The Progressive Web App (PWA) is a relatively new development in the field of web and app development. Previously, there was a significant difference between web and app solutions, but the PWA now offers a powerful blend of a website and a native mobile app. A PWA supports all devices with a single solution, as it can be used both as a mobile app and as a website.
The question is to what extent PWAs can truly compete with native apps. What makes these apps ‘progressive’ and how do they differ from native apps? In this article, we provide an overview of the features of a PWA and examine the differences in comparison to native apps in more detail. Finally, we not only highlight the advantages of Progressive Web Apps, but also shed light on their limitations.
What is a PWA?
A Progressive Web App (PWA) is a website that combines the benefits of a native app with the accessibility of a browser. The PWA offers a solution to the limitations of traditional web solutions in terms of performance, quality and internet connectivity. At the same time, the PWA delivers a smooth, native-app-like experience on mobile devices via the web browser.
According to senior Google software engineer, Alex Russell, a PWA is ‘a website that has taken all the right vitamins.’
Exmples of progressive web apps
A PWA is not a niche product. Major international companies such as TikTok, Google, Twitter, Spotify and Uber are already successfully using the technology to reach millions of users. Each in their own way, but with the same goal: to offer a faster, more accessible and user-friendly experience than a traditional web solution.
Below, we provide an overview of these successful PWAs:
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TikTok has, in addition to its native apps, also launched a PWA at the web address TikTok.com. Besides functioning on both mobile phones and computers, Google Chrome users can easily install the app with a click on the ‘Install’ button in the Chrome address bar.
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Google has made the web version of YouTube Music available as a PWA in the Play Store for Chromebooks. In addition, YouTube Music, like TikTok, can be installed via the address bar in Google Chrome.
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The vast majority of Twitter’s users are mobile (80%). That is why Twitter developed a lightweight PWA that offers faster and more data-efficient access to the app. The introduction of the Twitter PWA increased the number of page views per session by 65% and the number of tweets sent by 75%.
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Partly due to disagreements between Spotify and Apple regarding the 30% App Store commission, the time had come for Spotify to invest in a PWA version of the app. Compared to the native app, the PWA version is significantly faster and features an adaptive User Interface (UI) that changes background as the user navigates through the app.
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For the expansion of Uber into new markets, the web version of Uber was completely rebuilt from the ground up as a PWA. The Uber PWA is designed to enable car bookings on low-speed 2G networks. Uber has made fast ride requests accessible to everyone by bringing the native experience into a lightweight PWA, regardless of location, network speed, or device type.
At DTT, we have developed multiple PWAs, one example being the Ziekenhuisbedchecker. The Ziekenhuisbedchecker PWA was an urgent assignment from the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport during the COVID-19 crisis and maps hospital capacity. The solution was built as a PWA to ensure strong performance on both smartphones and computers.
The pros of a PWA
Using a Progressive Web App (PWA) offers several advantages:
1. Features of web and app
A PWA can be used as an app and website. This means that the features of the browser and the device on which the PWA is visited can be used. For example, the camera, push notifications (only on Android) or GPS.
2. No installation required
PWA's are available via the browser and therefore don’t need to be installed via an app store. This also means that you are not dependent on the rules of the app stores. Users can open the PWA directly via URL through, for example, an SMS message, e-mail or WhatsApp message. This has a positive effect on the conversion rate for new users.
3. A bigger range
The range of a PWA is greater than that of a native app. The PWA is accessible via the browser on computers, smartphones and tablets.
4. Visible as an app icon
A PWA can be added (as an app icon) on the user’s phone screen.
5. No app updates
Because the PWA is connected to the web, there are no app updates required. This ensures that the user (if connected to the internet) can always work with the most up-to-date version of the app.
6. Strong performance
A PWA hardly requires any storage space and uses less resources than a native app, while the performance is comparable.
7. Offline use
PWA's can partly be used offline. This has a positive effect on the user experience, because users don’t have to load the entire app every single time.
8. Supports SEO
Unlike native apps, Progressive Web Apps support SEO (Search Engine Optimization). For example, the websites can read by Google’s ‘crawlers’, so that the content of the PWA can be found within the search results of the Google search engine.
9. Often more affordable
Developing a Progressive Web App is often more affordable than developing native apps because it takes less time to develop.
10. Strong foundation for further development
A PWA can act as a strong basis for further development. With the PWA it is possible to integrate cost-effective ‘web-games’ within a mobile application, which are then made available in the various app stores. A good example project where DTT has successfully applied this methodology concerns the ‘Kruitbosch order app’. An additional advantage in this is that you can also enter native functionalities via a native ‘wrapper’, for example push notifications on iOS.
The cons of a PWA
Of course, there are disadvantages:
1. No access to apps stores
The disadvantage of this is that users have to visit the website themselves before they can add the app on their phone screen.
2. Fewer functionalities
Not all functionalities of the device can be used (for example, you cannot access contacts, calendar, Bluetooth or NFC). When your application has to make intensive use of the hardware of the device, it is often wiser to choose a native application instead of a PWA. For example, solutions that use Bluetooth are in most cases developed natively.
3. Still in the development phase
The PWA and its compatibility with (mobile) browsers and operating systems is still under development. For example, Apple doesn’t support all the functionalities of a PWA, so the user experience will in some cases be more limited. As of yet, it is currently not possible to; use Bluetooth or Siri, send push notifications and use Face ID or Touch ID.
4. Performance
With a PWA you can achieve good results when it comes to performance, but the performance of native apps is still much higher than that of a PWA. When you enter a competitive market, where you have to seduce the end user, it may be wiser to choose a native app over a PWA.
The future of PWA's
The advantages of Progressive Web Apps are clear and promising: You don’t have to download or install them. They have a wide range and are careful with data. Native apps offer the best look and feel, but PWA's have made great progress in this area. Additionally, from the previously shared example apps, you can see that PWA's are promising solutions for app development.
There are no restrictions when it comes to PWA's. So far, Apple is not willing to fully support the app format, so the user experience is more limited than on an Android device. In this way, Apple also protects its community and ecosystem. For example, Apple sponsors the education of many iOS developers through the ‘Apple Academy’ and doesn’t want to disadvantage this group of iOS developers and by restricting PWA solutions set up by ‘web developers’, Apple protects its community of iOS developers.
Is a PWA suitable for your organization?
But how do you know what’s the best solution for your organization? There are many factors and interests that play a role in this, both in the short and long term. In the short term, a PWA can be interesting, but if you want to add a feature which is only supported by native apps, it could theoretically mean that the application needs to be redeveloped in its entirety.
Are you still curious about a native or hybrid app? Then read this article first. Do you want to know if a PWA is the right for your organization? Feel free to contact us, we are happy to help you.
