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App or website for my small business: which should I choose?
A website helps new customers find you. An app brings back the ones you already have. They're two different tools, and the right answer depends on your business, your regulars and your budget. Here's how to decide, with concrete examples.
What is the difference between an app and a website?
A website is built to be found: someone types "barber near me" into Google, lands on your page, reads your opening hours and prices. An app is built to be used: a customer you've already won books a slot, collects points, gets your message of the day. One attracts, the other builds loyalty.
| Website | Mobile app | |
|---|---|---|
| Main role | Getting found by new customers | Bringing regulars back |
| Found on Google | Yes, that's its strength | Rarely: people reach it through a link, a QR code or a store |
| On the customer's phone | One tab among many | An icon on the home screen |
| Reaching the customer | They have to come back on their own | News inside the app; notifications with the store versions |
| Customer account, points, history | Possible, but rare on a simple business site | It's the natural use |
| Booking, ordering, payment | Possible with add-ons | Possible, designed for the phone |
In between sits the web app: an app that opens from a simple link, without going through a store, and that can be added to the home screen. It works like an app and is as easy to share as a website. More on that below.
When is a website enough?
If most of your customers come once, or rarely, a website (or even a well-filled Google Business Profile) is often enough. That's the case for a tradesperson who works in people's homes, a hotel, a souvenir shop or a business that relies on passing trade. What matters for them: being found, building trust, giving a phone number and an address.
- Your customers mostly discover you through a Google search or Google Maps.
- They rarely come back, or come back unpredictably.
- You have nothing to offer them between visits: no points, no booking, no regular news.
- Your priority right now is getting more new customers, not keeping the ones you have.
In that case, start with your Google Business Profile (free) and a simple website. An app can come later, if the need shows up.
When does an app make sense for a small business?
An app becomes worthwhile as soon as you have customers who come back and you want to make their life easier, or stay in touch without depending on Instagram or a platform that takes a commission. A few real cases:
- A barber whose customers come back every three or four weeks: slot booking, list of services, loyalty card. See an app for a salon.
- A restaurant or food truck: daily menu, takeaway ordering, loyalty points, a message on the day of a special evening. See an app for a restaurant.
- A padel club: court booking, membership plans, tournament leaderboard.
- A shop: catalog and cart, in-store pickup, perks for loyal customers. See an app for a shop.
- A nonprofit or association: news, events and tickets, memberships, polls, instead of a group chat that overflows.
What they have in common: the relationship lasts over time. An icon on the home screen and a well-timed notification are then worth more than one more page on Google. For loyalty in particular, read paper card or app.
What about a web app, in between?
A web app opens from a link shared on WhatsApp, an Instagram story or a QR code stuck on the counter. No store download, no developer account, no Apple review. Customers can add it to their home screen, where it shows up with an icon like a regular app.
Its limits are real: it doesn't appear in App Store or Google Play searches, and, today, it doesn't send lock-screen notifications: those will come with the App Store and Google Play versions. But to get started and check that your customers use it, it's the shortest and cheapest route. You can publish on the stores later, if usage justifies it: we cover that step in publishing on the App Store without being a developer.
How much does a website or an app cost for a small business?
The gaps are huge, especially for an app. Here are the ballpark figures we were able to verify.
| Option | Typical cost | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Custom app by an agency (France) | €7,000 to €50,000, median €30,000 | La Fabrique du Net study, 283 projects in France, 2026 |
| App with a no-code tool (Adalo, GoodBarber, Glide) | About €430 to €720 a year | Public plans checked in Sept. 2026, excluding Apple and Google fees |
| Yatsury, app by web link | Free for up to 50 members | Discreet "Made with Yatsury" mention |
| Yatsury, subscription | €24 a month (about $26), or €240 a year | Unlimited members, online payments, no mention; stores coming soon |
| Store fees | Apple $99 a year, Google $25 once | Paid directly by you |
For a website, prices vary just as much: an online website builder with a monthly plan, a freelancer, or an agency. In every case, ask what's included (domain name, hosting, updates), because that's where costs hide. The details for an app are in our article on how much a mobile app costs.
Do you need both an app and a website?
Often, yes, but not necessarily at the same time. The most common combination for a small business: an up-to-date Google Business Profile to be found, and an app for regulars. A full business website can wait, or stay very simple.
An honest note: Yatsury builds an app, not a showcase website designed for Google rankings. If your number-one goal is to top local search results, a website builder and your Google Business Profile remain the right tools. Yatsury comes in afterwards: once a customer has visited, to make them come back.
How to choose: a five-question checklist
- Do my customers come back at least once a month? If yes, an app makes sense. If not, start with a website and your Google profile.
- Do I have something to offer them between visits? Booking, points, a daily menu, events: every yes strengthens the case for an app.
- Do I depend on a platform that takes a commission? An app of your own lets you sell direct. With Yatsury, payments go through your own Stripe account, with no commission from us.
- What budget can I put in during the first year? A few hundred euros at most? Rule out an agency and test a web app first.
- Do I have time to keep it alive? An app that's never updated disappoints. Plan a few minutes a week for news and messages.
An app doesn't replace a warm welcome or a good product. It simply makes it easier for a happy customer to come back and spread the word.
How can you test an app without risk?
The safest move is to test before you invest. With Yatsury, you describe your business in one sentence, the AI builds the app (screens, features, a space to manage your customers), and you adjust it in plain language, with no code. Building, testing and publishing by link are free for up to 50 members. Share the link with your ten best customers for a month: you'll quickly know whether they use it.
If it doesn't catch on, you've lost nothing. If it does, the €24-a-month subscription with no commitment adds unlimited members, online payments and removes the mention; App Store and Google Play publishing is coming soon. You can try the Studio with no account or credit card.
Describe your business in one sentence: the app builds itself before your eyes, and you share it by link or QR code.
Build my app for freeA word from the founder
The business owners I know who only have a website or an Instagram account run into two problems: getting their customers to come back, and being seen without paying for every post. An app on the customer's phone solves both: they keep it, and you talk to them without going through an algorithm.
Eyal Ouaknine
Frequently asked questions
Can an app replace my website?
Not for being found on Google: that's the job of your website and your Google Business Profile. An app is mainly for bringing back the customers you already have.
Will my customers really install an app?
Regulars often will, if the app saves them time (booking, points, ordering). A web app also opens from a simple link, with nothing to install.
What is the cheapest option to start with?
A free Google Business Profile to be found, and a free web app for your regulars. With Yatsury, it's free for up to 50 members.
Does Yatsury take a commission on my sales?
No. Online payments, included in the subscription, go through your own Stripe account, with no commission from Yatsury.
Apps for your business
Read next
- How much does it cost to build an app in 2027?
- Glide vs Adalo vs GoodBarber: an honest comparison
- Replace Your Club's WhatsApp Group With an App
- Small Business Loyalty Program: Punch Card or App?
Sources
- La Fabrique du Net: study on the price of a mobile app in France (283 projects, 2026)
- Adalo, GoodBarber and Glide public plans, checked in September 2026
- Apple Developer Program
- Google Play Console