PWA or store app: which one you really need

The difference in two lines

A PWA is a website that installs like an app: icon on the phone, full screen, works offline. It runs on Android, iPhone, Windows and macOS from one codebase. A native app is written for that system and goes through the App Store and Google Play.

When a PWA is enough

• Staff apps: job sheets, stock, attendance. You send a link and they install it, with no store.
• Internal tools that nobody needs to find.
• You want to update it without waiting for Apple or Google to approve.
• The budget covers one app, and you need both iPhone and Android.

The AREAVISION app is a PWA used in shops, including on handhelds with a scanner. KardPal reads barcodes in 13 formats with the camera. Both do it with no store.

Where a PWA stops

The limit is mostly the iPhone:

• Safari doesn't read NFC or talk to Bluetooth, while Chrome on Android does;
• push notifications only work after installing to the Home Screen;
• no background work, such as recording GPS position with the app closed;
• it doesn't appear in the App Store, so anyone looking there won't find it.

When you need the stores

• The app is for the public and must be found by people searching the store.
• You sell subscriptions or content inside the app and want store payments.
• You need NFC or Bluetooth on iPhone, or background GPS.
• Your customer asks you to be in the App Store, perhaps because competitors are.

Stores have their own costs and rules. The Apple Developer Program costs 99 dollars a year, Google Play asks 25 dollars once. Every version goes through review. Apple and Google also take a commission on payments made inside the app.

A middle way

A PWA can be placed inside a light native app that uses the web code and adds only what is missing, such as NFC or notifications. It goes to the stores and nearly everything is reused. You rarely need it, but it is good to know if the need arises later.

How we choose

I start from the hardest feature. If you need NFC or background GPS on iPhone, you need native. If not, we start with a PWA and see how much it gets used. The details are on the PWA and Android and iOS apps pages, and for technicians' apps see job sheets on the phone.

Frequently asked questions

Does a PWA work offline?

Yes. The data stays on the phone and syncs when the connection returns. KardPal, an app of mine, keeps loyalty cards on the phone even offline.

Can a PWA be installed on iPhone?

Yes, from Safari with Share and Add to Home Screen. The step needs explaining, because iOS doesn't offer an install button as Android does.

Do push notifications work?

On Android, yes. On iPhone they have worked since iOS 16.4, only if the PWA was added to the Home Screen and the user gave permission.

Can I start with a PWA and build the app later?

Yes, and it's the path I suggest when in doubt. The server side stays the same, and before spending on native apps you know whether people use it.

Read more

• The service: PWAs, apps from the browser
• Work of this kind: KardPal
• Work of this kind: AREAVISION: website, back office and app
• More pages like this: Before you decide