PWA vs Native Apps: Which One to Choose in 2025?

Quick Overview: Get ready for the ultimate face-off in the blog, PWA vs Native apps. We will unravel the powers of progressive web apps (PWAs) and the might of Native apps. Know about the hidden power of PWA development solutions, like cross-platform compatibility, while witnessing the raw strength of Native apps with their superior performance. By the end of this journey, you will have a clear picture of which option suits your app development needs in 2025.

How businesses interact with their clients has changed in the digital age of the twenty-first century. Do you want to know the one thing that enabled it to happen?

Well, the answer to this is Smartphones!

Users consume 2X as much content on mobile devices as compared to the desktop.

As a business, you don't have to question whether to target mobile users. Instead, the focus has moved to researching the most effective methods for doing the same. Isn't that fascinating? It is, right?

Businesses previously had to decide between web or native app development solutions, but now they also have a third option: progressive web apps (PWAs).

Quite promising and affordable apps building without many downsides, but you must wonder if they are as good as they claim to be, right? Well, brace yourself as we explore the uncharted territories of app development. By the time you reach the end of this epic clash, you will be equipped with the knowledge and insights to make an informed decision for your app development endeavors.

PWA Vs. Native Apps: Brief Overview

As more and more users browse from their smartphones, mobile responsiveness is increasingly essential for mordern application development solutions in today's market. Developers, project managers, and startup owners continue to argue about Progressive web apps vs native apps.

However, PWA and native apps are not incompatible. The former isn't meant to take the place of the latter. Knowing the distinctions between the two is a wiser course of action than debating which is superior. Read on and analyze when PWA or native apps might fit your business needs.

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What are Progressive Web Apps?

A progressive web app (PWA) is an app that’s built using web platform technology. PWA is known to provide a user experience like that of a platform-specific app. It is crafted using standard technologies, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and WebAssembly.

According to a current analysis by Emergen Research, the global market for PWAs was $1.13 billion and is projected to reach a value of $10.44 billion by 2027, exhibiting a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 31.9%.

Moving forward, PWA can function, like a website, across numerous platforms and devices using a single codebase. Additionally, it may be loaded on the device, used offline and in the background, and integrated with the hardware and other apps, much like platform-specific software. Here’s a PWA podcast by GavinReese to help you with more insight on the same.

Progressive Web App Examples:

• Starbucks: The Starbucks PWA allows users to browse their menu, customize drinks, and find nearby stores, all from their web browser.
• Uber: Uber PWA allows users to request rides, track drivers, and make payments, all without installing a native app.
• Pinterest: The Pinterest PWA offers a seamless experience for users to discover and save ideas, even offline.
• Yummly: One of the best progressive web app examples in the food industry.

Key Benefits of PWA

PWAs are known to offer a range of benefits that make them an attractive choice for the developers. Let’s dive into the exciting perks of PWAs and explore why they are revolutionizing the niche of app development.

1. Low Development Cost: Progressive web app development is done with web technologies that lead to lower development costs as compared to building separate native apps for different platforms.

2. Fast Installation: PWA can be easily installed on the device, work offline, and run in the background. There are no specific or mandatory steps that you will have to follow.

3. Mobile Friendly: A progressive web app aims to give mobile users a seamless experience. Wondering how this happens? Well, this is achieved by using HTLM5 standards and JavaScript APIs. It helps in enabling apps to work seamlessly across various devices.

4. Highly Customizable: These apps are highly tailored because they’re built using web technologies that allow developers to code and customize them as they see fit. Having said that, you are free to create the app in a way that best serves your company.

5. Open Source: PWAs are open source. It means you can freely access and modify them without legal issues.

6. Enhanced Security: PWAs are built with security in mind, allowing them to scan by automated web scanners quickly. It works in the best possible ways to help you detect security flaws and vulnerabilities for future updates and patches. Plus, they run using secure code execution techniques such as ‘sandboxing’ to protect your data from being accessed by other apps or devices.

7. Maintenance: PWAs are also more maintained than platform-specific apps. The reason is that they’re built using newer standards and libraries that allow more accessible updates and debugging.

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Limitations and Challenges of PWAs and Their Impact on Business Goals

Though PWAs offer numerous benefits, it is important to acknowledge the limitations and challenges they present. Let us explore the list of challenges PWAs present and their impact on the businesses.

1. Issues With Legacy Devices: If the platform that your app is built for is discontinued, or if the device on which newer versions of the web platform do not support its running, you will be left with both an app and a user experience that does not match. Well, in such a case scenario, users will either download and install a native app from their computer or simply not use your PWA, making it hard for them to get access to services such as payments and database updates.

2. Lack of Third-Party Services: Search engines are another essential service PWAs cannot provide. PWAs are incompatible with third-party services such as Google Maps, Facebook, Messenger, and YouTube.

3. No Offline Capability: PWAs lack the automatic offline capability of platform-specific apps. Because of this, users cannot browse your content without an active internet connection. Platform-specific apps can work offline because code is loaded for offline functionalities using native APIs and libraries that allow for easy installation and management of features.

4. Limited Functionality: PWAs cannot provide all the same services as platform-specific apps since they lack several features and functionalities. For instance: PWAs cannot take payments, enabling you to accept payments only through your website. Moreover, PWAs cannot update themselves through web platform APIs like Android and iOS.

What Are Native Apps?

A native application is a software program built on a specific platform or device such as Android or iOS. These apps are usually downloadable via apps like Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Native applications use the device’s features like camera, vibrations, and GPS. After the download, these apps are shown as icons on the home screen of mobile devices.

Native Apps Examples:

• Spotify: An app for listening to podcasts and songs that allows users to stream music.
• WhatsApp: A messaging app for sending text messages, making voice and video calls.
• Snapchat: A multimedia messaging app for sharing photos, videos, and stories.
• Pokémon Go: It’s a popular augmented reality game where players can use their smartphones to catch virtual Pokémon in the real world.

Key Benefits of Native Apps

Native apps bring a whole host of benefits to the table in app development. As a business you can achieve seamless integration, optimal performance, and access a wide range of tools and APIs with it. With that being said, let us explore the list of benefits and see how native apps are a game changer in app development.

1. Better Performance: Native apps function incredibly well. They are designed and optimized for a particular device's operating system and hardware.

2. Advanced Customization: Native applications are easily customizable by their developers. They can be specific to a particular device, including advanced functionality like biometric login or GPS tracking.

3. Access to Sensors: These apps can access sensor data like accelerometer and gyroscope data of devices to use for display, gesture recognition, notifications, and app interaction.

4. Data Protection: Native applications can encrypt user data to protect it from being stolen or leaked when the app is running in the background. This makes it safer than PWAs because no third-party app has access to sensitive information.

5. Compatibility Issues: These applications provide the best user experience because they are designed for particular hardware and operating systems (such as Android and iOS). Users don't have to worry about bugs or crashes because native apps are explicitly made for specific devices.

6. Improved Scalability: These applications can be designed to scale with the number of users and increase their functionality. So, you can scale as you need since these apps use existing hardware.

7. Easier Launch to Market: Another benefit of Native apps is that they are launched faster because their source code is not scattered across several platforms, so developers can focus on just one development environment.

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Drawbacks of Native Apps and Their Implications for Business Projects

Native apps do have a few drawbacks that can impact business projects. Yet again, by understanding and addressing these issues, businesses can still harness the power of these applications. Let us look into these challenges so that we can avoid them in the best possible ways.

1. Lengthy Downloading Process: Only once consumers download them from the app store (Google Play or Apple App Store) are native apps ready to use. This requires a lot of work and processes, including searching for the app, approving its terms and conditions, and downloading it. Several people do not have the patience and time to download an app.

2. No Flexibility: Native apps are particular and limited to the device they are on and the software they are built for. This means you cannot easily change or patch an app without creating a new version.

3. No Two-Way Communication: With native apps, users cannot send feedback or error reports directly to developers, which is bad for businesses that rely on app-based user engagement.

4. More Expensive: These applications require developers with extensive knowledge of each platform’s coding language (e.g., Objective-C for iOS apps). Because of this, native app development is more expensive than PWAs or web applications because developers must be hired to build them from scratch.

5. Time-Consuming Development: Native applications are not easier to build or develop than PWAs. In addition, they typically take longer to debug than PWAs and Web applications.

PWA vs Native Apps

Based on the benefits and challenges of PWA and native applications, it is impossible to give an ambiguous answer about which app type works better – a native or PWA. The ability of both development approaches to provide a usable product to the final audience is what matters most.

The approach you decide on entirely depends on your goals, requirements, and user needs. You'll be able to confidently choose your following custom application development solutions once you know what to anticipate from each development type.

Let's emphasize the factors you need to take into account before deciding.

1. Functionality: You need to carefully consider the features your application has to offer a top-notch user experience when answering this requirement. Look into this: will your software need all-encompassing functionality, or will essential functions suffice?

2. Budget: Budget estimation and a written quote are essential in this situation. You must determine if you need to hire more professionals and how complex the newly built feature will be. Ascertain that you have enough money to cover each stage of development.

3. Development Timeframes: If your deadlines are tight and you can't wait that long, consider whether you are willing to wait a half year for your native app to be released in the app store.

4. Marketing Strategy: Are you aiming to monetize your app? What media will you employ to spread the word about it? Which access method for your users makes the application the most convenient? Well, to successfully implement your marketing strategy, be sure you analyze your industry, the competition, and any possible audiences.

5. Business Objectives: You must specify the precise business outcomes you intend to achieve after the publication of your application as a business. What do you hope to achieve? Do you have any other goals, such as increasing brand recognition, keeping consumers, or reaching out to new people? Considering the distinctions between progressive web apps and native apps, make sure your expectations are clear.

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Comparison Table:

When Should You Consider Progressive or Native App?

Both native and PWA have advantages and disadvantages; when choosing between them, ensure that you consider the aspect each option excels and how they fit in with the vision of your application.

Consider PWA if:

• You’ve just started, and you want a simple app for your users
• You have time and budget constraints
• You want to enhance and work on brand awareness and SEO

Consider Native App if:

• You are looking forward to building credibility for your brand
• You want to utilize advanced smartphone features

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ConclusionBy now, you must understand that when it comes to deciding between PWAs and native apps, it is all about finding the right fit for your specific needs. PWA offers the advantage of being accessible across different platforms, while native apps can provide better performance and access to device features. Considering factors like target audience, desired functionality, and available development resources is crucial.Regardless of your choice, Radixweb, a leading provider of progressive web app development services, can help you enhance your conversion rates with next-gen PWA development to have reliable, engaging, and fast applications.On the other hand, even if you need help with native apps, our experts can offer the best-in-class native app development services. Our professionals specialize in crafting custom solutions that meet the highest standards and are intuitive and enjoyable to engage with. For more information and to take a step towards success, speak to our experts now.