Native applications remain useful when offline support, device APIs, high-performance interaction or retention loops justify the added complexity.
Tradeoffs to consider
- Native apps can deliver stronger device integration and tighter UX control.
- They usually come with higher maintenance cost across platforms.
- They are weaker than the web in search visibility and open linking.
- They should be compared against both the mobile web and modern PWA approaches.
Use this page as a reference point inside the broader Apps vs Web discussion.