We have this conversation with almost every new client: they have an idea, a budget and a deadline, and they want to know whether to build a web app or a mobile app. Get it wrong and it can cost you months and tens of thousands of pounds. Get it right and you've laid the foundations for a successful product.

Start with behaviour, not technology

The question isn't “which one is better?”, it's “where does your user already spend their time?” If your users are mostly on desktop, doing tasks that need a large screen and a keyboard, a web app will convert better. If your users need location, the camera, offline mode or push notifications, mobile has a structural advantage.

The right platform is the one your users never have to think about.

The case for web-first

For most early-stage products, we recommend starting with a web app. The reasons are practical:

  • Faster iteration: Shipping a web update takes minutes. A mobile update needs store approval (24 to 72 hours for iOS).
  • No barrier to installation: A link is the lowest-friction distribution mechanism there is.
  • Cross-platform by default: One codebase, every device.
  • Lower development cost: Typically 40 to 60% cheaper than building two native apps.

When mobile-first makes sense

There are genuine cases where starting with mobile is the right call:

  • Your core feature needs hardware access (camera, GPS, accelerometer)
  • Your users are primarily on mobile and expect a native experience
  • Offline functionality is a core requirement
  • You're in a consumer category where a store presence drives discovery

The hybrid route

For most of our clients, the answer is a progressive web app (PWA) that launches on the web and delivers a near-native experience on mobile without needing to be published to the stores. This approach lets you validate your product, grow your user base, and gather enough data to make an informed decision about native mobile development.

Build for where your users are today. You can always add a native app once you've proven demand. Having to rebuild a mobile app into a web app after already investing in native is a painful and expensive lesson.