When should you build a mobile app?

A lot of our clients come to us not realizing that the best solution for their situation might be building a mobile-responsive web app instead of a native mobile app. Mobile-responsive web apps can have significant functionality and act similarly to a native app if they're built right.

When to build a mobile-responsive app:

Building a mobile-responsive web app will cut down on both development and maintenance costs. We typically recommend that our clients develop mobile-responsive web-apps in the following cases:

  • The app will have a limited number of users.
  • There won't be any native device functionality needed.
  • The app won't be updated frequently (more than twice a year).
  • The app is only needed to be used internally and is not customer-facing.

When to build a mobile app:

There are often business cases where a true mobile app is needed. In these cases, we recommend developing apps natively on both iOS and Android. We typically recommend building a mobile app if your app requires two or more of the following

  • You have a large user base
  • You need offline functionality
  • Integration with native device functions (microphone, GPS, camera, etc..)
  • Integration with a piece of hardware (bluetooth devices, IoT devices)
  • Access multiple large files from your device such as videos, pdfs and audio files.