Web-to-App refers to the process of starting user acquisition from the mobile web experience and moving to a native app, which can be performed through a variety of marketing and linking techniques.
A typical web-to-app funnel has the user acquisition start on the web, and runs the user through onboarding and payments before getting them to download the app. In this way, developers avoid the charges and privacy agreements of the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Even though web onboarding has lower conversion and retention than native app, some developers see the value of reduced costs and attribution acceptance as worth the lower conversion rates.
Ultimately, developers want users to be on a native app, and once the user is signed up most will try to redirect users to the native app at every opportunity.
Marketers have developed several tools to move users to the app, including prompts such as “continue on the app”. Deep links, which open web results in the app if the app is installed, or send the user to the appropriate app store page if it’s not, is a more aggressive version of this.
While there is growing value on having some of the onboarding and payment experience performed off-app, most developers agree the native app is the best way to maintain a consistent user experience.
We have collected data on web to app benchmarks. Read on below to find out more.
Key Web-to-App Benchmarks
- Web-to-app user acquisition spend reached $12.2 billion in 2024, about 16% of total UA ad spend
- Average commission on web was 6%, compared to the 15-30% Apple and Google charge
- Paywall conversion was 6% on web, compared to 2% through native app, according to a Martech study
- For ecommerce apps, session time and average order value remains higher on app
Web-to-App Ad Spend
Web-to-app has gained more share of UA spend, in 2024 it was responsible for 16% of the total spend.
Web-to-app ad spend 2021 to 2024 ($bn)
Web vs App Commission Fees
Commission fees on the web, which includes payment processor fees, currency conversion, tax compliance and other overhead, comes to around 6% on average. That’s still close to three times cheaper than the lowest fee on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, which is only offered to businesses earning under $1 million per year.
Average web and app commission fees 2025 (%)
Web-to-App Paywall Conversion
According to Martech, paywall conversion rate on web was three times higher than conversion on a native app.
Web-to-app paywall conversion rate 2024 (%)
Web vs App Session Time
Session time is much higher on native app compared to desktop and mobile web, according to Jmango360’s mobile app benchmark report, showing the value of moving users to the app.
Web and app session time 2024 (minutes)
Web vs App Average Order Value
Average order value is also higher on native app, at $217 to $197 on desktop and $193 on mobile web.
