Native app or PWA? The decision in 6 questions
When €80k for a native app is worth it, when a PWA is enough, and the three criteria most people skip in the evaluation.
Every month we get the same brief: "we want an app". Half the time, the right answer is "you don't need one". The other half, you do — but not the way you thought. Here's our six-question checklist.
1. Is the app the product, or a channel?
If it IS the product (fintech, fitness, social) → native, no debate. If it's an additional channel (catalog, bookings, loyalty card) → seriously consider a PWA or a thin app on top of the website.
2. Do you need native features PWAs can't reach?
In 2026 a PWA covers nearly everything: push, offline, camera, geo, file system. It still doesn't cover well: complex Bluetooth LE, NFC writing, deep CarPlay or iOS home-screen widgets. There native wins.
3. How much do you value being in the stores?
App Store and Play Store are distribution + trust signals. If your users search your brand inside the store, you want to be there. A PWA doesn't solve that (yet).
4. Real usage frequency?
If your people use the service less than once a month, the app will likely get uninstalled. A PWA or a well-optimized mobile web pays back better.
5. Maintenance budget, not just build budget
A native app costs €60–120k to build well. Then it costs 20–40% of that every year — updates, new iOS/Android compatibility, security patches. PWA: one codebase, near-zero maintenance.
6. Real-world performance on your audience
PWAs fly on modern iPhones and high-end Android. They get slow on older devices and unstable 3G/4G. If your audience runs older hardware → go native.
Our rule of thumb: 80% of the time a PWA or cross-platform app (React Native) is the right call. 20% of the time you need native. Never start from the tech: start from the problem.