PWA or native app? When a web app is enough

“We need an app” is a common starting point. Often what’s meant is: customers should have it on their home screen, it should open quickly, work on the train and remind them of things. A native app for iOS and Android does all of that, but it means two app store listings, two release processes and every update going through review.

A Progressive Web App (PWA) is the other route: a website that can be installed and behaves like an app. For many projects it’s all that’s needed.

1. PWA: what it is

A PWA is a website with three additions:

HTTPS: a secure connection, which any current site has anyway.
A web app manifest: a small file with the name, icons, colours and start page, so the site can be installed with its own icon and opens in its own window without the browser bar.
A service worker: a script that sits between the app and the network. It can cache files, so the app loads instantly and works offline, and it can receive push notifications.

The result is one codebase that runs in the browser, on the home screen of a phone and as a window on the desktop.

2. Abilities: what a PWA can do

Installation: on Android and in desktop browsers like Chrome and Edge, the browser offers to install it. On iPhone and iPad, it’s added through “Add to Home Screen” in the share menu, in Safari and, since iOS 16.4, in other browsers too.
Offline use: content and features that have been cached keep working without a connection, and data entered offline can be sent later.
Push notifications: on Android and desktop, and on iPhone and iPad since iOS 16.4 for PWAs added to the home screen.
Device features: camera, location, sharing to and from other apps, file access, payments through the browser.
Instant updates: a new version goes live like a website update. No store review, no waiting for users to update.
Findability: every screen has a URL. It can be linked, shared and found through search engines.

3. Limits: where native apps win

PWAs have come a long way, but some things are still better or only possible natively:

Deep hardware access: Bluetooth, NFC and some sensors work in some browsers but not in Safari on iOS.
Background work: tasks that run while the app is closed, such as continuous location tracking or long background syncs, are limited, especially on iOS.
App store presence: being listed in Apple’s App Store requires a native or wrapped app. On Google Play and in the Microsoft Store, PWAs can be published.
Very demanding apps: heavy 3D games, video editing or anything that needs every bit of performance.
Platform integration: widgets, deep system settings and some notification features are reserved for native apps.

4. Deciding: questions to ask

A PWA is usually the better fit when:

the core is content, forms, bookings, ordering or a customer area,
people should be able to use it without installing anything first,
updates should go out quickly and without review,
search engines should find the content.

A native app is worth considering when:

the app depends on hardware or background features that browsers don’t offer on iOS,
being in the App Store is a business requirement,
the app is the product itself and needs every platform feature.

A middle way exists too: a PWA first, and later a native shell around it for the stores, or native apps for the few features that really need them.

5. Design: app feel on the web

Whether a PWA feels like an app depends on its design as much as its technology: a layout made for thumbs, navigation that stays in reach, fast feedback on every tap, sensible offline messages instead of the browser’s error page, and an icon and start screen that match the brand.

The short version

A PWA is a website with a manifest and a service worker: installable, offline-capable, able to send notifications.
It runs everywhere from one codebase, updates instantly and can be found through search.
Native wins for deep hardware access, background work, the App Store and very demanding apps.
Decide by the features the app really needs, not by the word “app”.

If you’re wondering whether your idea needs an app or a PWA, get in touch.