Native App Vs Progressive Web Apps: Who is winning for your business?

Native apps have been built for Android or iOS devices. They have been developed as per the platform guidelines and have been customized perfectly to match the target OS. While building native apps, developers make use of frameworks, libraries, and native tools. The most significant features of the native apps happen to be their high performance as well as satisfactory communication with the device hardware.

In spite of all these advantages, it is quite costly and time-consuming to develop native apps. Moreover, developing a native app implies emphasizing on only one-half of mobile users who might be either Android users or iOS users. For this reason, one particular native app will not be able to appeal to a lot of users out there.

Because of this, the developers and business owners are trying to find some solutions for building more inexpensive and profitable apps that will work with any device and any platform. One of the alternatives has been the progressive Web apps.

PWAs or Progressive Web apps are actually fully functional applications that appear like the native Web apps. In fact, an app-like UX is being used by the PWAs for offering app-style navigation and gestures. Moreover, they are going to work on every device since they have been developed for the web.

There are 2 primary use cases for a PWA:

Web app – You’ll be able to use a progressive Web app for distributing your app to the users without any need of sending the entire app. It will also enable you to overcome any problems with any network connectivity that is unstable. In this way, it will be possible for you to increase the speed and also enhance SEO while minimizing hosting expenses.

Mobile app – It is possible to distribute a progressive Web app as a mobile application by means of a URL and not through any app store out there. You can easily bundle this type of app into a regular mobile app on any occasion in case you’d like to deploy the app on any app store.

Importance of Progressive Web App for your company

Ever since they have been introduced, PWAs are receiving lots of interest from the businesses out there. In fact, they are receiving much more interest from organizations such as NASA, Twitter, Medium, Lyft, Starbucks, and Flipkart at present. The features provided by the progressive Web apps have made them appropriate for businesses that are trying to achieve visibility without much development effort and also at low cost.

An increasing number of companies are trying to make their businesses profitable by making use of progressive Web apps at present.

Read More: Progressive Web Apps: Features, Benefits & Capabilities

Benefits offered by PWAs:

1. App -like appearance

It is a fact that progressive Web apps appear approximately 95% identical to the native apps thus providing an overall app -like sensation to the users. PWAs provide superior-quality user experiences for suppressing the website feel. They consist of a comprehensive set of conventional app functionality (animation, navigation, scrolling). Dynamic data and database access are also provided by them.

2. Speed

It is a fact that progressive Web apps happen to be rather fast. As compared to X, they load quite fast and showcase enhanced web performance. How is it possible for them to achieve this? By functioning faster because of caching performed by the service workers. Besides caching, functionality is also offered by the service workers which consist of periodic background syncs, off-line experiences, push notifications, and so on.

In turn, enhanced performance results in top-quality user experiences as well as better retention rates.

3. No need for any installation

Even though you have to download them, there is no need to install progressive Web apps on the device. A progressive Web app receives its personal icon on the screen similar to a conventional mobile application. However, this is done while avoiding the process of installation.

This process likewise helps to enhance download speeds and will also help to reduce the rate of user abandonment to a great extent since it will be possible for the users to access the progressive Web app easily by means of a URL. It is easy to share progressive Web apps because the user simply requires copying the link and dropping it to a buddy.

4. Compatible with multiple devices

You’re going to get a functional website irrespective of whether a link is clicked by you to a progressive Web app by making use of a tablet or smartphone running Android or iOS or making use of a computer running Mac or Windows. Unlike traditional apps, there is no need to develop a separate application for every single platform. It is the responsive web design that makes it possible to do this that allows the browsers to figure out the device from which any user is browsing and they will be able to customize the app as a result.

All the contemporary browsers apart from Safari work with progressive Web apps. Therefore, there should not be any problems with the experience of the users irrespective of the device.

5. Welcome SEO, forget ASO

It is imperative for every single native app to possess an app store profile so as to achieve official status. It is not possible to prevent this tedious procedure of ASO (app store optimization) prior to going to the market. In fact, ASO helps to make sure that the technical guidelines and requirements for Google Play Store and the App store has been satisfied by an app. In case the app does have any problem with compliance, you will not be allowed by the app store moderator to publish it until they have been resolved by you.

It is sensible to publish the app on both the platforms for gaining more users and this implies that it is imperative for you to execute a couple of app store optimization procedures. As a matter of fact, approval might require even a few weeks. Moreover, it will be imperative to optimize every single feature update as well.

Progressive Web Apps have to be introduced by means of a web browser and a URL and there is no need to upload it to either the App Store or Google Play Store which helps to save a considerable amount of time as well as money. One more essential feature of the progressive Web apps happens to be their discoverability by the search engines. In fact, a progressive Web app can become the right-hand tool of any marketer if it is built with basic SEO principles in mind.

Read Also: The Latest Trend in Native Apps & Hybrid Apps

Benefits of Native Apps:

1. They’re faster

Although it was mentioned earlier that progressive Web apps are fast, it is not possible for them to compete with the native apps. A browser is used as a mediator by the progressive Web apps between the app and the operating system. On the other hand, native apps are going to work on the device directly thus offering superior user experience in the long run.

2. Comprehensive usage of inbuilt device hardware

The most significant feature of native app development happens to be their direct access to cameras, GPS, Wi-Fi, and other core device hardware. This helps to make the user experience more comprehensive and convenient which is something that the progressive Web app development lacks.

It is not possible for progressive Web apps to use all the device features to their advantage since they function only inside browsers and are not able to access the OS properly. On the contrary, it is possible for the native apps to use any feature provided by the device and the operating system.

3. App Store Optimization happens to be a plus point

It is a fact that native apps need to abide by the standards which have been set by Apple as well as Google, and therefore, users will be able to make certain that the app downloaded and installed by them is totally risk-free. It is a level of security that cannot be provided even by HTTPS.

4. Geofencing

This is a service that is based on location and it triggers an activity once a device gets into a zone. This particular feature enables a native app development company to involve the audiences by delivering pertinent push notifications regarding coupons, promos, updates, as well as security alerts.

Geofencing happens to be a robust marketing solution that will allow attracting an increasing number of clients. Nevertheless, it is possible to implement it only in native apps. It is an appropriate complement for the brick-and-mortar outlets out there.

5. NFC support

It is possible to use NFC (Near Field Communication) for quite a few things even though it is mainly utilized for payments at present. For using this feature, it is important for an app to have accessibility to the appropriate chip which has been embedded within a gadget. And this kind of task can only be pulled off by a native app. Progressive Web apps do not have any access to the hardware of a smartphone. Therefore, one more positive aspect of the conventional apps is the fact that they’re able to provide a superior purchasing experience to the users.

Limitations & Comparison of Progressive Web Apps & Native Apps:

Even though progressive Web apps might appear to be a cheaper solution as compared to a native app, there are certain reasons why companies are avoiding progressive Web apps at present. The 2 primary reasons happen to be performance and load speed.

Platform limitations of the progressive Web apps happen to be the other considerations which repel the businesses out there. The Safari browser does not support PWAs and they were actually created by Google. They are going to work only in Opera, Firefox, and Chrome. One more significant downside of progressive Web apps happen to be their high consumption of batteries.

Takeaway

After comprehending the positive and negative aspects of native apps and progressive Web apps, it will be possible for you to decide which one is better for your company. In case you’d like to generate enhanced revenues and involve more clients at a reasonably low cost, then a progressive Web app will be your ideal solution. On the other hand, if you’d like to make your brand reputed by offering superior user experience then native app development should be considered by you in the long run.