PWA Development: Budget, Timeline, and How It Compares with Building a Mobile App
We do not believe in miracle solutions, but PWA genuinely can reduce development cost and time to market. In this article, we compare real-world budgets for PWA delivery against native iOS and Android development, explain the trade-offs, and show where PWA is the strongest fit.
Introduction: PWA Is Not Just Cheaper, It Is Faster and More Efficient
For many business owners, the phrase "mobile app" immediately brings to mind budgets of RUB 4-7 million and timelines of 6-9 months. But what if you could get push notifications, a home screen icon, instant loading, and offline mode for 20-30% of that budget and roughly three times faster? That is not fantasy, it is what PWA makes possible. Let us break the numbers down.
Section 1: Where the Cost Difference Comes From
- One codebase. A PWA is a website enhanced with modern web technologies. You do not pay for two native apps, iOS and Android, or for two separate teams. One web team can build the whole thing.
- No App Store costs. You avoid 15-30% commission on purchases, skip marketplace review, and do not wait for app update approval.
- Reduced backend work. In many cases, a PWA is built on top of your existing site infrastructure and does not require a completely new API layer.
Section 2: Real Numbers, a Comparative Estimate on a Practical Example
Take this scenario: a catalogue of 500 products, basket, personal account, push notifications about order status, and offline access to product cards.
| Cost item | Native development | PWA |
|---|---|---|
| Product design and UX | RUB 400,000 to 600,000 | RUB 250,000 to 400,000 |
| Development, iOS and Android | RUB 2,500,000 to 3,500,000 | 0 |
| PWA development, frontend plus enhancement layer | 0 | RUB 800,000 to 1,500,000 |
| Backend and integrations | RUB 800,000 to 1,200,000 | RUB 400,000 to 800,000 if the site already exists |
| Testing | RUB 300,000 to 500,000 | RUB 100,000 to 200,000 |
| Total | RUB 4,000,000 to 5,800,000 | RUB 1,550,000 to 2,900,000 |
Timeline: native development usually takes 6-9 months. PWA takes 8-12 weeks, or even less if a site already exists.
Section 3: The Hidden Caveats of PWA That People Rarely Mention
- iOS limitations. Until recently, push notifications did not work in Safari. Apple has been gradually improving support, but there are still nuances with background updating. For content products this is rarely critical, but for messenger-type products it can be.
- Limited access to certain device APIs. Bluetooth, NFC, and advanced sensor interaction remain out of reach for some use cases. If your product depends heavily on device hardware, native is still the right choice.
Bottom line: for ecommerce, media, booking systems, and loyalty programmes, PWA can save budget without sacrificing conversion.
Conclusion: Do Not Overpay for Platforms You Do Not Need Yet
PWA is a way to achieve strong mobile presence and high ROI for a sensible budget.
Want an exact estimate for your project? Request a free PWA cost assessment based on your functional requirements. We will show you how much you can save.
