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Ashok Sachdev

November 04, 2022 637 Views
13 mins read Last Updated November 04, 2022
Progressive web apps (PWAs) vs Native apps Which is Better

Quick Summary : Native apps are developed using programming languages and writer to run on mobile devices while the progressive web applications are developed using CSS, JavaScript and HTML, which is actually a website and written to run inside web browsers.

In the modern world, applications are an important tool that companies should consider offering to give consumers an excellent customer experience. The utilization of progressive web apps (PWA) is growing rapidly over the last few years. The major factor about a PWA is that it can combine the operations of a native app along with the accessibility of a website. So many people think that PWAs can beat the technology of the native app in the future entirely.

So if you are in a dilemma about whether to go with a progressive web app development services or native app development or you want to learn more about PWAs so just read this complete article carefully.

Why the Comparison between PWAs with Native Apps is Essential?

It is a hot topic and you can see the numerous discussion related to whether to choose Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) or Native mobile apps on Quora, Reddit, etc. Native applications are the applications you download for utilization, however, it is not in the case of PWAs. The very first step to using the native app is downloading, and you can easily download it from the play store, then you can sign up for the account and access the features available inside.

On the other hand, PWAs are different from native apps. They are just like the mixture of a native application as well as a website. In other words, it is like a website that functions similarly to an application.

The lots of discussions you would have also heard of some people about PWAs better or native apps being much better. You should utilize modern technology and always try to keep your customers engaged.

So in the below-given article, we are going too an in-depth comparison of the two when considering different factors. So it will support you to understand better them both prior to doing your final selection decision regarding development of progressive web app react.

What is PWA (Progressive Web Appplication)?

Some people already have a good knowledge of the native app but there’s a chance of not understanding PWAs completely so we will describe both of two.

A native app is generally designed for a particular Smartphone operating system. In the other words, we can say that it is specifically built to run on a specific gadget, with the help of a specific programming language, it may be IOS or Android. Whatever kind of app that you download on your mobile phone from an app store so will be counted under the native app.

Meanwhile, PWAs are the short name Progressive Web Apps which are mobile websites that are mainly designed to run inside the web browser. It can be designed in some languages like CSS, HTML, and JavaScript, and are that’s why multi-platform. So it is an overall mixture of a website and a native app. The PWA websites can create the experiences like the app for the users.

So If you have already used anyone from these Pinterest, Twitter Lite, Tinder, Telegram, AliExpress, FlipBoard, or the 2048 mobile game on your desktop or system, then you have already utilized to PWA tool.

Pros & Cons of Progressive Web Application

PWAs are kinds of websites that work similarly to mobile applications and they can be saved on a desktop in the form of icons or folders and can be easily accessed through a browser.

Pros of PWAs

Simple installation and utilization

Download from an app store and installation is not needed for the PWAs just because they are available in URL form. There is no need for permission to be made available for the users.

Load Quickly

PWAs are generally associated with service workers that store the information on the pages which was visited by first-time users. This allows PWAs to load the information promptly on the next visit of the users as well as it also stops the crashes during peak traffic times.

Work In Offline Mode

The information which was cached by the PWAs from the first visit of users can be accessed offline as well. This feature supports a lot to enhance the user experience, the retention rate of PWAs as well as engagement of users.

It takes Less Device Storage Space

As I have told you before that PWAs don’t require to be installed on gadgets they don’t reside in the storage space of the gadget they are being installed on. This supports stopping the device from slowing down or heating up as well as extreme storage space consumption.

Inbuilt Security Feature

It is essential to operate PWAs on HTTPS. This supports preventing the data transfer between the user and their server from being tampered with. If the user is utilizing the PWAs then they don’t need to worry about the security of their sensitive data like personal details or contact details, payment details, etc.

pros & cons of pwa

Cons of PWAs

Partial Support of Web Browser

Each web browser cannot support this technology. It is generally driven by the Android so that’s why they do not properly work on Safari or a graphical web browser. Now the major fact is here that Safari is one of the main browsers in the US country, so the utilization of only PWA can be risky because you can lose the huge mobile application audience. If not working well the you should go with browser extensions developing or install prebuilt add-ons as respective web browsers.

Featuring The Limitations

We can say that the PWAs are just similar to half apps and their operations are restricted. Many features cannot be utilized by Progressive Web Apps. For instance, PWAs don’t provide accessibility to alarms, bookmarking the browser, contacts, as well as alerts, and also it cannot interrupt calls or SMS, get the contact number of the client, etc.

No Data of The Consumers

Progressive web applications don’t provide access to the information of its consumer which contains social and contact profiles.

Don’t provide Geolocation For The Indoors

PWAs can’t be accessed on Bluetooth, and it is very much essential for indoor geolocation.

Offer Limited Features of iOS

PWA does not provide notifications for iOS users and only offers to the Android crowd. And therefore, e-store business owners can lose a larger targeted audience just because of PWAs. With the PWA iOS users have to deal with problems like limited space storage.

What is a Native App?

Native mobile apps are simple applications that are already installed on the app store on iOS or the play store for Android. These apps are specifically designed to use the hardware strengths of a specific mobile device as well as render an interactive customer familiarity. The native applications are with us from the very beginning of the mobile phone world, and for a long time, we have been using these mobile applications.

Since native apps are designed upon a specific OS, they assure a dedicated performance and can make utilization of the hardware’s abilities in a much more efficient manner. Developing native applications for iOS and Android platforms can be divided separately as well as more investment in terms of money, time, and effort may be its consequences.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Native Apps:

Pros of Native Mobile Apps

Security

The native applications provide full access to the gadget on which they are installed, native applications are better and secure as well as protect the user’s data in a better way. Their structural design permits for the introduction of more security operations like multi-factor authentication.

Access to Built-in Device Operations

The native apps can offer access to the device functions without any support of plug-ins or extra tools, and this feature enhances its capabilities as well as pleasant appearance.

Offer a Great User Experience

Its top-level performance, an adaptation of the app to the platform and its functions, Flexible as well as simpler navigation, and a wealth of attributes, with the support of all these features the native apps offer an excellent experience to its users.

High Performance

These apps are developed with a specific platform in mind as well as optimized for it, therefore it offers a great performance to their users.

pros & cons of Native apps

Cons of Native Apps

Maintenance and development are Costly

If you are using the native app then you will need two different teams for it one for development and another one for maintenance correspondingly. It has to be designed individually for various operating systems. Maintenance of native apps is a lengthy procedure – you need to frequently check for errors and crashes as well as updating is also required with the latest trends and technologies to make sure customer satisfaction.

Need the Approval To Be Launched

After the complete design, the native apps can’t be launched to the public instantly. The next procedure will get them approved by the app store on which the app is going to launch. This is a very long procedure that can take a time from a few weeks to months as well as it is also the risk of rejection due to copyright issues or plagiarism.

Download And Installation take a lot of time

If the user wants to use native apps then first of all he will have to install them from app stores. It can take a huge time.

Security elements Need To Be Manually Built In

The Native apps don’t consider the inbuilt security elements like PWAs. Some security factors like multifactor authentication will have to be developed by yourself in native apps.

Prone To Crashes

Native apps are responsible for frequent crashes of the system. if developers don’t verify for errors on regular basis, or if users have so many apps installed on their gadget or operating in the background of the system then there is a huge chance of a crash.

PWA vs Native Apps

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PWAS & NATIVE APPS

PWAs are committed to many things:

  • The development procedure of PWA takes 50 to 75%less time than a traditional native mobile app design process.
  • The PWA is completely free from app stores or complicated downloads as well as updates
  • PWA offers a combined in-app experience that is accessible across all gadgets.

Despite these benefits of PWA over native apps, PWAs still suffer from performance issues:

  • It is not too good for the battery of a gadget just because of its power consumption.
  • The hardware integration issues occur in PWAs.

Major Difference Between PWA & Native Apps

Progressive Web Apps Native Apps
1. Performance 1. Performance
Progressive web apps have quicker loading abilities than native apps, but they operate on third-party browsers it simply means that there will be a huge chance of battery consumption as well as latency.

 

Meanwhile, native apps integrate perfectly as a part of the mobile phone gadget once they have been installed in the Smartphone. If we talk about the performance level then the native app can use the hardware and the device attributes in a much better way than PWAs. The native mobile applications are more powerful and high-scoring.
2. Download & Installation 2. Download & Installation
In PWAs Users doesn’t need to install app to find data, commence a buy, or cooperate with the concerned business. So on the scale of handiness as well as comfort, PWA applications are better than native apps because they don’t waste your precious time and only save storage space for the mobile phone gadget. These hybrid applications are always decked-up for Android and iOS users. Mobile phone consumers like to work in plain workflows as well as with the comfort of using an app. It may not be suitable for all of your target audience to be okay with installing an app just for the sake of data or step in there for one-time utilization. However, users are worried about ticking yes on permissions to native apps for accessing their phone storage, location, etc. for privacy issues.

 

3. Features & Functionalities 3. Features & Functionalities
A progressive web application includes many features and functionalities but they are fewer as compared to PWA. A native application that includes better features and functionalities as compared to PWA. The major features like mobile payments via NFCs, inter-app functionality, geofencing, as well as smart sensor utilizations are not available in the service section of PWA development. Furthermore, it is not possible to launch it. If you want to use push notifications then you will have to use the native applications.

 

PWA vs Native Apps: which one should you prefer?

The choice should always be based on the targets and values you want to get for both your company as well as customers. If you have an idea for the application and the target audience is decided then firstly you should focus on the features which you want to provide to your user and which will support creating a positive impact on the user.

So overall, if you think that the app should offer full access to the device, as well as should be exceptionally efficient and users can also run it offline, so you can go with the native app option. despite the time, it will consume in the design and expensive costs, so with these features, you will get the software with the best customization options as well as it will be safe and smooth.

It will not be correct to choose a progressive web application or a native application without measuring its advantages and disadvantages from a user’s perspective. So here are some of the important checkpoints in the form of differences that can support you to compare pwa apps with react and native app development from an end-user viewpoint.

If you want to cover a big audience with if your budget capacity is limited that does not permit you to develop a different app for each platform, so at that time you can go with PWA. Although, you should keep in mind that the functionality of the app may not need any kind of hardware components that are not supported by PWA. But with a great idea and focus on the user, you can get success by choosing a PWA.

Conclusion

PWAs as well as native apps are similarly essential for any organization depending on the type of mobile strategy a company chooses to follow. They both offer an inspiring opportunity that can support businesses to boost engagement as well as improve the user experience.

The companies need to set the target and important mobile functionality that they want to offer to their users before picking anyone from PWA or a native app. Are you looking to get your App build estimation? So you can Contact us at Groovy Web for the best assistance.


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Written by: Ashok Sachdev

Ashok Sachdev is the Project Manager at Groovy Web who began his professional career as a programmer at the young age of 17. Ever since then he is actively growing, learning new things, and adapting to new roles and responsibilities at every step. Aside from being an app developer, he is highly admired for his project management skills by his clients.


Frequently Asked Questions

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