PWAs have come a long way. Here is when they beat native apps — and when they do not. By David Friedman , Founder of AppBrewers Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) promise native-like experience without app store submission. But they are not a universal replacement. We have built both. Here is the honest comparison. What Is a PWA? A PWA is a web app that uses service workers, manifests, and modern APIs to provide: Offline functionality Push notifications Home screen installation Background sync PWA Advantages Advantage Detail No app store gatekeeping Update instantly, no review process Lower development cost One codebase for all platforms SEO discoverable Indexed by Google, found organically No installation friction Visit URL, add to home screen Smaller download size Kilobytes vs megabytes Native App Advantages Advantage Detail Full hardware access Bluetooth, NFC, ARKit, sensors App store distribution Trust signal, organic discovery Background processing Location tracking, audio playback Better performance Compiled…