Your App Should Have Been A Website (And Probably Your Game Too)

The smartphone boom changed everything. Suddenly, apps were everywhere, connecting people, solving problems, and entertaining us. But for a while now, they’ve started to feel more like a burden than a blessing. In today’s web-first world, most native apps feel redundant, cluttering our phones unnecessarily. With how far modern web technologies have come, it’s time to rethink if we really need them.

This isn’t just a guess—it’s already happening. Here’s why.

The Problem with Native Apps

Too Many Apps, Too Little Reason

Remember when every company rushed to make an app? Airlines, restaurants, even your local coffee shop. Back then, it made some sense. Browsers weren’t as powerful, and apps had unique features like notifications and offline access. But fast-forward to today, and browsers can do all that. Yet businesses still push native apps as if it’s 2010, and we’re left downloading apps for things that should just work on the web.

My wife recently had a rant about the Italki website, which forced her to download their app just to accept class requests on mobile. Frustrated by the app clutter and the company’s behavior, she downloaded the app, accepted the request, then promptly deleted it. She’s so fed up with unnecessary apps that she keeps only five on her phone. It’s one thing to hear complaints like this from someone in tech, but coming from a regular user like my wife, it’s clear that the app overload problem has gone completely out of hand.

Costly, Clunky, and Cluttered

Native apps are a pain for everyone involved. Developers pay hefty app store fees, jump through approval hoops, and juggle multiple platform versions. Users? We’re stuck with constant updates, wasted storage space, and apps that don’t even work on all our devices.

And don’t let anyone tell you the App Store solves discoverability. Apps aren’t “discovered” there; they’re marketed through ads, SEO, or word-of-mouth—just like websites. So why go through the extra hassle?

Specialized, But Rarely Essential

Yes, native apps still have their place, like video/image editing where it’s better for working with local files. But these are niche use cases. For most situations, web apps have caught up. They’re faster, more flexible, and work seamlessly across devices. Native apps? Not so much.

Why Web Apps Are the Future

Accessible Everywhere, All the Time

Web apps can easily adapt to whatever device you’re on. A single responsive website can run on your desktop, phone, tablet, or even a VR headset. What’s even more, they can be updated on all of them simultaneously. That’s a level of flexibility that native apps can’t match.

The Power of Modern Browsers

Today’s browsers are powerhouses. Notifications? Check. Offline mode? Check. Secure payments? Yep, they’ve got that too. And with technologies like WebAssembly and WebGPU, web games are catching up to native-level performance. In some cases, they’re already there.

The Gaming Frontier

All Caught Up

If there’s one industry proving the web’s potential, it’s gaming. Thanks to HTML5, WebGL, and WebAssembly, browser games are catching up to native ones in ways we couldn’t have imagined just a few years ago. Meta’s Oculus browser already delivers web games that rival native apps in performance. And once WebGPU becomes standard, the differences will be practically invisible.

Growing Popularity

Platforms like Poki and CrazyGames, with a combined 95 million players a month, are leading the charge in, what I like to call, the Browser Games Renaissance. These platforms are already showing what’s possible with web gaming.

I recently caught up with Raf Mertens, founder and CEO of CrazyGames, who shared: “Users don’t care about the technology; they want something fun and accessible. It should just work—and that includes instantly. At CrazyGames, we aim to deliver high-quality games in an accessible format. We’re attracting new game developers into the web space and converting mobile developers.”

Raf also highlighted how the synergy between tools like Rogue Engine and platforms like CrazyGames is essential for the web gaming ecosystem to thrive.

Even platforms that cater to multiple formats are seeing the browser’s dominance. In a recent chat with Leaf, the creator of itch.io, he shared, “Browser games make up about 50% of all games on the site. It’s a pretty big section and continually growing.”.

One great example of a very successful web game, is Narrow One by Pelican Party. This two-person game studio has been thriving for the past five years exclusively with web games. Jasper from Pelican Party shared how this model has worked perfectly for them and many other game studios. They’re living proof that browser games can provide a sustainable business model.

Tooling Is Catching Up

Web game development is evolving fast. Three.js, the leading programming library for 3D web content, is pushing beyond WebGL into WebGPU, and at Rogue Engine, we’re committed to being the go-to game engine for Three.js and the web. We focus on keeping the experience simple, web-first, and familiar for developers—especially those transitioning from Unity, thanks to our similar environments.

We’re also working closely with Multisynq to integrate serverless networking with Croquet, through our Rogue Croquet plugin. This is making it easier for developers to build connected, multiplayer web games, at a fraction of the price, without worrying about backend infrastructure. As technology advances, we’re committed to staying ahead, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible on the web, and making these innovations accessible to all developers.

The Challenges Ahead

Browser UX Needs an Upgrade

For web apps to dominate, browsers have to evolve. Mobile browsers, in particular, need smarter navigation and better use of screen space. It should feel like using your desktop or mobile home screen—unobtrusive, customizable, and flawless.

App Stores Won’t Let Go Easily

Let’s face it: Google, Apple, and other app store giants aren’t going to give up their cash cow without a fight. But as web apps continue to grow, their dominance will diminish. It’s not a question of if, but when.

Bad Actors

Some companies push for app installations because they gain access to more permissions than they would in the browser. Apps allow them to collect more data and track user activity, often under the pretense of a better experience. They’d much rather escape the safety of the browser where you get more control and transparency over these permissions.

VCs Are Overlooking the Web Gaming Revolution

The web game development space is on fire, but many VCs are still missing the point. They see the potential but are waiting for the “right” platform to show up before jumping in. What they don’t get is that this puts unnecessary pressure on tools like ours or Multisynq and portals like Poki, and CrazyGames, who are already seeing huge success. VCs are sitting on the sidelines, ignoring the strength of the ecosystem and the clear demand for web games. The time to act is now, and those who hesitate will be left scrambling when the web gaming revolution takes off.

The Web-Centric Future

With WebGPU, WebAssembly, and WebXR, the web isn’t just catching up—it’s pulling ahead. Developers who embrace this shift now will be free from app store restrictions, ready to create experiences that work anywhere and everywhere.

Sure, a few niche native apps will stick around. But for the vast majority of games, tools, and everything in between, the web is the future. The app craze was fun while it lasted, but it’s time to get back to what the web was always meant to be: a universal platform for everyone. At the end of the day, most apps should’ve been websites all along.

Come join the party at Rogue Engine. Let’s make something awesome together!