The quantity of mobile users has been developing consistently. To satisfy present-day clients' needs, web-based business visionaries need to give a quick, simple, and consistent mobile shopping experience. That is the place mobile apps and progressive web apps (PWAs) come in.
In any case, which would it be a good idea for you to pick: a progressive web application or a native application? To settle on an educated choice, you'll first need to know the upsides and downsides of each approach. To disentangle things, we've composed this guide about the contrasts among PWAs and native apps and how organizations can profit from each.
What is Progressive Web App?
The Progressive Web App is an ultra-streamlined website for mobile, ready to utilize a few highlights of this device, for example, the camera. Clients access PWA from their program — Chrome, Firefox, Safari or other — and download its substance as and when perusing, thus the name of progressive.
Advantages of Progressive Web App
Availability. An incredible preferred position of PWAs over native apps is that they're autonomous from application stores. Since 25 percent of smartphone clients erase apps because of the absence of storage space, this autonomy can be an incredible favourable position. Clients don't have to download PWAs and use loads of room. All that is required is a web program.
Self-ruling usefulness. A PWA can work in offline mode, giving clients admittance to the online store whenever and staying up with the latest.
Website design enhancement improvement. PWAs have URLs and, therefore, are filed by Google. That implies clients can undoubtedly discover a PWA utilizing a web index.
A modest and quick turn of events. PWAs are less expensive, quicker, and simpler to create than native apps. Creating native apps without any preparation requires explicit advancements for the two platforms. On account of a Progressive web app, all that is required is HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
And why is it important? It's because of the recent statistics, that explains a lot about the usage of smartphones globally. According to Statista, the number of smartphone users is estimated to grow to 3.8 billion by 2021.

Disadvantages of PWAs
Just the pros of PWAs will not help you in making the decision. It is vital to see the disadvantages of the same. One of the major drawbacks of PWAs development is the page loading time of the application. Under this platform, developers are somewhat constrained by the speed of browsers, which also depends on the quality of connection. Native application, on the other hand, uses the OS roots of the device directly.
PWA connection is quite straightforward and fast, which makes it an ideal choice for intended applications. However, it also welcomes another issue on the platform. The glaring issue with PWA is the cache for memory storage. There are browser-imposed limitations that require some technical engineering which happens after it consumes memory and other resources. Some of the PWA related issues are also related to sources of security.
When we talk about security, PWA is quite secure. Most of the PWA applications use HTTPS, not just for the security purpose, but this is what is required by Google to run on chrome smoothly. It also eliminates the security risk, which is a huge concern for the development team.
One and build PWA that is 99% secure and is appreciated by most of the users. In case you need the best security for your application, you can also switch to native development, as some issues cannot be induced around the same.
So depending on the factor you wish to choose while you develop an application, the choice is purely yours. However, all the factors must be penned down when you wish to develop an application and make the decision wisely.
What are Native Apps?
A native application is the sort of application we have been creating for very nearly 10 years at smart apps. A native application is grown twice: once for iOS, the other time for Android; in this way, it works ideally with a wide range of devices. Clients download the application with the entirety of its substance from the Store (Apple Store or Google Play). In 2016, native apps represented 87% of all mobile traffic.
Advantages of native apps
Incredible execution. Since native apps are created and advanced for a specific platform, they give a significant level of execution. The native mobile app is introduced legitimately on smartphones, permitting the software to use the device's handling speed. Since data is now put away on a device, the application loads commonly quicker.
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A predominant client experience. Extraordinary client experience has consistently been pivotal. All iOS apps must conform to Apple's Human Design Guidelines to be distributed on the App Store.
Cooperation with different apps
Native mobile apps can associate with different apps, which means you can without much of a stretch interface with outsider administrations: from approval employing Facebook to delivery through FedEx, any coordination with outer assistance is conceivable.
Adaptability
Native mobile applications give incredible open doors as far as the interface and client experience. Online storekeepers can tweak their stores as they want and stand apart from the group by including remarkable highlights.
Geofencing
In contrast to PWAs, native mobile apps can utilize the centre working framework highlights, for example, geofencing. With geofencing, when a client moves toward an area, they get a pop-up message.
Disadvantages of native applications
Let's have a look at some of the cons of native application development:
Cost of the native app development is actually prohibitive. If you need your application on cross-platforms like Android and iOS, the development cost will automatically double for native development. A native application requires different versions of the User Interface for each operating system that suits the requirement.
When developing a native application, you will need Java, Objective-C, and Swift developers who are quite more expensive than just a JavaScript programmer. Not only monetary, but the development of such applications consumes a lot of time for the programmers too.
Distribution of native applications through different stores also has its cons. The constraints are quite harsh and also take a longer time for the review process. Especially with the iOS operating system, Apple's App Store submission has to go through interactions, and the focus is majorly on quality control. In case you update your application, and a troubleshoot occurs, there is no way to go back to the previous version. This, in turn, consumes a lot of time of your quality controller.
Application majorly suffers if the bugs on the appearing brand are not fixed quickly. At that time, your developers have to drop everything and work on the bug every time. Only not is the process hectic, but it consumes a lot of time that makes the work cycle quite stressful.
PWA vs native app: Which to choose
For the solace of your guests, we suggest the decision of a native application. Moreover, regarding openness and ownership by a wide range of crowds — youngsters, older- native application demonstrates a more acceptable device than PWA.
Right now, the native application presents fundamental favourable circumstances to guarantee the solace and fulfilment of your guests. Nonetheless, advancements grow rapidly, and PWA may very before long do noteworthy advancement regarding solace and availability. Along these lines, we stay mindful to the most recent advancements in regards to PWA and keep on testing various advances, with the main motivation behind distinguishing and giving the best insight to your guests.
If you are uncertain about whether you need a mobile application by any means, we recommend you read our article on why organizations need mobile apps in our interconnected time.
Right off the bat, an item owner or business originator needs to consider the motivation behind the application and see what needs it should satisfy. Normally, progressive web applications are utilized to grow little administrations where speed and ease of use matter more than rich usefulness. If everything highlights can be obliged in the PWA, there is no compelling reason to put resources into a more costly native application.
Nonetheless, there are circumstances when PWAs can't offer a similar degree of consistent client experience and adaptable highlights. Here are the fundamental situations when it's ideal for picking a native arrangement:
- Responsive dependent apps like games;
- High-security apps for banking and fund;
- Resource and device-dependent apps like VR, AR, video talks, etc.
Mixture arrangements dominate at sparing dev cost and time while giving a comparative list of capabilities. Likewise, PWAs are incredible for warning apps, utility apps, and site enlargements as they are the most expense and time-successful. Here is a clever table we have organized the consequences of our examination.
Conclusion
Before you make a final choice after analysing Difference between a native mobile application and a Progressive Web App PWA, you need to analyse your goals and determine what essential and additional functionality you’d like to offer to the end-user. If the end solution isn’t too demanding, it’ll be likely cheaper and faster to create a progressive web application, rather than make costly native platforms.
On the other hand, it might be that PWAs are not able to add anything to the existing application experience. Or you may find that a combination of both will be the best for your business strategies and goals.
PWA is the future of mobile applications. There’s a possibility that they will replace native applications with time, becoming a perfect combination of native app and website. If you want to know more about the possibilities, contact Owebest Technologies to discuss your application.