PWAs vs Native Apps: Which Wins in 2025?

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) vs Native Apps: Which One Wins in 2025?

Niotechone Marketing Team
August 25, 2025
7:36 am

Introduction:

The choice between Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) and native mobile apps may seem daunting, particularly when your company is just starting its digital transformation. However, you are not the only one who has to deal with this dilemma when considering app development.

Whether you are about to release your first application or you are considering switching to a new platform, it is important to know the difference between PWAs and native apps. This guide will take you through the fundamentals of PWA vs native apps in 2025, so that you can determine which one best suits your business objectives.

Before comparing the two head-on, it is important to understand what PWAs and native apps are.

What are Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)?

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are more sophisticated web applications that merge the features of websites and mobile apps, providing users with an app-like experience with additional functionality. In contrast to traditional web apps, PWAs can be opened on any device with a web browser, operate offline, send push notifications, and interact with device features, allowing businesses to reach more people and do so in a cost-effective way.

Telegram, Starbucks, Twitter Lite, Spotify, Pinterest, and Tinder are well-known examples of progressive web apps. These apps demonstrate how businesses use PWAs to enhance user engagement, retention, and conversion rates. To find out more, read our comprehensive blog on progressive web app examples, where we discuss how the leading brands use PWAs to enhance their online presence.

Why Progressive Web App Development?

Cross-Platform Access: Access users on mobile, desktop, and tablet devices.
Offline Capability: Reach users even when they have low internet connectivity.
Cost-Effective: Save on development costs as opposed to developing individual native apps.
Improved User Experience: Faster, stable and interactive, which increases user satisfaction.

Investing in PWA development services, businesses will be able to keep up with the digital world, providing modern, scalable, and engaging applications that will bring actual value.

What are Native Apps?

Native apps are those applications that are developed and designed to work on a specific operating system, like iOS or Android. Such apps are usually coded in the native languages of the platform, such as Swift or Objective-C on iOS and Java or Kotlin on Android.

Native apps are platform-specific, and thus they can take full advantage of the device hardware and software, providing high performance, responsiveness, and user experience. This is why they are suitable to businesses that need fast, feature-rich applications that are specific to their target platform.

The most popular examples of native apps are Tesla, WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Facebook, which demonstrate the strength and performance of platform-specific applications.

Now, we will take a closer look at the comparison between Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) and Native Apps to see which of these solutions may be more suitable to your business.

Major Differences Between PWAs and Native Apps

Sr no.	Criteria	Progressive Web App (PWA)	Native App
1	Platform Support	PWAs are web-based applications that mimic native app behavior and can run on any device with a web browser—smartphones, tablets, or desktops.	Native apps are created using platform-specific languages and frameworks, like Swift for iOS and Java/Kotlin for Android.
2	App Store Presence	PWAs do not require app store distribution. They can be accessed directly via a URL, eliminating the need for downloads and updates through stores.	Native apps must be published on app marketplaces like the Apple App Store or Google Play. Users need to download and install them.
3	Access to Device Features	As web apps, PWAs face some limitations when accessing device hardware and APIs, offering only partial native functionality.	Native apps integrate deeply with the device, providing full access to features like camera, push notifications, and contacts.
4	Offline Capability	PWAs utilize service workers and caching to provide limited offline access by storing data locally for use without internet connectivity.	Native apps excel at offline performance since data can be stored directly on the device, enabling full feature use offline.
5	Development Cost	PWAs are generally more budget-friendly because they use a single codebase for multiple platforms, reducing time and costs.	Native apps require separate development for iOS and Android, making them more expensive and time-consuming.

Now that we understand the differences, let’s explore the advantages and drawbacks of both Native Apps and Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). Reviewing their strengths and limitations will give you a complete perspective and make it easier to choose the right solution for your needs.

Advantages and Limitations of Progressive Web Apps

Advantages of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)	Limitations of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)
Fast Loading & Offline Access – PWAs are optimized to load quickly and allow users to access core features even without internet connectivity, ensuring a seamless user experience.	Restricted Hardware Access – Unlike native apps, PWAs have limited access to device hardware like NFC, Bluetooth, and advanced camera functions.
Engagement & User Experience – PWAs support push notifications, allow “Add to Home Screen” installation, and deliver an app-like experience without app store dependency.	Performance Constraints – On low-end devices, PWAs may struggle with heavy processing tasks, making them slower than fully native apps.
Cost-Effective & Instant Deployment – Businesses save development costs since a single PWA works across multiple platforms and can be deployed instantly without app store approvals.	Security Risks – If not properly secured with HTTPS and authentication, PWAs can face vulnerabilities similar to traditional web apps.

Advantages and Limitations of Native Apps

Advantages of Native Apps	Limitations of Native Apps
High Performance & Full Hardware Access – Native apps are built with platform-specific technologies, ensuring superior speed, responsiveness, and seamless access to device features like GPS, camera, NFC, and biometrics.	Higher Development Cost – Creating separate apps for iOS and Android significantly increases overall expenses, making it less budget-friendly.
Enhanced Security & Superior User Experience – Native apps benefit from OS-level security and follow platform-specific design guidelines, delivering a smoother UI, intuitive navigation, and a highly secure environment.	Longer Time-to-Market & Manual Updates – Dual development efforts and app store approval processes extend launch timelines, while users must manually install updates.
Better Offline Functionality & Reliability – Native apps can store data locally, allowing full offline capabilities without limitations, offering a more consistent experience compared to web-based apps.	Larger Storage Requirement – Native apps consume more device storage, which may affect adoption on devices with limited space.

Which is Best? PWAs vs Native Apps

The decision between a Progressive Web App (PWA) and a native app may be difficult. To find out which of them is better, it is necessary to compare their features and possibilities. So what is it? Let us analyze it:

Automatic App Updates

PWA: Progressive Web Apps are able to update themselves in the background, without the user having to download or install updates manually. This does not require frequent submission or optimization to the app store.

Native App: Native apps must be updated manually by the user through the app store and developers may have to optimize the app store with each update.

Winner – PWA

Reason: PWAs are clearly superior in that they automatically update in the background, and the user does not have to do anything to get the latest version.

Native Apps vs Progressive Web Apps: Comparison of Features

Operating System Integration

Native App: Native apps have the ability to integrate fully with the operating system of the device, which enables the user to access hardware features like camera, GPS and push notifications.

PWA: Progressive Web Apps do not have full access to device features and cannot use all the hardware capabilities.

Winner – Native App

Reason: Native apps provide a smoother experience as they use device hardware and are more integrated with the operating system.

Search Engine Indexing

PWA: PWAs can be indexed by Google and other search engines and are therefore discoverable through search results. This enhances exposure and may bring in new users without any advertisement.

Native App: Native apps are not indexed by search engines and are mostly located in app stores.

Winner – PWA

Reason: PWAs have wider coverage and discoverability than native apps.

Platform-Specific UI/UX

Native App: Native apps provide a quick, responsive, and feature-rich interface, which is designed to work with a specific operating system of the device.

PWA: PWAs are more responsive than web apps, but they might not be as rich as platform-specific interactions.

Winner – Native App

Reason: Native apps offer better platform-specific UI/UX and a more refined user experience.

When to Choose a Progressive Web App (PWA)

A Progressive Web App (PWA) is a perfect choice when your business objectives are related to the wide accessibility, lightweight performance, and cost-efficient development. These are the main situations to take into account:

Cross-Platform Accessibility:
A PWA is the ideal solution when you want an app that works on both Android and iOS devices, as well as in browsers as a web app. It enables you to target users on all platforms without having to create several native apps.
Storage Efficiency:
PWAs are also lightweight and do not consume much storage space on the’ devices of users, which makes them suitable for audiences with low device memory.
One App on All Platforms:
If you want to develop a single app that can run on a variety of devices and platforms, PWAs enable you to develop a consistent app experience without having to maintain multiple codebases (Android, iOS, and the web).

When to Choose a Native App

A native app is the right choice when your priority is high performance, advanced features, and a platform-specific experience. Consider developing a native app in the following scenarios:

Intuitive User Experience:
If you want an app that provides smooth navigation, responsive interactions, and an overall superior user experience on mobile devices.
App Store Availability:
When you want your app to be published on Google Play and Apple App Store, reaching users directly through official app marketplaces.
Platform-Specific Optimization:
If your app needs to leverage platform-specific operating systems, enabling deeper integration with device features.

Conclusion

The decision between PWAs and native apps is based on business requirements. PWAs are cross-platform, faster to develop, and cheaper, whereas native apps are more performant and fully integrated with the device.

Niotechone offers professional PWA and native app development services to enable your business to develop fast, engaging, and cost-effective digital solutions.

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Frequently Asked Questions FAQs

Will PWAs substitute native mobile apps?

It is unlikely that PWAs will fully substitute native apps because the latter are superior in terms of performance, device integration, and advanced functionality.

Are PWAs compatible with all mobile devices?

Yes, Progressive Web Apps are made to work across many devices and platforms. PWAs can be used with most of the modern browsers and operating systems, such as Android, iOS, Windows, and others, which makes them accessible to a wide range of users.

How much time does it take to create a Progressive Web App?

The timeframe of a PWA development is 2-6 months, depending on the complexity of the application and the level of expertise of the developers.

Do PWAs have push notifications?

Yes, PWAs can use push notifications, which can be used to connect with users even when they are not using the app.

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Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) vs Native Apps: Which One Wins in 2025?

Table of Contents

Introduction:

What are Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)?

Why Progressive Web App Development?

What are Native Apps?

Major Differences Between PWAs and Native Apps

Advantages and Limitations of Progressive Web Apps

Advantages and Limitations of Native Apps

Which is Best? PWAs vs Native Apps

Native Apps vs Progressive Web Apps: Comparison of Features

When to Choose a Progressive Web App (PWA)

When to Choose a Native App

Conclusion

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