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As smartphones have become increasingly ubiquitous; do your business take advantage of them? Did you have a Progressive Web App development or a Native app? 

Well, if your answer is ‘No’, Boss you may have to rethink your strategy.

Currently, 7.3+  billion people worldwide are using smartphones.  And, approximately 90% of mobile time is spent on apps.

Can you imagine what that means for your business? You are just missing out on a huge potential market.  Hopefully, you don’t want this to happen to your business. Isn’t it?

A business that has spent on developing mobile apps or web apps has seen significant growth in-

• Customer engagement
• Brand awareness
• And most importantly revenue generation

So, think again and have this growth-bringing solution for your business before it is too late. However, while processing you might have questions like-

• Should I develop a native app or a progressive web app?’
• What are the advantages of developing a native app?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of progressive web app development?

Don’t worry, you can learn the answer to these questions below. So, with waiting a time, let’s start.

What is PWA or Progressive Web App?

Progressively designed web applications, referred to as PWAs.  It offers an unparalleled user experience across devices, allowing for a native app-like feeling with the simplicity of a website. 

Leveraging technologies such as HTML, CSS, JS, Service Workers, and Web app manifests, PWAs are fast, reliable, and engaging web solutions. They are accessible on any device that runs a web browser. 

What are some PWA examples?

Numerous PWA implementations have been documented. PWA Stats cite Lyft, Thomas Kent, Debenhams, Twitter Lite, Flipkart, and Pinterest as exemplars, reporting the following outcomes. 

1. Lyft: Lyft achieved 11% more rides on older devices and 40% more “Install PWA” clicks than with a native app. 
2. Thomas Kent: Thomas Kent’s PWA resulted in a 57% reduction in bounce rate and a 79% rise in organic traffic revenue. 
3. Twitter Lite: Twitter Lite users generated a 75% increase in Tweets sent, a 20% reduction in the bounce rate, and a 65% jump in pages per session. 
4. Debenhams: Debenhams experienced a 2-4x acceleration in user journeys from browsing to purchase, resulting in a 40% overall increase. 
5. Flipkart: Flipkart witnessed a 70% conversion rate boost and a 40% re-engagement rate hike, in addition to a 3x expansion of time spent on-site. 
6. Pinterest: Pinterest achieved a 60% growth in core engagements and a 44% hike in ad revenue rate after their PWA launch.

What are the Pros of Progressive Web Apps?

For businesses, progressive web app development holds several advantages. What are those? Some of them are listed below:

1. No Installation Required: 

By accessing PWAs through a web browser, users don’t need to download or install anything from an app store. By doing this, businesses are able to reach a larger audience and increase engagement with their users.

2. Offline Availability: 

Browsers can cache PWAs and make them available even without an internet connection. This makes it convenient for businesses with product catalogs as customers can browse their products when offline, resulting in increased user engagement and potential for more profits.

3. Improved Performance: 

Progressive web app development has improved performance thanks to its efficient functioning, operating like a website, and caching and serving text, images, and other content. Not only does this page-load speed enhance, but also user experience is improved, as retention rates go up and customer loyalty is promoted.

4. SEO Support: 

Unlike Native Apps, progressive web app development support search engine optimization. The content of the PWA can be easily located in the Google search results, boosting visibility and driving more traffic to the website.

5. Lower Development Cost: 

According to various statistical data and studies, creating a progressive web application can save companies a significant amount of money. On average, PWAs cost 3-4 times less than native applications, and in some cases, the cost difference can be as high as 10-25 times.

This is primarily due to the fact that PWAs eliminate the need to develop separate apps for different platforms and versions of operating systems. Besides, another financial advantage of Progressive app development requires less maintenance costs.

7. App-like Appearance and Functionality: 

PWAs give a sophisticated user experience by combining the appearance and features of mobile apps and the top of website performance. They also have settings and designs which are very similar to those of native mobile software.

8. Lightweight: 

The best benefit of progressive web app development for your business is that it is lightweight. It is easily operated in a low-bandwidth environment. Check this by comparing the Pinterest and Tinder PWAs with their respective native iOS and Android apps

9. Push Notifications: 

To keep your potential customers engaged and increase conversions, Progressive Web Apps offer support for push notifications. With well-executed push notifications, you can increase the time spent on your app to double and boost conversions by up to four times.

What are the Cons of PWA?

While progressive web app development has many advantages, there are a few potential drawbacks, such as limited access to device features.

1. Limited  Offline Access

In the above, we have discussed that we can access the PWA even when we are offline. That’s true. But the problem is, we can access only the cached content. With that, it means whatever the service workers have stored in the cache, it is easily accessible when we are offline.

However, any dynamic or real-time data that requires an internet connection to fetch and display will not be accessible while offline.

2. A limited set of features

If have a comparison of PWA and Native App, with PWA, you have limited access to the device functionality. Like with PWA, you cannot use certain features like camera, contacts, NFC, support Bluetooth, etc. Due to this, obstructing an exceptional user experience can be a great obstacle in some sectors.

3. Use of device battery

Compared to native apps, PWAs guzzle more battery. As these apps are developed using JavaScript and rely on an internet connection, they require a great deal of energy to operate on smart devices. Consequently, they are more power-hungry than native apps.

What is Native App?

A native app is a type of mobile application that targets either iOS or Android. Mobile app developers you hire will code each app in its respective programming language. It is imperative to pick the right programming language in order to guarantee the app runs correctly. 

Furthermore, crafting native Android applications can be done through the utilization of either Java or Kotlin programming languages. 

Java was the initial language employed for creating Android apps. Further, Google included support for Kotlin on Android in 2017, as the latter supports object-oriented and functional programming, while Java is restricted to object-oriented programming.

When you hire iOS developers, they write native iOS applications that employ programming languages like:

• Objective-C
• Swift 

What are some native apps examples?

Well, get ready to check out some exemplary native apps for a variety of platforms.

• Instagram allows you to smoothly share images and clips with your devotees, 
• Facebook is a well-known social media platform to link up with your buddies, publish posts, and surf around content, 
• Google Maps supplies you with thorough maps, real-time updates about the traffic, and directions for navigation, 
• Snapchat facilitates you in delivering photos and videos that disappear after they have been seen, 
• WhatsApp furnishes you with the ability to exchange texts, make video calls, and instantly transfer multimedia files, 
• Spotify enables you to become enveloped in a variety of songs, generate playlists, and uncover fresh music, 
• Uber lets you hook up with drivers and book a ride as well as cover for it, Airbnb empowers you to reserve lodgings such as houses, flats, and rooms for your journeys.

What are the Pros of Native Apps?

When discussing native apps, there are countless advantages that can bring a substantial improvement to your business. 

1. Better performance:

For one, the performance will be superior. As they are crafted for a specific platform, native apps can access and utilize the device’s resources to their full potential. This will make load times shorter and navigation will be smoother. 

Businesses can also optimize the user experience by incorporating platform-specific features and design elements, resulting in a more engaging and intuitive app. 

2. Tight security:

Security is another area where native apps excel; their development in a platform-specific programming language gives them access to advanced safety measures, which will ensure that user data is guarded and protected.

3. Quality UX: 

Furthermore, the UX of a native app is also top-notch. Due to the platform-tailored design, they can make the most of the device’s features and functionalities, resulting in an incredibly immersive and intuitive user interface. In turn, this leads to a higher level of engagement, user satisfaction, and a higher rate of conversion.

4. Full feature set access:

The number of features available with native apps is one of the primary benefits. From GPS and accelerometer to camera and push notifications, to offline functionality, the possibilities are practically endless. 

Moreover, with access to both hardware and software capabilities, a vast array of functionalities can be integrated into the app to boost performance and the user experience.

5. Minimal bugs:

What’s more, compared to progressive web app development, native apps are far less likely to have any glitches or bugs; due to the tailored approach of the development process, app optimization and tuning can be done in a way to avoid any issues.

All in all, native apps offer an abundance of benefits, all of which can drastically improve a business’ mobile presence. 

What are the Cons of Native Apps?

1. Time-consuming and costly development process – 

It goes without saying that developing a native app comes with a hefty cost due to its numerous advantages. iOS code cannot be used for Android, and the other way round.

Therefore, you need separate development teams if you intend to launch your app for both platforms, meaning more money is spent. 

Otherwise, you are simply stuck with the impossibility of making your app compatible with more than one OS.

2. Complex post-release support – 

The increasing needs of users and OS updates necessitate constant inspections and maintenance of your native app. Moreover, adding new features and fixing any bugs on both iOS and Android platforms necessitates different skill sets, thus the maintenance cost may exponentially rise.

PWAs Vs Native Apps: Which Approach Is Better For Your Business?

Well, it is hard to say which is better: progressive web apps or native apps. The answer is heavily dependent on a number of factors such as the intended business goals, target audience, and required features. 

It is therefore worth taking a look at the chief contrasts between PWAs and native apps to make an informed decision.

1. Cost and Time:

When it comes to Progressive web apps development costs are generally less and development time is comparatively shorter. This is because progressive web app development is done using web technologies in which developers are already knowledgeable and can be rapidly deployed on various platforms.

Whereas, Native apps give a much more smooth and finished user experience in comparison to PWAs. Furthermore, native apps are specifically developed to make the most of the hardware and software on the device, delivering an unbroken and active experience for the users. 

Conversely, PWAs are limited by the capabilities of the web browser and are thus unable to provide the same level of interactivity. Native apps also require separate development for each platform (iOS, Android, etc.), which can increase development time and cost.

2. Accessibility:

Accessibility is another point of comparison, with PWAs being more accessible than native apps. PWAs can be accessed on any device with a web browser, whereas native apps are limited to a single platform. 

Besides, native apps require the user to download and install them prior to using them. As a result, PWAs can reach a much broader audience than native apps.

3. Maintenance and updates:

Lastly, when it comes to maintenance and updates, PWAs are usually simpler to maintain and update. With PWAs, changes can be implemented from the server side and users can have access to the latest version of the app without having to download or install anything. 

Native apps, however, necessitate that users download and install the updates which can be cumbersome.

Closing Words!

Which type of app – a Progressive Web App or a native app? Selecting is based on multiple aspects which are tailored to your organization. Whilst PWAs offer conveniences such as

• broad compatibility
• decreased production costs
• straightforward access with no installation

Whereas, native apps offer:

• better performance
• extra access to apparatus functions
• stronger offline performance

When determining, take into consideration your funds, construction periods desired user experience, and overall corporate objectives. 

• If you prioritize thriftiness, broader accessibility, and quicker creation, a PWA may be a suitable selection for your company. 
• Conversely, if functionality, extended features, and a non-interrupted offline capability are paramount, a native app might be more suited.

To ensure success, it is suggested to consult with a progressive web app development company or a mobile app development company that can aid you in appraising your special needs and assisting you throughout the creation process. 

By making a sensible choice depending on your corporate requirements and customer preferences, you can capitalize on the power of apps to upgrade your work processes and make the most of your resources.

FAQs

Q1: Is it possible for a PWA to work without an internet connection?

Ans. PWAs are mainly designed to be used online; however, some features, such as caching, make it possible for a PWA to offer a restricted offline experience. 

Native apps, though, offer a more complete offline experience as they can save more data and offer a continuous user experience even without an internet connection.

Q2: Do native apps perform better than PWAs?

Ans. In most cases, native apps tend to perform better than PWAs due to the fact that they are developed specifically for one platform and are therefore able to make full use of the device’s features and capabilities. 

In comparison, PWAs run on web browsers and thus have certain restrictions in terms of performance because of their universal compatibility.

Q3: Are PWAs compatible with all devices?

Ans. Yes, PWAs are intended to be suitable for all gadgets that have a web browser, allowing them to work across various platforms and display sizes while offering a consistent experience for users. 

This is one of the main advantages of PWAs, as it permits businesses to target a more extensive audience without having to design a separate version for each platform.

Q4: Is it necessary to install a native app before accessing it?

Ans. Unfortunately, it is necessary to download and install native apps from an app store before using them. This process of installation can occasionally act as a hindrance for users who are unwilling to install new apps. On the other hand, PWAs can be accessed straight from a web browser, without needing to be installed, providing an easier user experience.

Q5: Are PWAs cheaper to develop than native apps?

Ans. Generally, PWAs are cheaper to build compared to native apps. This is because PWAs need only one codebase that is applicable to various devices and platforms, which saves time and money on development. Native apps, on the other hand, require a different development process for each platform, thus significantly raising development costs.

The post PWAs vs. Native Apps: Choosing the Right Approach for Your Business first appeared on iWebServices.