Choosing the best option for the business is a crucial step. If the business needs to get to market quickly and reach the widest possible audience, a web app is the best choice. But if the company’s success hinges on a flawless user experience and deep device integration, a native app is almost always the right solution.
The use of mobile apps is on the rise across industries because consumers want fast, safe, and easy-to-navigate experiences. Making the wrong tech choice affects cost, customer retention, and business growth, which is not something to ignore.
To make a thorough comparison of what each type of app can bring to the table and which one would be the most suitable for a business, this article will explore themes like install friction, storage, update costs, the capabilities of PWA, and which categories stay browser-first and have no intention of moving to native for now.
Install friction
Someone might think that having to go to the App Store or Google Play, wait for the app to install, and then log in are extra steps that extend the process and can cause friction. Meanwhile, when talking about a web app, it doesn’t require the user to install anything, so they will simply access it like they would access any site and start using the product immediately, especially with a good internet connection.
Another aspect that can cause friction when it comes to native apps is the fact that users have to download the new versions every time there is an update. Even if they manage to postpone it, at some point, the app won’t allow accessing it further until downloading the new version. Of course, it’s not a rule for all the apps, but some developers might impose this forced update.
On the other hand, browser app updates will typically implement on the server without requiring users to download a new version, which simplifies maintenance and accelerates the rollout of new features.
Storage and update costs
Web apps consume minimal device storage because they run in the browser and cache only essential assets, data, or state locally, with heavy data residing on cloud servers rather than on the local hard drive or the phone’s memory. Native apps are completely different because they require a full local installation package containing code, UI elements, and bundled assets. They can also, over time, occupy a lot of storage space due to cached media, offline databases, and other files.
The updates were previously mentioned, but without specifying the cost. A browser app benefits from instant updates that don’t involve users. Basically, when they open the app, the update has already taken place, and there is nothing else they need to do. Usually, the annual web maintenance costs are a very small fraction of the original build cost.
For the native app, the updates can delay because App Store, for example, must review submissions, and many first-time submissions face rejections that require bug fixes and resubmissions. Apple actually reviewed approximately 7.7 million app submissions in 2024, and rejected over 1.9 million for failing to meet its standards concerning performance, design and other practices. Therefore, the annual maintenance represents a higher percentage of the original build cost.
PWA capabilities
PWA represents Progressive Web Apps, and they offer a combination of a web browser and features normally found in native apps. The app launches in its own dedicated window without a URL, gets a custom icon, can fully function offline, supports push notifications, has faster development time and lower costs, and can work on all devices, with a few exceptions on iOS.
If generally, PWAs have access to the camera and microphone, can track location, support biometric authentication, access the device’s accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass data, and connect to Bluetooth and USB, the iOS system blocks lower-level access to features like Bluetooth, USB, and persistent background task syncing due to strict privacy and ecosystem policies. Still, progressive web apps will continue to attract developers as browsers improve and development costs remain low.
The categories that stayed browser-first
Some industries simply don’t require moving to a native app, because it wouldn’t benefit them the same way industries like gaming, fitness or gambling do. Accessing the SlotsCalendar UK free spins page will show casinos that have taken the step of creating a native app for their customers, so they can gamble from anywhere, anytime, as well as those that do not have an app yet.
But businesses in industries like design, SaaS and E-commerce benefit most from staying browser-first. Taking, for example, Canva, a site where anyone can create and edit designs by simply accessing the platform, editing on a big screen, and then downloading the creation. Looking at SaaS platforms such as Jira and Asana, they are tools for project management that also require large screens. Even though they have native apps, performance is still best on the web.
Why have some sectors never moved to native at all
In the fitness sector, for example, people willingly download apps to discover different programs they can follow, and that they can have on hand at all times, even tracking their progress. There are other sectors where companies simply wouldn’t have conversions if they were to ask people to download an app for a simple question, let’s say.
Many companies do not want to move to native apps because, for example, Apple requires sites offering real-money betting to have a license, geo-restrictions, and be free to download, which makes meeting the targets of the business model harder with an app than with just the web version.
Conclusion
Even though both types of apps have their advantages, it takes a thorough analysis to understand what would really benefit a business. As mentioned beforehand, some companies might not benefit from apps at all. It all comes down to what the main needs are, and businesses can really see this after analyzing their target audience, the trends surfacing at that moment and having a business model set in stone.