If you’re a development startup or even an established development company, you will likely be fully aware of the so-called “rise of the Progressive Web App” (PWA). These PWAs are shaking up the entire world of app development and it has a whole lot of enterprises wondering if they too shouldn’t be trying to get in on the action.

In today’s blog, we’re looking at Progressive Web Apps and wondering: when is it right to go down the path of developing a PWA over a native app or hybrid app.

What is a PWA?

Just to be clear, in case anyone isn’t yet on the right page. A Progressive Web App is a normal web application that is designed especially to look, feel and function like a native mobile app that you’d download from the iOS App Store, or from Google Play on Android. Instead of taking up space as independent applications on your hard drive, however, they operate within your browser. Put another way, PWA describes a website that is “installable”.

Many of the world’s biggest tech and social media giants have made them, including Facebook, Twitter Lite, Forbes, Pinterest, Telegram, Uber and many others. 

Why are People Celebrating PWAs?

What’s the story behind all the hype? Why do people love PWAs so much? There are several key advantages that they hold over regular apps. First of all, they’re far more reliable and users can enjoy them both online and offline, which means stable and uninterrupted use at all times regardless of network speeds. What’s more, users are confident in the security of their information since every PWA has to have SSL certificates. 

The reliability and security of PWAs also makes them very fast, allowing users to enjoy a genuinely seamless online experience, which isn’t something that Wi-Fi or 4G/5G networks can always guarantee. Finally, the other big advantage is that they work in the same way across different operating systems. So, your browser could be installed on an Android or iOS device, and it works in the same way. That’s one of the many reasons developers love them, too.

When is it Best to Follow the PWA Route?

So, if you’re a developer, when is it right to favour the path of developing a PWA rather than a native or a hybrid app? What conditions should prompt that decision. We’ll explain more below.

First, if you have an app idea that you’re in a hurry to get developed and get to market, the PWA route is a far better one. PWAs are relatively simple in their code, and as we touched upon in the previous section, they work in the same way across different platforms; they have cross-platform compatibility. That means reaching more customers with a single development rather than spending more resources developing two different coded versions of the same idea.

Next, if you’re looking to develop an application on a budget, then PWAs are once again the better choice. This is shown partially in our previous reason on their relative simplicity and cross-platform compatibility. These are money-saving measures. Another cost-effective advantage is that creating a great PWA will also help you ensure that you are properly indexed on search engines.

Finally, PWAs will also help you avoid those two dreaded words that you hate the most — “Bounce Rate.” Because they work online and offline, and are faster and more accessible, data shows that the bounce rates for PWAs are far lower than other web solutions; lower by up to 42.86% according to Forbes. So, if any of these factors sound like they fit with your current business model, then perhaps a PWA is the right path for you.