PWA vs Native App:
What Each One Can and Cannot Do
A progressive web app is a website that installs to the home screen. A native app is a store app built with an SDK or a framework such as React Native. The gap is push on iPhone, device APIs, offline depth and store presence.
Is a PWA or a native app better?
Build a PWA when a fast web experience with an install button is enough. Build a native app when you need a store listing, reliable push on iPhone, wide device access or deeper offline behaviour. A PWA can reach the stores only through packaging, such as a Trusted Web Activity on Android. Fastshot turns a website into a native app.
Last updated: November 4, 2026
PWA vs Native App: Capability by Capability
Facts from MDN, WebKit, Chrome and Google Play documentation, checked November 2026.
| Factor | PWA | Native store app |
|---|---|---|
| Install | From the browser. Needs HTTPS and a web app manifest. The install prompt differs by browser and platform | From the App Store or Google Play |
| Store presence | Not by default. Can be packaged for Google Play as a Trusted Web Activity, and tools like PWABuilder target several stores | A listing with store search, ratings and reviews |
| Push notifications | Push API is Baseline across browsers since March 2023. On iPhone it works for Home Screen web apps from iOS 16.4, after a tap-driven permission prompt | Delivered through the platform's push service with a permission prompt in the app |
| Offline | Service workers cache assets and data. Background Sync, Periodic Background Sync and Background Fetch exist in the web platform | Local storage and databases in the app, plus background work allowed by the OS |
| Device APIs | Whatever the browser exposes. Web Bluetooth is not available in Safari | Full SDK access, or access through native modules in React Native |
| Saved data on iPhone | Safari's 7-day cap on script-writable storage does not apply to Home Screen web apps | App data stays until the user deletes the app |
| Updates | Deploy to the web and every user gets the new version | Store review for each release. React Native can send JavaScript fixes over the air with Expo Update |
| Discovery | Search engines and links | Store search and charts |
| Developer accounts | None needed to publish on the web | Apple Developer ($99 a year) and Google Play ($25 one-time) |
Pick a PWA If the Web Is Where Your Users Are
A PWA is one codebase on the web with an install option. To be installable it needs HTTPS and a web app manifest, and a service worker if you want it to work offline. Updates land the moment you deploy, with no store review.
Android is strong ground for PWAs. Chrome on devices with Google Mobile Services installs them as WebAPKs with a real entry in the app launcher. On iPhone, a PWA added to the Home Screen can receive web push from iOS 16.4, and Safari's 7-day cap on script-writable storage does not apply to it.
It suits content sites, internal tools, dashboards and light shopping flows where search traffic and instant updates matter more than a store listing.
Pick a Native App If You Need the Store and the Device
A native app gets a store listing, which is where many users look for apps. It also gets the full platform SDK. Browser support for device features varies: Web Bluetooth, for example, is not available in Safari.
On iPhone, web push only works after the user adds the web app to the Home Screen. A native app asks for notification permission on first launch like any other app.
Native also covers offline products: a notes app, a workout log or a field-service tool that stores data on the device and syncs later. If you want to compare frameworks for that route, start with React Native vs native.
What Most Apps Need A Web Presence and a Store App
Most products end up with both: a website that search engines can read and a store app for the users who return daily. A PWA is the cheap first step. Add the native app when you need store discovery, push reach or hardware features.
You can also go in the other direction. The MDN guide notes that a PWA that meets the install criteria can be packaged and shipped to app stores, so the web version and the store version can share a core.
Where Fastshot Fits: From Website or Idea to Store App
Paste your website URL and Fastshot reads its pages, navigation, content, colors, fonts and logo, then builds a native iOS and Android app. Or describe a new app in plain text. Fastshot adds push notifications, builds the APK, AAB and IPA on its own machines and publishes to both stores with your developer accounts.
What a PWA Needs to Be Installable
Serve it over HTTPS
Installability requires https, or localhost and 127.0.0.1 while you develop.
Add a web app manifest
A JSON file with the app name, icons, start URL and display mode tells the browser how the installed app should look and behave.
Add a service worker for offline use
The service worker caches assets and data so the app opens without a network. Push and background sync also run through it.
Decide about the stores
Package it for Google Play as a Trusted Web Activity, which renders your site in the browser full screen and checks ownership with Digital Asset Links. Or build a native app for the App Store.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do PWAs need internet?
Only the first load, if you add a service worker. The service worker caches the shell and any data you choose, so the app can open offline. Anything that needs the server, such as checkout, still needs a connection.
Is PWA still good in 2026?
Yes for the right use case. Push is available in browsers, iOS has supported web push for Home Screen apps since 16.4, and a PWA can be packaged for Google Play. The weak spots are store discovery and device APIs such as Web Bluetooth in Safari.
What is the difference between a PWA and React Native?
A PWA is a website that runs in the browser engine. React Native is a framework that builds a store app and renders native views. React Native apps are installed from the stores and reach platform features through native modules.
Can a PWA go on the App Store or Google Play?
Packaging makes it possible. MDN lists the Google Play Store and says PWABuilder also supports the iOS App Store. On Android, a Trusted Web Activity shows your site full screen using the user's browser.
Do PWAs get push notifications on iPhone?
Yes, with conditions. WebKit added Web Push in iOS and iPadOS 16.4 for web apps added to the Home Screen. The permission prompt must follow a direct user action, such as tapping a subscribe button.
Is a PWA cheaper than a native app?
It can be, because you build one web codebase and skip store fees. Once you need store discovery or device features, the saving shrinks, since you add a native app on top.
Can I turn my website into a native app?
Yes. Give Fastshot your URL. It reads pages, navigation, content, colors, fonts and your logo and builds a native app that you can test on your phone and publish.
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Turn your web idea into a store app
Paste your site or describe an app, preview it on your phone and publish to the App Store and Google Play.