Don't build an app just to be in the app store

Many founders want a mobile app because “every company needs one.” With limited budgets, that often leads to a shortcut: a wrapper app.

A wrapper is a native shell that simply loads your web application in a web view. It gets you into the App Store quickly and shows progress. But it rarely is. Web views behave differently from browsers and usually feel slower and less native. Users experience issues that are hard to replicate. They get frustrated, which brings an extra load to your support team.

Over time, the wrapper becomes an afterthought for the engineering team. Engineers maintain it reluctantly. It changes so rarely that each update feels like archaeology. Outdated libraries, broken pipelines, forgotten setup steps. It drains time without adding value.

A Progressive Web App (PWA) is a better option. It uses the same codebase as your core product, performs better on mobile, and doesn’t require App Store distribution. The downside? It lacks the marketing appeal of a native app. Managers often prefer seeing their logo in the store, and few users know they can pin a PWA to their home screen.

If the app is a real part of your product strategy, meant to reach new users or improve sales, treat it accordingly. Build it natively with cross-platform frameworks like Flutter. If it’s just to tick a box or look good in the store, you’ll end up hurting the user experience and, by extension, your business.