In short
- A web app runs in the browser on any device - one version, no app stores.
- A mobile app gets full access to phone features and works best offline, but costs more.
- A PWA is a web app you can add to the home screen and partly use offline.
- If you do not need advanced phone features, start with a web app.
- Field staff without coverage, with a scanner, camera or NFC - that argues for a mobile app.
Comparison
| Web app | PWA | Mobile app | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installation | None, an address is enough | Added to the home screen | App store or company MDM |
| Updates | Instant for everyone | Instant for everyone | Through the store, the user has to update |
| Offline work | Limited | Partial | Full |
| Phone features | Basic | Some | All (camera, NFC, Bluetooth, background GPS) |
| Cost to build and maintain | Lowest | Low | Highest |
When a web app
An office panel, a customer portal, reports, forms and approval workflows - anything used mainly at a computer or occasionally on a phone. One version works on every device and an update reaches everyone at once.
When a PWA
When users work mainly on phones but the app needs no advanced device features. A PWA can be added to the home screen like a normal app and partly used without internet. PWA capabilities on iPhones are narrower than on Android, so with a mixed fleet of phones it is worth checking this early.
When a mobile app
- Field staff where coverage is weak or missing.
- Barcode scanning, NFC, Bluetooth, a camera used all day.
- Background location, notifications, devices managed by the company.
- A customer app that should be in the app stores.
Often a combination works best
In many projects the office works in a web app (panel, reports, administration) and field staff in a mobile app. Both use the same backend and the same data.