With the rapid growth of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), it's crucial to explore their differences from other approaches to building mobile user experiences. In this investigation, we've compiled a list of essential mobile application criteria and analyzed them in the context of each approach to identify strengths and weaknesses.

Can PWAs Replace Native Apps?

While PWAs are catching up with native app features through standards implementation and browser capabilities, they can replace native apps if key features can be developed within existing PWA capabilities. Since PWAs don't offer advanced graphic rendering and have low development complexity, they're an excellent choice for scenarios like building a minimum viable product (MVP) on a tight timeline.

Can PWAs Replace Hybrid Apps?

Fundamentally, the approaches to PWAs and hybrid apps are similar, but there are crucial differences in their architectures. Hybrid apps can utilize device hardware/software features via plugins, providing advantages in feature quantity and computing resources. Similarly, PWAs can replace hybrid apps if the application doesn't rely on advanced rendering and fits within existing PWA capabilities. Additionally, PWAs decrease the Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) rate due to being web-based and SEO-friendly.

Advantages of PWAs over Responsive Web Apps

The primary advantage is that PWAs offer a solution that can be used from a browser or installed on devices without an internet connection, thanks to implementing a manifest file and Service Worker caching strategy. This allows for publishing the PWA in app stores like Google Play Store or Apple App Store, increasing visibility.

However, there are still unanswered questions, such as:

  • What features aren't available with PWAs?
  • What are the differences between each approach from perspectives of time and cost?
  • Which approach enables the best discoverability?

This investigation provides a detailed review of these differences and answers these questions to help determine which approach works best for your business.

Introduction

The surge in PWA projects has generated significant interest in this approach as a way to create exceptional mobile user experiences. Articles like "The Best Western River North Hotel sees 300% increase in revenue with new Progressive Web App" demonstrate the impact of PWAs on businesses.

To accurately compare the specifications of PWAs to other approaches, we defined the following approaches:

  • PWA: web apps that can be downloaded and emulate mobile experiences using features and APIs
  • Native: applications developed for specific platforms (Java/Kotlin for Android and Objective-C/Swift for iOS)
  • Hybrid: applications using one codebase for different platforms and device hardware/software via plugins
  • Responsive web app: web apps optimized for UI/UX to be mobile-friendly

In the next section, we'll explain the metrics used to determine these differences. We'll then provide a comparison matrix of all the metrics, allowing you to prioritize your main objectives.

Method

To find the best option for developing a mobile experience and learn about exact differences between available choices, we gathered a list of criteria containing essential KPIs like conversion and retention rates.

We categorized them into three:

  • "Look and feel" – styles and UI/UX experience criteria
  • "Functionality" – most important hardware or software features and modern mobile device criteria
  • "Development and delivery" – criteria measuring the development process and required effort from a business perspective

In the functionality section, we selected runtime responsiveness as our performance metric, gauging how quickly the page responds to user interaction after loading.