Rork
Rork (Build native iOS and Android apps by chatting with AI, then ship to the App Store and Google Play) is an AI app builder that turns plain-English prompts into working native mobile apps for iOS and Android, with web output too.
You describe the app you want, Rork generates it, you preview it on your phone, and you can publish to the App Store and Google Play. Unlike most "vibe coding" tools that produce web apps, Rork's focus is genuinely native mobile: it builds cross-platform apps with React Native and Expo, and its higher tier, Rork Max, generates native SwiftUI apps compiled with Xcode. The company was founded by Daniel Dhawan and Levan Kvirkvelia, is based in San Francisco, and raised a $15 million seed round in April 2026.
This page explains what Rork is, how it works, what it costs, who it is for, honest reviews including the mixed ratings, and how it compares with web-first builders like Lovable.
Overview
What is Rork?
Rork is a cross-platform AI app builder aimed at one thing most of its rivals skip: real native mobile apps. You chat with the AI, describe the app, and Rork writes the code, shows you a live preview, and gets you to a build you can install on your iPhone or Android device and submit to the stores. The pitch on its own site is blunt: "create mobile apps by chatting with AI" and "ship to App Store." It is built for founders, indie makers, and teams who want to go from idea to a published app without hiring developers or learning Swift or Kotlin first.
There are two build modes. Rork Pro builds cross-platform apps using React Native and Expo, so one project targets both iOS and Android. Rork Max builds native SwiftUI apps compiled with Xcode, the same toolchain professional iOS developers use, for people who want a fully native Apple app. Around those, Rork has added a backend (realtime data, authentication, and storage), an AI Cloud for adding multimodal AI features to your app, a games builder, an App Store screenshot studio, and an AI reviewer that flags likely App Store rejections before you submit.
Rork company information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Product | Rork (AI mobile app builder) |
| Founders | Daniel Dhawan and Levan Kvirkvelia |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, U.S. (team also in Tbilisi and London) |
| Category | AI app builder / no-code mobile development |
| Built on | React Native and Expo (Pro); SwiftUI and Xcode (Max) |
| Funding | $15M seed (April 2026), led by Left Lane Capital, after an a16z Speedrun pre-seed |
| Other investors | Peak XV, True Ventures, Goodwater, a16z Speedrun |
| Website | rork.com |
How Rork works
The flow is conversational. You type what you want ("a habit tracker with reminders and a streak screen"), and Rork scaffolds the screens, navigation, and logic, then renders a live preview you can click through. You keep chatting to refine it, add a database and login through Rork Backend, and when it is ready you install it on your own device. Rork's own claim is "one click to install on your iPhone, two clicks to the App Store." In practice, publishing to the App Store still needs an Apple Developer Program membership, which costs 99 US dollars a year and is Apple's fee, not Rork's. For Rork Max native builds you also need a Mac and the Rork companion app; Rork Pro cross-platform builds do not require a Mac.
Key Rork features
Rork is more than a code generator now. The platform bundles several pieces that together cover the path from idea to store listing, which is what separates it from a simple prompt-to-code toy.
- Prompt to native app: describe an app in plain English and get working iOS and Android screens, not just a web page.
- Rork Backend: built-in realtime data, authentication, and storage so your app has a working server side.
- Rork AI Cloud: drop multimodal AI features (chat, vision, and more) into the apps you build.
- Rork Max: native SwiftUI apps compiled with Xcode for a fully native Apple experience.
- AI App Store Reviewer: catches common reasons Apple rejects apps before you submit.
- Screenshot Studio and Games: generate App Store screenshots and build simple native games.
Rork pricing
Rork is credit-based and sits on a freemium model. There is a free tier with a small allowance of credits so you can try building an app before paying. Paid plans are organised around two products. Rork Pro is the cross-platform plan, with tiers that have been cited in roughly the 20 to 100 US dollars a month range depending on how many message credits you need. Rork Max, the native SwiftUI plan, starts higher, around 200 US dollars a month and up, reflecting the heavier native toolchain. Because Rork iterates by "messages," the practical cost depends a lot on how much back-and-forth your app needs, and debugging loops consume credits. Pricing and credit allowances change often, so check the live pricing page at rork.com for the current tiers before you commit. Remember the separate 99 US dollars a year Apple Developer fee if you plan to publish to the App Store.
Rork reviews: the honest picture
Reviews are genuinely split, and it is worth knowing why. On the positive side, makers who have shipped apps call Rork one of the most accessible ways to get from an idea to a published native app without writing code, and say the output looks polished enough for MVPs and internal tools. Its Product Hunt rating has sat around 4.6 out of 5. On the critical side, its Trustpilot score has been much lower, closer to 2 out of 5, and the recurring complaints are consistent: credit-heavy iterations (fixing the AI's own mistakes burns credits), a complexity wall where apps with custom backends or unusual requirements still need a developer, and cost that adds up fast if you run several projects. A fair summary: Rork is excellent for turning an idea into a working native prototype or a simple production app quickly, but the more complex and polished you need the result, the more you will spend and the more technical help you may want.
Rork links
| Channel | Link |
|---|---|
| Website | rork.com |
| Documentation | docs.rork.com |
| X (Twitter) | x.com/rork |
| YouTube | youtube.com/@rork-app |
| GitHub | github.com/rorkai |
Rork vs Lovable
The most common comparison is Rork versus Lovable, and the simplest way to choose is by what you are building. Rork is mobile-first: it produces native iOS and Android apps with React Native, Expo, and Swift, so it is the better fit when the deliverable is an app in the App Store or Google Play. Lovable is web-first: it builds React and Tailwind web apps backed by Supabase, exports clean code to GitHub, and is superb for web products, dashboards, and landing pages, but it is not a native mobile builder. Both are credit-based, both are fast for the first 80 percent of an MVP, and both can get expensive during heavy debugging. Pick Rork for mobile apps and Lovable for web apps. The table below sums it up.
Who should use Rork
Rork suits non-technical founders who want a real mobile app without hiring a developer, indie hackers testing app ideas cheaply, and small teams building internal tools or MVPs. It is less suited to apps with heavy custom backends, strict performance needs, or complex logic, where you will likely outgrow the AI and want a developer to take the code further. Used for what it is good at, a fast path from idea to a working native app, it is one of the stronger options in the category.
History
Rork was founded in 2024 in San Francisco, U.S. by Daniel Dhawan (Co-founder) and Levan Kvirkvelia (Co-founder).
Rork features
Rork offers the following capabilities:
- Prompt to native app. Describe an app in plain English and get working native iOS and Android screens, not just a web page.
- React Native, Expo and Swift. Cross-platform builds with React Native and Expo in Rork Pro, and native SwiftUI builds in Rork Max.
- Rork Backend. Built-in realtime data, authentication, and storage so your generated app has a working server side.
- Rork AI Cloud. Add multimodal AI features such as chat and vision directly into the apps you build.
- AI App Store Reviewer. Flags common reasons Apple rejects apps before you submit, saving a failed review cycle.
- Screenshots, games and web. Generate App Store screenshots, build simple native games, and ship production web apps from the same platform.
Use cases of Rork
- Launch an app without a developer (Non-technical founders). Turn an idea into a published iOS and Android app without hiring engineers or learning Swift or Kotlin.
- Test app ideas cheaply (Indie hackers). Spin up a working prototype in hours to validate an idea before investing in a full build.
- Build internal tools and MVPs (Startups and small teams). Ship internal mobile tools or an MVP fast, then hand the code to a developer to extend.
- Prototype for clients (Agencies and freelancers). Create clickable native prototypes quickly to show clients before quoting a full project.
Rork pricing
Rork uses a freemium pricing model, starting at Free tier; paid from ~$20/mo. The product offers a free version.
| Plan | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 /to try | A small allowance of message credits so you can build and preview an app before paying. Good for testing whether Rork fits your idea.
|
| Rork Pro | from ~$20/mo /credit-based | The cross-platform plan built on React Native and Expo. Tiers scale by message credits, cited roughly in the $20 to $100/mo range. No Mac required.
|
| Rork Max | from ~$200/mo /credit-based | Native SwiftUI apps compiled with Xcode for a fully native Apple experience. Needs a Mac and the Rork companion app.
|
Rork vs Lovable
The table below contrasts Rork with Lovable (lovable.dev) on a few key dimensions.
| Dimension | Rork | Lovable |
|---|---|---|
| Primary output | Native iOS and Android apps | Web apps (React + Tailwind) |
| Tech stack | React Native, Expo, SwiftUI | React, Tailwind, Supabase |
| Best for | Mobile apps for the app stores | Web products, dashboards, landing pages |
| Code ownership | Yours; publish to the stores | Yours; export to GitHub |
| Pricing | Credit-based, free tier + paid | Credit-based, free tier + paid |
| Weak spot | Complex backends need a developer | Not a native mobile builder |
Platforms & tech
- Supported platforms: Web browser, iOS (companion app), Builds iOS, Android and web apps.
- Deployment: cloud.
Awards & recognition
- $15M seed round (April 2026) — Rork raised a $15 million seed led by Left Lane Capital, with Peak XV, True Ventures, Goodwater, and a16z Speedrun, to grow its native mobile AI app builder after an earlier a16z Speedrun pre-seed.
See also
- Base44 — An all-in-one AI app builder (now a Wix company) for web apps, websites, and AI agents with a built-in backend.
- Lovable — The best-known web-first AI app builder, strong for React web products with clean code export to GitHub.
- Bolt.new — StackBlitz's in-browser AI builder for full-stack web apps, popular for fast web prototyping.
References
- "Rork official website". rork.com.
- "Rork documentation". docs.rork.com.
- "Rork raises $15M seed for AI mobile app creation". Pulse 2.0.
- "Rork raises $15M to power app-store entrepreneurs". VCA Online.
External links
Frequently asked questions
- What is Rork?
- Rork is an AI app builder that turns plain-English prompts into working native mobile apps for iOS and Android, with web output too. You describe the app, Rork generates the screens and logic, you preview it on your phone, and you can publish to the App Store and Google Play. Rork Pro builds cross-platform apps with React Native and Expo, while Rork Max builds native SwiftUI apps compiled with Xcode. It was founded by Daniel Dhawan and Levan Kvirkvelia and is based in San Francisco.
- How much does Rork cost?
- Rork is credit-based and freemium. There is a free tier with a small allowance so you can try it. Rork Pro, the cross-platform plan, has been cited roughly in the 20 to 100 US dollars a month range depending on how many message credits you need, and Rork Max, the native SwiftUI plan, starts higher at around 200 US dollars a month. Because the tool iterates by messages, your real cost depends on how much back-and-forth your app needs. Check rork.com for current pricing, and budget the separate 99 US dollars a year Apple Developer fee if you want to publish to the App Store.
- Is Rork good? What do reviews say?
- Reviews are split. Makers who have shipped apps praise Rork as one of the most accessible ways to get from an idea to a published native app without code, and its Product Hunt rating has sat around 4.6 out of 5. Its Trustpilot score has been lower, near 2 out of 5, with complaints about credits being consumed by debugging, a complexity wall for custom backends, and cost adding up across projects. In short, it is strong for prototypes and simple production apps, and weaker the more complex and polished you need the result.
- Does Rork build real native apps?
- Yes. That is its main differentiator. Rork Pro builds cross-platform apps using React Native and Expo, which run natively on both iOS and Android, and Rork Max builds native SwiftUI apps compiled with Xcode, the same toolchain professional iOS developers use. This sets it apart from web-first AI builders that produce web apps rather than true mobile apps.
- Do I need a Mac or coding skills to use Rork?
- For Rork Pro cross-platform builds you do not need a Mac, and the no-code positioning means you can build by chatting rather than writing code. For Rork Max native SwiftUI builds you do need a Mac and the Rork companion app. Some reviewers note that a little React Native knowledge helps when apps get complex, and that custom backends or unusual features may still need a developer, so "no code" holds best for straightforward apps.
- How do I publish a Rork app to the App Store?
- Rork is designed to take you from build to store with minimal steps. You install the app on your own device to test, then submit to the App Store or Google Play. Publishing to the App Store requires an Apple Developer Program membership, which costs 99 US dollars a year and is paid to Apple, not Rork. Google Play has a one-time 25 US dollars developer registration fee. Rork also includes an AI App Store Reviewer that flags likely rejection reasons before you submit.
- Rork vs Lovable: which should I use?
- Choose by what you are building. Rork is mobile-first and produces native iOS and Android apps with React Native, Expo, and Swift, so it is the better choice when you need an app in the stores. Lovable is web-first, building React and Tailwind web apps backed by Supabase with clean code export to GitHub, which makes it excellent for web products but not a native mobile builder. Both are credit-based and fast for early MVPs. Pick Rork for mobile apps and Lovable for web apps.
- Who founded Rork and is it funded?
- Rork was founded by Daniel Dhawan and Levan Kvirkvelia, both experienced mobile app entrepreneurs, and is headquartered in San Francisco with team members in Tbilisi and London. It raised a 15 million US dollar seed round in April 2026 led by Left Lane Capital, with Peak XV, True Ventures, Goodwater, and a16z Speedrun participating, following an earlier pre-seed from Andreessen Horowitz's Speedrun program.
- What are the best Rork alternatives?
- For native mobile apps, Rork is one of the few AI builders focused on that output. For web apps, the main alternatives are Lovable (React and Tailwind with GitHub export), Base44 (an all-in-one AI app builder that is now a Wix company), and Bolt.new (StackBlitz's in-browser full-stack builder). If your project is a web product, those web-first tools may fit better, while Rork remains the stronger pick when the deliverable is a mobile app.
- Can Rork build a backend and games?
- Yes. Rork Backend provides realtime data, authentication, and storage so your app has a working server side, and Rork AI Cloud lets you add multimodal AI features such as chat and vision. Rork also offers a games builder for simple native games and a Screenshot Studio for generating App Store screenshots, which rounds out the path from idea to a complete store listing.