App or website: what do you actually need

Many people come with the idea that they need an app, and after a conversation realise they need something else, cheaper and faster. Here is how to think before you ask for a quote.

Website

You need it if the goal is for people to find you, see what you do and get in touch. It is often the first and sufficient step.

Web app or internal tool

You need it if your people work in spreadsheets, emails and paper, and the work can be run through one system: orders, records, reports, an admin panel. It runs in the browser, with no installation. A simple tool of this kind starts at about €3,500.

Mobile app

You need it when users have to keep it at hand: notifications, camera, location, offline work or frequent daily use. An app for iOS and Android starts at about €6,000. We use Flutter, so one codebase runs on both systems.

Questions that help you decide

• Who will use it: your employees, your clients or everyone?
• Does it need to work offline?
• Will users come every day or rarely?
• What cannot be solved with a tool you already have?

Our advice

Start with the smallest thing that solves the problem. Often that is a website with a chatbot or an internal tool, and the mobile app comes later, when it is clearly needed. We split the work into stages, so you see the first results early.