The advantages and disadvantages of Progressive Web Apps over Native Apps

The main differences in the approaches of creating the mobile app are implementation speed, cost and final product quality; and the technology options of mobile app development, available to entrepreneurs today are numerous.

Let’s start from Progressive Web Apps - a relatively new technology developed by Google.

Pros

• Allows to send push notifications.
• App can work in an offline mode.
• Such sites usually get better ranking on search engines.

Cons

• This is just a browser wrapper, not a fully-functional app. Technically it is still a website, and it can only do what websites can.
• User will not get the native app experience - interactions, animations, performance, UI - it is still just a fullscreen browser window without url bar and that can work offline.
• Poor compatibility - not working on IPhones and iPads.

Native App Development

As for me it is the best choice in terms of performance and product quality but it is also the most expensive approach.

Pros

• There are many modules and libraries for solving common development tasks which speeds up the process.
• Good performance and great user experience on all mobile platforms.
• Allows the app to access all device’s hardware allowed by the manufacturer.
• Can work offline and store data locally on the device.

Cons

• Higher costs compared to hybrid app development.
• Different technology stacks for different platforms - usually you’ll need separate developer to build and maintain iOS and Android app. Any feature needs to be added separately to each platform.
• Building a native app is a perfect choice if you have enough resources. Technologies for building such apps exist for a long time already and many complicated tasks were accomplished. You’re unlikely to get stuck solving the technical or performance problem that was never solved before by someone and there’s a huge community of developers to learn from.

Understanding the differences between various approaches and technologies, as well as the various ways in which they relate to each other is the tricky part so I’d sugget you to read the article From Website to Mobile App - Your Four Best Options with full comparison of different approaches.

If you are not a technical person you can always seek help from a specialist.. or contact some mobile app development company for a consultation.