Do you need a native app?

Even in 2026, I still hear it. “We need an app.”

It sounds good in a pitch. But most of the time, it’s a bad call.

The biggest real advantage native apps have? Push notifications. That lock screen is prime real estate. But getting access is tough, and keeping it is tougher.

On iOS, only half of users say yes to push (51 percent opt-in vs. 81 percent on Android)¹. And if your first few messages miss? Ten percent will shut you off. Six percent will delete your app². That’s not a growth channel. That’s a liability.

Push is powerful, but it’s not a strategy. If you don’t have something worth saying, and the discipline to say it rarely and well, skip it.

And if push is your only reason to go native, skip that too. Native apps cost two to three times more than web apps³. Most people only use 11 apps a day and about 30 a month⁴. If you’re not in that circle, you’re just noise.

PWAs? Not much better. Most people don’t know what they are. I'd wager half the people that read this post are googling it right now. The experience is inconsistent. The value is overhyped. Niche use cases only.

Here’s the truth: A great mobile web experience is fast, flexible, discoverable, and easy to update. It’s not a compromise. It’s a competitive edge. And it'll get you to market faster, and cheaper.

Sources:
1. Business of Apps – Push Notifications Statistics (2025)
2. Helplama & VWO Engage – Push Notification Opt-Out Behavior (2025)
3. Glance – How Much Cheaper Is It to Build a PWA Compared to a Native App? (2025)
4. BuildFire – Mobile App Usage Statistics (2026)