April 7, 2026

PWA Over Native App

Context

ShootLight needed mobile access with offline support and push notifications. The platform decision affected reach, development speed, and user experience.

Decision

Built ShootLight as a Progressive Web App instead of a native mobile application.

Alternatives Considered

React Native

Pros
  • Access to native device APIs
  • App store visibility
Cons
  • Requires native build tools and stores
  • Separate code for iOS and Android nuances
  • Slower iteration with AI

Flutter

Pros
  • Single codebase for both platforms
  • Good performance
Cons
  • Dart language — less AI training data
  • Heavier bundle size
  • Still requires app store submission

Reasoning

PWA gives cross-platform reach without app store barriers. Service workers provide offline caching and push notifications. AI tools have extensive training on React/PWA patterns, making iteration faster.

architecturepwamobile

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