Pros and Cons of Building a Mobile App vs. A Web App

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Deciding between a mobile app and a web app is not easy. You’ll hear strong opinions on both sides if you ask startup founders. You won’t hear a balanced answer, weighing the pros and cons of each. In the end, you’re left with more questions than answers.

So, mobile app vs. web app – which one should you choose? Read on to find out.

What is a mobile app?

A mobile app is designed to run on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. These apps use native device features like GPS, camera, microphone, etc.

To help you decide better whether to build a mobile app or not, let’s look at its advantages and disadvantages:

Benefits of building a mobile app

  • Mobile apps use the device’s in-built features like location services, microphone, and camera. Also, they’re hosted on local databases, and that’s why these apps are faster and perform seamlessly.
  • Mobile apps offer multiple monetization options. You can choose the strategy that best suits your mobile app based on your needs. You can even use more than one method.
  • You can use some mobile apps even when you don’t have an active internet connection. It is a beneficial feature as it allows users to use your app even in places where the connection is poor.
  • Most consumers prefer having a mobile app over a web app. It is because they like the convenience of completing day-to-day tasks like grocery shopping, online payments, or booking a cab from their phone. As a result, mobile apps offer you a chance to create a large audience of loyal customers.
  • With mobile apps, you can send push notifications to engage your audience. You can trigger these push notifications as a reminder if they haven’t used the app for a while or to convey essential information.

Cons of building a mobile app

  • Mobile apps are more costly than web apps as they use native device features like messaging and payment processing. Even a basic app will cost around $30000-$40000.
  • You need to maintain your app to fix bugs and security issues regularly. This maintenance doesn’t come easy. You would have to spend around 20% of the total app development cost on maintenance.
  • Users can’t use the app unless they download it from the Google Play Store or Apple app store. This way, most of your target audience can miss out on your app.
  • Listing your app on the Google Play store costs a one-time fee of $25 and a 30% commission from the money you make. Similarly, you have to pay an annual fee of $99 and 30% of the commission from your app’s earnings. Imagine how many dollars these platforms strip away from you.

What is a web app?

You can access a web app on any device or platform through a web browser. You can also directly access a web app on your smartphone by saving its shortcut on the home screen.


Here are the pros and cons of a web app to help you decide whether to build one or not:

Upsides of a Web App

  • You can make web apps access a wide range of audiences. Customers can access them regardless of location, device, or operating system.
  • Releasing new updates is more accessible in web apps as developers only need to make changes in a shared codebase. Also, web updates don’t typically render web apps unusable.
  • Since web apps are displayed in search results, users can easily find them. You only need to aim your web app against the keywords they’re searching for.
  • Developing a web app is more affordable than mobile apps as they require less development time.
  • You don’t have to download a web app to use it, which removes a significant barrier because not many people are willing to download the app in the first place. This way, more curious users can check out your app without hassle.

Downsides of Web Apps

  • Web apps can access a mobile device’s native features like camera, microphone, and location services only to a limited extent. As a result, you may miss out on specific functionalities that only native mobile apps offer. 
  • Since web apps cater to different web browsers, you may face issues on specific web browsers. Also, web apps don’t run as quickly as native mobile apps hosted on a local server.
  • The web app will also go down if your web browser goes down due to a sudden spike in traffic or other issues. 
  • Web apps heavily depend on the internet for use. It means users can’t access them if they don’t have internet access, they’ve run out of data, or they’re in an area where the network is weak.
  • Users don’t find web apps on the Google play store or the Apple app store. Hence, they often find it difficult to trust them.
  • Web apps don’t go through any approval process. It means they can be available on the web even if they don’t adhere to industry stands. You may even find apps that are not secure and can easily steal and misuse user data.

Conclusion: Should you invest in a mobile app or a web app?

To decide whether to invest in a mobile app or a web app, ask yourself these five questions:

  • What feature do you want in your mobile app?
  • How important is the speed for you?
  • Who is your target audience?
  • Do you want users to access your app offline?
  • How much money are you willing to spend?

To answer your questions:

  • You should go for a mobile app if you want features that need access to your device’s native functionality.
  • A mobile app is a good option for you if speed is essential for you. Otherwise, go for a web app.
  • You must choose a web app if you’re targeting a broader audience and want people to find your app from the web.
  • Choose a mobile app if you users to access your app offline.
  • A web app is a good option if you have a tight budget.

There you have your answers. Next, you need to decide and approach a software development company to build the right mobile app for you. Let us know if you need any help from me.