The verdict in three sentences
For an SME whose main use cases are booking, payment and customer information, a PWA at 20,000 to 38,000 USD covers 85 to 90% of the need for about half the price of native apps. Native apps (45,000 to 90,000 USD) make sense if you rely on Bluetooth, NFC, background location or App Store visibility. Over 3 years, the total gap often exceeds 55,000 USD, maintenance included.
The case: boat rentals and tours in Miami
A 14-employee company based at a Miami Beach marina rents self-drive boats, runs snorkeling trips and sandbar tours. It handles 6,500 bookings a year, 70% on mobile, many from out-of-state and international tourists. Booking platform commissions reach 15 to 20%. The owner wants an app to book direct, pay the deposit, sign the rental agreement and receive weather alerts.
| Need | PWA | Native app |
|---|---|---|
| Booking and payment (Stripe, Apple Pay) | yes | yes |
| E-signature of the agreement | yes | yes |
| Push notifications on Android | yes | yes |
| Push notifications on iPhone | yes since iOS 16.4, after adding to home screen | yes, unconditionally |
| Offline mode (agreement, marina map) | yes, partial | yes, full |
| Background location of boats | no | yes |
| App Store and Google Play listing | no (Play possible via TWA) | yes |
Upfront costs and timelines in 2026
Two native apps mean either two codebases (Swift and Kotlin) or a cross-platform framework such as React Native or Flutter, which cuts the bill by 30 to 40%. The PWA remains a single installable web app.
| Option | Upfront cost | Timeline | Store fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| PWA | 20,000 to 38,000 USD | 8 to 12 weeks | 0 USD |
| React Native or Flutter | 35,000 to 60,000 USD | 12 to 16 weeks | 99 USD/yr Apple + 25 USD Google (once) |
| Two natives Swift + Kotlin | 45,000 to 90,000 USD | 16 to 24 weeks | 99 USD/yr Apple + 25 USD Google (once) |
| Store commission on digital goods | not applicable | not applicable | 15 to 30% (not on physical services) |
Good to know: booking a boat tour is a physical service, so it is not subject to Apple or Google commission. Stripe payment works in both cases.
Maintenance over 3 years: the forgotten line
Every annual iOS and Android release requires testing and sometimes fixes. Apple review adds 1 to 3 days per version. A PWA updates instantly for every user.
| 3-year item | PWA | React Native | Two natives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial development | 28,000 USD | 48,000 USD | 66,000 USD |
| Corrective maintenance and OS compatibility | 10,000 USD | 17,500 USD | 30,000 USD |
| Enhancements (2 per year) | 13,000 USD | 20,000 USD | 31,000 USD |
| Hosting and services | 4,000 USD | 5,000 USD | 5,000 USD |
| 3-year total | 55,000 USD | 90,500 USD | 132,000 USD |
Mini case study
Thomas, owner of the Miami company, wants to move 30% of his 6,500 annual bookings from platforms to his direct channel. Average order: 200 USD. Commission avoided: 17%. Calculation: 6,500 × 30% × 200 × 17% = 66,300 USD saved per year.
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With a 28,000 USD PWA, the investment pays back in 5 to 6 months. With two native apps at 66,000 USD, it takes just over a year. Since Thomas does not need background tracking (a dedicated GPS unit already does it), the PWA is the rational choice. He can still publish on Google Play via a TWA for an extra 2,200 to 4,500 USD.
FAQ
Do PWA notifications really work on iPhone?
Yes since iOS 16.4 (March 2023), as long as the user has added the app to the home screen. In practice, 20 to 35% of repeat customers install it, so SMS or email backup is worth keeping.
Does a PWA rank well on Google?
Yes, it is an advantage: every page is indexable. A native app does not appear in standard search results, only in the stores.
Can we move from a PWA to a native app later?
Yes. If the back office and API are well designed, a React Native app can reuse 60 to 70% of the business logic, for 22,000 to 38,000 USD.
How much does App Store publishing cost?
The Apple Developer account is 99 USD a year and Google Play 25 USD once. Also plan 1 to 3 days of review for each iOS update.
What maintenance budget should we plan?
About 15% of the initial cost per year for a PWA, 20 to 25% for native apps, because of annual iOS and Android releases.
Let's scope your project. Describe your mobile use cases (booking, payment, location, offline): we will recommend PWA or native with a budget of 20,000 to 90,000 USD and a realistic schedule. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
