Web app vs app store app: which one makes sense for your business

A web app opens from a link in the phone's browser, can be saved to the home screen and never goes through a store. An app store app is downloaded from Google Play or the App Store, and every new version gets reviewed before it goes live. Both look and feel like an app. The difference is how they reach people and how you keep them running.

If you're still deciding whether you need an app at all or a website would do, I covered that in mobile app or website. This one is the next step: you already know you want something people use like an app, and the question is whether it needs to be in the stores.

Start with one question: who's going to use it?

Before talking about stores, think about three kinds of users, because each one pulls you in a different direction.

Your own team. Staff, sales reps, technicians. You can train them, text them the link and that's it. Nobody has to search a store, and when something changes tomorrow, they see it right away.

Occasional customers. The person scanning a QR code at the table, the client who places an order once a month, someone browsing a catalog. Asking them to download something first is a wall, and plenty of people turn around before they get past it.

Customers who come back every week. Gym members, regular delivery customers, people who book a court every Thursday. This is where being in the store starts to pay off: the app stays on their phone, sits next to their other apps and notifications reach them with fewer steps.

What actually changes for your business

Store rules change from time to time, so we'd check them together for your case before deciding.

The part nobody mentions about the stores

Being on Google Play and the App Store gives you presence, but it also adds work you should know about upfront. Every version goes through review, and if the store asks for a change, your fix waits. You need developer accounts in the business's name, a listing with screenshots and copy, a privacy policy and, in some industries, extra explanations for why the app asks for certain permissions. I wrote about what usually holds up approval in why Apple rejects an app.

None of that is a dealbreaker, but someone has to handle it every time the app changes. With a web app, I ship the improvement and your team has it that same afternoon. For a business that's still figuring out how it wants to work, being able to fix things fast is worth a lot.

When the store really is the better call

Sometimes an app store app is simply the right answer, and there's no point forcing something else:

- Your customers open it very often and you want it sitting among their apps without a second thought. - Notifications are central to the business (a slot opens up, an order ships) and you don't want to rely on iPhone users taking an extra step. - You need very specific phone features that the browser doesn't offer. - Your audience expects to find you in the store, and searching there is part of how they choose.

If that's you, look closely at what it costs to keep the app running over the years, not just to build it. I went through that in what it costs to maintain an app.

A link can close sales too

Here's something people underestimate: a web app gets shared like any other link. A sales rep sends it over WhatsApp, the customer taps it and they're in. That's how 3D walkthroughs for pre-construction apartments work, for example: they're sent as a link and explored right on the phone with nothing to install. In sales, every step you remove is someone who doesn't drop off along the way.

The same goes for internal tools. A technician who gets a link to today's schedule doesn't need anyone to set up their phone.

What I'd suggest to start

For most of the businesses I talk to, this order works best: start with a web app, put it in front of real users and, if usage justifies it, add the store versions later. That way you don't pay upfront for complexity you might never need.

If your case is one that needs the stores from day one, I do that too: I know the publishing process on both stores and I'll handle each review with you. I work remotely from Buenos Aires (UTC−3), with video calls and progress you can check through a link. You can see what I do on the services page.

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