SURVIVAL APPSPWA, Capacitor or Native? A Conceptual Map Before You Choose (No Code)
Three roads lead to the palm of the hand that will use your tool. One runs under open sky, one through a guarded pass, one climbs the mountain. The merchants will tell you theirs is the only road you can walk. Merchants lie for a living: the right road depends on the load you carry.
The three roads in one sentence each
Names first, no acronyms taken for granted. A PWA (Progressive Web App)[1] is a website that behaves like an app: you "install" it from the browser, it can work offline, and it never goes through a store. Capacitor[2] takes that same web app and wraps it inside a real app, installable from the store, with a bridge to the phone's native features. Native means writing the app in the platform's own language — on Android, these days, Kotlin — talking directly to the operating system, with no layers in between.
What each choice really means
| Criterion | PWA | Capacitor | Native (Kotlin) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distribution | A URL. No store, no waiting, instant updates | Store (Play/App Store) and, if you want, the web too | Store, or an APK distributed directly |
| Hardware access | Limited to what the browser exposes (and on iOS the fence is tighter) | Broad, through plugins; exotic cases require native code | Total: everything the system offers |
| Skills required | Web only: HTML/CSS/JS | Web + the basics of the Android/iOS ecosystem for builds and stores | Kotlin, Android Studio, lifecycle, an entire ecosystem |
| Perceived performance | Excellent for content and forms; the limit is complex UI | Like a well-made web app: enough for most cases | The benchmark: animations, endless lists, heavy graphics |
| Maintenance cost (solo) | The lowest: one codebase, no store obligations | Medium: one codebase, but two build chains and the stores' rules | The highest: an ecosystem to keep up with, yearly API requirements |
The questions to ask yourself, in order
- 1. DO YOU NEED THE HARDWARE? — Bluetooth, sensors, reliable background services? If so, the PWA drops off the map almost immediately: Capacitor and native remain
- 2. DO YOU NEED THE STORE? — the store is visibility and trust, but also a fence (see the previous transmission in this zone). If your audience can arrive from a link, the PWA becomes a serious option again
- 3. WHO MAINTAINS IT, AND FOR HOW LONG? — for anyone working alone this is the deciding question: every extra layer of technology is a maintenance debt you sign today and pay every year
- 4. HOW MUCH OF AN "APP" DOES IT NEED TO BE? — if the value lies in the data and the functions, users forgive a web UI. If the value is the experience of using it, native pays for itself
My personal compass, stated openly: start from the lowest rung that meets your requirements. Prototype as a web app; if you need the store or a native API, Capacitor; native when the project justifies it through performance or depth of integration — or when the goal is to learn the territory, which is a requirement as legitimate as any other.
> solo contenuti + offline leggero → PWA
> store + hardware standard → CAPACITOR
> prestazioni / integrazione profonda → NATIVO
> in dubbio → IL GRADINO PIÙ BASSO CHE BASTA
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a PWA, Capacitor and a native app?
A PWA is an installable website that can work offline, without going through a store. Capacitor wraps the same web codebase in an installable app with access to native features through plugins. Native (on Android, Kotlin) talks directly to the operating system, with no layers in between.
Which one should I choose for a first app?
The lowest rung that meets your requirements: prototype as a web app, Capacitor if you need the store or standard hardware, native when you need performance or deep integration.
When does it make sense to skip the store and stay with a PWA?
When your audience can arrive from a direct link and you don't need advanced hardware access: that way you avoid all the friction described in the previous transmission about Google Play.
None of the three roads is the right one in absolute terms. But setting out without a map is the only guaranteed way to get them all wrong.
Notes
- PWA — Progressive Web App: a web application that uses a service worker (for offline), a manifest (for installation) and HTTPS. Support varies by platform: it's the technical point to check first, case by case. ↑ back to text
- Capacitor — Ionic's open source runtime: it wraps a web app in a native WebView and exposes system APIs (camera, filesystem, Bluetooth...) through plugins. Spiritual successor to Cordova/PhoneGap. ↑ back to text