"Should we go native or build a PWA?" We get asked this almost every week, and people usually expect a one-word answer. The honest reply is: it depends — but not on anything complicated. Once you know your audience and your budget, the right choice is usually staring back at you. Here's how we'd talk it through.
So what exactly is a PWA?
A Progressive Web App is just a website that behaves like an app. People can add it to their home screen, it works offline, it can send push notifications, and it loads instantly — all from one codebase, with no app-store gatekeepers in the way.
Where native still wins
Native apps go deeper into the device. If you're building something graphics-heavy, using AR, or leaning hard on the camera and sensors — a game, say — native gives you performance and access the web can't quite match yet.
The honest trade-offs
- Budget: a PWA is one codebase, so it's usually cheaper to build and far cheaper to maintain.
- Reach: a PWA is just a link — no install friction, no two-week store review.
- Performance: for heavy, hardware-hungry apps, native pulls ahead.
- Updates: a PWA updates the moment you ship; native means waiting on approvals.
What we usually recommend
For most content sites, dashboards, booking tools and SaaS products, a PWA gets you maybe 90% of the experience at a fraction of the cost and hassle. Go native when you genuinely need that extra performance or device access. Plenty of our clients start with a PWA and only add a native app later, once the demand is proven.
Still not sure which fits your idea? We build both, and we'll tell you honestly which one we'd pick in your shoes. Let's talk it through →