Progressive Web Apps for Business: When a PWA Is the Right Call

What a PWA is

A web app built with a service worker for offline caching, a manifest so it can be installed to the home screen, and a responsive design that behaves like an app. It runs in the browser engine, so there is one codebase for every platform and no app store.

What PWAs can and cannot do in 2026

• Can: install to home screen, work offline, send push notifications on Android and, with limits, on iOS, use the camera, location and payments.
• Cannot, or only partly: deep Bluetooth and background processing on iOS, some hardware APIs, and the discoverability of a store listing.

When a PWA is the right call

• Your users are on desktop and mobile and you want one product.
• You do not need deep device hardware access.
• You want to avoid app store review and fees.
• You are validating a product before investing in native.

When native wins: hardware-heavy apps, consumer products that live on store discovery, and iOS-first audiences that need reliable background behaviour.

Cost compared with native

A PWA typically costs 30 to 60 percent less than building native iOS and Android apps with the same features, because there is one codebase and no store process. A business PWA runs $20,000 to $90,000 in 2026 depending on features and offline complexity.