We need to talk about something businesses are quietly wasting money on…
Mobile apps.
Not the idea — the price tag.
Because somewhere along the way, the tech world convinced business owners that if they want push notifications, customer engagement, or a premium digital experience, they must build a native iOS + Android mobile app.
And suddenly you’re staring at quotes like:
💸 $18,000
💸 $25,000
💸 $40,000 (if you want something "extra custom")
But here’s the real question:
“Do you actually need a native mobile app?”
Or have you been sold an outdated solution?
Let’s break it down.
“Don’t I need a native app to send push notifications?”
Short answer: No. Not anymore.
This used to be true — 5 years ago.
But the tech world has evolved.
Today, there is a smarter alternative…
Enter Progressive Web Apps (PWAs): Apps Without the App Store
A PWA is a website that behaves like a mobile app.
📱 Installs like an app
🔔 Sends push notifications
📶 Works offline
⚡ Loads extremely fast
🧩 Updates without users needing to download anything
Best part?
No App Store. No Play Store. No $20K development bills.
At MakoraLabs, we build PWAs for businesses that want app-level power without the app-level cost.
Here’s how they work 👇
Step 1: Installable (Without the App Store)
Imagine this:
A customer opens your website.
A small banner pops up:
“Add to Home Screen?”
They tap once.
Boom.
Your site now sits on their phone like a normal app icon.
No passwords, no downloads, no approvals, no app store reviews.
This alone removes 70% of the friction customers face when installing an app.
Example:
A local gym replaced their native app with a PWA.
Members added it to their home screens in 2 seconds —
and adoption increased by 4× because people didn’t need to go through the App Store.
Step 2: Push Notifications — Yes, From a Website
This is usually where business owners say:
“Wait… a website can send push notifications?”
Yes.
We configure your PWA to send:
- New product alerts
- Flash sale notifications
- Appointment reminders
- Order updates
- Blog post announcements
Straight to the user’s phone —
just like Instagram or WhatsApp.
No app store.
No installation.
No approval delays.
For your business, this means instant customer re-engagement at zero extra cost.
Step 3: Works Offline (Seriously)
Native apps don’t have a monopoly on offline browsing anymore.
PWAs use Service Workers — background scripts that store essential content on the user’s device.
That means customers can:
✔ Browse your product catalog
✔ Read your content
✔ Fill forms that auto-send when online
✔ View saved data
Even inside an elevator, airplane, or when they lose signal.
Example:
An e-commerce store using a PWA noticed customers browsing products during commute times — with zero internet.
Sales increased simply because the browsing experience never stopped.
Why This Changes Everything for Businesses
Native app development has three big problems:
- Very expensive (two teams: iOS + Android)
- High friction (people hate downloading apps)
- Hard to maintain (updates require developer time + approvals)
PWAs are:
✔ Cheaper
✔ Faster to build
✔ Easier to update
✔ More accessible
✔ Just as powerful for most business needs
Unless you’re Instagram or Uber…
you probably don’t need a native app.
Where MakoraLabs Fits In — Naturally
At MakoraLabs, we’ve helped businesses transition from:
❌ expensive native apps
❌ outdated mobile sites
❌ slow, non-engaging experiences
…to lightweight PWAs that do everything they actually need.
We build:
- Installable mobile app–like experiences
- Fast-loading responsive designs
- Push notification systems
- Offline-ready catalog browsing
- Custom dashboards and integrations
No hype. Just practical tech that saves money and increases engagement.
Conclusion:
Before you spend $15K–$40K on a native mobile app, ask yourself:
✨ Do my customers really need an app store download?
✨ Do I need complex native features — or just push notifications and offline access?
✨ Could a PWA give me the same results for 1/10th the cost?
For 90% of businesses, the answer is clear.
PWAs deliver the experience people want…
without the cost you don’t.
Makora Labs
A team of passionate developers specializing in MERN Stack, React Native, and Headless CMS solutions. We build scalable, modern web and mobile applications.
