What is PWA?

For e-commerce, PWA (Progressive Web App) is a store "shell" built using technologies similar to those used for mobile apps. The difference is that the code runs in the browser — the user can use the same version of the site on desktop by entering the URL in the browser bar, and also launch it via an icon on their smartphone home screen, without having to install another app. For that reason PWA is a good compromise if we can't afford to maintain both a store and a separate mobile app. Even though the store keeps the look and functions of an app, we don't have to publish it on Google Play or the App Store.

Thanks to PWA we can deliver a smoother experience to the user: responsiveness ensures the layout fits any device, and caching lets the store work even out of network coverage. Importantly, it is often possible to build a PWA on top of an existing online store, including on the Magento platform.