Web app or mobile app: choosing your first build
It is one of the first questions clients ask. The answer depends on who uses the product, how often, and what it needs from the phone.
One of the first questions we hear is whether a product should be a web app or a mobile app. There is no single right answer, but there is a short list of questions that usually settles it.
Start with the people using it
If your users are staff at desks, partners who log in now and then, or customers who find you through search, a web app reaches them fastest. There is nothing to install, every update goes live at once, and it works on any device with a browser.
If your users come back daily, expect notifications, or rely on the phone’s camera, location or offline access, a mobile app earns its place on their home screen.
Questions that usually decide it
- How often will a typical user open it: daily, weekly or rarely?
- Does it need push notifications, the camera, location or offline use?
- Will people find it through search and links, or through an app store?
- How quickly do you need to ship changes once it is live?
You often do not have to choose
Many products start as a responsive web app, prove that people use it, and add a mobile app later for the most active users. With a shared back end, the second app reuses most of the work. Cross-platform tools also mean one mobile codebase can serve both iOS and Android.
If you are unsure, that is exactly what a discovery phase is for. We look at your users and your goals, and recommend the smallest build that tests the idea properly.