A progressive web app (PWA) is a website that installs on a phone like an app. It gets its own icon on the home screen, opens full screen, can send notifications and can keep working without signal. It is built once and runs on iPhone, Android, tablets and computers. For most New Zealand business apps, it is the cheapest sensible way to get an app.
How people install one
- Android: Chrome offers an “Install app” prompt, or it is in the browser menu.
- iPhone and iPad: open the site in Safari, tap Share, then “Add to Home Screen”.
- Computers: Chrome and Edge show an install icon in the address bar.
We add a short “install this app” prompt with the right steps for each device, because most people have never been shown how.
What a PWA can do
- Sign-in, accounts and different roles for staff, members or customers
- Push notifications, including on iPhone once the app is installed
- Offline use: the app and the data people need are kept on the device
- Camera, photos, location, sharing and payments
- Instant updates: everyone has the new version the next time they open it
What it cannot do as well: deep hardware work such as Bluetooth accessories, background tracking or heavy 3D games. If your app lives or dies on those, native is the better choice and we will say so.
Do you need to be in the app stores?
Often not. Your customers can install the app straight from your website, with no store review, no 15 to 30% store commission on digital sales and no waiting days to ship a fix. If you do want store listings later, the same PWA can be wrapped and submitted to the App Store and Google Play without rebuilding it.
Offline, proven
For NZALPA, the New Zealand Air Line Pilots’ Association, we built a member directory that pilots use on the flight deck with no signal. It works fully in aeroplane mode, and automated tests switch the network off to prove it on every change. Offline is one of the features that adds cost, so we agree with you which parts truly need it.
What a PWA costs in New Zealand
Our PWAs start from $4,990 + GST for a simple first version with sign-in, an admin area and the core features. Bigger apps are built in stages, each priced before it starts, and typically come to $25,000 to $60,000. Building the same thing as separate iPhone and Android apps usually costs several times that. More detail is in app development cost in NZ.
Is a PWA right for you?
A PWA is usually the right call if you want:
- a member, staff or customer portal people use on their phones
- bookings, ordering, check-ins or training
- something live in weeks, not months, at a fixed price
- one app to look after instead of three
Tell us what the app needs to do and we will tell you honestly whether a PWA fits. See web and mobile app development.