What if you could combine the speed of a website with the functionality of a mobile app—without users needing to download it from Google Play or the App Store?
Progressive web apps (PWAs) do just that.
They bridge the gap between websites and native apps, offering the best of both platforms without needing separate mobile apps for iOS or Android.
Like traditional websites, PWAs are accessible through any browser but can cache data to ensure fast load times, even with poor internet. At the same time, they offer app-like functionalities like offline access, push notifications, and installation directly to the home screen.
These hybrid features make PWAs a standout choice for businesses looking to deliver seamless user experiences on all devices without spending a lot on developing separate apps.
We rounded up over 10 real-world PWA examples to inspire you, highlighting how they improved these businesses, plus tips on how to create one using a PWA builder like Softr.
What is a progressive web app, and why build one?
PWAs are websites that function like native mobile applications but run inside a web browser.
Essentially, they allow users to install a website on their device as if it were a mobile app, without needing to develop separate apps for different platforms (like iOS and Android).
They provide an app-like experience using traditional web development tools like service workers, push notifications, and JavaScript frameworks, and even no-code tools like Softr.
The main benefit of PWAs is that they eliminate the need for platform-specific apps because they work across all devices and operating systems via the web. This reduces development and maintenance costs while still delivering a high-quality app experience.
What are the key features of successful PWAs?
Successful progressive web apps share several common traits that enable them to deliver a seamless, engaging, and reliable experience for all users.
Below are 13 key features you can use as a checklist when building your own PWA software.
- Fast load times: PWAs load quickly, preventing users from abandoning the app due to slow performance.
- Cross-browser compatibility: They work seamlessly across all browsers and platforms, ensuring accessibility for all users, regardless of their device or browser.
- Responsive design: PWAs adapt to any screen size—whether mobile, tablet, or desktop—offering the same functionality without requiring a separate native app.
- Ease of installing on home screen: They allow users to add the app to their home screen directly from the browser, without needing to visit app stores.
- Offline functionality: PWAs work even in offline or low-network conditions by caching essential resources, ensuring uninterrupted service.
- App-like experience: They prompt users to install the app, delivering a native app-like experience complete with a home screen icon.
- Smooth interactions: User interactions feel natural, with no noticeable lag or delays when navigating, scrolling, or interacting with content.
- Push notifications: PWAs support push notifications, allowing for user re-engagement and real-time updates, just like native apps.
- Low data consumption: They are optimized for minimal data usage, crucial for users in regions with limited or expensive internet access.
- Security via HTTPS: PWAs are served over HTTPS, ensuring secure data exchange between users and servers.
- SEO-friendly: They are easily discoverable via search engines, with proper SEO optimization ensuring potential users can find the app effortlessly.
- Accessibility: PWAs are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities, by following WCAG 2.0 guidelines, promoting inclusivity.
- Lightweight design: PWAs are lightweight and take up less storage space compared to native apps, making them more accessible to users with limited device resources.
12 real-world PWA examples in 2024
Many businesses across different industries, such as e-commerce and travel, have seen substantial growth in page views, conversion rates, and user engagement after adopting PWAs.
For instance, Goibibo, one of India’s leading travel booking platforms, reported a 60% increase in conversions from its PWA, while Twitter (now X) Lite saw a 20% reduction in bounce rate.
Below, we cover 12 real-world examples of businesses reaping the benefits of PWAs in 2024.
For each example, we highlight the challenge they faced before implementing PWA, how the web app helped improve their business, and specific results they achieved, as a result.
1. Trivago
Founded in 2005, Trivago has become a go-to hotel search engine, pulling listings from over 300 websites to help users compare prices and find the perfect stay. The search engine has 5 million hotels listed spanning 190 countries and 6.9 million monthly visitors (as of August 2024).
The challenge Trivago face before PWA
In Q1 2017, mobile internet usage surpassed desktop traffic for the first time, and more users began visiting Trivago through their smartphones.
However, many found the mobile site limiting and were hesitant to download the app due to concerns about storage space, the hassle of finding and installing the app, and the time it took to adjust to new software.
To make matters worse, unreliable mobile networks frequently interrupted users mid-booking, leading to abandoned sessions. These disruptions negatively impacted Trivago’s conversion rates and, ultimately, their revenue.
How the PWA improved Trivago
To address these challenges, Trivago built a progressive web app.
The development team prioritized features that would benefit users most, including offline access, push notifications, and home screen shortcuts. These upgrades made the site faster and more reliable, even in areas with poor connectivity.
The PWA also allowed users to continue browsing despite network disruptions and enabled Trivago to re-engage them through targeted notifications.
The results?
- 500,000+ users added Trivago’s PWA to their home screen.
- 150% increase in engagement, with repeat visits doubling from 0.8 to 2 visits per user.
- 97% increase in clickouts to hotel offers, boosting Trivago’s revenue from referrals.
- 67% of users returning to complete their sessions once back online.
2. Tinder
Tinder is the largest dating platform in the world, with 75 million users globally, including 7.8 million in the U.S. The dating app is popular for its swipe-based match-making system.
The challenge Tinder faced before PWA
Tinder’s mobile app had been performing well, but the company saw an opportunity to expand into new markets and strengthen its position as a leader in the online dating space.
With competitors offering more seamless mobile experiences, Tinder needed a solution that would boost user engagement and enhance the overall experience, especially for those accessing the platform through mobile browsers.
Their goal was to ensure that users on mobile browsers had the same smooth experience as those on the native app, without sacrificing functionality.
How the PWA improved Tinder’s business
To meet these goals, Tinder created a progressive web app that delivered the same core experience as their native app, but with significantly lower data usage.
Using technologies like React and Redux, along with advanced techniques such as service workers, the PWA was designed to load quickly, work offline, and offer a responsive design.
The results?
- Load times reduced from 11.9 seconds to 4.69 seconds.
- 30% increase in click-through rates, with bounce rates reduced by 15%.
- Users swiping, messaging, and editing profiles more on the PWA vs. the native app.
- 90% reduction in data usage, delivering the Tinder experience at 10% of the data cost compared to the native app.
3. Pinterest
With over 433 million monthly active users and 10 million unique visitors, Pinterest has quickly become one of the fastest-growing platforms globally.
Its user base continues to expand, attracting individuals from all over the world who come to discover and share inspiration for everything from recipes to fashion and home decor.
The challenge Pinterest faced before PWA
Pinterest had a major challenge with its mobile web experience, which was slow and inefficient.
With 80% of users accessing Pinterest via mobile browsers, the site took over 23 seconds to become interactive. This led to low engagement and conversion rates. In fact, only 1% of mobile web users converted into sign-ups, logins, or app installations.
As Pinterest expanded globally, especially into regions with limited bandwidth, they needed a faster, more efficient solution to improve the user experience and drive higher conversions.
How the PWA improved Pinterest’s business
Adopting a PWA helped Pinterest reduce the size of the JavaScript bundle from 650KB to 150KB Using React, Redux, and service workers to develop the web app, Pinterest ensured faster page loads, offline functionality, and smoother navigation.
The results?
- Time to interactive reduced from 23 secs to 5.6 secs.
- Weekly active users on the mobile web increased by 103%.
- Time spent on-site increased by 40%, with users staying longer than 5 minutes.
- User-generated ad revenue grew by 44% and ad click-through rate by 50%.
- Core user interactions, such as saving pins, increased by 60%.
4. Twitter Lite (now X)
Twitter (now X), one of the largest social media platforms globally, launched Twitter Lite PWA in 2017 to enhance the mobile web experience for its 328 million monthly active users.
With over 80% of its users accessing Twitter via mobile devices, the company saw an opportunity to improve user engagement, speed, and data efficiency through a PWA.
The challenge Twitter faced before PWA
Twitter’s mobile web experience was slower and less reliable than its native app, especially in regions with lower bandwidth and weaker networks.
Mobile users struggled with data-heavy content, causing slow load times and high data consumption, which negatively affected user engagement.
The company needed a solution that would not only reduce data usage but also deliver a faster and more engaging experience.
How the PWA improved Twitter’s business
To overcome these challenges, Twitter introduced the Twitter Lite PWA, which encouraged users to save the app to their home screens. This resulted in 250,000 daily unique users launching the app an average of four times a day.
Twitter Lite also implemented web push notifications, sending 10 million notifications daily to re-engage users, even when their browsers were closed.
The PWA reduced data consumption by up to 70%, giving users control over when media content was downloaded. Loading times were also cut to under 5 seconds on 3G networks, and repeat visits loaded almost instantly.
As a result, Twitter experienced a:
- 65% increase in pages per session,
- 75% increase in Tweets sent,
- 20% reduction in bounce rate.
5. Goibibo
Goibibo is India’s leading online travel booking platform, offering services for booking flights, hotels, trains, and more. More than 13,000,000 people across India visit the site every month.
The challenge Goibibo faced before PWA
Goibibo observed that as users increasingly shifted to mobile, their iOS and Android apps were outperforming their mobile web experience, especially at the payment stage.
Significant drop-offs in conversions were happening on the mobile web compared to the apps. 20% of users started their sessions on the web but converted through the app.
To provide a more seamless experience and capture these users, Goibibo decided to invest in a progressive web app that could deliver the same functionality and performance as their apps.
How the PWA improved Goibibo’s business
Goibibo designed their PWA to offer the same seamless experience as their native apps.
Using Contact Picker API, Goibibo made it simple for users to quickly fill out forms for family or friends, saving time and effort. The WebOTP API helped Goibibo streamlined the sign-in process by autofilling secure one-time passwords, so users could log in swiftly and securely.
Goibibo also enabled push notifications to send timely, personalized updates like flight fare alerts, keeping users informed and engaged.
- 60% increase in conversions compared to the previous mobile web flow.
- 20% increase in logged-in users, who convert 6x more than non-logged-in users.
- 4x higher conversions among users retargeted with push notifications.
- 25% reduction in OTP retry API calls during sign-ups.
- 5% of new sessions generated through the Web Share API.
6. Lancôme
Lancôme is a global luxury cosmetics and perfume brand that attracts more than 1,300,000 monthly visitors.
The challenge Lancôme faced before PWA
Lancôme, a global luxury cosmetics brand, saw a significant increase in mobile traffic starting in 2016. Despite this growth, their mobile web conversion rates lagged behind desktop performance, with only 15% of mobile shopping carts converting compared to 38% on desktop.
The company considered developing a mobile app, but recognized that most customers wouldn't use an e-commerce app frequently enough to justify the cost.
They needed a fast, immersive, and engaging mobile web experience that could match the performance of native apps while being easily accessible to all users.
How the PWA improved Lancôme’s business
Lancôme partnered with Mobify to develop a Progressive Web App (PWA) to enhance the mobile shopping experience. The PWA allowed the company to deliver an app-like experience on the mobile web, including faster load times and the ability to work offline.
The results?
- 17% increase in conversions compared to the previous mobile web experience.
- 84% decrease in time until the page is interactive, improving the overall user experience.
- 15% decrease in bounce rates as users stayed on the site longer.
- 53% increase in mobile sessions on iOS and 10% reduction in bounce rates on iPhones.
- 8% of users who tapped push notifications made purchases, leading to a significant boost in recovered cart conversions.
7. Rakuten 24
Rakuten 24 is one of Japan’s largest e-commerce companies specializing in everyday items such as groceries, healthcare products, and kitchen essentials.
The challenge Rakuten 24 faced before PWA
Rakuten 24 wanted to improve its mobile customer retention and engagement as part of its broader goal of expanding its market share and enhancing user experience.
But Rakuten 24 faced two significant challenges: limited brand awareness and low mobile user retention, as they were a relatively new service. The company also lacked the resources to develop platform-specific apps for iOS and Android, but needed an effective way to increase customer engagement and boost conversions.
So, Rakuten 24 sought a cost-efficient solution that could offer the benefits of a native app without the need for costly app development.
How the PWA improved Rakuten 24’s business
Rakuten 24 decided to implement a Progressive Web App (PWA) to address these challenges. By focusing on key PWA features, they improved mobile engagement and retention while bypassing the need for native app development.
For instance, Rakuten 24’s development team used Workbox to improve caching and offline functionality, ensuring smooth performance even with poor network conditions.
They also implemented a custom install prompt. This feature gave users the option to install the PWA on their home screen for quick access, which increased brand awareness and retention.
For users unable to install directly from the banner, Rakuten 24 provided detailed guides on how to manually install the PWA on both Android and iOS devices.
The results were impressive within just one month:
- 450% increase in visitor retention compared to the previous mobile web flow.
- 310% increase in visit frequency per user.
- 150% increase in sales per customer.
- 200% increase in conversion rate.
8. TikTok
TikTok, the world’s leading short-video social media platform, allows users to create, share, and browse short videos. Since its launch in 2016, TikTok has exploded in popularity, reaching 1 billion monthly active users by 2021, across 154 countries and 75 languages.
The challenge TikTok faced before PWA
TikTok’s native apps performed well, but the platform faced limitations in terms of accessibility and performance, especially for users with limited data or older devices.
Many potential users found downloading and maintaining the native app costly, while others sought quicker access without app installation.
The company realized the need for a lightweight solution that could extend TikTok’s reach and provide a seamless experience for users across all devices and operating systems.
How the PWA improved TikTok’s business
TikTok PWA allowed users to access TikTok without downloading it from an app store and provided a fast, smooth experience even on low-end devices or slow connections.
The switch to PWA helped TikTok bypass app store restrictions and gave users a faster way to access the platform, reducing loading times and friction.
The results?
- 15% decrease in bounce rates.
- 30% increase in click-through rates compared to the old native mobile app.
- Faster load times for users with slow internet connections or lower-end devices.
9. Nikkei
Nikkei, one of Japan's leading media businesses, offers financial and business news with more than 450 million monthly visits to its website.
The challenge Nikkei faced before PWA
Nikkei experienced a rapid increase in mobile traffic as smartphones became the primary device for accessing the web. However, their legacy website was not optimized for mobile, with slow load times and performance issues.
Using Lighthouse, Nikkei found that their site averaged 10 seconds on the Speed Index and took around 20 seconds to become fully interactive. This poor performance led to higher bounce rates, as 53% of mobile users abandon a website if it takes longer than 3 secs to load.
How the PWA improved Nikkei’s business
In November 2017, Nikkei launched multipage progressive web app to fix these problems using vanilla JavaScript and responsive design. The results were impressive:
- 2.3X increase in organic traffic.
- 58% increase in conversions (subscriptions).
- 49% increase in daily active users.
- 2X more page views per session.
- 75% faster loading through prefetching.
- 14 seconds faster time-to-interactive.
10. Uber
With over 118 million users and 3.5 million active drivers globally, Uber’s mission is to provide reliable, on-demand transportation for everyone.
The challenge Uber faced before PWA
Uber wanted to provide fast, reliable access to their ride-hailing service for users with slower internet connections or low-end devices. They noticed that many users struggled to book rides through the native app due to limited network access or outdated smartphones.
Uber needed a solution that could offer the same seamless experience across all devices and browsers, while being lightweight enough to function efficiently under poor network conditions.
How the PWA improved Uber’s business
In 2017, Uber launched its Progressive Web App (PWA), redesigned and rebuilt in 2019 to provide a smoother, faster experience.
The PWA was designed to be as fast as possible, using just 50kB of data and loading in under 3 seconds, even on 2G networks. Uber used Preact, a lightweight alternative to React, to streamline rendering and optimize page transitions.
The results include:
- Loads in less than 3 seconds, even on a 2G connection.
- Time to First Byte was reduced from 1.5 seconds to 1.26 seconds.
- More rides booked through the PWA than the previous mobile web.
11. Spotify
Spotify is a popular music streaming service that offers millions of songs, playlists, and podcasts.
The challenge Spotify faced before PWA
Spotify sought to expand its user base while also addressing ongoing challenges related to third-party commissions, particularly Apple's 30% app store fees.
Their goal was to create a user-friendly solution that could increase conversions and improve user retention, particularly for free users who might upgrade to Premium.
Additionally, they wanted to provide a faster, more accessible experience across all devices without being reliant on app stores.
How the PWA improved Spotify’s business
Spotify’s PWA offered a cleaner, more polished interface compared to the desktop app, with adaptive background colors that enhance the listening experience. While Spotify Premium users can download songs for offline use, this feature is not available for free users on the PWA.
Regardless, the results were impressive:
- 30% increase in monthly active users after the PWA launch.
- 45% growth in desktop users.
- 40% increase in average listening hours per month.
- 46% conversion rate from free to paid subscribers in 2019.
12. Clipchamp
Clipchamp is a web-based video editor that empowers over 12 million users worldwide to create and edit videos with ease.
The challenge Clipchamp faced before PWA
Video editing is resource-intensive, and Clipchamp needed a solution that would allow users to process large media files efficiently within a browser, without relying on a cloud-based platform.
How the PWA improved Clipchamp business
Clipchamp developed a PWA to overcome these challenges and improve accessibility and performance for users.
Clipchamp used WebAssembly to enable video processing to be done locally on the user’s device, avoiding the delays of cloud-based solutions. They also integrated SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data) enhancements and the WebCodecs API to speed up demanding tasks such as 4K video decoding and encoding.
The results included:
- 97% monthly growth in PWA installations since the launch.
- 2.3x performance improvement in tasks like video encoding and 4K video processing.
- 9% higher retention among PWA users compared to desktop users.
How to build your own PWA with Softr
Softr is a no-code platform that lets you build user-friendly e-commerce platforms, internal business tools, and customer-facing apps using your existing data.
Its drag-and-drop editor lets you build PWAs using pre-designed blocks and connectors—you can also choose from hundreds of pre-built, easy-to-customize templates to save time. These features make it easy for non-developers on your team to create progressive web apps that work seamlessly across all devices and platforms (iOS and Android).
Softr has an active user community and excellent customer support, ensuring users can access help and share best practices while building their PWAs.
You also get support for features like Single Sign-On (SSO) and security audits for enterprise-level needs. And as your company grows, Softr ensures your PWA can scale and adapt to your needs, making it a perfect choice for businesses of all sizes.
Here’s a step-by-step guide for using Softr to create your own PWA in less than 10 minutes:
Step 1: Log in to Softr or create an account if you haven’t already
To start building your CRUD app, log into your Softr account; if you don’t have an existing account, sign up for free.
Step 2: Select a template for the web app you want to create
Softr has a library of responsive pre-built templates you can choose from, so you don’t have to build your web app from scratch. After logging in or completing the sign-up process, click on “all templates” to choose the template that best fits your PWA’s purpose.
If you prefer to build from scratch, click on “start from scratch.”
Step 2.1 Search for the right template
Click on any of the categories and scroll until you find one that matches the web app you want to build. Or, scroll down “ALL” until you find one that matches the app you want to build.
Step 2.2: Click on the template you want to use
After choosing the template, click “Preview” for an overview, and then click on the “Use Template” button to start building.
Step 3: Connect your data source
You need to connect to the platform that has the data you want to use to keep building. Softr integrates with multiple data sources, including SQL databases, Airtable, and Google Sheets.
Click the “select data source” dropdown and select the right one from the options.
Once you've completed connecting the data source to Softr, you’ll be redirected back to the onboarding page. There, click on “Go to application” to continue the process.
Step 4: Enable PWA Option
Once in, navigate to the settings and switch on the PWA toggle to enable progressive web app functionality.
Step 5: Configure PWA settings
You can also configure the web app’s settings:
- Set a name for your PWA that will appear under the app icon on users’ home screens.
- Upload a 512x512px icon (PNG format) that represents your app.
- Customize the splash screen's background color to align with your brand identity.
- Configure the button that prompts users to install the PWA. You can set its alignment and choose which devices (mobile or desktop) it should appear on.
Step 6: Customize and build the App
Use Softr’s drag-and-drop editor to add various functionalities, such as forms, dashboards, and user accounts, design the user interface, and build out the features you want in your app. To edit an existing block, click on the one you want to work on, and the editor panel will slide in.
Step 8: Test the PWA
After customizing, you can see how it looks and ensure functionality across platforms before publishing and sharing it with users. To do this, click on the play icon in the top right corner of your screen to preview.
Once the preview page opens, test your visibility settings by clicking the dropdown in the top left corner of your screen to see what your page looks like for a non-logged-in user, a logged-in user, and users in different user groups.
Launch your PWA in minutes
With Softr’s PWA builder, you don’t need coding experience to build web apps that offer users a seamless experience across all platforms and devices.
Start today.
Create your own PWA using Softr
Building your own PWA using a no-code platform like Softr (which offers a free plan and trial period) allows you to test your app with your audience before committing significant resources.
This enables you to gather real-world feedback, iterate quickly, and optimize the app for a better user experience—all without the risk of large upfront investments.
As your business or project evolves, so can your PWA. Softr’s scalable plans make it easy to transition from a free plan to premium options as your needs grow, ensuring your app remains flexible and future-proof without the need for major overhauls.
This combination of cost-efficiency, scalability, and adaptability makes Softr an ideal choice for businesses and individuals looking to build PWAs that improve user experience and boost ROI.
What is Softr
Softr is the easiest way to turn your data into powerful business apps—no code required. Connect to your spreadsheet or database, customize layout and logic, and share with your team or clients.
Join 700,000+ users worldwide, building client portals, internal tools, CRMs, dashboards, project management systems, inventory management apps, and more—all without code.
Join 700,000+ users worldwide, building client portals, internal tools, CRMs, dashboards, project management systems, inventory management apps, and more—all without code.
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Jessica Tee Orika-Owunna
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