Progressive web apps have been hailed as the future of mobile development, promising to bridge the gap between websites and native mobile applications. These clever pieces of technology offer businesses an appealing middle ground—you get many of the benefits of a mobile app without the complexity and cost of building separate versions for different platforms. Sounds perfect, right? Well, not quite.
The reality is that progressive web apps come with their own set of technology constraints and capability restrictions that can seriously impact your project's success. I've worked on countless mobile projects over the years, and whilst PWAs can be brilliant solutions in the right circumstances, they're definitely not a silver bullet for every business need.
Understanding the limitations of progressive web apps before you commit to building one could save you months of frustration and thousands of pounds in development costs
The limitations we'll explore aren't just technical hurdles—they can affect everything from user experience to how people discover your app in the first place. Some restrictions are getting better as browser technology improves, but others are more fundamental challenges that you need to plan around from day one. Whether you're a startup founder weighing your options or a developer trying to set realistic expectations with clients, understanding these constraints upfront will help you make smarter decisions about your mobile strategy.
Understanding Progressive Web Apps and Their Growing Popularity
Progressive Web Apps—or PWAs as we like to call them—have been making quite a stir in the mobile development world. They're web applications that behave like native mobile apps, but they run in your browser instead of being downloaded from an app store. Think of them as websites with superpowers; they can work offline, send push notifications, and feel just like a real app when you use them.
The concept isn't entirely new, but it's gained serious traction because PWAs promise to solve one of the biggest headaches developers face: building once and running everywhere. No more creating separate versions for iOS and Android—PWAs work on any device with a modern web browser. Companies love this because it cuts development costs and time in half, sometimes more.
Why Businesses Are Embracing PWAs
The appeal is pretty obvious when you look at the numbers. Major brands have seen impressive results after launching PWAs:
- Faster loading times compared to traditional websites
- Higher user engagement rates
- Reduced development and maintenance costs
- No app store approval process required
- Automatic updates without user intervention
The Technology Behind the Hype
PWAs use service workers, web app manifests, and responsive design to create app-like experiences. Service workers handle offline functionality and background processes, whilst the manifest file tells the browser how the app should behave when installed on a device. It's clever technology that bridges the gap between web and native apps—but it's not without its challenges, which we'll explore throughout this guide.
Device and Operating System Access Limitations
One of the biggest headaches with progressive web apps comes down to what they can't access on your device. Unlike native apps that can tap into almost everything your phone offers, PWAs are stuck working through your web browser—and browsers have strict rules about what they'll allow.
Think about all the things your phone can do. Camera, microphone, GPS, contacts, calendar, push notifications, fingerprint scanner, face recognition. Native apps can use most of these features without breaking a sweat. But PWAs? They're limited to what browser makers think is safe and appropriate for web-based applications.
iOS vs Android: The Great Divide
Apple has been particularly cautious about letting PWAs access device features. Safari blocks or restricts many capabilities that work fine in Chrome on Android devices. This means your progressive web app might work brilliantly on an Android phone but feel clunky and limited on an iPhone.
Apple's App Store policies don't help either—they want people downloading native iOS apps, not web apps that bypass their ecosystem. Can you blame them? Every app download through their store means potential revenue.
What Gets Blocked?
File system access is severely restricted. Bluetooth connectivity? Mostly off-limits. Advanced camera features like depth sensing or multiple camera switching? Forget about it. Even basic things like accessing your device's contact list or calendar require workarounds that don't always work reliably.
Before choosing PWA development, create a detailed list of every device feature your app needs. Check current browser support for each one—you might discover some deal-breakers early on.
These technology constraints and capability restrictions mean some app ideas simply won't work as PWAs. If your app concept relies heavily on deep device integration, selecting the right development approach becomes crucial for your project's success.
Performance and Speed Constraints
Here's the thing about PWAs—they're clever, but they're not as fast as native apps. I've watched countless clients get excited about PWA performance only to discover that there's a noticeable lag compared to what users expect from proper native applications.
The main culprit? PWAs run inside a web browser, which acts like a middleman between your app and the device's operating system. Every action has to go through this extra layer, and that creates delays. Native apps talk directly to the phone's hardware, which means they can access the processor, memory, and graphics much more efficiently.
Loading Times and Resource Management
PWAs struggle with heavy graphics and complex animations—the kind of stuff that makes apps feel smooth and responsive. Video games, photo editing tools, or apps with lots of visual effects will feel sluggish compared to their native counterparts. The browser simply can't match the raw performance that native development provides.
Battery Life and Memory Usage
Another pain point is resource consumption. PWAs tend to use more battery and memory because they're essentially websites pretending to be apps. The browser engine needs to stay active in the background, which drains power faster than a native app would.
Don't get me wrong—PWAs have improved massively over the years, and for simple applications they work perfectly fine. But if your app needs to handle complex tasks, process large amounts of data, or provide silky-smooth animations, the performance limitations become obvious pretty quickly. Users notice when an app feels slow, and that can seriously impact their experience with your product.
Limited Native Feature Integration
One of the most significant technology constraints that affects progressive web app development is the restricted access to native device features. Unlike traditional mobile apps that can tap into almost every sensor and function on your phone, PWAs face capability restrictions that can make or break certain app concepts.
Think about all the things your phone can do—access your contacts, use Face ID, control Bluetooth connections, or interact with NFC chips. Progressive web apps simply can't reach many of these features because they run through web browsers, not directly on the operating system. This creates a barrier between your app and the device's full potential.
What Features Are Off-Limits?
The list of restricted features varies between devices and browsers, but common limitations include biometric authentication, advanced camera controls, SMS access, and phone call functionality. Some PWAs can't even access basic things like device orientation or vibration patterns on certain platforms.
The gap between what users expect from a mobile app experience and what PWAs can deliver through browser limitations continues to challenge developers who want to create truly immersive applications.
The Real-World Impact
These capability restrictions mean that some app ideas just won't work as progressive web apps. Banking apps that need fingerprint scanning, fitness apps that require heart rate monitoring, or social apps that need contact integration all face significant hurdles. The progressive web app technology simply wasn't designed to replace every type of native mobile application.
This doesn't make PWAs bad—it just means you need to understand their boundaries before committing to this development path. Some features might become available in future browser updates, but for now, these limitations are very real considerations for any mobile app project.
App Store Distribution and Discovery Challenges
One of the biggest hurdles PWAs face is getting discovered by users—and it's not really their fault. When people want to find new apps, where do they go? The App Store or Google Play Store, right? That's where the problem starts for progressive web apps.
PWAs live in a strange middle ground when it comes to app stores. Apple's App Store has traditionally been quite resistant to PWAs; they prefer native iOS apps that follow their strict guidelines and give Apple a 30% cut of any purchases. Google Play Store is more welcoming—you can actually submit PWAs there now—but the process isn't as straightforward as it is for native Android apps.
The Discovery Problem
Without proper app store presence, PWAs rely heavily on web search and direct website visits for discovery. That means users need to already know about your brand or stumble across your PWA through search results. There's no browsing categories, no featured app sections, and no "you might also like" recommendations that native apps enjoy.
This creates a real chicken-and-egg situation: users don't know to look for PWAs because they're not prominently displayed in app stores, and businesses struggle to justify building PWAs when they know discovery will be challenging.
Installation Barriers
Even when users do find a PWA, the installation process isn't always obvious. Instead of a big "Install" button like native apps have, PWAs often show a small browser prompt that many users miss or dismiss. The whole experience feels less polished compared to downloading a traditional app, which can put potential users off before they've even tried what you've built.
Offline Functionality and Storage Restrictions
When it comes to progressive web app technology constraints, offline functionality is where things get a bit tricky. Sure, PWAs can work offline—but not nearly as well as native apps can. The main culprit here is something called service workers, which are the bits of code that handle offline features. They're clever, but they have their limits.
Think about your favourite native app. It probably stores loads of data locally on your device, right? Photos, messages, game progress—all sitting there ready to use even when your internet cuts out. PWAs can't match this level of offline storage. They rely on browser storage mechanisms like IndexedDB and Cache API, which sounds technical but basically means they can only store a fraction of what native apps manage.
Storage Space Limitations
Here's where capability restrictions really show their teeth. Browsers impose strict limits on how much data PWAs can store locally. We're talking about storage quotas that vary wildly between different browsers—some might give you 50MB, others might be more generous with a few hundred MB. Compare that to native apps which can use gigabytes of storage space, and you start to see the problem.
The Reality of Offline Performance
Even when PWAs do work offline, they often feel sluggish compared to their native counterparts. Complex offline features like real-time data synchronisation or offline editing of large files? These remain challenging for progressive web app development. The browser environment just wasn't designed for heavy-duty offline work.
Cache your most important content first. Prioritise the core features users need when offline, rather than trying to make everything work without an internet connection.
The bottom line is that whilst PWAs have made impressive strides in offline functionality, they're still playing catch-up with native apps. If your app needs robust offline features or substantial local storage, you might want to consider whether a PWA is the right choice for your project.
Security and Privacy Considerations
When it comes to security and privacy, Progressive Web Apps face some real challenges that native apps simply don't have to deal with. The main issue? PWAs run inside web browsers, which means they inherit all the security limitations that come with web technologies. This can be a proper headache for developers who need to handle sensitive user data.
Unlike native apps that can implement their own security measures, PWAs are bound by what browsers allow them to do. They can't access the same level of device security features—things like biometric authentication, secure storage areas, or hardware-based encryption. Sure, some browsers support basic fingerprint scanning through web APIs, but it's patchy at best and nowhere near as robust as what you get with native development.
Browser-Based Security Vulnerabilities
PWAs are particularly vulnerable to cross-site scripting attacks and other web-based security threats. They also can't isolate themselves from the browser environment in the same way native apps can, which creates additional attack vectors that cybercriminals can exploit.
Data Storage and Privacy Limitations
Storage is another weak point. PWAs rely on browser storage mechanisms, which aren't designed for highly sensitive information. The data can be cleared by users accidentally or automatically by the browser's cleanup processes. There's also the question of where this data actually lives and who has access to it.
- Limited access to secure hardware features
- Dependency on browser security policies
- Vulnerable to web-based attack vectors
- Restricted data encryption options
- No control over browser data management
For businesses handling financial transactions, healthcare data, or other sensitive information, these limitations can be deal-breakers. The security just isn't there yet to match what native apps can offer.
Conclusion
After working with countless clients over the years, I've seen businesses wrestle with the decision between progressive web apps and native mobile apps. The truth is, progressive web apps come with some pretty significant technology constraints that you simply can't ignore when making this choice.
Let's be honest—PWAs still feel like a compromise in many ways. The device access limitations mean you're locked out of features that users expect from modern apps. Push notifications work differently, camera integration isn't as smooth, and don't get me started on the battery and sensor access issues. These capability restrictions might not matter for simple apps, but they become deal-breakers for anything more sophisticated.
The performance gap is still there too, no matter what anyone tells you. Yes, PWAs have improved massively, but they're still running through a browser layer. When your users are comparing your app to slick native experiences, that difference shows. I've had clients come back after launching PWAs asking why their app feels sluggish compared to competitors.
App store distribution remains a headache that many businesses underestimate. Sure, you can technically get PWAs into some app stores now, but the process isn't straightforward and discovery is still poor. Most users expect to find apps in their familiar app stores, not buried in browser bookmarks.
That said, understanding whether your business needs an app or a website approach is crucial before making this decision. For content-heavy sites, simple utilities, or businesses with tight budgets, these constraints might be acceptable trade-offs. The key is understanding exactly what you're giving up before you commit to the progressive web app route.
