A Progressive Web App installs from a browser, updates instantly, and skips app store review entirely. A native app lives in the App Store or Google Play, with full access to device hardware and platform features. The right choice comes down to how much you need the store's distribution and native APIs versus how much you value speed and reach.
Start with a PWA when you're validating a product or your growth doesn't depend on app store presence — it's faster to ship and instant to update. Move to native once app store distribution, native API depth, or platform trust signals become the actual bottleneck. Many products run both: a PWA for fast web reach and a native app for store-dependent growth.
Yes on Android, where push notifications work the same as native. On iOS, support arrived in iOS 16.4 and works when the PWA is installed to the home screen, though native apps still have more reliable delivery and richer notification features.
Yes, through service workers that cache assets and data for offline use. It covers most content and form-based apps well, though it's less capable than native offline storage for complex data sync or background processing.
Generally, yes. A PWA is one web codebase with no app store submission process, while a native app usually means separate iOS/Android work (or a cross-platform framework) plus store compliance and review cycles. The savings are largest early on and during the update cycle, since PWA updates ship instantly.
Yes, and it's a common path — launch a PWA to validate demand and reach users fast, then invest in a native app once you need app store distribution or deeper native features. The web app's business logic and backend usually carry over, even though the client needs a new build.
Tell us about your product and growth channels, and we'll recommend PWA, native, or both in a 30-minute call.