Does Your Business Need a Mobile App in 2026? Survey Insights

Before most people say good morning, they've already checked their phone. Data from data.ai shows that ordinary people check their smartphones around 50–100 times per day, responding to messages, notifications, emails, and social media updates. At the same time, global users spend around 4–5 hours daily on mobile devices, with most of that time taking place inside mobile apps.

This user behavior raises an important question for companies: if customers spend a large part of their day on mobile devices, should companies create dedicated mobile apps to reach them more effectively?

To better understand how companies approach this decision, we conducted a global survey of IT companies across 96 countries between February 24 and March 5, 2026. This research explores whether companies plan to build mobile apps in the coming years, what budgets they allocate, and what factors influence their strategy.

Survey Respondents’ Profile

Position Within the Company

Respondents to the survey represent a wide range of roles, but clearly that most are professionals involved in strategic decision-making.

CEOs, founders, and owners account for 36.4%, followed by C-level executives (18.2%) and directors or department heads (15.5%).

Operational roles are also represented, including marketing specialists (12.8%), business development and sales professionals (8.0%), and operations or technical roles (7.5%), while 1.6% fall into other positions.

Company Size of Respondents

Survey respondents come from companies of various sizes, with a strong representation of small businesses. The largest group (41.7%) represents companies with 1–10 employees.

Companies with 20–50 employees account for 22.9%, followed by 10–20 employees (19.7%). Meanwhile, 15.7% of respondents represent companies with more than 50 employees.

Company Industry Distribution

Most respondent companies come from the software development and AI sector (61.4%), followed by advertising and digital marketing (16.7%), design, branding, and creative services (11.6%), and IT services and business solutions (10.3%).

Considering the focus of this survey on mobile app development in 2026, the strong presence of software and digital service companies reflects the perspectives of professionals directly involved in building, designing, or supporting mobile applications.

Primary Market Focus

Survey shows that most respondent agencies operate internationally, with 66.4% indicating a global market focus. Meanwhile, 48% target regional markets, and 37.2% primarily focus on local markets.

This suggests that many companies participating in the survey build digital products and mobile applications for broader, international audiences, not only for local markets.

Now that we understand the profile of participating companies, we can explore how businesses approach mobile app development.

Does Your Business Currently Have a Mobile App?

When asked whether their business currently has a mobile app, 62.3% of respondents said they do not have one and are not planning to build one. Meanwhile, 18.8% reported that they do not currently have an app but are planning to develop one.

Among companies that already have a mobile application (30.5%), 13.5% use cross-platform technologies, 10.3% rely on native apps (iOS/Android), and 6.7% use PWA solutions.

These results point out that while many companies still operate without a mobile app, many businesses still rely primarily on websites or other digital channels. Another notable share is considering mobile development as part of their future digital strategy.

26.5% of Companies Build Mobile Apps for Customer Acquisition

According to our survey, the main goal of having or planning a mobile app is customer acquisition, with 26.5% of respondents indicating it as their primary objective. Revenue growth and brand visibility follow closely, each at 26%, indicating that many companies view mobile apps as tools to expand their reach and generate new business opportunities.

Other goals include improving internal operations (21.5%) and strengthening customer retention and loyalty (19.7%). These results indicate that companies tend to prioritize mobile apps when they see clear value in growth, customer acquisition, or revenue generation.

However, 52% of respondents said a mobile app is not currently relevant to their business.

54% of Companies Are Still Evaluating the Need for a Mobile App

When asked what influenced their decision to build a mobile app, 54% of respondents said they are still evaluating whether a mobile app is necessary for their business.

Among companies that have already identified reasons for mobile development, 12.1% pointed to launching a new product or digital transformation strategy, while 9.9% cited customer demand or user expectations. Other motivations include internal process optimization (8.9%) and the need for a better user experience than what websites currently provide (8.5%). Smaller shares mentioned market expansion (4.5%), competitor apps (1.3%), and investor requests (0.9%).

These results highlight that many companies recognize the potential benefits of mobile apps, but a large proportion are still evaluating whether a mobile app aligns with their long-term digital strategy.

Websites Still Replace Mobile Apps for Many Businesses

The survey data shows that some companies choose not to build a mobile app, and the most common reason for that is that a website is sufficient, cited by around 28% of respondents.

Other frequent reasons include the app not aligning with audience behavior (23.6%) and mobile development not being a strategic priority (22.7%). A smaller share mentioned low expected ROI, maintenance challenges, or high development costs.

This way, we can conclude that for many companies, web platforms still meet their current digital needs, reducing the necessity to invest in dedicated mobile applications.

For 57.6% of Companies, Mobile Apps Are Not a Priority in 2026

When asked how important having a mobile app will be for their business in 2026, the majority of respondents (57.6%) rated its importance as low (1–2).

Meanwhile, 16.5% expressed a neutral view, while 25.8% consider mobile apps highly important (ratings 4–5) for their business.

While a significant group of companies believes mobile apps have great value, the majority of companies still do not consider them a critical priority for their digital strategy in 2026.

Nearly 60% of Companies Build Mobile Apps In-House

To see how companies approach mobile development in practice, we asked respondents how their organizations typically build mobile apps.

According to the survey data, 59.8% of companies develop mobile apps using in-house teams, suggesting that many agencies prefer to keep development and product control internally.

Other approaches are less common. 8% rely on outsourced agencies, 5.8% work with freelancers, and 5.4% use no-code or low-code tools.

When companies invest in mobile applications, internal teams remain the preferred development approach.

Which Technologies Do Companies Prefer for Mobile App Development?

React Native and Flutter Lead Among Preferred Technologies

When asked which technologies they prefer for mobile app development, 29.9% of respondents chose React Native, making it the most popular framework among those with a clear preference. Flutter follows with 23.7%, confirming the strong adoption of cross-platform technologies.

Native development (Swift/Kotlin) accounts for 6.7%, while Progressive Web Apps (4%) and hybrid frameworks such as Ionic (4%) represent smaller shares.

Interestingly, 31.7% of respondents said they are not sure yet, indicating that many companies are still exploring the best technological approach for their mobile strategy.

In this way, a strong preference is observed for cross-platform frameworks, which allow companies to build applications for multiple platforms while reducing development time and costs.

What Matters Most When Choosing a Mobile App Development Partner?

The survey results show that 42.9% of respondents chose the most important criterion when choosing a development partner to be proven experience.

Other relevant factors include reviews and reputation on platforms such as TechBehemoths (17.4%) and industry expertise (12.5%), showing that companies value credibility and specialization when selecting a partner.

Cost accounts for 9.8%, while speed of delivery, post-launch support, and other factors each represent 4.9% of responses.

Thus, companies prioritize trust, proven results, and industry knowledge over decisions based solely on cost when choosing a development partner.

Over 55% of Companies Estimate Mobile App Budgets Below $25,000

Companies considering mobile app development often expect relatively moderate budgets, especially for initial builds or smaller-scale applications.

31.7% of respondents indicated a budget below $10,000, while 24.1% estimated a budget between $10,000 and $25,000 for building and maintaining a mobile app during the first year.

A smaller share reported higher budgets, with 15.6% allocating between $25,000 and $50,000, 6.7% between $50,000 and $100,000, and only 2.7% expecting budgets above $100,000.

Additionally, 37.5% of respondents indicated that they do not estimate a mobile app budget because they do not currently have a mobile app.

42.9% of Companies Have No Clear ROI Expectations for Mobile Apps

When asked how long they expect it to take to see a return on investment (ROI) from a mobile app, 42.9% of respondents indicated that they have no clear ROI expectations.

Among those with defined expectations, 33% expect to see results within 6–12 months, while 13.4% anticipate ROI in less than 6 months. A smaller share expects longer timelines, with 8.9% estimating 1–2 years, and only a small percentage expecting ROI after more than two years.

Some companies expect relatively fast returns from mobile applications, but many businesses still lack clear benchmarks for measuring ROI.

To better understand the real outcomes, we asked respondents whether their mobile apps have already delivered measurable returns.

11.6% of Companies Report Strong ROI from Their Mobile Apps

Companies that invest in mobile apps can achieve measurable returns, although adoption and ROI measurement practices still vary widely.

When asked whether their mobile app has delivered measurable ROI, 11.6% of respondents reported strong returns, while 8.9% indicated moderate ROI.

A smaller share (2.2%) reported breaking even, and 10.3% said their app has not yet generated measurable returns. Meanwhile, 4.5% of companies stated that they do not track ROI for their mobile applications.

Notably, 62.5% of respondents indicated that they do not have a mobile app, which aligns with earlier findings showing that mobile development is still not a priority for many businesses.

What Are the Biggest Challenges Companies Face with Mobile Apps?

The biggest challenges companies face when it comes to mobile apps are low user adoption and high development costs, each mentioned by 18.3% of respondents.

Other common challenges include uncertain ROI (15.6%), customer acquisition (14.7%), and ongoing maintenance (12.9%), highlighting that both financial and operational factors influence mobile app success.

Additional concerns, such as app store approvals (9.8%), security issues (5.4%), and talent shortages (4.9%), were mentioned less frequently.

Companies see mobile apps not only as a development challenge, but also as a long-term investment that requires strong user adoption and sustainable business value.

AI Integration Is the Top Mobile App Trend for 2026

When asked which trends are most likely to influence mobile app decisions in 2026, AI integration clearly stands out, cited by 49.6% of respondents.

Curiously, the second largest group (25%) indicated that none of the listed trends significantly influence their mobile app decisions, suggesting that many companies still rely on established development strategies rather than emerging trends.

Other trends mentioned include no-code tools (7.6%), cross-platform frameworks (6.7%), and budget constraints (5.8%), while privacy and security regulations (3.1%) and PWAs replacing native apps received smaller shares.

The result denotes that artificial intelligence is expected to play a major role in shaping mobile app strategies in the coming years.

How Companies Plan to Approach Mobile Apps in 2026

According to the TechBehemoths survey, 45.1% of respondents indicated that they plan to maintain a web-only strategy in 2026, continuing to rely primarily on websites rather than launching dedicated mobile apps.

At the same time, 37.1% of companies reported that they are still evaluating their mobile strategy, suggesting that many businesses remain undecided about whether a mobile app fits their future digital plans.

Among companies planning to invest in mobile, 21.9% intend to launch a new mobile app, while 15.2% plan to improve an existing one. A smaller share (5.8%) is considering replacing their app with a Progressive Web App (PWA).

Many businesses are either maintaining web-first strategies or still assessing the role mobile apps will play in their digital strategy for 2026.

Mobile Apps Are Recommended Mainly for Specific Industries

More than half of respondents (53.1%) believe that mobile apps should be recommended only for specific industries, rather than for every type of business.

At the same time, 37.9% consider mobile apps beneficial for most companies, suggesting that a significant share of businesses still see strong value in mobile platforms. A smaller group expressed more cautious views, with 10.7% recommending mobile apps only rarely and 9.4% not recommending them at all.

These results highlight an important takeaway: mobile apps are not a universal solution, but a strategic tool that delivers the most value when aligned with the right industry, user behavior, and business goals.

Key Insights from the Survey

Main Finding	Survey Supporting Data	What It Means for Businesses
Mobile apps are not a universal necessity	57.6% say mobile apps are not a priority in 2026, and 45.1% plan to keep web-only strategies.	Many businesses still rely on websites as their primary digital channel.
Mobile apps are mainly used as growth tools	Customer acquisition (26.5%), revenue growth (26%), and brand visibility (26%) are the top goals.	Companies invest in mobile apps primarily to expand their reach and grow their customer base.
Most businesses prefer internal development	59.8% develop mobile apps with in-house teams.	Companies want greater control over their products and development processes.
Cross-platform technologies dominate	React Native and Flutter are the most preferred frameworks.	Businesses prioritize speed, efficiency, and lower development costs.
Budgets for mobile apps are often limited	Over half of companies estimate budgets below $25,000.	Many mobile apps are developed as smaller-scale projects or MVPs.
ROI expectations remain unclear	42.9% of companies have no clear ROI expectations for mobile apps.	Businesses are still learning how to measure the real business value of mobile applications.
Adoption challenges remain significant	Low user adoption and high development costs are the top challenges.	Launching an app is not enough; long-term engagement and user growth are critical.
AI will shape future mobile strategies	Nearly half of the respondents see AI integration as the most important trend for 2026.	Mobile apps are increasingly expected to include intelligent features and automation.

Conclusion

After conducting this survey, we concluded that mobile apps have evolved from being a “must-have” digital asset to a strategic business decision.

For some industries, mobile apps remain essential, especially sectors such as e-commerce, fintech, marketplaces, on-demand services, and SaaS platforms that rely on frequent user interaction.

For others, particularly consulting firms, B2B service providers, agencies, or project-based businesses, well-optimized websites, progressive web apps, or other digital solutions may deliver greater value.

Instead of creating apps merely to keep up with industry trends, companies are now adopting a more strategic approach to determine when mobile development is worthwhile for their specific business.

The real question for businesses is no longer “Should we build a mobile app?” but rather “Does a mobile app truly support our business goals and customer needs?”

In 2026, companies will build mobile apps not because they can, but because they truly need them.

Partner Companies

Our survey reached IT companies and web agencies all around the world, with no limits on region or country. In total, 2361 companies from 93 countries took part. A big thank you to our partner companies who helped spread the word and made these valuable insights possible.

1. Mobiteam - Germany
2. KeenEthics - Ukraine
3. ikontent digital Europe - Hungary
4. Collaborator - Estonia
5. Omnes - Italy
6. Freshcode - Bulgaria
7. Hobrista - Oman
8. Vegatecg - South Africa
9. SinzerAD - Andorra
10. Enstacked Technologies - India
11. Orange Tulip Studio - United States
12. WE are the missing link Ltd - United Kingdom
13. Differenzsystem - United States
14. MindCentrix - India
15. IOTAIY LLC - United States
16. PodMarketing - Spain
17. Wuzzon - Netherlands
18. Minicode SRL - Republic of Moldova
19. Budventure Technologies Pvt. Ltd. - India
20. Ortem Technologies llc - United States
21. Labnify - United States
22. Baltic Amadeus - Lithuania
23. Yeni Nesil Kreatif - Turkey
24. Dalma Media - Spain
25. Initiative Tech Solutions - ITS Ltd - Rwanda
26. Software Orca - United States
27. NetClubbed - India
28. JAM-Forte Technologies Ltd - Nigeria
29. Eastern Peak - United Kingdom
30. Zintix - Pakistan
31. Bulb Studios - United Kingdom
32. IT Consulting - Indonesia
33. LoquiSoft - United Kingdom
34. Codefia - Poland
35. Ultrabyte International Pvt Ltd - Nepal
36. Upracoreteam - Nigeria
37. artxtreme.biz - Philippines
38. Atlyx - India
39. Alpha IT Solutions - Ethiopia
40. Datum Decipher Analytics - India
41. SunHouse Marketing - Canada
42. Upcasted - Romania
43. European IT Firm - Germany
44. dev.family - Portugal
45. 2N Consulting Group - United States
46. Elites - Lebanon
47. icube events - Singapore
48. DH Solutions - United States
49. NexCrafters Ltd - United Kingdom
50. Hipopotesis - Spain
51. Lollie's Handmade - South Africa
52. wowmoon - Lithuania
53. Palnode - Uganda
54. Timspark - United Kingdom
55. Cre8 IOT Sdn. Bhd. - Malaysia
56. Fulminous Software - India
57. Exology for Smart Solutions and Consulting - Egypt
58. findyIoT - Bulgaria
59. Reliable IT Services - United Kingdom
60. Leoceros - Lebanon
61. CTO - India
62. Appsylvania - Romania
63. THEY.dev - United Kingdom
64. ROCHEGRUP SOFTWARES - Andorra
65. ctrlweb - Canada
66. Boostenx - Singapore
67. Hithlaksh Solutions Private Limited - India
68. Lets Collaborate - South Africa
69. Commerce Pundit - United States
70. TechDoodles - India
71. division5 - Albania
72. The Ecom Mentors LTD - Nigeria
73. Bravado Solutions - Pakistan
74. Accelate AI Labs - India
75. BIN Outsourcing (bpo in nepal) - Nepal
76. Wireless Computer Services - Nigeria
77. Eyetech Ltd - Malta
78. neWwave - Cambodia
79. Visium SA - Switzerland
80. Liquid Studio SL - Spain
81. ACW Soft Solutions - Ukraine
82. Eco-Soft Economic Software GmbH - Switzerland
83. Doois - Brazil
84. Tech4LYF Corporation - India
85. Green Group Studio - United States
86. MOON LINES - Lebanon
87. PAZ - Israel
88. Brand Poets - United States
89. Titan Blue Australia - Australia
90. RETLM BPO - Pakistan
91. Tranarc solutions - Nigeria
92. Codezela Technologies - Sri Lanka
93. Celadonsoft - Poland
94. A-Devgroup - Ukraine
95. Marketing - Saudi Arabia
96. Yovista - Morocco
97. Devehope Technologies - Czechia
98. Technostacks - United States
99. Hussain - Pakistan
100. Seedium - Estonia
101. IT Services - India
102. Biashara Softwares - Kenya
103. Voodoochilli - United Kingdom
104. Fatcow Digital - Lebanon
105. Regent Branding - United Kingdom
106. Makeitfuture - United Kingdom
107. Mediatropy - Singapore
108. eobiont - Germany
109. Thunderstrike Marketing - United States
110. Chapters Digital Solutions - Egypt
111. Monk Outsourcing - United States
112. WRKFORC - Egypt
113. My Left Foot - Canada
114. RamScript - India
115. iWEBAPP Agency Inc. | Web Design Company & Online Marketing Agency - Canada
116. Naturaily - Poland
117. Regalia Solutions - Sri Lanka
118. GTS Translation Services - United States
119. Solcre Software & StaffAugmentation - Uruguay
120. Scarfaze - Pakistan
121. New Perspective Design - South Africa
122. Wild Creek Web Studio - India
123. Teqrox Solutions LLP - India
124. Williams Web Solutions - United States
125. launchOptions - Cyprus
126. Zoolatech - United States
127. Rocket House Pictures - United States
128. MAX Digital - Bulgaria
129. Beach Chair Marketing - Canada
130. Mightily - United States
131. Marketing 720 - United States
132. ZH it Solutions - Pakistan
133. 5w155 SA - Switzerland
134. Solar Digital - United Kingdom
135. Revolute X Digital - United States
136. LimaRank | Agencia de Marketing Digital - Peru
137. Codebrit Digital LTD - United Kingdom
138. Venworld Global LTD - Nigeria
139. Graphica Studios-CDO - Philippines
140. ND Labs - Poland
141. Sigli - Lithuania
142. American Design Hub - United States
143. Matcha Design - United States
144. Elegant Digital Solutions (Pvt) Ltd - Sri Lanka
145. Web Design - United Kingdom
146. Muse Marketing Group - Canada
147. Triophore Technologies LLP - India
148. CUB3 SL - Andorra
149. Kodescape LLC - United States
150. Aqaba Digital - United States
151. WISEPIM - Netherlands
152. BlackTruck Media + Marketing - United States
153. BellMedEx - United States
154. The New Standard - Brazil
155. ORIL - United States
156. Thinkogic - India
157. Chisoution Inc - South Africa
158. Sam King Web Design - United Kingdom
159. JBE Digital - Australia
160. Boylen Media Pty Ltd - Australia
161. Mega Wolf Network - Iraq
162. Conversion Perk - India
163. big orange planet - United States
164. LOOMOX TECHNOLOGIES - Ghana
165. Multivrse Digital - Australia
166. SEO Expert Gold Coast - Australia
167. Mythology Labs SRL - Uruguay
168. iFoundries - Singapore
169. KANVID - China
170. Neo Software Pvt. Ltd. - Nepal
171. Business Development & IT Project Manager - India
172. AskGalore.com - India
173. Forward Training and Consulting - United Arab Emirates
174. SerpTale - Bangladesh
175. ZAPTA Technologies - United States
176. Software & Mobile App Development - India
177. Danilix - United Arab Emirates
178. Tech Inject - India
179. pep.digital GmbH - Germany
180. Web and App Development Services - Pakistan
181. WEBIMA - Iran
182. Abstract Infosys - Nepal
183. BRND WGN - Malta
184. ISGroup S.r.l. - Italy
185. SimbirSoft - United States
186. BeeWeb - Armenia
187. AllianceTek - United States
188. morphsites - United Kingdom
189. KNOWN DESIGN - South Africa
190. Elint - Brazil
191. Ministry of Programming - Bosnia and Herzegovina
192. Graphica Studio CDO - Philippines
193. Clicta Digital Agency - United States
194. Polymath Solutions - Zimbabwe
195. Element Media - Palestine, United States
196. Chill Byte - Serbia
197. COMPU-VISION SARL - Lebanon
198. HaulMar LLC - Kyrgyzstan
199. Bubo Branding - Argentina
200. Exemplifi - United States
201. Studio Five - Japan
202. Encrypted Infoweb - India
203. Aroasis Softech - India
204. Boutique SEO ltd - United Kingdom
205. Evonicsoft FZE LLC - United Arab Emirates
206. YAS Agency - Czechia
207. The Tech Labs - Pakistan
208. iZND Services - Malaysia
209. DarkM Solutions - Serbia
210. Kinsh Technologies - India
211. Macovin Web Co. - Philippines
212. Relia Software - Vietnam
213. NEOGENIO SRL - Romania
214. Saerin Tech LLC - United States
215. iMiMDesign™ Co. - India
216. Command Base Creative Design Inc - Canada
217. wukonig.com - Austria
218. Sand Studio & Co. - Thailand
219. Epahubb Consult - Ghana
220. Mobil and Web Development - India
221. Graphiters - Pakistan
222. LogicLabz - India
223. BEON.tech - Argentina
224. Pendoah - United States
225. Double Dot Solutions Sdn Bhd - Malaysia
226. IT Brick - Uzbekistan
227. Fusion Tech LLC - United States
228. Coderfy - Ukraine
229. Softellar - Poland
230. ClickySoft - United States
231. Tecziq Solutions - India
232. SMARTWEB BALTIC OU - Latvia
233. Easify Technologies - Hungary
234. Cassiopea - Canada
235. App Gurus - Australia
236. H16M AGENCY - Morocco