A PWA instead of a mobile app: when it works better

A progressive web app (PWA) is a hybrid of a website and a mobile app: users can install it on their phone straight from the site, without the App Store or Google Play, it works even without a connection, and it usually weighs under a megabyte — against the tens or hundreds of megabytes of a native app.

Why it's often better value than a native app

• Development and maintenance cost noticeably less than separate iOS and Android apps.

• No store review to pass, and no store rules or commissions to comply with.

• Installation happens straight from the site — one or two taps, with no trip to an app store.

• Pages load faster than an ordinary site, and some functionality works offline.

What it gives the business

A PWA supports push notifications — the same tool that keeps users in native apps, without the cost of building for two platforms. An icon on the phone's home screen does as much for brand recall as an ordinary app icon, and push messages reduce the need for paid retargeting to bring users back.

Who it suits particularly well

A PWA delivers most where users come back regularly: food delivery, online stores, appointment-based services, beauty, media and aggregators. For a site someone visits once in their life — a one-off event landing page, say — the difference between a PWA and an ordinary site is barely noticeable.

When you do need a native app

A PWA doesn't replace native development entirely. If the product needs deep access to device capabilities — complex camera work, Bluetooth, background location, specialised sensors — or presence in the stores themselves matters for reputational reasons, a native app remains the better fit.

If you're unsure which you actually need — a full app or a PWA — we can assess the task and suggest a solution that doesn't overpay for capabilities you'll never use.