintain. Expo’s docs note that local builds aren’t supported on Windows, so on a Windows PC you rely on the cloud builds. The free plan has a low-priority queue and a 45-minute build timeout.

Price

Free: up to 15 iOS and 15 Android builds, low-priority queue. Starter: US$19 a month plus usage, with US$45 of build credit. Production: US$199 a month plus usage, with US$225 of credit. Pay-as-you-go iOS builds are US$2 on a medium worker and US$4 on a large one.

3. FlutterFlow: best for visual builders who want Flutter code

FlutterFlow is a visual builder for Flutter apps, with AI features and a newer agent-style product (FlutterFlow FFX) where you describe the app. Its documentation describes a Deploy to App Store button that sends your app directly to App Store Connect once you add an App Store Connect API key, and its FFX docs describe building for TestFlight and submitting versions.

What it does well

Fine-grained visual control of screens, Flutter code you can download on paid plans, and integrations with Firebase and Supabase for the backend. Teams on Pro and Max get real-time collaboration and GitHub sync.

What to watch

One-click store deployment and code download start on the Basic plan; the Free plan doesn’t include them. FlutterFlow’s Local Run docs say testing on iOS that way needs a Mac with Xcode, though cloud deployment doesn’t. In the classic builder, the backend is a service you connect, such as Firebase or Supabase, each with its own account and billing.

Price

Free $0. Basic US$39 a month, or US$29 a month billed yearly. Pro US$80 a month (US$60 yearly). Max US$150 a month (US$113 yearly). FlutterFlow’s docs note that prices vary by country.

4. Codemagic: best for Flutter and native developers who need CI

Codemagic is a CI/CD service with macOS build machines. You connect your Git repository, and it builds, signs and publishes iOS apps to App Store Connect. It’s popular with Flutter developers, and Flutter’s own iOS setup docs assume you have a Mac with Xcode, which Codemagic provides in the cloud.

What it does well

A generous free tier, Apple silicon machines and automated workflows: every push to your main branch can produce a TestFlight build. It works with Flutter, React Native and native projects.

What to watch

It’s a developer tool. You write the app, configure workflows and manage signing. Debugging an iOS-specific issue without a Mac means reading build logs rather than using Xcode’s debugger.

Price

Free: 500 macOS M2 minutes a month, one concurrent build. Pay-as-you-go: US$0.095 a minute on M2 and US$0.114 on M4. Fixed annual plans with unlimited minutes start at US$3,990 a year. By our arithmetic, a 10-minute iOS build costs about US$0.95 on pay-as-you-go, and the free minutes cover roughly 50 such builds a month.

5. A rented cloud Mac: best for developers who want full Xcode

Services such as MacinCloud rent remote macOS machines that you control over remote desktop from Windows. AWS also offers EC2 Mac instances. You get the real Xcode, the iOS Simulator and every Apple tool, exactly as a Mac owner would.

What it does well

Nothing is abstracted away. You can follow any iOS tutorial, use Instruments, debug in the Simulator and upload with Xcode or Transporter. For native Swift development, it’s the closest thing to owning a Mac.

What to watch

You need to learn Xcode, signing and provisioning yourself, through a remote screen that can feel laggy. MacinCloud’s help center says pay-as-you-go usage has a 24-hour minimum when billed by day. AWS says EC2 Mac instances are billed per second with a 24-hour minimum allocation, on dedicated hosts, so they suit teams more than individuals.

Price

MacinCloud’s help center lists dedicated, managed server, pay-as-you-go and build agent plans, and a 24-hour US$0.99 trial for first-time customers on managed plans; check its plans page for current rates. AWS lists EC2 Mac pricing on its pricing pages, with savings plans of up to 44% for three-year commitments.

6. GitHub Actions macOS runners: best for teams already on GitHub

If your code lives on GitHub, you can build and upload iOS apps with GitHub Actions on GitHub-hosted macOS runners. Workflows run xcodebuild, sign with certificates stored as secrets and upload with Apple’s command-line tools or community actions.

What it does well

No extra vendor, builds triggered from pull requests, and the same pipeline for Android, web and tests.

What to watch

You write and maintain the workflow, including code signing, which is the fiddliest part of iOS CI. macOS minutes cost about ten times Linux minutes on GitHub’s price list.

Price

GitHub lists standard macOS runners at US$0.062 a minute, a 12-core macOS runner at US$0.077 and an M2 Pro runner at US$0.102, compared with US$0.006 for a 2-core Linux runner.

7. .NET MAUI with Hot Restart: best for C# developers testing on a device

Microsoft’s .NET MAUI lets C# developers write iOS apps in Visual Studio on Windows. Its Hot Restart feature deploys a debug build to an iPhone connected by USB “without requiring a Mac build host,” with a paid Apple Developer Program membership.

What it does well

Fast iteration on a real iPhone from Windows for teams already invested in C# and .NET.

What to watch

Microsoft’s docs say you’ll still need a Mac build host to build, sign and deploy for production, and that Visual Studio must pair to a network-accessible Mac for normal iOS builds. They also say Hot Restart isn’t supported in Visual Studio 2026 and works in Visual Studio 2022 17.14. Combine it with a rented Mac or CI for App Store releases.

Price

Visual Studio and .NET MAUI pricing depends on your Visual Studio edition; the Mac you pair with for production builds is a separate cost.

Side-by-side comparison

How the seven compare on the questions that matter most to someone on Windows.

OptionBackend includedSubmits to App Store for youLearn Xcode and signingAndroid too
FlootYes: Postgres, sign-in, storageYes, with your accountNoYes (Google Play on paid plans)
Expo EASNo, bring your ownYes, with EAS SubmitMostly handled by EASYes
FlutterFlowConnect Firebase or Supabase (FFX includes a backend)Yes, on Basic and aboveNoYes
CodemagicNo, bring your ownYes, through workflowsPartlyYes
Rented cloud MacNo, bring your ownNo, you uploadYesSeparately
GitHub ActionsNo, bring your ownThrough your workflowYes, for CIYes
.NET MAUI Hot RestartNo, bring your ownNo; needs a Mac for productionYes, for releaseYes

How to choose

Start from what you have, not from the tool.

  • No code and no developer: Floot, or FlutterFlow if you prefer designing every screen visually.
  • A React Native codebase: Expo EAS.
  • A Flutter codebase: Codemagic, or FlutterFlow if you’re still at the design stage.
  • A native Swift project or a need for Xcode’s debugging tools: a rented cloud Mac.
  • An existing GitHub workflow and a developer who knows iOS signing: GitHub Actions.
  • A C# team: .NET MAUI for development, plus a Mac host or CI for releases.

Common mistakes

These cost Windows users the most time.

  • Choosing a tool before deciding where the backend, database and sign-in will live.
  • Assuming a code export means you can build iOS on Windows; the build still needs macOS somewhere.
  • Waiting until the app is done to enroll in the Apple Developer Program, especially as an organization that needs a D-U-N-S number.
  • Spending cloud build minutes on every small change instead of testing in a browser or simulator first.
  • Forgetting Google Play’s 14-day closed test when planning an Android launch date.
  • Submitting a wrapped website and meeting App Review guideline 4.2.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I build an iOS app on Windows without a Mac?

Yes, as long as a Mac in the cloud does the build. Builders like Floot and FlutterFlow and services like Expo EAS and Codemagic compile and sign on their own Macs, and you work entirely from Windows.

Can I install Xcode on Windows?

No. Xcode is a macOS app. To use Xcode itself from Windows, you rent a remote Mac and connect to it over remote desktop.

What is the cheapest way to build an iPhone app on Windows?

For developers, Expo’s free plan (up to 15 iOS builds) or Codemagic’s 500 free macOS minutes a month. For non-developers, Floot’s free plan includes 2 mobile builds a month. All routes add Apple’s US$99-a-year developer fee.

Can I test an iPhone app from Windows?

Yes. Upload a build to TestFlight and install it on your own iPhone. .NET MAUI’s Hot Restart can also deploy debug builds to a USB-connected iPhone. Web-based builders let you test in a browser preview before building.

Do I need a Mac to submit to the App Store?

Not if a service uploads for you. Expo says EAS Submit works on Windows, and builders like Floot and FlutterFlow submit to App Store Connect with your account. App Store Connect itself is a website.

Is Flutter or React Native better on Windows?

Both work, with the iOS build happening in the cloud. Choose the language your team knows; then use Expo EAS for React Native or a CI service like Codemagic for Flutter.

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