The most basic way of explaining PWA is to say it's a website turned application.

You may be thinking about starting a business and working on a groundbreaking project, but you're unsure whether to create a website or a native app. If you're debating the same issue, take a look at this.

On the one hand, web applications enable users to share information easily via web links; using them may only require user registration. Not to mention that if it is responsive, all types of devices can access it.

While native applications require installation, which uses up memory on the device, they load more quickly, are simpler to use, and make better use of the hardware in the system once they are in place.

While creating both for the same application is certainly feasible, doing so would only increase the codebase, effort, and required working hours, which would result in a loss of financial resources.

We do, however, live in a wonderful world where it is possible to have the best of both worlds with a Progressive Web App.

PWA is built on the web while providing native app capabilities such as it being installable on your device, and providing faster access to pages after the first load. Though it is not yet fully capable of using the system's hardware, it most of the time gets the Job done.

Imagine if you are working in a company that requires you to access some portal make some changes maybe do some data entry operations. PWA can allow you to make these changes even if you do not have the network. Using Service Worker API, it can later sync that data with the server whenever the network would be available. It can also take advantage of IndexedDB API, to store data in browser database storage. Furthermore, it consumes very little system storage while still competing with the native App. PWA enables so many other features that it no longer appears necessary to create a Native App for most use cases. PWA simplifies and reduces the cost of managing your applications.

So does that mean PWA is the answer to everything

Well, no, for a Javascript developer like me, it appears to be a paradise that I won't have to learn ten new things to code for a native app, but there are a few places where PWA simply cannot work its magic yet.

• PWA cannot send push notifications to iOS devices.
• PWA does not support Bluetooth and cannot work with a fingerprint scanner or proximity scanner.
• Battery usage is not completely optimized.

If you are interested to know more about PWA and want to try implementing the basic PWA app, watch Progressive Web Apps by fireship.