How do you balance Progressive Web Apps and Native Apps?

1 What are PWAs and native apps?

PWAs are web apps that can be installed on the user's device, work offline, send push notifications, and access device features. They use web standards, such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and leverage service workers, which are scripts that run in the background and handle caching, syncing, and network requests. PWAs can run on any browser and device, and offer a consistent and fast user experience. Native apps are apps that are built for a specific platform, such as iOS or Android, using native languages, such as Swift, Objective-C, Java, or Kotlin. Native apps can access the full capabilities of the device, such as camera, GPS, sensors, and hardware acceleration. They also offer a smooth and native-like user interface, and can be distributed through app stores.

2 What are the benefits of PWAs?

PWAs offer several advantages over native apps. For example, they are simpler and more cost-effective to create and maintain, as they leverage web technologies and the same code base across platforms. Moreover, they are more accessible and visible, as they can be accessed via URL, indexed by search engines, and shared on social media or QR codes. Additionally, PWAs are more engaging and dependable, as they can work offline, update automatically, and send push notifications to users. Finally, PWAs are more responsive and performant, thanks to service workers that cache and serve assets, as well as best practices for web performance like lazy loading, code splitting, and compression.

3 What are the drawbacks of PWAs?

PWAs have some drawbacks compared to native apps that should be taken into consideration. One of these is the limited access to device features such as Bluetooth, NFC, biometrics, and contacts. Although some of these features are being added to the web platform, they are not yet widely supported or standardized. Additionally, PWAs have less control over the user interface since they depend on the browser and the device settings, meaning some elements such as the status bar, navigation bar, or splash screen cannot be customized or hidden. Furthermore, PWAs have less visibility and trust since they are not listed on app stores which are usually where users discover and install apps from. Moreover, users must grant permissions and accept prompts before installing or using PWAs.

4 How to choose between PWAs and native apps?

When deciding whether to choose a PWA or a native app for your project, there is no definitive answer. It depends on your goals, your audience, your budget, and the features you need. To help you decide, consider the main purpose of your app and who your target users are. Think about how complex the app is and if it requires advanced or native-only features. Additionally, evaluate how much time and money you can invest in the app and if you have the skills and resources to develop and maintain a native app or if you would prefer a web-based solution.

5 How to create PWAs and native apps?

If you decide to create a PWA, there are several steps you need to follow, such as creating a responsive and progressive web app that works on any device and screen size, adding a manifest file and service worker, testing and debugging with tools like Lighthouse or Chrome DevTools, and deploying and distributing the PWA. On the other hand, if you decide to create a native app, you will need to choose a platform such as iOS or Android, use native languages and tools like Xcode or Swift, follow platform-specific guidelines such as the design system or app store policies, update and maintain the app regularly, and handle compatibility issues across different devices.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?