Recently, our team at Programmers Inc. explored different development paths for a potential client who wanted to make their web platform accessible as a mobile app.

We reviewed several options: native development, cross-platform solutions, and—because they already had a functional website—an alternative emerged: the Progressive Web App, or PWA.

PWAs are still somewhat under the radar for many businesses, but they offer an innovative approach to mobile app delivery. They leverage your existing responsive site, run locally for strong performance, and don’t require app store submissions or updates. While there are a few limitations, particularly in terms of deep hardware integration, PWAs have evolved significantly in recent years.

So, what exactly is a PWA?

Think of it as a web-based app that behaves like a mobile app. PWAs work offline, reduce overall development costs, and eliminate many distribution headaches since they’re built with standard web technologies and work across devices. They’re not perfect, and performance on older browsers and some edge-case functionality can be tricky, but for many use cases, they’re more than enough.

To test the waters, we had some of our developers, who were completely new to the concept, build a full-featured PWA. In under a week, they created an installable app that connects to third-party APIs, handles Bluetooth calls, sends push notifications, and can be installed directly through a URL—no app store necessary.

For most mobile app ideas, this is a powerful and practical solution.

And here’s something even more exciting: PWAs aren’t just for mobile.

The same application can also be installed on desktops and laptops. Tools like Microsoft Office and Google Workspace are available as PWAs—ready to use offline on virtually any device.

As with many trends in tech, momentum picks up when major players validate the approach.

That’s why I was excited to see this post from David Heinemeier Hansson (creator of Ruby on Rails and co-founder of Basecamp). His team is moving Basecamp from Electron to a full PWA setup—a move that echoes what we’ve experienced firsthand.

If you’re curious to explore what PWAs can do, check out PWABuilder—it’s a great starting point. Or get in touch with us at Programmers Inc to talk through your options.