Flutter vs React Native vs Native iOS: Choosing a Mobile Approach
How the three approaches differ and the questions that decide between them.
Founders often ask whether they need an app. Sometimes yes, but often a well-built website or web application is the better first step. The answer depends on what your users need to do and how often they need to do it.
What a website or web app does well
- Reach. Anyone with a browser can use it, and search engines can send people to it.
- Speed to launch. One codebase serves phones, tablets and computers.
- Updates. You publish a change and everyone sees it, with no store review.
- Lower cost to start. You maintain one product rather than several.
What a mobile app does well
- Frequent, habitual use. An icon on the home screen brings people back.
- Device features. Camera, location, notifications, offline use and biometrics.
- A polished experience. Smooth interactions designed for touch.
- Staff and field use. Tools that people use all day on the move.
Questions that decide it
- How often will people use it? Daily use favours an app; occasional use favours the web.
- Do you need device features? If yes, an app may be necessary.
- Do people find you through search? If yes, you need a website regardless.
- Who are your users, and which phones do they have? This affects whether to start on Android, iOS or both.
- What is your budget and timeline? A smaller first release is safer.
Options in between
A responsive web application that feels like an app, and cross-platform development that shares one codebase between Android and iOS, can sit between the two extremes. They are worth considering when budget is limited but you want a mobile presence.
A common path
Many products start as a website or web application, prove that people want the service, and then add a mobile app once usage justifies it. Whichever you choose, build the backend and data model carefully so that both can share them later.
Before you decide
Write down the three most important things a user must be able to do. If a good website can do all three, start there. If one of them needs the camera, offline access or daily notifications, plan an app and keep the first version small.
