PWA or native app: which should your business choose?
For roughly 80 % of business needs (booking, catalogue, client portal, internal tool), a PWA is enough and starts at 2,490 € at Neting, versus 10,000 to 150,000 € for a native app built by an agency. Native still makes sense for hardware-heavy use cases or a strategic store presence. The safest path: launch a PWA, measure real usage, then upgrade if the numbers justify it.
- PWA from 2,490 € at Neting, agency-built native app: 10,000 to 150,000 €
- A PWA ships in 4 to 6 weeks, a native project usually takes several months
- Outside the stores, a PWA avoids the 15 to 30 % commission on sales
- Around 80 % of business needs are fully covered by a PWA
- Native developer accounts: 99 USD per year at Apple, 25 USD one-off at Google
PWA, native app: what do these terms actually mean?
A PWA (Progressive Web App) is a new-generation website that installs on the phone's home screen and behaves like an app, with no obligation to go through the stores. A native app is software built specifically for iOS or Android and distributed through the App Store and Google Play. For the user, both show an icon and open full screen: the real difference lies in cost, timelines, distribution and hardware access.
What are the concrete differences between a PWA and native?
The most visible gap is price: a full PWA starts at 2,490 € at Neting, while an agency-built native app costs 10,000 to 150,000 €. The table below sums up the other decision criteria.
| Criterion | PWA | Native app |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | from 2,490 € (Neting) | 10,000 to 150,000 € at an agency |
| Timeline | 4 to 6 weeks | several months |
| Stores | optional, installs from the browser | required: 99 USD/year (Apple), 25 USD (Google) |
| Push notifications | yes, on modern browsers | yes |
| Offline mode | yes, via caching | yes, full |
| Hardware access | camera, GPS, web standards | full: advanced Bluetooth, sensors, AR |
| Updates | instant, server-side | subject to store review |
| Commission on sales | 0 % outside the stores | 15 to 30 % on in-app sales |
When is a PWA enough?
In roughly 80 % of business projects, a PWA covers the entire need. Typical cases:
- Appointment booking: calendar, push reminders, deposit payment.
- Catalogue or ordering: products, cart, checkout with no store commission.
- Client portal: case tracking, documents, messaging.
- Internal tool: field data entry, inventory, reporting for your teams.
In these scenarios a native app brings no measurable functional gain, but multiplies both budget and timeline.
When is a native app the right call?
Native is the right call when the app makes intensive use of the phone's hardware or when a store presence is strategically important. In practice: demanding games and 3D, advanced Bluetooth (connected devices), specialised sensors, augmented reality, real-time video processing. On the business side, being found directly in the App Store and Google Play can matter for a consumer brand: the stores remain an acquisition channel in their own right, at the price of a 15 to 30 % commission on in-app sales.
How much does each option cost in 2026?
Expect from 2,490 € for a professional PWA at Neting, 5,000 to 30,000 € for a mobile MVP, and 10,000 to 150,000 € for an agency-built native app. For native, add the developer accounts (99 USD per year at Apple, 25 USD one-off at Google) and the 15 to 30 % store commission if you sell inside the app. The full line-by-line breakdown is in our guide on mobile app pricing in 2026.
Why is starting with a PWA often the smart strategy?
Because it lets you validate real usage with a controlled investment before committing a large budget. The progressive approach: launch a PWA in 4 to 6 weeks, measure installs, retention and sales, then decide with data. If the numbers justify a store presence or advanced hardware features, you upgrade to native without starting over: the back office, the API and the content all stay in place.
How do you decide in practice?
Ask yourself three simple questions. One: does your app need features the web cannot deliver, such as advanced Bluetooth, specialised sensors or demanding 3D? If not, the PWA is the clear favourite. Two: will your customers spontaneously search for you in the stores? For a B2B tool, a client portal or a booking module, the answer is almost always no: a direct link or a QR code installs the app in seconds. Three: how much budget can you commit without putting the business at risk? Between 2,490 € and a five or six figure project, the gap deserves to be validated with real usage data before you sign anything. A PWA also runs on one codebase across iOS, Android and desktop, which keeps maintenance simple and affordable over time.
What does Neting offer for your project?
Neting offers two clear packages: PWA Launch at 2,490 € (iOS, Android and web, push notifications, back office, delivered in 4 to 6 weeks) and App Business at 6,990 € (store publication, built-in payment, business integrations). Quotes are free, with a reply within 24h through the website form. Details and examples on our mobile apps page.
Frequently asked questions
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Do push notifications work on iPhone with a PWA?
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