Why We Build PWAs Instead of Native Apps (Even Though We Could Build Both)
Last month, a client asked us to build their product management tool as an iPhone app. They had the budget for native development and were ready to pay Apple's 30% cut. We talked them into a PWA instead. Three weeks later, their tool was live on every device their team uses, phones, tablets, laptops, with zero app store drama.
The App Store Tax Is Just the Beginning
Everyone knows about the 30% revenue share that Apple and Google take from app sales and in-app purchases. That's expensive, but it's predictable. The real cost is everything else.
App store approval is a black box. You submit your app and wait. Sometimes it's approved in 24 hours. Sometimes it takes three weeks. Sometimes it gets rejected for reasons that don't match the guidelines you read. We've seen clients wait two months for a simple bug fix to get approved, while their users complained about a broken feature.
The restrictions go beyond content. Want to mention that users can buy your service on your website? Rejected. Want to link to your web app as a backup? Rejected. Want to update your pricing without going through another review cycle? Too bad.
Updates follow the same process. Every bug fix, every new feature, every small improvement goes back into the approval queue. You can't ship fast when every change needs permission from Apple or Google.
PWAs Work Everywhere, Right Now
Progressive Web Apps run in browsers, but they don't feel like websites. They install to your home screen, work offline, send push notifications, and access device features like cameras and GPS. The difference is that you control the entire experience.
Installation takes two clicks. On any device. iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, Chromebook, it doesn't matter. Your users tap "Add to Home Screen" and they have your app. No app store account required. No waiting for approval. No 30% tax.
We built Petrograph as a PWA. Our users install it on their phones for quick note-taking, on their laptops for serious writing, and on their tablets for review sessions. Same app, same data, every device. Try doing that with a native app without building three separate codebases.
The Trade-offs Are Real But Manageable
PWAs aren't perfect. App store discovery is real, people browse the App Store and Google Play looking for solutions. PWAs don't show up there. You have to drive traffic to your web app through other channels.
Some advanced device features are still limited in PWAs. If you need deep integration with phone hardware or access to features that browsers don't support, native might be your only option.
User behavior is changing, but slowly. Most people still think "app" means "download from app store." The two-click install process is simple, but it's unfamiliar. Some users need guidance.
Perfect for Small Businesses Moving Fast
For small businesses and startups, PWAs solve the speed problem. You can build once and deploy everywhere. No separate iOS and Android teams. No waiting for Apple to approve your launch date. No coordinating releases across multiple platforms.
The economics work better too. Instead of giving 30% to platform owners, you keep that revenue. Instead of building three apps, you build one. Instead of managing three codebases, you manage one.
We've shipped 15 products in 18 months, most of them as PWAs. The client who wanted the iPhone app? Their PWA launched three weeks after we started building. A native app would still be in development.
When Native Makes Sense
We're not anti-native app. Some products need features that only native development can provide. Some businesses have marketing strategies built around app store presence. Some user bases expect native apps and won't adapt.
But for most business software, productivity tools, and content applications, PWAs deliver the same user experience with better business fundamentals. Faster to build, easier to update, available everywhere, and you keep control.
The app stores aren't going anywhere, but they're not the only path to mobile anymore. For small businesses that need to move
