The two bands, honestly
Every few weeks a business asks for "an app" when they need a website, or the reverse. The bands from the calculator's published assumptions:
| Build | Honest band (INR) | Yearly running cost |
|---|---|---|
| Responsive business website | ₹1,05,000 – ₹4,40,000 | ₹12,000 – ₹60,000 (hosting + care) |
| Ecommerce store | ₹2,15,000 – ₹11,00,000 | ₹30,000 – ₹1,50,000 |
| Web app (portal/SaaS) | ₹5,40,000 – ₹28,00,000+ | ₹1,00,000+ |
| Android + iOS native app | ₹9,00,000 – ₹45,00,000+ | ₹1,50,000+ (store fees, updates, servers) |
| Cross-platform app (Flutter/React Native) | ₹5,65,000 – ₹28,30,000+ | ₹1,00,000+ |
The decision framework that saves lakhs
- Do people need it offline, on the move, with device features (camera, GPS, push)? App territory.
- Do people find you on Google and need information or to buy? Website, always. A responsive website installs on zero phones and ranks.
- Is there an existing website? A web app can often extend it for a fifth of an app's cost.
- Do you have a budget for year two? Apps die in stores: updates, OS changes, store fees, server costs. No year-two budget, no app.
Why "app first" fails for most Indian businesses
Apps need downloads, and downloads need a reason. A restaurant app with 200 installs and no notifications strategy is a ₹6,00,000 business card. The same restaurant's website with menu, hours, ordering and WhatsApp integration does the job at a tenth of the cost, and Google sends it customers every day.
The honest middle path
A responsive web app (login, dashboards, payments) delivers app-like function at website cost, installs as a PWA to the home screen, and updates without store approvals. For most Indian businesses asked to choose, this is the answer: see web application development, then price it in the calculator before committing to native.
When native is genuinely right
High-frequency daily use, offline-first field work, device hardware (camera scanning, BLE), push-notification-led products with an existing audience, or consumer brands where the app IS the product. If that is you, budget honestly: the app is a product with a roadmap, not a one-time purchase.