PWA vs Native in 2024: Where iOS and Android Apps Will Never Be Needed Again

David Heinemeier Hansson inspires this article. He rightly pointed out that native mobile apps will become optional for B2B startups in 2024. My team and I discussed the arguments in favour of this assertion. However, based on the Progressive Web Application (PWA) development experience our team has, there was one statement we could not agree with.

In 2024, saying PWA is just a temporary fix for a startup isn't right. It's not only a fast, cheap way to get an app which helps bridge the gap until better times while earning and investing in building "real" apps.

In fact, PWA can cover all business needs without losses. Moreover, we are sure there is an area where it is worth building strategies with PWA, ignoring the native apps.

Briefly about the concepts

A PWA is a website that functions similarly to a native application. Any smartphone can run PWA from its browser.

Native application - a mobile application designed specifically for the operating system and, depending on it, is installed on your smartphone from the Google Play Store, Apple App Store or another store.

When does the contrast between web and native apps start?

The idea that the web would catch up with and supplant apps was 16 years ago. Steve Jobs presented the idea of web applications that look and behave like mobile applications.

In the early 2010s, it was thought that this moment was about to come. But it was postponed again for almost another ten years: the level of technology development still did not allow the web to replace native applications. 

But a year ago, an iOS update came out with some essential features for PWAs. As a team with experience in developing fintech apps and mobile banking, we can now definitely develop (and are developing) PWAs with functionality and user experience indistinguishable from native.

Finding and explaining the arguments in favour of PWAs

1. Money. Businesses are always counting costs. Developing a progressive web application will cost about a third less than native development.

If we simplify the calculations, at first glance, the development cost should be half as much. But in reality, we consider the cost of analytics, design, and testing, and the total amount is lower by about 30%. 

An indirect benefit of PWA is saving effort and money on team management. Native apps always have two because universal Android and iOS developers are nowhere to be found, and the development often goes in parallel to publish features simultaneously. Managing two teams and synchronising development between them and the server side is more complicated than working with one more homogeneous team.

2. Compatibility with different operating systems

Now, the web has grown technologically, and in parallel, the trend towards fragmentation of mobile operating systems is developing. Xiaomi and Huawei are talking about developing their OS. This fragmentation will not be good for the native apps approach.

PWAs look like a strategically better option. When you have a PWA with a common codebase, it's enough to keep an eye on browser standards so that the app works well for all users. If a new operating system becomes dominant and you have a codebase for iOS and Android, you must get a team together quickly and write a new app to avoid losing customers. 

3. User convenience

The technology assumes that a PWA with its icon is placed on the desktop. It looks exactly like an application. The user does not even realise that it is actually a web.

In addition, all updates are instantly available. Businesses don't wait for an update in the stores and then don't waste resources trying to persuade customers to update the app.

And finally, as a bonus, PWA occupies significantly less space on a device compared to a native app. Compare this: PWAs usually weigh up to 1 MB, while mobile apps are 100 MB and more.

Exposing PWA bottlenecks

Advocates of native apps usually make cogent arguments against PWAs. But we'll argue with them as well.

What about performance?

Performance used to be a concern. But now, improvements in software and hardware of mobile devices have enabled sufficient performance. In banking-type applications, there are no issues with this. Problems may occur on weak devices and old models but not modern ones.

What about the UI/UX differences on different platforms?

The UX style guides for Android and iOS are different, offering varied user experiences. Although platforms are becoming more aligned in this regard, differences still exist. For example, Android has a "back" gesture, while iOS only has "home". These differences are few but exist and are a current drawback of PWAs. However, this can be mitigated. It depends on the developers' skills. Any cross-platform technology, including PWAs, can mimic others. It recognises when it's operating on iOS and adjusts the interface to be familiar to the user.

You can't collect user data in PWAs

For a business, tracking users, building a portrait, and collecting additional data for marketing purposes would be excellent. PWA applications have fewer possibilities for this compared to a native application.

But on the other hand, there are more opportunities for ensuring privacy. There are fewer means to intercept passwords, eavesdrop, track user locations and actions without warning, and "corrupt" the data of other applications on the device. This is not very obvious, but technically, it is precisely so: malicious applications (viruses, trojans) are practically impossible, and users benefit from this.

Can PWA and native work in conjunction?

Let's find a workaround to the limitations of PWA by combining it with the capabilities of a native mobile app.

In our practice, we have this use-case scenario. We have created an application that contains native features. It shows web content in an embedded browser. When the web content needs access to the native functions or the native needs something from the web, they interact with each other through the interface we have developed.

This is called a hybrid application. It combines some of the advantages of PWA and native applications.

So, is everyone going to have to move to progressive web applications? 

We see a clear trend that PWAs will displace native apps. But on the other hand, a considerable code base already exists on native. It is impossible to abandon all mobile applications overnight. 

 Transition is an investment, and not a small one. But with an eye to the future. If the business plans to exist for a long time and grow, it will most likely be justified. Perhaps in this case it will be possible to kill the native application and continue to develop only PWA.

 Currently, there are no signs that native apps will overshadow PWAs in the banking app sector. This is because the key features previously lacking, such as access to biometrics like fingerprint scanners, FaceID, push notifications, and other things that the web didn't allow, are now available. Essentially, these are features needed to make a good and secure banking application.

In what cases do we still not recommend PWAs? 

●     When computational power or direct access to hardware is required. For example, games where you need access directly to graphics capabilities and create complex animation.

●     If the application uses specific libraries unavailable on the web. For example, a wrapper to work with a server or a specific file format.

A case from our experience: native apps have a library for document recognition. In our case, it's needed so a bank's field employee can scan passports or other documents using a camera. This way, they don't enter data manually, but just verify it.

For a long time, this app existed as a native app because there wasn't a corresponding web library. This was a limiting factor for its development. Now, the necessary library has appeared, but it took years to get to this point.

However, no business will agree to wait for this event without taking action.

●     If you need background tracking. Some hardware features are still not available in PWA. You can't access the location or microphone when the device is locked. This is not a limitation for applications like banking, but, for example, a music player or navigator will not be able to do so.

Instead of a conclusion

Because the conclusion here, as in any comparison of technologies, can't be definitive. The choice depends on specific tasks and business characteristics.

Indeed, all things being equal, if developing banking or similar applications from scratch today, it makes a lot of sense to invest in PWA rather than native. This provides independence from stores and mobile platforms.