The trap in "build me an app" — native or web?
| Criterion | Native app (store install) | Web app (opens from a link) |
|---|---|---|
| Install | Download from App Store / Play Store | None — link or QR, instantly |
| Review | Store review required, re-review on every update | None — changes go live immediately |
| Amount to build | iOS + Android + admin — effectively three builds | One build for every device |
| When it's truly needed | Deep hardware control, or store presence is itself the strategy | Most membership, booking, ordering and management workflows |
Telling customers "please install the app" is itself a barrier. From the customer's side, tapping a link in a text and having it open right away wins.
The four things that decide the cost
- ① Number of platforms — going native means iOS, Android and an admin panel: effectively three products. This is the first point where cost doubles.
- ② Login and payments — the moment accounts and a payment gateway are involved, security, review and settlement work follow. Gateway fees are a separate third-party cost.
- ③ Admin (back-office) scope — the management screens the owner uses are often a bigger job than the customer-facing screens. When comparing quotes, always ask "is the admin panel included?"
- ④ Operations after launch — servers, incident handling, store policy changes, feature updates. Native apps cost more to keep running than web apps.
Pricing a web app from the list
Take a booking + membership web app: the ₩250K scoping pass (5 sessions) fixes the screens and features, and you start on SaaS (managed) = build from ₩700K + ₩490K/mo (servers, improvements and new features included, no per-seat pricing). If payments and settlement are connected, ₩990K/mo is usually the right fit. If you want to own it, SI from ₩2.5M — no monthly fee afterwards.
If a native app is genuinely required (hardware control, store strategy), we say so during scoping and re-scope. Not selling you what you don't need is part of publishing prices.
KRW is authoritative; USD figures are approximate. SEO and AI-search visibility work is included in every build at no charge. The demo is free — try it, and sign only if you like it.