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Progressive web apps (PWAs) and native mobile apps are changing the way businesses connect with their customers. But the question is, which one should you choose? This blog explores the idea of PWA vs native apps comprehensively to ease your choice.
Per BuildFire, there are 2.7 billion smartphone users across the world; people spend 90% of their mobile time only on apps. Keeping this in view, business needs to offer a fast and responsive app experience to its users to gain maximum engagement. Thus, progressive web apps and mobile apps come into play.
Will PWA replace native apps in the future? Progressive Web app vs native app? Which one is a better choice for your business? Many questions asked about PWAs and native mobile apps. To make the right and versed decision, your first need to understand the difference between PWA and native apps.
What Is the Difference Between PWAs and Native Apps?
Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)
Progressive Web Apps, also called PWAs, are an advanced form of responsive websites that act like native apps or mobile apps. PWAs serve web pages in a users’ browser seamlessly so they can have a mobile app-like experience. PWAs have an app like UX, delivered through the web with advanced technologies to optimize the user experience. Get to know all about progressive web apps.
Native Mobile Apps
Native apps, on the other hand, are software programs developed for devices such as smartphones as well as tablets. These mobile apps are developed separately for iOS and Android devices. Native apps use a wide range of functionality that varies from device to device. Users can download these mobile apps via device-specific app stores.
PWAs vs Native Apps for Business Benefits – Comprehensive Comparison
Now, you know the difference between PWA and native apps, but you’re still in doubt of which one will be the right choice for your business. Well, the detailed comparison of PWA vs native pros and cons will clear this dilemma and tell how your business can benefit from each. To know more, let’s jump right in.
Pros of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)
Improved Performance
Google’s research shows that 53% of users leave a website if it does not load within 3 seconds. PWAs come with enhanced performance, and it delivers faster performance as compared to sites by utilizing JavaScript (JS) that run individually from the main browser thread and actively control the caching of assets.
Offline Mode
PWAs save cache in the web browser and enable users to keep on browsing even without an internet connection that increases user engagement and availability. This feature allows for the saving of information that was last accessed online by the user.
No Installation Require
Unlike native mobile applications, PWAs do not require any installation. Users do not have to go through any app stores to install progressive web apps. Users can save PWAs icons on their respective devices that will work just like a mobile app, but without any download.
Cost-Effective and Fast Development
Comparatively, PWAs are quite cost-efficient and easy to develop than native apps. PWAs require programming languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to develop while on the other hand, mobile app development requires specific technologies that vary on different platforms.
Cons of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)
Limitations of Features
In comparison to native apps, PWAs don’t have all the features. For example – PWAs do not have access to features like Bluetooth, contacts, browser bookmarks, calendars, and more. Also, they consume more battery than usual mobile apps as they fetch all the data in real-time from the server.
Compatibility with iOS
Many features of PWAs are not compatible with iOS, such as push notifications (however, available for Android devices), touch Id, face Id, ARKit, Bluetooth, beacons, altimeter sensor, as well as battery information which makes PWAs less considerable.
Limited Support of Web Browsers
It is believed that PWAs are mainly Android-centric; thus, they are not supported by all web browsers. Safari and IE do not support PWAs. Also, Safari being the leading mobile web browser in the US, having only PWAs might lead you towards losing a massive mobile app audience.
Pros of Native Mobile Apps
Finest Performance
Being platform-centric, native apps are developed and optimized only as per the specific platform. Therefore, mobile apps work faster and provide a supreme level of performance compared to PWAs. Because data is already stored on a device, the app loads more quickly than users’ expectations and give users the best-ever experience.
Improved User Experience
Users want to access all the features right away on their smartphones or other devices, and a minor bug can result in a poor experience. Thus, native mobile apps are built-in regards to hardware’s specific technical capabilities where the interface gets smoothly combined with smartphones that create an enjoyable user experience.
Highly-Secured
PWAs are developed using programming languages, such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are not well-secured in comparison to native apps. To combat security challenges, native mobile apps were introduced to people. With its advanced technology, mobile apps are a brilliant way to ensure that users get high-end security.
Increases Business Productivity
With high-end technologies, mobile apps are developed to contribute to increasing productivity by maintaining the same quality of input, which makes your business stay ahead in this competitive industry, and also helps in driving more users towards your responsive app.
Also read: Why is Mobile App Development Important for Business Growth?
Cons of Native Mobile Apps
High-Cost Development and Maintenance
The development of mobile apps requires skilled developers, which adds to the time and immense cost. Also, native mobile app development requires separate codes for iOS and Android. Along with this, mobile apps require high maintenance costs in comparison to PWAs.
Inconsistent Quality
There are different types of developers available for iOS and Android, and they all do not maintain the same quality. Therefore, it becomes challenging for you to find a proficient developer and development technology for building mobile apps, resulting in inconsistent quality.
Inadequate Customer Support
Customer satisfaction is, above all, in any business, and mobile apps are no exception. Building a mobile app that has unsatisfying customer support leaves a bad experience on users. Thus, providing quality customer support to attain maximum customer engagement on your app becomes vital. However, it lacks in native mobile apps.
Which One to Choose? Final Thoughts
Based on the mentioned pros and cons of PWAs and native apps, it becomes easy for your business to make the right choice as per your accordance. Your business has two options PWAs and native apps to deliver a seamless experience to your users.
Each of them carries different strengths and weaknesses, and both are here to stay, all you need to do is to make a choice based only on your business goals and needs.
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