Mobile App or Web App: Which one a startup should choose first

Tags: mobileappdevelopment, webappdeveloopment, webdev, appdevelopment
Published: 2019-08-07 11:38:33

![feature image of mobile app](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/poMoiv0OS3TeV93h3s-qqJqftmTRATzYgwY_XJ9aEvzWNZu8z27Rr-6WJKiXfCC70PYaCDjNlat7jZqQ52noMjpzWjnrLDip2BNPywaf)

As per [statistics](https://www.perficientdigital.com/insights/our-research/mobile-vs-desktop-usage-study), in the year 2018, about 58% of the website visits came from mobile applications. It was also noted that around [42%](https://www.perficientdigital.com/insights/our-research/mobile-vs-desktop-usage-study) of the world population spent their time on the mobile devices. So, now it is not at all a question of whether your organization needs a mobile app development plan, because you off course do! However, if you are starting a small scale or a startup, a mobile app or a  web app will serve your purpose is the major question. 

So, if you are about to begin your startup and looking for better ideas for your business, then this is the article for you. In this article, we will answer your questions like: 

**A mobile app or a web app for your startup?**
**What are the benefits of mobile apps and web apps?**
**Which of them has a better success rate?**
**Which will be a good option for a startup: a web app or a mobile app?**

Without wasting much of your time, let’s begin: 

At the forefront, both mobile apps and web apps might look quite similar, however, they are quite different from each other. Also, they both have their own set of advantages. When deciding one of the mediums of the two and which serves your business purpose better, there are various factors that you need to consider is your target audience, intent and your budget. In order to make things easy for you, and explain where you must put your efforts, I have listed down the benefits and limitations of each of the options. 

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**#1: Do you wish to reach more audience?** 

If your answer to this question is yes, then a website can help you reach more visitors in comparison to a mobile application. In order to validate this, you may analyze the Google search traffic for an organization that provides the mobile and web analytics based in the US. If you check, ***only around 21% of the website traffic comes from mobile gadgets & the rest comes from the tablets & desktops.***

![analytics of web and mobile app](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/LKw5hs-Hppjg0qGR8GxBIutXZANfyZY-2JnFoppA5xjwd_4XYj-9byGBZnEkRVtgXJJqoty3SOlgSXVmRDX7TCqqs8WfSjAwClRP5L0)


So, if you check in the above analytics, the winner is Web app in terms of more audience reach. 

**Winner**: In terms of audience reach, **Web App** is the winner. 

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**#2: Is application speed crucial for your business?**

Mobile applications work way faster than the websites. The reason? Mobile apps store the user’s data settings on the phone locally. On the other hand, web applications download the data from servers. Hence, when performance is considered, the user’s experience is amazing when they use native mobile applications. 

**Winner**: In terms of speed, **Mobile Apps** are the winner. 

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**#3: Does app usage frequency matters to you?**

![app usage frequency for web and mobile app](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/n2asHRKpWQdDA9tIw_PuF08_1rmDoaT--YVKGgHQerzYTe-iSR3Lao-vTaFut1Zxkxxxmpbe2tyBj5Wpx5IFc_VfuJomq1lfNmCZPo29)

Let’s understand this concept with an example. Suppose you are a user/visitor of an app like Facebook. You had to visit the facebook page for at least 10 times a day. And, every time you had to open the page, you had to open a web browser, login with the credentials and sign to the application. How frustrating and irritating it would sound? But, in order to ease all this pain, you make use of the Facebook app installed on your phones. Reason? ***The mobile apps are easier to use , faster to access and can be used just anywhere and also the mobile apps keeps you updated with the latest notifications.***

Hence, if the number of visits matter to you, then you must consider developing a mobile app as per the usage of the app by the users. 

**Winner**: if frequent user visits are considered, **Mobile Apps** would be a better option. 

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**#4: Do you have a budget of minimum $10K?**

If your answer to this question is no then you might want to go for mobile web apps. Mobile app development can cost between $10K- $100K for iOS and Android, which is a lot indeed, especially for a startup. Moreover, the prices differ depending on the type of app, demography and many other factors. It might cost you $10K for a simple app but a cheap application is not worth it. Hence, ***if you are not able to spend a huge sum of money, then developing a web app should be your ideal choice.***
 
**Winner**: A *Web App*, if an affordable choice is to be made. 
 
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**From a startup point of view, which is good: A mobile app or a web app?** 
 
When it comes to deciding between the two, there are certain things that need to be considered before finalizing your choice. 
 
Mobile website vs Mobile apps has always been a debatable topic especially for the individuals who have always wanted either of the one to be developed for their business. We have seen the situations above where the mobile app is the winner and certain conditions where the mobile website is the winner. 
 
So, to cut a long story short, if a startup needs to reach more number of audience in less time and also has a low budget, then mobile websites are the better option. On the other hand, if you need more engagement, then mobile apps are the best choice. If you are choosing native app development, then you get advantages like better UI, app security, more engagement, etc. 
 
The answer is not the choice between web development vs mobile app development. It is, on the other hand, selecting the one that will be most effective for your business project. The appropriate solution should be able to fulfill all the requirements and execute the business strategies that have been pre-decided. In addition to websites and mobile apps, the businesses even have an option to go for **Progressive Web Apps**(PWA) development. These are the web apps which load just like web pages but have more key features to offer. With the PWAs, you will be able to work offline, activate push notifications and use any feature that a specific mobile app provides. 
 
So, if you wish to develop a website or a mobile app, you may contact a reputed and renowned [mobile app development company](https://www.pixelcrayons.com/mobileappdevelopment/utm_source=mjmpmawa&utm_medium=mjmpmawa&utm_campaign=mjmpmawa) with a dedicated team of experienced and talented mobile app developers who are ready to turn your imagination into reality.