Native vs PWA: What Should be the Startup’s Choice

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The one demand that mobile app entrepreneurs - no matter what size of the app business theirs is - have is to get an app that offers a combination of Saving Memory Space and a Guaranteed High Performance. 

Now if you look at the current mobile app development practices followed by the industry, you will find that there are two development concepts that are offering this in-demand combination - Native Apps and Progressive Web Apps. 

While Native app development is an approach that almost everyone who has interacted with the mobility space knows of, PWA is one that is fairly new. 

But this newness that PWA was facing is seeing a shift. With companies like Uber, Trivago, and Tinder, etc having worked around and taken benefits of PWA, the concept is soon going mainstream. Thus, eliminating the need to define what PWAs stand for. 

So, without taking you down the road to definitions and what means what, let us shift our focus on seeing what benefits both the concepts come with individually - something that would help you understand where your business would stand when you invest in either. 

Perks of Investing in PWAs

A. Easy Launch

Launching a PWA is hands-down a lot easier than launching a Native application. In PWAs, all users need to is click a link. Period. 

While in the case of Native apps, they will have to start with first finding an application on the store and then following several clicks to reach the stage of installation. 

B. Wider Compatibilities

PWAs work on HTML5. The users who wish to install a PWA do not have to feel restricted because they belong to either side of the wall - Android or Apple. All they need is a working internet to access the PWA. 

C. Low Developmental Cost

One of the primal reasons why businesses choose PWAs over Native apps and partner with a team of PWA developers is the low investment cost. Because the applications are based on the web, the efforts associated with following the rules of the Android Play Store and Apple App Store reduces by manifold. 

Perks of Native Apps

A. High Speed and Performance

When it comes to the app load speed and it's over performance and the user experience quotient, Native apps stand several places ahead of PWAs. And the fact that they consume lower battery, comparatively also works in their favour. 

B. The Essence of Safety

While it depends on the user to user, but generally people are more comfortable installing an application off the stores as compared to installing one at the back of a website link. This sub-conscious feeling of safety is what PWAs are yet to achieve. 

C. Greater Connectivity With Device’s Built-in Features

Functionalities like Wi-fi, GPS, and Camera, etc are ones that make the whole user experience worthwhile. And this native-specific interconnectivity is what is missing in case of PWA (as of today - chances are that it is soon going to witness a change as and when the technology progresses). 

Now the pros that we just read are enough to confuse any entrepreneur in terms of the decision they should take of whether or not to choose PWA over Native or vice versa. 

The truth is, noting the benefits that both the concepts offer, the question is in fact not of vs but of when to choose which. A question that we are going to answer next. 

When to choose PWA

There are some very clear use cases of when an entrepreneur should invest in PWAs as opposed to their Native app counterparts. Like, they should choose PWAs when they are looking for easy app promotion, have a restrictive budget to work around and are not even sure if they should go mobile in the first place. 

When to choose Native Apps

The choice of Native app development is a little more straightforward as compared to the decision of choosing PWAs. 

If your focus is on quality and performance over costs, go with Native. If you wish to build on the credibility of the stores, opt for Native and lastly if your app idea requires it to connect with the devices’ in-built features, choose Native. 

Now that we have looked into the different elements that help app entrepreneurs like you decide whether to choose Native apps or PWAs, it is time to make the decision. Get in touch with the domain’s trusted team of app consultants to help choose what would be right for your business.