Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) blend the best of websites and mobile apps—they work offline, send push notifications, and load instantly, all without app store downloads. For businesses needing broad reach without maintaining separate iOS/Android apps, PWAs are a game-changer. We helped an e-commerce client launch a PWA that increased mobile conversions by 35% because users didn’t abandon the site during slow network speeds. PWAs are ideal for content-heavy platforms, service booking, or businesses with budget constraints. However, they can’t match native apps for complex features like AR or heavy graphics. The choice depends on your goals and user needs.
Native apps still dominate for performance-heavy use cases. If your app needs device hardware (like cameras or GPS), advanced animations, or App Store visibility, native development (Swift for iOS, Kotlin for Android) is the way to go. A fitness client needed real-time heart rate syncing from wearables—only native code could deliver the precision required. But development costs are higher, and updates require app store approvals. Hybrid apps (like Flutter) offer a middle ground, sharing code across platforms while nearing native performance. We guide clients based on their must-have features, budget, and timeline.
Your website is your storefront; your web app is your engine.
The best approach? Sometimes both. We built a media client a PWA for casual readers and a native app for premium subscribers (with offline video caching). PWAs attract new users via SEO, while native apps deepen engagement. Our audit process identifies which features need native power and which work better as PWA. For most businesses, starting with a PWA and adding native later is a smart, cost-effective strategy. The key is avoiding one-size-fits-all solutions and aligning tech choices with real user behavior—not trends.