PWA vs Native App: Which Should Your Business Build?

"We need an app" is one of the most common requests we get — and one of the most worth pausing on, because a Progressive Web App often solves the same problem for a fraction of the cost and time.

What a PWA actually is

A Progressive Web App is a website built to behave like an app — installable to a home screen, works offline, sends push notifications, and loads near-instantly on repeat visits. No app store required.

When a PWA is the right call

• You need to reach both iOS and Android without building and maintaining two separate codebases.
• Your budget or timeline doesn't support months of native development and an ongoing app-store approval cycle.
• Core functionality is content, browsing, forms or ordering — not something requiring deep device hardware access.

When native still wins

• You need deep integration with device hardware — Bluetooth, advanced camera control, background location tracking.
• Offline performance needs to be flawless for complex, data-heavy workflows.
• Being discoverable in app store search is itself part of your acquisition strategy.

The honest cost comparison

A PWA is typically built and maintained as a single codebase, while native apps usually mean separate iOS and Android builds — often close to double the development and ongoing maintenance cost for feature parity.

We scope this decision as part of every project estimate — see our product line for examples of what we've shipped as PWAs versus native builds.