Native Apps vs. PWA: Why Spending €50k on an App Might Be Your Startup's Worst Mistake

It's the classic phrase in any new founder meeting: "And then, we launch the App." The prestige of having an icon on the home screen of millions of people is seductive. But the reality of App Stores is brutal: the average user downloads zero new applications per month.

App Store Fatigue and Download Friction

For someone to use your Native App, they have to: go to the Store, search for you, remember their iCloud/Google password, wait for the download, and open it. Every step is a barrier where you lose 20% of users.
Progressive Web Apps (PWA) eliminate this. They are websites that, using modern technologies (Service Workers), behave like apps: they work offline, send push notifications, and install with one click from the browser, without intermediaries.

Cost Analysis: The Math Doesn't Lie

Developing a quality native experience implies:

• A team for iOS (Swift).
• A team for Android (Kotlin).
• A team for the Web and Backend.

With a PWA, you have a single codebase (React, Vue, Svelte) that works on all devices. Unified maintenance, instant deployment.

When Do You REALLY Need a Native App?

We aren't anti-native; we are pro-efficiency. Native development is still king if your business model depends on:

• Intensive hardware usage: Complex AR/VR processing, low-latency Bluetooth with medical devices, etc.
• High-performance graphics: 3D Gaming.