Why are builders still creating native mobile apps when modern web apps can do 90% of the job?

Hi Product Hunt community! 👋

I have a genuine question for builders and product managers here about the necessity of native iOS/Android apps for simple utility tools.

Years ago, if you wanted to build a smooth, high-performance tool—like a video compressor, photo editor, or drawing board—you had no choice but to build a native mobile app. Web apps were simply too slow and lacked access to heavy device processing.

But with WebAssembly (WASM), WebGPU, and modern browser engines, we can compile heavy native libraries and run them directly in the browser at near-native speeds.

Despite this, I still see developers spending months writing Swift and Kotlin code, going through stressful App Store approval processes, and paying developer fees just to launch simple utilities.

The Modern Web App Advantage:

1. Zero Install Friction: Users can solve their problem in one click without downloading a 100MB app.

2. Cross-Platform by Default: Write once, run on iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows.

3. Instant Updates: No waiting for Apple/Google approval. You push a change, and it's live instantly.

For utility tools (like in-browser video compressors or image optimizers that leverage client-side FFmpeg/WASM), the web app experience feels so much smoother and cheaper than native apps.

I’d love to hear your thoughts:

• For simple utility startups, do you still think native mobile apps have a clear advantage (like push notifications or offline access)?

• Or is the web app friction-free experience the absolute future of micro-SaaS?

Let's discuss! 👇