Engineering
Progressive Web Apps in 2026 — when to build a PWA instead of a native app
7 min read · January 12, 2027
PWAs in 2026: what they can finally do, what they still can't, and when to skip the App Store entirely.
In 2026 PWAs handle push, payments, camera, file system and offline on both iOS and Android. They're the right call for content, productivity, and many SaaS apps.
Still pick native when: you need Bluetooth/NFC at scale, ARKit/ARCore, background location, deep widget integrations, or App Store discoverability is your acquisition channel.
Pick a PWA when: your audience comes from search/social, your update cadence is weekly, or App Store review cycles would slow you down.
Cost: PWAs ship in 40–60% of the time of a dual-platform native app, and you skip dual codebases entirely.
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