Apps
One codebase becomes a web app and an iOS app, backend included.
A Contrast app is one project with source, previews, data, agents, and launch targets in a single workspace. You write one codebase. It runs on the web and, for most templates, on iOS through rnx. Backend apps ship with a real database that runs in the browser.
Every app starts from a template. Pick the one closest to what you want to ship first, then change it from there.
Templates
| Template | What you get | Runs on | Backend |
|---|---|---|---|
| App | Accounts and real data, on web and phone | Web, iOS | Yes |
| Game | A playable arcade game with a live leaderboard | Web, iOS | Yes |
| Website | A landing page and docs | Web only | No |
- App and Game are full-stack. Each comes with the in-browser data stack and renders on both web and native iOS.
- Website is frontend only. No backend, no accounts, web only.
The full template breakdown lives on the templates reference.
Create one
You have three ways to start:
- Describe it in chat. Type what you want, for example
Build a habit tracker with accounts and a weekly streak. Contrast spins up the matching project and the factory starts building. - Pick a first-run card. New accounts see App and Game cards on the welcome screen. Click one to scaffold it.
- Use the Project menu. Open Project → New Project and choose App, Game, or Website.
New accounts also land on a seeded Todos starter so the workspace always has something running. Treat it as a sandbox. Move real work into a fresh project.
What a template sets
A template sets a project’s default runtimes: which platforms it targets. The runtimes gate everything downstream, including which preview panes appear, which deploy targets are available, and which native tools agents can use.
Change them any time in Project Settings → Runtimes. Turn on iOS to add the native preview and TestFlight lanes. See Native iOS for what that enables.
Files and settings
A project’s files live in the workspace, read and written through the file tree in the Dev space, not your local disk. Right-click the tree to create, rename, or delete. Use Save all files in the editor pane header to persist edits.
Open Project Settings to configure the app:
- General names the project and downloads it as a standalone app.
- Access invites collaborators to edit.
- GitHub links a repo and syncs branches as pull requests. See GitHub.
- Integrations connects payment providers and verifies their keys. See Monetization.
- Secrets stores encrypted environment variables for dev and deploys.
- Runtimes picks the target platforms.
- iOS/App Store holds native identity and Apple credentials. See App Store.