A mobile app for your store — a separate channel for loyal customers
A mobile app isn't a second version of your site — it's a separate channel for customers who come back. We build it hybrid (Expo): one codebase for iOS and Android, lower cost. We'll tell you whether your store needs one.
No building an app just to have an app.
An app is a separate channel, not a second version of your site
An app and a PWA aren't the same choice.
We build mobile apps hybrid, with Expo — one codebase served to both iOS and Android. You get a real app on both platforms, without two separate projects or double the maintenance.
An app isn't “your site in a wrapper”. It's a separate channel, built for loyal customers — the ones who come back often and want your store one tap away: with push notifications and a login that stays remembered.
A PWA is a different thing — it's your store in the browser that behaves like an app (installs from the page, works offline). The store under the app can be a PWA, but it doesn't have to be. So the question isn't “PWA or app”, it's: does your store need an extra channel — an app.
Hybrid app (Expo) vs separately-built native
| Separately built (iOS + Android) | Hybrid (Expo) | |
|---|---|---|
| Codebase | Two (Swift + Kotlin) | One (React Native) |
| Team | Two skill sets | One team |
| Time to launch | Longer (everything ×2) | Shorter |
| Cost | Highest | Lower |
| Phone features | Full access out of the box | Push, camera, GPS, biometrics (via modules) |
| Performance | Maximum | Plenty for a store |
| Updates | Through stores (approval) | Stores + OTA (some changes instantly) |
| Publishing | App Store + Google Play | App Store + Google Play |
For an online store, hybrid (Expo) is usually the best cost-to-value: one codebase, the same app on iOS and Android, full access to what you need — push, camera, biometric login. We reach for separately-built native only with very specific performance needs.
When a mobile app actually pays off
Returning customers
Customers buy from you regularly. An app on the home screen cuts the path to the next order from several taps to one.
Loyalty program
Points, discounts, status. An app keeps it all in your customer's pocket and gives them a reason to come back.
Push as a sales channel
Push notifications have higher open rates than email. If you have something to say — launches, restocks, promotions — it's a real channel, not a gimmick.
Field sales and POS
Sales reps, showrooms, points of sale. The app works offline and syncs once it's back online.
High mobile traffic, low conversion
If most of your traffic is mobile and conversion lags, better mobile UX pays back faster than you'd think.
Premium brand
When the shopping experience is part of the product, a dedicated app delivers a smoothness the browser can't match.
When an app doesn't make sense
Sometimes an app is just burned budget.
Not every store needs its own app. We'll tell you that before the project, not after.
An app rarely justifies itself when customers buy once a year, mobile traffic is small, or you don't have a team to look after it after launch. An app with no reason to open it ends up deleted within a week — often along with the budget.
In that case a good store in the browser is enough — including as a PWA: it installs from the page, works offline, sends push. It's not a separate channel, but for many stores it's exactly enough. You keep the app for when you have a real base of loyal customers.
What you get from ecom.house
Analysis and recommendation
Before we build anything, we look at your data: traffic, conversion, purchase frequency. The result is a clear recommendation: an app, a PWA store, or “not yet”.
UX/UI design
We design buying flows for the thumb, not the mouse. Mobile-first, built for conversion.
Hybrid app (Expo)
One codebase for iOS and Android, published to the App Store and Google Play, with access to phone features — push, camera, biometrics.
Store in the browser (PWA)
If you don't need a separate app — or before you build one — we set up a PWA store: it installs from the page and works like an app. On Magento 2 or headless.
Integrations
PIM, ERP, payment gateways, push notifications, analytics. The app connected to the rest of your stack.
Maintenance and growth
We stay after launch. Monitoring, updates, development under SLA, so the app keeps living instead of dying after release.
We'll build your app on your store — whatever the platform
Your data, catalog, cart and payments stay where they are. The app adds a new channel on top instead of replacing the foundation.
Not sure your platform fits? Talk to us — we'll check your stack and tell you straight what works and what isn't worth it.
Questions about mobile apps in ecommerce
Does my store need a mobile app?
Native or hybrid (Expo) — what's the difference?
How much does a mobile app for ecommerce cost?
How is an app different from a PWA?
When does a mobile app pay off, and when doesn't it?
Will you build the app on my current platform?
Write and let's go
See the results
Explore selected projects and read case studies in a concise format.
Cumulus
Bolero
JKB / FairyTrees
Bielenda / MiyaCosmetics
Bioderma / Esthederm
LaMania
MUVE
Plastics