01
Content / reading / browsing apps — news, blogs, catalogues — where native features aren't needed.
Fits you
PWA scope call · 30 min
0.4s
Second-load
22×
Smaller bundle
2.4×
DAU vs native
Progressive Web Apps
One website. App Store quality experience.
PWAs load instantly, work offline, and can be installed to the home screen — without an App Store review. For a lot of Indian businesses, this is the sweet spot.
// service-worker.ts
self.addEventListener('fetch', (e) => {
e.respondWith(
caches.match(e.request).then((r) =>
r ?? fetch(e.request)
)
);
});
// Result:
// • Works offline
// • Installs to home screen
// • Loads in 0.4s (cached)
// • No App Store review
MediaE-commerceTravelEducationLogisticsField ServicesMediaE-commerceTravelEducationLogisticsField ServicesMediaE-commerceTravelEducationLogisticsField Services
Who this is for
When a PWA beats a native app.
If any of these sound like you, we should talk.
02
B2B internal tools where App Store distribution is overkill.
Fits you
03
Markets where users don't want to install yet another app (most of India, most of the time).
Fits you
04
Products on tight budgets where maintaining separate iOS + Android codebases is unjustifiable.
Fits you
The proof
PWA vs. native app — what you lose, what you gain.
We build both. Here's our honest comparison.
| Capability | Generic agency | Ligio |
|---|---|---|
| Time to ship | 4-6 months (native) | 10-14 weeks (PWA) |
| Install friction | App Store review | Tap "Add to Home Screen" |
| Offline support | ✓ | ✓ |
| Push notifications | Full | Limited on iOS |
| App Store presence | ✓ | |
| Update cycle | Store review, days | Instant |
| Device features (Bluetooth, NFC) | Full | Partial |
| Single codebase | — | ✓ |
What we build
PWA use-cases we've shipped.
01
News / content apps
Offline reading, subscription, notifications.
02
E-commerce PWAs
Fast, installable, cart persists offline.
03
Booking / ticketing
Events, travel, classes — works on patchy 4G.
04
Field force tools
Salespeople, delivery staff, surveyors working offline.
Our approach
Not a template. Your answer, engineered.
Four disciplines we apply to every engagement — tuned to your context, your team, your constraint.
- 01DiscoverStep 01 of 03
Offline-first architecture.
Data syncs in the background. The UI never shows a spinner when it doesn't need to. This is the difference between a PWA that feels native and one that feels like a website pretending to be an app.
- 02DesignStep 02 of 03
App shell pattern.
The shell (nav, layout, skeleton) is cached. Only content data is fetched fresh. First load: 2-3s. Second load onward: 0.4s.
- 03DeliverStep 03 of 03
Test on real Indian networks.
Not on an office WiFi. On 4G-in-a-basement in Mumbai. On 3G in Tier-3. That's where PWAs prove their worth — or don't.
ClientA regional news media companyMedia
Replaced a 40MB native app with a <em>1.8MB PWA</em>. Engagement went up.
A Tamil-language news outlet whose Android app was 40MB and rarely installed. We replaced it with a PWA — installable, offline-capable, 1.8MB. Daily active went up 2.4×.
01
22x
Smaller bundle size
02
2.4x
DAU
03
0.4s
Second-load speed
04
68%
Offline read-throughs
What it's like working with us
Our users in Tier-3 towns can read yesterday's news on today's bad network. That's the whole product.
KS
Karthik S.
Product Head · A Tamil news media company
Media · Chennai
Tech stack
The tools. Chosen for your reasons.
08technologies in rotation
01Next.js
02Workbox
03IndexedDB
04Service Workers
05PostgreSQL
06Cloudflare
07Firebase
08PWA Builder
Process
How we actually work.
06 stages
01
PWA audit
Is a PWA actually right for you? We'll tell you honestly.
Week 1
02
Offline strategy
What data syncs, what's cached, what's refreshed.
Week 2
03
App shell
The foundation everything renders inside.
Weeks 3-4
04
Feature build
Core screens, data sync, push notifications.
Weeks 4-10
05
Field testing
Real devices, real networks, real users.
Weeks 10-11
06
Launch
PWA live. Optionally wrap as TWA for Play Store.
Week 12
Questions
Answers, without the fluff.
Still have questions? Talk to us — we answer within a business day.
06common questions
01PWA or native — pick for me.
If your app needs Bluetooth, advanced camera, background location, or heavy offline DB — native. If it's content, e-commerce, booking, or internal tools — PWA. We'll tell you honestly after a 30-min call.
02Can a PWA be on the Play Store?
Yes, as a TWA (Trusted Web Activity). Play Store distribution with a PWA codebase. iOS App Store is harder — Apple still restricts this.
03Push notifications — do they work?
Fully on Android and desktop. iOS added support in iOS 16.4+ — works, but with more restrictions than native.
04Can users install without visiting a store?
Yes. That's the whole point. Browser prompts "Add to Home Screen" after a few visits, or you trigger it programmatically.
05SEO?
PWAs are still web apps — Google indexes them fully. Better than most native apps, which are invisible to search.
06How much cheaper than native?
Roughly 45-60% of the cost of building separate iOS + Android apps. And ongoing maintenance is one codebase, not three.
Related
Explore more of what we do.
Don't build twice what you could build once.
A 30-minute honest conversation about whether a PWA is the right call — or whether you really do need native.
Free PWA vs native call.