PWAs have come a long way. Here is when they beat native apps — and when they do not.

By David Friedman , Founder of AppBrewers

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) promise native-like experience without app store submission. But they are not a universal replacement. We have built both. Here is the honest comparison.

What Is a PWA?

A PWA is a web app that uses service workers, manifests, and modern APIs to provide:

Offline functionality

Push notifications

Home screen installation

Background sync

PWA Advantages

Advantage Detail

No app store gatekeeping Update instantly, no review process

Lower development cost One codebase for all platforms

SEO discoverable Indexed by Google, found organically

No installation friction Visit URL, add to home screen

Smaller download size Kilobytes vs megabytes

Native App Advantages

Advantage Detail

Full hardware access Bluetooth, NFC, ARKit, sensors

App store distribution Trust signal, organic discovery

Background processing Location tracking, audio playback

Better…