Why Progressive Web Apps will Replace Native Mobile Apps
The ability to reach mobile customers is an established measure of potential success for any business today, be it a B2B, B2C, or C2C operating model. To enable this, technologically-empowered firms have three broad options: a mobile webpage, a native mobile app, or a progressive web app (PWA). In this piece, we will examine the benefits of using a progressive web app vs a native app.
- Mobile webpages serve as an excellent means to reach consumers in the “influence” stage of the funnel and boost impulse buying behaviour, but lack on the UX front.
- Native mobile apps definitely provide a better UX but are limited by device compatibility and have high barriers to adoption. Since native apps require downloads, the element of impulse is lost due to a considerable “buy-in”.
- That is where progressive web apps come into the picture, combining the best features of both mobile webpages and native apps while mitigating the disadvantages.
What are Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)?
Simply put, progressive web apps are mobile applications that are delivered through the web. They function with similar gestures and navigations, which are powered by an app shell that is hosted through a web browser. They run self-contained in such browsers, do not require downloads, and through service workers and pre-caching, are able to load quickly even in areas of low connectivity.
Why are Progressive Web Apps Better than Native Apps?
While the obvious reasons (as mentioned earlier) provide compelling arguments for the case of progressive web apps vs native apps, we will provide more evidence to iron-clad the PWA stake in the web app vs native app debate.
Cost of Development
Building PWAs is cheaper than native apps
The design and development of native applications require a developer team that knows the language which works on the individual platform and OS (Android, Roku, iOS, Tizen, etc.). It means you need the time and resources to maintain at least two versions of your application. PWA mobile apps are built on HTML, CSS, and Javascript, and are hence platform-agnostic.
PWAs are faster to build and update
With one version built on responsive design, you can implement the same for all devices, irrespective of the platform. You can easily push updates, without the need for downloadable updates for native mobile apps, which becomes cumbersome in low-connectivity regions.
Distribution
In the debate for distribution and deployment of progressive web apps vs mobile apps, PWA mobile apps take the win, as in the case of native mobile apps, you might need to pay for developer credentials on different app stores (Google Play, Apple Store, Windows, Amazon, and many more). For each of these stores, you would need to pass certain requirements for your mobile app to be listed.
In contrast, PWA mobile apps can bypass these cumbersome App Store requirements. And most popular browsers such as Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox support the features and design elements for the successful deployment of such applications. You can also push updates without waiting for approvals, making it more convenient for both users and developers of progressive web apps vs mobile apps.
Discoverability
PWA apps again bring a significant advantage in the case for progressive web apps vs native apps with the fact that the former can be indexed as any other web page by Search Engines, whereas promoting search ranks and visibility for native apps can only be achieved through a separate practice of App Store Optimization (ASO).
Progressive Web Apps vs Native Apps (from the Consumer POV)
Progressive apps vs native mobile applications also hold a series of trade-offs in terms of customer experience, but with mostly positive outcomes.
No Need for Downloading
An average mobile user downloads zero apps in a month. This is because downloading requires a significant commitment and buy-in on the part of the user. PWA mobile apps eliminate the need for downloading, which promotes customer trial, boosts impulse-purchase and still retains opportunities for revisits (unlike with native apps, once uninstalled, it is usually the end of the consumer journey).
Lesser Intrusive Permissions
Mobile users are increasingly fearful of privacy violations in this era. Native apps require a host of permissions to operate seamlessly, including access to personal storage, chat messages, and even geolocations and cameras. On the other hand, mobile web apps run on HTTPS 256-bit encryption protocols which ensures fool-proof transfer of data, without intrusive access to the functions of the mobile.
Performance
Mobile web apps are smoother since they do not require any downloaded space and are hosted by service workers that prefetch, cache and optimize in the background, separate from your web browser. However, native apps offer significantly higher UI customizability options, which PWAs might never be able to offer. Yet, in regions of poor connectivity or on slower devices, PWAs take the win in progressive web apps vs mobile apps.
What to Choose: Mobile Apps vs Web Apps?
Both mobile web apps and native apps have their own set of strengths and weaknesses. While PWAs might be the future, there are reasons why native apps take the cake in the PWA-native app debate.
Choose Progressive Web Apps if:
- You have just started-off and want to provide a simple yet intuitive experience to your users.
- You have budgetary and time constraints
- You want to increase brand awareness and improve SEO.
Consider a Native App if:
- Building credibility for your brand, since listing on app stores boosts brand reputation.
- You want to utilize advanced smartphone features such as geofencing and other sensors, which are essential to your UX or your product requires high computational power (games, VR/AR, etc.)
Closing Thoughts
Mobile web apps are definitely poised to rule the future of how firms will reach consumers. These progressive web apps possess a lot of advantages, but should be used for their benefits, as some of their drawbacks are simply overtaken by native apps in the progressive apps vs native debate. It is imperative to seek the guidance of an experienced progressive web app development company that specializes in designing customized solutions for your business to reap the maximum benefits of PWAs.
