What Is a Progressive Web App (PWAs)? Key Features, Examples

What Is a Progressive Web App?

Progressive Web Applications, or PWAs, are a type of web application that can work as both a mobile app and a web page on any device.

Like traditional websites, PWAs also use three core languages, including JavaScript, CSS, and HTML. This makes them work the same as regular web pages and be searchable in Internet browsers. But PWA also combines other technologies to give users a native experience, like working offline, sending push notifications, and using the device’s features.

So, where did PWAs originate from? Google Chrome engineer Alex Russell and designer Frances Berriman came up with the idea of PWAs. They described PWAs as pieces of software that uses new features supported by service workers and web app manifests in modern browsers to work offline, send notifications, and do other “native” stuff.

PWA has the potential to break down the wall that Google and Apple have built around their data gardens by combining web- and mobile-like user experiences (UX).

But if you ask us in which category a PWA sits in: a mobile app or a traditional web app, we’d say both, in a kind of gray area.

A PWA overcomes the inherent limitations of a normal web app (that are living on browsers and depending totally on the internet connection). Further, it can be installed on your device to access some (not all) hardware features, like push notifications, cameras, or GPS. This gives users a native experience when they use a web app.
With these outstanding features, it’s no wonder that PWAs are increasingly developed and used, with a compound annual growth rate of 31% from 2025 to 2034.

Recommended reading: Why Google advocates Progressive Web Apps

Key Features of Progressive Web Apps

Progressive web apps can be thought of as mobile-optimized versions of regular web pages. They can be added to a user’s mobile device through their web browser. But what are the key features of PWAs? Let’s see:

Offline mode

PWAs can work even when there is no internet connection or the connection isn’t very good. This is what most traditional web apps don’t have.

Offline mode in a PWA doesn’t mean the app can work without the internet all the time. That’s a common misunderstanding. Instead, it saves important files, remembers recent data, and decides implicitly what should still work when the signal drops.

Installable on device

Progressive web apps inherently run on web browsers. But noticeably, they can be installed in a window separate from the browser, not in a tab. Depending on the situation, you can launch them from your device’s home screen, dock, taskbar, or shelf.

This allows you to access native hardware features from PWAs, like the camera, GPS, and file systems. Not all of them, but many.

Push notifications

With push notifications, PWAs let you stay engaged with the apps even when they’re closed. This makes the apps more valuable and adds touchpoints that you can use to customize your journey through the app.

Fast loading

Progressive web apps are built to load fast, even on slow networks. This is mainly due to service workers, which let the PWAs cache crucial assets (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) locally and load them instantly when needed.

Responsive design

Progressive web apps live on browsers, so they can adapt to the changing size of your browsers. No matter what device you use, they will act the same way and change to fit any screen size.

Recommended reading: Progressive Web App Tutorial for Beginners in 2023

How Does a PWA Work?

On the client side, how a PWA works may feel simple. You open a browser and type a URL or tap into an icon of a PWA already installed on your phone. And then, the app loads almost instantly. But behind the scenes, this inner working may be more complicated.

The first time you visit a PWA, it behaves much like a normal website. The browser loads the page, and files come from a server somewhere.

Once the page loads, the browser registers something called a service worker to cache key or recent assets locally. That’s why the next time you open the app, the PWA doesn’t ask the server for everything again. Instead, it checks locally first and loads the cached content. If you send a request that requires different content from what is cached, the PWA will send the request to the application server for execution.

In case the internet connection drops, a traditional web app may throw errors. But the PWA doesn’t immediately fail. Instead, it falls back on what it has saved and opens the cached content if you install the app on your device.

Recommended reading: 6 Best Progressive Web Apps Examples (PWAs) over the Past Decade

Difference Between PWA and Traditional Web Application

Traditional web apps and progressive web apps both run on browsers, but still show different aspects. Let’s take a glance at a comparison table below to see how they’re different:

Aspect	Progressive Web App (PWA)	Traditional Web App
Offline capability	Can work offline or in poor network conditions using cached content. This is primarily thanks to service workers supported by modern browsers.	Typically requires a stable internet connection. When the network drops, functionality often drops with it.
Installation	Can be installed directly on the device from the browser, without needing app stores.	Not installable, as they live inside browsers.
User experience	App-like experiences, including smooth transitions, fewer reloads, and offline mode.	Experience is page-based and depends heavily on connection quality.
Performance	Often faster after the first visit due to caching and background processes. So it can work fast, even on slow networks.	Performance depends on connections and real-time requests.
Push notifications	Supports push notifications (with user permission). Useful for updates, reminders, or alerts.	Generally does not support push notifications.
Device feature access	Can access some device features like camera, GPS, and notifications. Support varies by platform.	Limited access to device features. Mostly constrained to browser capabilities.
Development & maintenance	One codebase for multiple platforms. Easier to maintain and faster to deploy changes.	Also one codebase, but lacks advanced capabilities without extra tooling.
Discoverability	Discoverable via search engines and shareable through links.	Same discoverability benefits.

Comparison of PWA vs Native Mobile App

Although both PWAs and native apps share the word “applications” in their names, they’re not the same in functionality. Look at the key differences between them:

Aspect	Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)	Native Mobile Apps
Installation	Installed directly from the browser, without the need for app stores and their approvals.	Installed through app stores like Google Play or Apple App Store. Requires download and approval processes.
Platform dependency	One app works across devices and platforms, as it runs on browsers. Build once, run almost everywhere.	Separate apps for iOS and Android. Different codebases, different rules.
Development cost	Generally lower. One codebase means less time and fewer resources.	Higher. Multiple platforms often mean multiple teams or longer timelines.
Performance	Fast for most use cases.	Optimized for the OS. Usually faster, especially for complex interactions.
Offline functionality	Supports offline or limited connectivity through caching.	Strong offline support. Data and features can work fully without internet.
Device feature access	Limited access to device features. Depends on browser and OS support.	Full access to hardware features like Bluetooth, sensors, background tasks, and more.
Updates	Automatic updates in the background. Users always get the latest version.	Updates require user action and app store approval. Some users delay updates.
User discovery	Discoverable via search engines and shareable through links. Easy to access instantly.	Discovered mainly through app stores. Requires a deliberate search and installation.

Real-World Examples of PWAs

If you want to decide if you should use PWAs on your website, it’s a good idea to look at some of the most successful PWAs that are already out there.

Facebook

Facebook is now Meta, and they are still the most popular social media network. In 2018, they started trying out PWAs. At this early stage of PWA, Facebook built a PWA version to help millions of global users access the platform, especially when they had trouble with internet connections.

Tinder

Tinder is a popular and well-known online dating service with more than 60 million users each month, mainly in their 20s and 30s. Tinder Online was first released as a PWA app in 2017 with the goal of reaching a larger number of users.

Starbucks

One of the most cutting-edge PWAs is Starbucks. This well-known coffee brand released its PWA in 2017 with the goal of letting its customers look at the menu, even when they don’t have an internet connection.

Impressively, the app itself is 99.84 percent smaller (just 233 kilobytes) than the iOS version. This made more people use the app more easily and let Starbucks double its online orders.

X (formerly Twitter)

X is one of the most influential social media sites with a strong presence in the native application space. But the app struggled with getting new users in emerging countries because people there often had less access to the Internet.

With PWA, X improved user experiences by allowing its users to access mobile features, like push notifications, and experience faster loading.

Flipboard

Flipboard is the most popular social magazine in the world. It allows users to store articles, photos, and videos from their favorite sources, hence creating their own Flipboard magazines.
Flipboard’s PWA reduced the amount of data used, making browsing smoother and the user interface neater. It also offered a similar experience to its full-featured native app on the web.

FURTHER READING:

1. Web Application Examples and Definition for Beginners

2. 24 Web App Ideas that Work for Your Next Project in 2023

3. What is the Most Popular Web Server Application in 2023

4. Web App vs Website: Why Is It a False Dichotomy

Pros and Cons of Progressive Web Apps

There are many benefits when your business builds a progressive web app:

Cost-effective: You will spend less money building and maintaining your app if it works on multiple platforms with just one codebase.
Easy setup: You don’t have to go through the process of distributing the software through an app store to get it to users.
Faster loading: Using service workers to cache the latest or important content, PWAs can load faster.
High compatibility: PWAs are compatible with all devices and platforms, as they mainly run on browsers.
Higher reach: High compatibility, app-like experiences, and higher searchability allow PWAs to reach more people than native mobile apps or traditional websites.
Offline mode: PWAs can work even without any internet connections, as they have their own local storage and can easily sync their data with the cloud. When an internet connection is available, these kinds of apps often store data locally.

But you should be aware of possible limitations before developing a PWA:

Limited access to hardware features: PWAs don’t have full access to device hardware. They can use the camera, location, and notifications, sure. But things like Bluetooth, advanced sensors, background processes, or deep system integrations? Often limited and sometimes unavailable.

Inconsistent platform support: PWAs don’t behave exactly the same across platforms. A feature that works perfectly in Chrome on Android might behave differently in Safari on iOS.

Limited performance for complex situations: PWAs aren’t suitable for data-heavy use cases, real-time gaming, or graphics-intensive tools. In these cases, native apps still have smoother performance and better control over computing resources.

Limited adoption: Users still consider PWAs less reliable and permanent than native mobile apps downloaded from app stores.

When Should You Use a Progressive Web App?

Having learned about the essentials of a progressive web app, you may now ask, “When should my business use a PWA instead of a traditional website or a native app?” We admit that a PWA is a great choice, but often in the following use cases:

You prioritize fast development and high accessibility. Indeed, progressive web apps work across devices, platforms, and browsers. Further, they don’t require app store approvals or compatibility with operating systems. This allows you to build them fast, with lower costs and easier access.
Your target users mainly live on the web but still require offline mode. If your potential audience prefers browsing to downloading apps but requires app-like experiences, PWAs are the right call. Think of content platforms, booking systems, or internal tools as typical examples.
You don’t need deep hardware access. PWAs enable you to access some, not all, device features. If your app is mostly about data, content, interactions, or transactions, a PWA is enough. But for advanced device features like Bluetooth scanning or heavy-graphics processing, PWAs are a bad idea.

Developing Progressive Web Apps with Designveloper

You’ve made your decision to build a progress web app? Great! So, why don’t you come to Designveloper for help? We are a trusted and experienced development company in software and app development. Based in Vietnam, our excellent developers have hands-on experience and deep technical skills in 50+ technologies to build a working solution to your current problem.

Here’s how we work:

After identifying your business idea, our development team will create a POC (Proof of Concept) to test its technical feasibility. This essentially means building a basic, functional version of the idea to see whether it can be realistically developed.

There are two main paths forward based on the POC results:

Technical Feasibility Confirmed: If the POC showcases technical viability, the project will move to the design phase (if needed). This design phase refines the user experience and visual elements of the application.
Technical Challenges Identified: Otherwise, our development team will collaborate with the BA (Business Analyst) to explore adjustments and identify whether the idea can be reworked to become viable.

After the BA and Design phase, we’ll develop and complete the app’s features based on Business and Design. However, during this stage, some technical limitations may emerge, and we then discuss with the BA and the Design team to make some proper changes.

Next is the testing phase. The QA/QC team will test the completeness of your PWA. As the PWA depends much on the user’s browser (e.g., version or OS), our development team can support the QA/QC team in this phase.

Finally, we come to the deployment phase. We’ll prepare the configuration for the PWA and deploy it to the production environment. In case your business wants to release the app on the app store (E.g., Microsoft Store), we’ll build a corresponding PWA version for Windows and submit it to the store.

With our well-structured workflow, we’re confident in delivering the best solution for your company on time and within budget. So, why wait? Contact our sales now and discuss your idea further!

FAQs about Progressive Web Apps

Can PWA Replace Native Apps?

PWAs can replace – in other words, be a better option than – native apps in some use cases. If your app idea doesn’t require complex hardware features but primarily targets web users, fast development, and high accessibility, PWAs are the right answer. Think of content platforms, dashboards, or booking systems as typical examples for PWAs rather than costly native apps.

Having said that, native apps still dominate in more complex scenarios, like high-performance gaming, content background processing, and more. In those cases, PWAs may feel slightly boxed in.

Are PWAs Supported on iOS?

Yes, PWAs are supported on iOS. But this support isn’t always as smooth as you thought. Safari handles PWAs differently than Chrome on Android. Some features work well but others are restricted.

If iOS users make up a large part of your audience, a PWA can still be viable. It just requires careful testing and, sometimes, a bit of compromise.

Is PWA Good for eCommerce?

Yes, in many cases.

E-commerce apps benefit a lot from what PWAs do best: fast loading, offline resilience, and low friction. Features like cached product pages, push notifications for order updates, and home screen access can improve engagement and conversions.

That said, large-scale marketplaces or apps with complex personalization may still lean toward native solutions.