PWAs vs native apps

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) and native apps represent two fundamentally different approaches to delivering application experiences on mobile and desktop devices. Each has distinct advantages and trade-offs, and the choice between them depends on the specific requirements of the project, the target audience, and the development resources available.

A PWA is a web application that uses modern browser APIs and design patterns to deliver an app-like experience. Built with standard web technologies (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript), PWAs leverage service workers for offline functionality and background processing, a web app manifest for home screen installation, and HTTPS for security. When a user visits a PWA, the browser can prompt them to "install" it, adding an icon to their home screen or taskbar. Once installed, the PWA launches in its own window without browser chrome, looking and feeling like a native application.

Native apps are built specifically for a particular platform using platform-specific languages and frameworks. For iOS, this means Swift or Objective-C with UIKit or SwiftUI. For Android, it means Kotlin or Java with Android SDK or Jetpack Compose. Native apps are distributed through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and have full access to device capabilities including the camera, GPS, accelerometer, Bluetooth, NFC, push notifications, and biometric authentication.

The primary advantages of PWAs are reach and development efficiency. A single codebase serves all platforms (desktop, mobile, tablet) and all operating systems. Updates are instant because the app is served from a web server; there is no need to submit updates to app stores and wait for review approval. PWAs are also discoverable through search engines and shareable via URLs, which lowers the barrier to user acquisition compared to requiring an app store download. Importantly, PWAs bypass the app store gatekeepers entirely, freeing developers from the revenue-sharing requirements and approval processes controlled by a few dominant platform holders. Development costs are typically lower because one team with web development skills can build and maintain the application.

Native apps excel in performance, platform integration, and user experience. They can achieve smoother animations and faster rendering because they compile to native code and have direct access to platform graphics APIs. Native apps can use platform-specific UI components and interaction patterns, making them feel more natural to users of each platform. They also have access to the full range of device hardware and operating system features, some of which are still unavailable or limited in web browsers.

The capability gap between PWAs and native apps has narrowed significantly in recent years. Modern browsers now support push notifications, background sync, file system access, Bluetooth, USB, and many other hardware APIs through the Web API standards. Chrome, Edge, and Safari have all improved their PWA support, though Safari on iOS has historically lagged behind in features like push notifications (added in iOS 16.4) and background processing capabilities.

However, important limitations remain for PWAs. On iOS, PWAs cannot access certain hardware features like NFC for payment, advanced camera controls, or CallKit integration. Apple's App Store policies and the requirement that all browsers on iOS use the WebKit engine impose constraints that do not exist on Android. Storage quotas for PWAs are more restrictive than for native apps, and PWAs can be evicted from storage by the OS under memory pressure. For apps that require complex local data management or large offline datasets, native development may be necessary.

Cross-platform frameworks like React Native, Flutter, and Kotlin Multiplatform offer a middle ground. These frameworks allow developers to write code once (or mostly once) and compile to native binaries for each platform. They provide access to native APIs while sharing business logic and sometimes UI code across platforms. The trade-off is that they add complexity through an abstraction layer and may not support every platform-specific feature immediately.

For businesses deciding between PWA and native, the answer often depends on the use case. Content-driven applications, e-commerce sites, news platforms, and simple productivity tools are excellent candidates for PWAs. Applications that require heavy use of device hardware (games, AR/VR, photo/video editing), need tight OS integration (health tracking, smart home control), or benefit significantly from app store presence and monetization may be better served by native development.

Many successful companies use both approaches: a PWA for broad reach and discovery, and native apps for their most engaged users who benefit from deeper platform integration. Twitter, Starbucks, Pinterest, and Spotify all maintain both PWAs and native apps, recognizing that each channel serves different segments of their user base. The trend toward PWAs continues to accelerate as browser capabilities expand, but native apps remain essential for use cases that demand the highest performance and deepest platform integration.

PWA, HTML5, JavaScript, Kotlin, Android, iOS, Swift