Native vs Progressive Web Apps: Which Should You Build?

The native vs progressive web apps question got simpler because the costs changed everything. Progressive web apps cost 40-60% less than native development and reach the market 50-70% faster.

Those figures assume you need to hire developers. AI app builders and no-code platforms have rewritten the math entirely, often cutting development costs by 40-70% and compressing launch timelines significantly. Both approaches are now accessible to founders who've never written a line of code.

The question now is straightforward. What do your users actually need? This guide walks through that decision based on real business requirements.

Quick Verdict: Native vs Progressive Web Apps by Business Type

Your ideal approach depends more on what you're building than how much you can spend.

Most business applications work well as progressive web apps. E-commerce platforms, content sites, booking systems, and customer portals all fit the PWA model. Native development becomes necessary when you need specific hardware features like Bluetooth or NFC on iOS, continuous background processing for fitness tracking or device monitoring, or performance capabilities that browsers can't match for gaming, AR/VR, or real-time graphics.

One important constraint: iOS PWAs lack Background Sync API (so they can't sync data when closed), face aggressive storage quotas that can clear data after inactivity, and can't access Bluetooth or NFC. These limitations affect booking systems requiring background sync and any application needing hardware connectivity on Apple devices.

Development Cost and Time

PWAs cost 40-60% less than native apps and reach market 50-70% faster.

Traditional Development Costs

Native mobile apps for a single platform (iOS or Android) run $30,000 to $60,000 for a simple MVP, according to industry surveys. Medium complexity pushes that to $60,000-$120,000. Both platforms? Double the estimate, or budget $50,000-$120,000 for cross-platform development using React Native or Flutter. Timeline: three to six months.

Progressive web app development costs $15,000 to $25,000 for simple applications and $25,000 to $60,000 for medium complexity. Timeline: six to twelve weeks.

The No-Code Shift

AI-powered platforms have introduced a third option that changes the equation entirely. Industry forecasts suggest AI tools will cut costs by approximately 40% throughout 2025.

AI-powered builders deliver production-ready applications for $20,000 to $40,000 with four- to eight-week timelines when experienced developers use them. Non-technical founders using no-code builders directly can expect first-year costs of $2,000-$10,000, including platform subscriptions.

User Experience and Performance

Business metrics tell a clear story for content and commerce applications. Pinterest's PWA delivered a 40% increase in time spent on site, 44% increase in user-generated ad revenue, and 60% increase in core engagements. AliExpress saw a 104% increase in conversion rate for new users after launching their PWA.

Smaller businesses report similar results. UK retailer Mainline Menswear reported 55% higher conversion rates, 139% more pages per session, and 243% higher revenue per session from their PWA compared to standard mobile web.

Why PWAs Often Convert Better

Progressive web apps eliminate installation friction. Users can try your app immediately without downloading anything from app stores. This "try before install" approach reduces the commitment barrier that limits conversion on native apps.

Automatic updates mean customers always use the latest version without prompts or delays. Smaller file sizes create faster first-time experiences, especially on slower mobile networks. That speed advantage matters most for reaching users in markets with limited bandwidth.

When Native Performance Matters

Native apps maintain advantages for graphics-intensive applications, complex offline functionality for returning users, and advanced hardware integration. Games, professional photo editing tools, and anything requiring high-performance graphics rendering benefit from native code in ways browser-based PWAs cannot match.

Device Access and Capabilities

What each approach can access on user devices shapes realistic feature planning.

PWAs can reliably access:

• Camera and photos (take pictures, record video)
• Location services (GPS and geolocation)
• Push notifications (iOS 16.4+, Android fully supported)
• Offline storage for local data
• Biometric authentication via WebAuthn (supported but less flexible than native Face ID/Touch ID APIs)
• Motion sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, with limitations on iOS)
• Payment processing via Web Payments API

PWAs cannot access (or have limited access to):

• Bluetooth connectivity (Chrome/Edge only, no Safari support)
• NFC for contactless payments (Chrome Android only, no iOS support)
• Advanced camera controls (manual focus, RAW capture, multi-camera access)
• Continuous background processing (not supported on iOS)
• Full Apple Pay/Wallet integration (limited web-based Apple Pay available via Payment Request API, but not native Wallet access)
• HealthKit and ARKit (iOS-only native APIs)
• Background Sync API (critical limitation on iOS)
• File system access (Chrome/Edge desktop only)

The critical constraint is iOS Safari. While PWAs have broad global browser support for core features, Apple's Safari lacks key capabilities that Android Chrome provides. iOS PWAs can't sync data when closed, face aggressive storage quotas that can clear data after periods of inactivity, and can't access Bluetooth or NFC.

Distribution and Discovery

Your distribution choice affects both costs and how users find you.

App Store Economics

Native apps require Apple's $99/year fee plus Google's $25 one-time fee, with 15-30% commission on revenue. PWA distribution costs nothing in platform fees. Hosting runs $5-$50 monthly, depending on traffic, and you keep 100% of revenue.

Discovery Trade-offs

Native apps benefit from app store categories, featured sections, and user reviews that build trust. They also compete with millions of other apps and require paid marketing for visibility. PWAs gain Google search visibility through SEO, easy sharing via URLs, and direct links in emails and ads, but lack app store discovery entirely.

Maintenance and Iteration Speed

Long-term ownership costs often exceed initial development. Native apps require 15-25% of initial cost annually for maintenance, while PWAs cost approximately 50% less over three years because you maintain a single codebase instead of separate iOS and Android versions.

The operational difference matters more than the dollar figures. Native app updates require Apple's review process, which typically takes one to two days if approved. Most apps need resubmission, adding weeks of delay. PWAs go live instantly. You can fix critical issues in minutes, and users automatically see changes without manual updates.

When to Build a Progressive Web App

PWAs make sense for standard business applications: e-commerce platforms, content sites, booking systems, customer portals, and internal tools. They excel when budget is limited, speed to market matters, or you need to iterate weekly based on user feedback.

Global Market Considerations

Android dominates globally with approximately 72% worldwide market share, while iOS commands around 59% in the U.S. market. Android Chrome offers extensive PWA support, making PWAs particularly effective for reaching global audiences.

If your use case doesn't require background sync or hardware features, PWA's web-native distribution model through SEO, social media, or paid advertising aligns well with global reach. When background processing or hardware features are essential, those iOS limitations may require native development.

Building PWAs with AI Tools

Lovable makes progressive web app development accessible to non-technical founders. Agent Mode lets you describe what you want to build and watch AI handle the implementation, complete with Supabase database integration and Stripe payment processing. Visual Edits let you click and modify interface elements directly without writing prompts.

When to Build a Native App

Native development becomes genuinely necessary in specific scenarios.

Performance-Critical Applications

Games requiring sustained high frame rates, AR/VR experiences, and real-time financial trading platforms benefit from direct hardware optimization that browser environments can't provide.

Hardware-Dependent Businesses

Logistics companies requiring continuous background GPS tracking face limitations with iOS PWAs, which can't run Background Sync when closed. Industrial IoT with Bluetooth connectivity won't work on iOS Safari, though Android Chrome supports it. Retail inventory using NFC scanning requires native development since NFC access is unavailable on iOS and limited to Chrome on Android.

Security and Compliance Requirements

Healthcare applications requiring HIPAA compliance and banking apps need certificate pinning, hardware-backed encryption, and biometric authentication integration that PWAs can't reliably provide. PWAs also can't integrate with device keychains or hardware security modules that enterprises expect for protecting sensitive data.

App Store Presence Requirements

When app store credibility drives enterprise sales or in-app purchases serve as the primary revenue model, the native app's official presence may justify the investment.

Start Building Your App

The native vs progressive web apps decision comes down to matching capabilities with requirements. For business applications that fit standard patterns (selling products, delivering content, booking services, managing customers), PWAs deliver faster time to market, lower costs, and easier iteration. Native development earns its premium only when specific hardware features, performance requirements, or platform-specific integrations genuinely demand it.

Start by listing your must-have features and cross-reference them against current PWA capabilities. If everything you need works in a browser, you've found your answer.

When PWA fits your needs, Lovable lets you build full-stack web applications by describing what you want. Try Lovable and turn your app idea into a working product this week.