Progressive web applications (PWA) are a fantastic hybrid solution that offer users the experience of a standalone app without the need to install an application on their devices. The term progressive web app was originally introduced in 2015 by designer Frances Berriman and Google Chrome engineer Alex Russell. Following their introduction, they have become a popular and powerful option for websites, businesses, and web app development companies.
With the introduction of any new technology, questions about the tools we use to develop them, and which ones are the best to use start to pop up.
So below, we are going to take a look at some of the best tools and frameworks for building PWA that are out there.
Benefits of Progressive Web Apps
Before digging into some of the best frames for building PWA, we briefly want to look at some of the benefits of progressive web apps.
- They do not require installation or manual updates.
- They are smaller than mobile apps, meaning they use up much less data.
- They often have a lower production cost than mobile applications.
- They cut out the need to meet platform requirements to be hosted in mobile app stores.
- They work offline.
Best Progressive Web App Development Tools
The following frameworks for building PWA all bring something unique to the table. They come with their own features and capacity, making each one a good choice for progressive web development depending on what exactly you need or want out of a PWA.
AngularJS
AngularJS is a framework that is extremely streamlined when it comes to web development. First introduced by Google in 2009, AngularJS has become an extremely popular option for progressive web app development. It is very flexible, using HTML as its template language, and it is easy to expand the capabilities of a PWA made with AngularJS thanks to the number of different libraries that it works with.
Developers, like our team here at Split Reef, use AngularJS for a number of reasons, including the fact that it helps to cut down on the need for repetitive tasks that can eat into development time. Overall, AngularJS is a great framework for developing PWAs that requires less coding overall.
React
React is another great framework for building PWA. It is a JavaScript framework that was originally created by Facebook (now called Meta) and it is fully free and open source. It is a very fast framework and relatively simple, making it a framework that is easy to set up. This helps developers quickly and efficiently build out user interfaces during progressive web app development. Flutter vs. React Native
React also enjoys a lot of community support as an open source framework, with a number of third party libraries and tools available.
PWA Builder
PWA Builder is a lightweight framework that makes progressive web app development simple and easy, especially for developers who may not have much experience in PWA development. For more experienced teams like here at Split Reef, this framework is a great option because it cuts down on the need to write code and it is open source.
And while one of the benefits of PWAs is they do not need a storefront like the iOS App Store, developers can use PWA Builder to package their PWAs for storefronts if they choose to.
Ionic
Originally released in 2013, Ionic is an open source UI toolkit that is used for building cross-platform applications, including PWAs. When used for progressive web app development, Ionic is a top choice among developers for a few reasons including:
- A large plug-in library
- Easy maintenance
- A large variety of tools available for developers
With Ionic, a PWA can really offer a native-like experience to users and helps to streamline the overall development process.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse is a free tool from Google that helps developers to improve the overall quality of websites and PWAs. It works to audit a number of web features including performance and SEO, among others. It will offer up suggestions on how to improve aspects of a website for improved performance, which can be extremely beneficial to the progressive web app development process.
Thanks to the detailed reports that Lighthouse provides, developers are able to use the data and information to further improve PWAs.
Connect with Split Reef for Progressive Web App Development Today
When it comes to the benefits of progressive web apps, you can clearly see how much of an impact they can have. Factor in the number of different progressive web app development tools available to help in the development process, and the space of progressive web apps is an ever changing and evolving place as well!
That is why working with an experienced progressive web app development company like Split Reef can be extremely important. Our team is experienced with a number of different tools and frameworks for building PWA, including AngularJS. We keep up to date with the changes and innovations within our industry as well, ensuring that your projects always receive the latest updates and development methodology.
To learn more about how we can help in your progressive web app development, feel free to reach out to us online or over the phone. No matter the project or your budget, we can help find you a selection of our services that will meet your needs.
Split Reef is a modern, results-driven digital organization always ready to support clients in their search for digital supremacy. With Split Reef, your budget isn’t going to hold you back from partnering with us to make your project successful. Our offices are located in Columbus, Ohio and Jacksonville, Florida.
