PWA vs. Native App: Which is the Best Option for Your Project?

When a company decides to launch a mobile application, it faces a crucial technological decision: should we build a Progressive Web App (PWA) or invest in a native application for iOS and Android? There is no single answer, as the right choice depends on your business goals, budget, target audience, and the functionalities you need.

Native Apps (iOS/Android)

These are the applications we all know, downloaded and installed from stores like the Apple App Store or Google Play. They are built specifically for an operating system (iOS or Android) using their native languages and tools (like Swift for iOS or Kotlin for Android). They are the best option if your project needs:

• Maximum performance and speed: Being optimized for the hardware, they offer the smoothest and fastest experience possible.
• Full access to device features: They allow advanced use of GPS, camera, accelerometer, contacts, NFC, and other hardware features without restrictions.
• Rich push notifications and background geolocation: Ideal for applications that depend on constant interaction and user location.
• A user experience fully integrated with the OS: They follow the design guidelines of each platform, resulting in a familiar interface for the user.

Main disadvantage: They are usually more expensive and slower to develop and maintain, as they typically require maintaining two separate codebases for iOS and Android.

Progressive Web Apps (PWA)

A PWA is, in essence, a next-generation website that behaves like an application. It uses modern web technologies to offer an experience similar to a native app directly from the browser. Users can "install" it on their device's home screen, it works offline, and it can send push notifications. They are ideal if you are looking for:

• Faster and more economical development: A single codebase is written that works on all platforms (iOS, Android, Windows, Mac), significantly reducing development costs and time.
• Ease of distribution and updates: They do not require going through the long review and approval processes of the app stores. To update it, you simply deploy the new code to your server and all users have the latest version instantly.
• Better discoverability (SEO): Being a website, a PWA is fully indexable by Google, allowing you to attract users through organic search, something a native app cannot do.
• Less friction for the user: The user does not need to go to a store, search for the app, and download it. They can start using it with a single click from a link.

Main disadvantage: Although support has improved enormously, they still have more limited access to some very specific and advanced hardware features of the device compared to native apps.