macOS app development
macOS app development is a rare but real specialty for us. We build desktop products for Mac with React Native — the same stack we use for iOS and Android, adapted to the desktop: windows, the menu bar, background work, the file system, notifications. When it makes sense, this lets us reuse a shared codebase with the mobile app instead of writing the Mac version from scratch.
A live example is Postmypost: a Mac app that helps schedule and publish social media posts. We've been developing it for the third year — adding features and keeping it running. So for us macOS isn't a one-off experiment, it's a product we maintain for the long haul.
React Native on the desktop
The default path for Mac is native Swift/AppKit. We go through React Native for macOS instead: it shares logic, screens, and components with the iOS/Android version and noticeably cuts duplicate work when a product already has, or plans to have, a mobile app. Where RN doesn't cover desktop specifics, we write native modules on the Mac side — without them a desktop app feels incomplete.
Native Mac capabilities
A desktop app isn't a stretched phone. We work through what mobile doesn't have: a menu-bar item and tray icon, multiple windows, file drag-and-drop, system notifications, launch-at-login and background work, keyboard shortcuts, file-system access. Which of these your product actually needs we decide up front, based on real user scenarios rather than a checklist.
Backend and integrations
A Mac app rarely lives alone: there's usually a backend behind it — auth, sync, and external APIs. We handle the backend in-house with Node.js + TypeScript, the same stack as in our mobile and full-stack projects. In the Postmypost case that means social-network integrations, a publishing scheduler, and sync across devices.
Build and distribution
We take the product to a state you can ship: building the .app/.dmg, code signing and notarization with Apple (your Apple Developer account is required), and updates. Mac App Store publishing or direct distribution depends on your product model — we'll work out which is better in your case and prepare everything needed.
Lifecycle and support
We run a macOS product through the same stages as the rest: Discovery → MVP → Production → Support. We don't disappear after release — Postmypost is the proof, now in its third year of maintenance and growth. A rough MVP timeline is from 1 month; we give a precise estimate after reviewing your scenarios and the native features you need.
FAQ
Why build a Mac app with React Native instead of native Swift?
How much does macOS app development cost and how long does it take?
Can you help publish the app to the Mac App Store?
Tell us about your product — a path to production follows
A 30-minute call: the task, the risks and the format of working together. No obligations.