Difference Between Responsive & Progressive Web Apps

Back in the day when mobile had become popular, responsive design was the first logical step to make websites perform better for mobile users. 

It additionally immediately turned into a fundamental prerequisite for new sites, and up to 87% of webpage designers have accepted it for making heavenly computerized encounters for site clients. 

In any case, responsive sites couldn't offer progressed functionalities like disconnected help, push messages, and other local application like highlights that clients need to expect on their cell phones.

This was one of the reasons that the idea of progressive web apps was proposed. Google has introduced a new term in 2015 referred to as progressive web apps with a thought to provide native-like experiences to the users visiting a website.

Progressive Web Apps (PWA) are the advance version of web apps or responsive web apps. It looks and feels very similar to native apps i.e. offline availability, quicker and optimized performance, secure, etc. However, every technology has its pros and cons and utilizes depends on the client's requirements.

All of Progressive Web Apps development require the testing of additional mobile-specific features which might not be related to the desktop browsers.

Progressive Web Apps is developed using CSS, HTML5, or JavaScript for specific screen sizes only therefore its an website only but imitate as app. Once the screen size is detected, the PWA comes into play– presenting a customized version of the website to the user .

Difference Between Responsive & Progressive Web Apps

Responsive web applications has similar functionality as the progressive web applications other than the size of a website. Things being what they are, you're considering how PWA is not quite the same as responsive web applications? To say that they aren't just website too? Indeed or no, well the appropriate response is indeed, PWA is opened with simply a URL like a site. The webpage is only the start of PWAs, and where it's isolated from responsive web applications is in its functionalities. The more you include in the functionality layer of progressive web applications the more you get the feeling like native app and effectively differentiate responsive web.

PWA are faster than responsive design

Progressive Web Apps (PWA) tend to win the battle when it comes to speed. While responsive apps, too, offer great speed, PWAs are a step ahead. This allows you to enhance the effectiveness of your mobile app as it loads faster on all devices. PWAs are compatible with old browsers which gives them an edge. It also imparts into them modern features like push notifications, offline support, native audio & video capturing features.

Push Notification

The major difference between progressive web apps and responsive apps is push notification. The web app brings forward a popup asking the user to subscribe to notifications. The user subscribes to receive push notifications. Once the user subscribed, they get a subscription ID where each push notification of every user is unique and just like that PWAs are giving you a feeling like a native app.

PWAs are expensive to make and maintain

Responsive apps can adapt to different screen devices using single coding. This means that you only need to develop a responsive app once with one code, and thereafter, it’s on the mobile device to automatically present the website per its screen size. On the other hand, PWAs are to be developed using multiple languages like Javascript, HTML 5, or CSS, each for specific screens. As it detects the screen of the host device, it showcases the customized version of your website. Thus, the developer needs to develop different versions for different screen sizes which makes PWA expensive. Nonetheless, its other features like high speed, native-like experience, etc. make up for the added cost. Take the example of the Best Western River North Hotel that witnessed an increase of 300% in their revenues after setting up a PWA.

Add directly to home screen , download is not required

Users can save Progressive web apps directly to their device with just a home screen icon, giving it a look of native app and use its functions as an app. PWA can access files and read them in browser. It appears on the web list as an apps. Andriod users directly get home screen icons of PWAs while iPhone users get this icon after using Safari’s “Add to home screen” features.

SEO AND SEM

Responsive websites and progressive apps are great for SEO and SEM because they are essentially websites. They help you utilize keywords in website content and allow web crawling by search engines to increase visibility. They can be made to rank better by utilizing keywords in headlines and the copy of your website. One can also promote business via paid search engine marketing.

PWA works in offline mode

Responsive applications, nonetheless, are not fit for working disconnected, while PWAs can store enormous information empowering use without the web. This likewise helps in diminishing the buffering time and has demonstrated to be gainful for worldwide brands. For example, ZEE 5, a web based streaming stage, had the option to cut down the application's buffering time by a gigantic half, and furthermore permitted clients to surf through their index on disconnected mode with PWA.

Conclusion

All these features that we have talked about in this blog post, like speed, SEO & SEM, cost efficient , etc., are crucial to online businesses. Numerous variables go into arranging and building up a custom site that suits your business needs and advances to the intended interest group. Peruse more about our versatile application improvement measure. 

Ideally, the data in this blog entry will assist you with choosing progressive web apps versus responsive sites.

We are mobile app development company in mumbai and if you have experience in any of the above langauge. Contact us at Prolifiquetech for job.