Mobile App vs Web App: How to Actually Decide

“Should we build a mobile app or web app?”

Wrong question. The right question: What does your user need, when and where?

Let me break down how to decide.

The Real Costs

Let’s get numbers out of the way.

Basic Web App (MVP)

  • Development: $15,000-40,000
  • Timeline: 6-12 weeks
  • Ongoing: $500-2,000/month hosting and maintenance

Basic Mobile App (MVP)

  • Development: $30,000-80,000 per platform
  • Timeline: 12-20 weeks
  • Ongoing: $1,000-3,000/month plus app store fees

Both platforms mobile: Double the mobile costs.

Web is cheaper. Always. The question is whether mobile is worth the premium.

When Web Wins

Your users are at desks

B2B software. Internal tools. Anything used primarily during work hours on computers.

Nobody wants to download an app for their expense reporting. A web link works fine.

Complex data entry

Forms. Spreadsheets. Long-form content.

Typing on phones is painful. If your product requires significant input, web wins.

SEO matters

Web apps are discoverable. Google indexes them. Mobile apps are invisible to search.

If organic traffic is part of your growth strategy, you need web presence.

Budget is tight

If you can only build one thing, build web. You can access it from phones anyway.

Mobile-responsive web beats no mobile at all.

When Mobile Wins

Offline matters

Mobile apps can work without internet. Web apps can’t (mostly).

Field workers. Travel use cases. Areas with poor connectivity.

Device features

Camera. GPS. Push notifications. Bluetooth. Sensors.

If your product needs hardware access, mobile is necessary.

Frequent, brief interactions

Checking status. Quick approvals. Notifications that need response.

Opening a browser, navigating to a URL, and logging in is friction. An app icon is instant.

Consumer expectations

B2C products often need apps. Consumers expect them. It signals legitimacy.

B2B is more forgiving. Businesses understand web apps.

The Hybrid Options

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

Web apps that feel like mobile apps. Install to home screen. Offline support. Push notifications.

PWAs are 70% of native app capability at 20% of the cost.

Good for: Testing mobile demand before committing to native.

Cross-Platform Development

React Native. Flutter. Build once, deploy to both platforms.

Reality: Cross-platform is 60% cheaper than two native apps, not 50%. You still need platform-specific work.

If you need both platforms, find AI consultants Melbourne who can help with cross-platform development. The expertise gap between good and bad cross-platform work is huge.

The Decision Framework

Answer these questions:

  1. Where are users when they use your product?

    • Desk: Web
    • On the go: Mobile
    • Both: Consider PWA first

  2. What device features do you need?

    • None: Web
    • Camera/GPS/Notifications: Mobile

  3. How long are sessions?

    • Long sessions: Web
    • Brief, frequent: Mobile

  4. What’s your budget?

    • Under $30,000: Web only
    • $30,000-80,000: Web + PWA
    • $80,000+: Consider native mobile

  5. What do competitors do?

    • All have apps: You probably need one
    • Mixed: You have options

My Recommendation

Start with web. Always.

You can build faster. Learn faster. Iterate faster.

Add mobile when:

  • Users actively request it
  • Analytics show significant mobile traffic
  • You have budget for proper native development

“Build mobile first” is almost always wrong for startups. Exceptions exist but they’re rare.

Web is your default. Mobile is earned.