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PWA vs React Native: which should I build?

Short answer

A PWA is a single website that runs in the browser and can be installed without an app store; React Native compiles JavaScript into genuinely native iOS and Android UI components and ships through the App Store and Play Store. Choose a PWA for the widest reach and lowest cost, and React Native when you need deep native APIs, top App Store placement, or native performance for animation-heavy UI.

By InstantPWA growth research·Reviewed July 25, 2026

Distribution

PWAs install directly from a browser URL; React Native apps require App Store and Play Store review and updates go through app-store release cycles.

Native API access

React Native has broader native module access (Bluetooth LE, background location, native camera controls) than the web platform currently exposes.

Shared logic

Some teams share business logic between a PWA and a React Native app while keeping separate UI layers, though this adds architectural complexity.

Sources

Related
PWA vs native app: what does each cost?
Building a PWA typically costs 30-50% of an equivalent native iOS + Android app because you ship one codebase to three platforms (iOS, Android, desktop). Maintenance is roughly one-fifth: no app-store review, no separate release trains, no platform-version fragmentation.
PWA vs Flutter: which should I build?
A PWA runs in the browser and installs without an app store, with a small download size; Flutter compiles Dart to native ARM machine code and renders every pixel itself via its own graphics engine, giving consistent, high-performance UI across iOS, Android, web and desktop from one codebase, but requiring app-store distribution for mobile.
What are Core Web Vitals?
Core Web Vitals are three metrics Google uses to measure real-world page experience: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP, loading speed), Interaction to Next Paint (INP, responsiveness to input, which replaced First Input Delay in March 2024), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS, visual stability). They are measured from real Chrome users via the Chrome User Experience Report.
What are PWA app shortcuts?
App shortcuts are quick-action shortcuts that appear when a user long-presses (mobile) or right-clicks (desktop) an installed PWA’s icon — similar to native app long-press menus. They are declared in the manifest’s "shortcuts" array, each with a name, url and optional icon, letting users jump straight to a specific feature like "New message" or "Search".
What are the criteria for "Add to Home Screen" to appear?
Chromium browsers offer "Add to Home Screen" once a site is served over HTTPS, links a manifest with at least a name, a 192px and 512px icon, a start_url and a standalone/fullscreen/minimal-ui display mode, and has registered a service worker with a fetch event handler. Some engagement (visiting the site more than once, with time between visits) is also typically required before the automatic prompt fires.