7 Excellent Progressive Web App Examples
7 Apps That Prove PWAs Are Ready For Mainstream Consumer Adoption
Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are becoming increasingly more capable, and every day new impressive PWAs are added to Appscope.
PWAs have existed in different forms ever since the launch of the first smartphone, which finally enabled a rich web browsing experience for mobile. For a long time, they lagged behind their native counterparts in both usage and usability but lately, they have shown themselves to be very real alternatives. Here are eight examples of great Progressive Web Apps that prove that PWAs are poised to enter a mass adoption phase in 2018.
1. Uber (https://appsco.pe/app/uber)
Rapidly expanding into new markets, Uber was in need of an application that could be used by anyone regardless of device and network speed. Its solution was to develop a Progressive Web App that mimicked its native applications in functionality, but came at a significantly lighter weight. Using tiny libraries and SVGs instead of images where possible, the m.uber.com core app is only 50 kB gzipped and loads in less than three seconds — on 2G networks!
Learn more about Uber’s PWA at https://eng.uber.com/m-uber/
2. Lyft (https://appsco.pe/app/lyft)
Another excellent PWA is Lyft’s ride.lyft.com. Visually similar to its native counterparts and with full functionality, ride.lyft.com serves as a great example of what can be accomplished with Progressive Web Apps.
3. Tinder (https://appsco.pe/app/tinder)
Tinder has also developed its own PWA, and just like the previous ones listed, it comes at only a fraction of the size of its native versions. While Tinder’s Android app requires 30 MB to be downloaded, its Progressive Web App delivers the core Tinder experience at a data-cost of 2.8 MB. The PWA also seems to encourage more activity. Compared to users of the native apps, users of the PWA swipe more, message more, and use the app for longer periods of time.
Learn more about Tinder’s PWA at https://medium.com/@addyosmani/a-tinder-progressive-web-app-performance-case-study-78919d98ece0
4. Pinterest (https://appsco.pe/app/pinterest)
Realizing that it had a weak mobile presence, Pinterest reinvented its mobile experience and developed a PWA. As a result of this change, user time spent on the mobile site increased by 40 percent, and user-generated ad revenue and core engagement increased by even more.
Learn more about Pinterest’s PWA at https://medium.com/dev-channel/a-pinterest-progressive-web-app-performance-case-study-3bd6ed2e6154
5. BreakLock (https://appsco.pe/app/breaklock)
A hybrid of the game Mastermind and the Android pattern lock, BreakLock is a PWA puzzle game in which you are supposed to figure out the secret pattern lock combination. After each attempted combination, the game will tell you how many dots in your pattern were correct, and you should use that information to try to crack the lock in as few attempts as possible. With its full-screen display and smooth animations, it is hard to tell BreakLock apart from a native application. It also uses service workers to provide offline availability.
Learn more about BreakLock at https://github.com/maxwellito/breaklock
6. Little Alchemy 2 (https://appsco.pe/app/littlealchemy2)
Another great PWA game is Little Alchemy 2. Starting with air, earth, fire, and water, you are supposed to combine these elements to discover new items. There are over 600 different objects, materials, and natural substances to explore, so the game offers an entertaining way to learn about the natural world.
7. Gartic (https://appsco.pe/app/gartic)
Gartic.net is yet another example of a great PWA game. Given a random word, one of the up to ten players in a room is supposed to draw a visual representation of the word while the other players try to guess it. Gartic also exists as native iOS and Android applications, although its PWA version is up to 30 MB smaller in size.
Learn more about Gartic at https://gartic.net/
Appscope is the leading directory for Progressive Web Apps and offers a collection of the best web-based applications that are compatible with all devices.
