International Journal of Science, Engineering and TechnologyAuthors: Anushka Wadekar
Abstract: With the rapid proliferation of mobile devices and the increasing demand for seamless user experiences, developers face the choice between Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) and native mobile applications. PWAs, leveraging web technologies, promise cross-platform compatibility, reduced development costs, and instant updates, whereas native applications provide optimized performance, deeper hardware integration, and superior offline capabilities. This study presents a comparative performance analysis of PWAs and native mobile applications across key metrics including load time, responsiveness, offline functionality, resource utilization, and user engagement. Experimental evaluation using benchmark applications across multiple devices and operating systems demonstrates that while native apps generally outperform PWAs in speed and resource efficiency, PWAs offer competitive performance for general use cases and provide significant advantages in accessibility and maintenance. The findings aim to guide developers, businesses, and stakeholders in selecting the optimal approach for mobile application development based on performance requirements, user expectations, and cost considerations.
