---
title: "What Is a Progressive Web App (PWA)? Definition"
description: "What a Progressive Web App is, how a PWA differs from a native app or a classic website, and when it is the right format for your project."
canonical_url: "https://www.goodbarber.com/glossary/progressive-web-app/"
lang: en
---

# What Is a Progressive Web App (PWA)? Definition

[Back to the glossary](/glossary/)

# Progressive Web App (PWA)

A Progressive Web App (PWA) is a web application that behaves like a mobile app: it opens from a browser, can be installed on the home screen, and keeps working with a poor or absent connection. It combines the reach of the web with the experience of an app.

## Why it matters

A PWA is reachable through a simple URL: no store download, no installation barrier, and its content can be indexed by search engines. For a business, that means one experience that works on any device and can be shared like a link. It does not replace a native app for everything, but it extends your presence to every user who will never go through a store.

## How it works

Two pieces of web technology do most of the work. A service worker sits between the app and the network, caching content so pages load instantly and keep working offline. A web app manifest describes the app's name, icon, and colors, which lets the browser propose installation on the home screen. Served over HTTPS, the PWA then launches full screen like any app, while remaining a website underneath: one codebase, always up to date, no store validation needed.

## A concrete example

A neighborhood restaurant prints a QR code on its menu and shares the same link on Instagram. Scanning it opens the PWA instantly in the browser: today's menu, ordering, loyalty card. The browser then offers to add the app to the home screen, and from that point it opens full screen like any installed app. No store, no download barrier, one link doing the work of an entire funnel.

## How GoodBarber relates to this

Every GoodBarber app exists as native iOS and Android apps and as a PWA, generated from the same project and the same content. You manage one app; your audience picks its door. Read about [GoodBarber's PWA technology](https://www.goodbarber.com/pwa/technology/) or [create a PWA](https://www.goodbarber.com/pwa/create/).

## Frequently asked questions

Can a PWA be installed like a normal app?
Yes. When the technical criteria are met, the browser offers to add the PWA to the home screen. It then gets its own icon and opens full screen, without the browser interface, like any installed app.

Is a PWA better than a native app?
They answer different needs. A native app offers the deepest device integration and a presence in the stores; a PWA offers instant access with no download and web indexability. Many projects perform best with both, which is why GoodBarber generates the two from one project.

Does a PWA work on iPhone?
Yes. Safari installs a PWA from the share menu with "Add to Home Screen", and it runs full screen like any app. iOS support has kept improving over the years; web push notifications, the historical gap, have been supported since iOS 16.4.

## Useful links

- [GoodBarber PWA technology](https://www.goodbarber.com/pwa/technology/)
- [Create a Progressive Web App](https://www.goodbarber.com/pwa/create/)

## Related terms

- [Service Worker](/glossary/#service_worker)
- [Web App Manifest](/glossary/#web_app_manifest)
- [Native App](/glossary/native-app/)
- [Hybrid App](/glossary/#hybrid_app)