PWA vs native

Progressive Web App

and

Mobile Apps

We build both PWA and Mobile Apps

We are current with technological trends and experienced in building both types of apps.

Introduction

It used to be that only massive, household-name companies had their own apps. However, in BasicSky, we utilized the latest technology to fulfill your need for an app. This means you can set up one for your website to help you engage users further.

So, what technology to choose to be current with the development trends? Where should you focus on a progressive web app or native app? Let’s understand more about these technologies.

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What is Progressive Web App?

Progressive Web Apps are web applications that have been designed so they are capable, reliable, and installable. These three pillars transform them into an experience that feels like a native application.

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Capable

The web is quite capable in its own right today. While some capabilities are still out of the web’s reach, new and upcoming controls are looking to change that, expanding what the web can do with features like file system access, media controls, app badging, and full clipboard support. All of these capabilities are built with the web’s secure, user-centric permission model, ensuring that going to a website is never a scary proposition for users.

Reliable

A reliable Progressive Web App feels fast and dependable regardless of the network.

Reliable applications need to be usable regardless of network connection. Users expect apps to start up on slow or flaky network connections or even when offline. They expect the most recent content they’ve interacted with, like media tracks or tickets and itineraries, to be available and usable even if getting a request to your server is hard. When a request isn’t possible, they expect to be told there’s trouble instead of silently failing or crashing.

Installable

Installed Progressive Web Apps run in a standalone window instead of a browser tab. They’re launchable from on the user’s home screen, dock, taskbar, or shelf. It’s possible to search for them on a device and jump between them with the app switcher, making them feel like part of the device they’re installed on.

When a Progressive Web App moves out of a tab and into a standalone app window, it transforms how users think about it and interacts with it.

The best of both worlds

At their heart, Progressive Web Apps are just web applications. Using progressive enhancement, new capabilities are enabled in modern browsers and your web application becomes reliable and installable. If the new capabilities aren’t available, users still get the core experience.

The numbers don’t lie! Companies that have launched Progressive Web Apps have seen impressive results. The improvements in the percentage of these companies tell the truth.

Progressive Web Apps provide you with a unique opportunity to deliver a web experience your users will love. Using the latest web features to bring native-like capabilities and reliability, Progressive Web Apps allow what you build to be installed by anyone, anywhere, on any device with a single platform.

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Twitter

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Niki

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Hulu

What Is a Mobile App?

The mobile apps are known for rich functionality developed for a specific platform. The current leaders are well-known – that are Android and iOS. Unlike the PWAs, the Android and iOS apps use all the possibilities of device-specific hardware and software. That ensures better user experience and overall app performance.

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Comparison of PWA and Mobile App

 

 Progressive Web AppMobile App
Development TimeRather ShortQuite Long
CostFrom $3,000From $20,000
PlatformAll PlatformsAndroid and iOS
FunctionalityLimited hardware accessFull hardware access
User ExperienceVery GoodExcellent
Updating / CostNo need / NonePeriodically / High
Installation / CostMinimal / NoneFrom web / High

PWA vs Native Apps: Which One to Choose?

So here are business cases when to choose a progressive app.

  • the business looks for a cross-platform app to reach a large audience
  • the limited budget and terms for the app development and updates
  • expected app functionality or content don’t follow the application store policies
  • there is no need for close integration with the device hardware

And the list of cases where the native apps work best for:

  • businesses that consider the store presence as a must
  • the app requires tight integration with the device hardware
  • the apps with a subscription model or those with in-app purchases
  • AR rendering solutions and games
  • the apps using biometric authentication

The bottom line: once you define the best platform for building an application, the choice of the development approach becomes obvious too.

 

Who is using PWAs?

The world-known companies provide PWAs: Facebook Lite, Twitter Lite, Aliexpress, Forbes, Pinterest, Uber, Tinder, Flipboard, Starbucks, Alibaba, Lancome