Glossary
Progressive web app (PWA)
A progressive web app (PWA) is a web application that installs directly from the browser, can work offline, and behaves like a native app, without going through the app stores.
When a PWA is the right call
PWAs shine when distribution needs to be instant: no app store review, no forced updates, one link to install. They fit internal tools and field teams especially well, because a single codebase serves desktop and phone, updates ship the moment they are deployed, and offline support keeps the tool usable where connectivity is bad.
They are also a strong fit when the audience will not install one more app from a store but will open a link, or when the product changes too often for a release cycle gated by store review.
Limits to know
A PWA lives inside the browser's rules. Access to some device capabilities is narrower than in a native app, especially on iOS, where installation is less discoverable and features such as push notifications arrived late and with restrictions. Heavy background processing, deep hardware integration, and the visibility of an app store listing remain reasons to go native.
How Cazullo applies it
Cazullo defaults to the simplest technology that survives the field. For a field sales operation (the Caderneta project), it built an offline-first PWA: sales reps visit customers in areas with no signal, record orders and payments locally on the phone, and the app syncs everything once connectivity returns. No app store, no update lag, and the tool works exactly where the work happens.