Last year, I helped a friend build an app for his restaurant business. He wanted to take online orders. First question: Should we build a native app or a progressive web app (PWA)?
We chose PWA. Here is why – and why you might want to too.
A PWA is basically a website that acts like an app. Users can install it on their phone, use it offline, and get push notifications. No app store download needed. The big advantage? It works on every device – iPhone, Android, old phones, new phones.
A native app is what you download from the App Store or Play Store. It is built specifically for one platform – either iOS or Android. Better performance, full device access, but way more expensive to build.
My friend’s restaurant PWA cost Rs 1.5 lakh. A native app for both platforms would have cost Rs 8-12 lakh. That is a massive difference for a small business.
The Real Numbers
Here is what the data actually shows:
Development cost: PWA costs 60-70% less than native. For a typical business app, that is Rs 1.5-3 lakh vs Rs 5-15 lakh.
Time to launch: PWA takes 4-8 weeks. Native takes 3-9 months. My friend launched his PWA in 6 weeks.
Performance: Native is faster for graphics-heavy apps (games, video editing). But for most business apps, PWA performance is 85-95% of native. Users rarely notice the difference.
Offline capability: Native wins here. PWAs can cache content for offline viewing, but native apps handle complex offline scenarios better.
App store presence: Native apps appear in app stores. PWAs do not. But here is the thing – 70% of users find apps through Google search, not app stores.
What My Friend Discovered
After 6 months with his restaurant PWA:
60% of orders came from the PWA. The remaining 40% were from phone calls and walk-ins.
Customer retention improved by 40% because the PWA sent push notifications for offers and new menu items.
The total cost was Rs 1.5 lakh upfront plus Rs 2,000/month hosting. Compare that to Rs 8-12 lakh for a native app plus Rs 15,000-25,000/month maintenance.
He told me: I was about to spend 10 lakh on an app. The PWA did everything I needed for 1.5 lakh. Best business decision I ever made.
When You SHOULD Build Native
Native apps make sense when:
You need full device access – Bluetooth, NFC, camera features, AR. Games and video editing apps need native performance. You want deep app store integration with in-app purchases. Your app needs heavy offline functionality.
For most business apps – booking, ordering, information, customer service – PWA is the better choice.
The Hybrid Approach
Here is what I recommend: start with PWA. Test your market. If demand justifies it, build native later. This is what Amazon, Twitter, and many startups do.
A PWA gets you to market in weeks, not months. It costs 60% less. And it works on every device. If you need native features later, you can add them without starting from scratch.
Bottom Line
If you are a small or medium business, PWA is probably the right choice. It is faster to build, cheaper to maintain, and works everywhere. Native only makes sense for specific use cases like gaming, AR, or hardware-intensive apps.
My friend saved Rs 8 lakh by choosing PWA. His restaurant app works perfectly on every device. And he launched 3 months faster than if he had gone native.
Need help deciding? Lexx.in builds both PWAs and native apps. Visit lexx.in/contact for a free consultation.
