In recent years, Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) have become an increasingly important part of the digital strategy conversation. Clients often ask us: "Can we build a mobile app without going through the App Store?" or "Can a website behave like an app?" The answer, in many cases, is yes — and the solution is often a PWA.
A Progressive Web App is a type of web application that uses modern web technologies to deliver an experience that feels like a native mobile app. In other words, a PWA is a website that can be installed on a device, used offline, launched from a home screen, and sometimes even send push notifications. It blends the universality of the web with features that were traditionally only available to native applications.
This is the heart of the article and the reason many clients reach out to us: they want to understand how PWAs are experienced on mobile devices. The process is different depending on whether you're using Android or iOS.
On Android devices, PWAs are fully supported. If a user visits your PWA through Chrome (or other supported browsers) and the app meets certain technical requirements (such as having a service worker and a web manifest), the browser will prompt the user to "Install App." Tapping this adds the app to the home screen, where it appears alongside native apps, complete with an icon and name. Once launched, it opens in a standalone window — not in a browser tab — and functions like a native app.
On iOS (iPhones and iPads), the experience is slightly different and more manual. Safari is the only browser that currently supports installation of PWAs. Users need to open the website in Safari, tap the Share icon, and choose "Add to Home Screen." While this is not as seamless as Android’s installation flow, the result is similar: the app gets its own icon, opens in full screen, and behaves like an app — albeit with some limitations. Until recently, push notifications and background syncing were unavailable on iOS, but support has improved in recent versions.
As a software agency, we’ve seen growing interest in PWAs, especially from clients who:
These motivations are completely valid, and in many projects we’ve delivered, PWAs have proven to be the smartest and most cost-effective solution.
To qualify as a PWA, a web app should meet a few technical criteria. These don’t require advanced infrastructure or exotic frameworks — but they do require precision and attention to modern standards:
PWAs have grown in power, but it’s important to understand where their boundaries lie. Here’s a breakdown:
Clients often ask: should we build a PWA, a native app, or both? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but here’s how we typically frame the decision:
| Criteria | PWA | Native App |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | No app store needed, instant via browser | Through Apple/Google stores with approval |
| Performance | Fast for most use cases | Faster for heavy processing or 3D |
| Offline Usage | Supported via caching | Fully supported |
| Push Notifications | Yes on Android, limited on iOS | Fully supported |
| Hardware Access | Limited | Full access |
| Update Process | Automatic, no store approval | Manual, via app store submission |
| Development Cost | Lower (one codebase) | Higher (iOS and Android separately) |
We build PWAs using modern frameworks like Nuxt.js and Vue.js, coupled with service worker integration and careful performance tuning. We optimize them to be fast, mobile-friendly, and meet all the installability criteria from day one. Our design and QA teams test on both Android and iOS, ensuring the experience is smooth and intuitive regardless of platform.
We also help our clients assess whether a PWA is the right fit or if a hybrid or native approach is better for their goals. Every project starts with understanding your users, your budget, your timeline, and your strategic priorities.
Progressive Web Apps provide a compelling, future-ready solution for businesses that want the reach of the web and the capabilities of native apps. While they aren't the right choice for every project, they’re a powerful option — especially when time to market, accessibility, and budget are key considerations.
If you're considering a PWA for your next digital initiative, we're here to help. At Arpacore, we’ve delivered PWAs for clients across logistics, education, healthcare, legal services, and retail — and we can help you explore whether it’s the right approach for your business, too.