“We need an app” is one of the most common requests we hear. But the first question to answer is: what kind of app? For many businesses, a progressive web app (PWA) delivers what they need for a fraction of the cost of native apps. For others, only a native app will do.
This guide explains the difference in plain English so you can make the right call for your budget and your customers.
What is a native app?
A native app is built specifically for one platform, Android or iOS (iPhone), and installed from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Native apps are typically written in each platform’s own languages (Kotlin for Android, Swift for iOS), or with cross-platform frameworks such as Flutter or React Native that produce apps for both stores from one codebase.
What is a progressive web app (PWA)?
A PWA is a website built to behave like an app. Visitors open it in their browser and can add it to their home screen, after which it:
- opens full-screen with its own icon, like any other app
- loads quickly, because key files are stored on the device
- can keep working with a weak or no connection, depending on how it is built
- can send push notifications on supported devices
There is one version, and it works on Android, iPhone and desktop computers.
Side-by-side comparison
| PWA | Native app | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | One build for Android, iPhone and desktop | Separate builds per platform, or a cross-platform framework |
| Development cost | Lower | Higher, especially for two platforms |
| Installation | From your website, in one tap; no store needed | Through the Play Store or App Store |
| Updates | Instant; users always have the latest version | Users must update; store review can add delays |
| Discoverable by Google search | Yes, every page can rank | Store listing only |
| App store presence | Optional (can be packaged for the Play Store) | Yes |
| Device features | Camera, location, notifications and more, with some limits, mostly on iPhone | Full access to device hardware and OS features |
| Performance | Excellent for most business apps | Best for graphics-heavy or very complex apps |
| Store fees | None for the web version | Developer account fees and store commission rules on some in-app sales |
When a PWA is the better choice
A PWA is usually the right starting point if:
- Your app is mainly about information, ordering, booking or accounts. Restaurant ordering, appointment booking, customer portals, catalogues, field-team checklists and internal dashboards all work very well as PWAs.
- Your budget is limited and you want to reach both Android and iPhone users.
- You want people to find it on Google. A PWA is also your website, so its pages can rank in search, while a native app is mostly found through its store listing. Before it goes live, the same website launch checklist applies.
- You want to test an idea quickly before committing to full native development.
- You update content or features often and do not want to wait for app-store reviews.
When a native app is the better choice
Go native if:
- You need deep device access, such as Bluetooth hardware, background location tracking, advanced camera processing, or tight integration with health or wallet features.
- Your app is graphics-heavy, such as games or advanced photo and video editing.
- Being in the app stores is essential to how your customers will find and trust you.
- You rely on features that iPhone limits for web apps. Apple supports PWAs, including home-screen installation and, on recent iOS versions, push notifications for installed web apps, but some capabilities remain more restricted than on Android.
The middle path
It does not have to be one or the other:
- Start with a PWA, launch quickly and learn what your users actually use.
- Package the PWA for the Google Play Store if you want a store presence on Android. This is far cheaper than building a separate native app.
- Build native apps later for the features that truly need them, with real usage data to guide the investment.
Questions to ask before you decide
- Who will use the app, and on which devices?
- What are the three things users must be able to do?
- Do any of those things need hardware or features a browser cannot access?
- How will people discover the app: Google, the app stores, or through your existing customers?
- What is your budget for building and maintaining it over the next two years?
If your answers point mainly to booking, ordering, accounts and information, a PWA is very likely the smarter investment.
Not sure which is right for you?
Tell us what your app needs to do and we will recommend the most cost-effective approach, with a clear, fixed-scope quote. Learn more about our mobile app and PWA development services.