Best Progressive Web App Builder

Progressive Web App

When was the last time that you used a mobile app? If you're like most people, then it was probably just a few seconds ago. We live in a world today where mobile applications mean everything. From playing the newest game to finding driving directions, we use apps for anything and everything. But did you know that every mobile app isn’t created equal? In fact, there are a few different ways to build apps and not all apps work the same. One type of app that is sweeping the nation is a Progressive Web App.

What is PWA?

PWA stands for Progressive Web App, which are apps that look and feel just like the normal apps you’re used to, but there are many differences behind the scenes. The driving factor of a Progressive Web App is the web. These apps are housed on the web and all of the data and processes on the app are controlled on the massive internet. Another factor is that everything operates on the cloud, which provides unmatched response times and tons of storage.

History of PWAs

Now that you know a little more about what are PWAs, we’ll now dive into some of the history regarding these powerful apps. The initial concept for PWAs was developed back in 2012, but Google was the company to introduce PWAs to the rest of the world in 2015. It started when Alex Russell and multiple others had conversations about mobile apps, the internet, and how they could merge the two together. This led us to the amazing Progressive Web Apps iOS and Android solutions that we have today! Click here to check out the Mobile Matters podcast episodes that actually feature Alex Russell himself!

Technical Requirements

In order for apps to be PWAs, there are 14 different technical requirements. Here are some of the requirements below:

• Offline loading
• Reference a web app manifest
• There is an app icon with dimensions of 144×144 large in PNG format
• Originate from a secure origin

Native App Development

While there are many PWA builder Android and iOS solutions, we’ll now touch on the standard way of building apps. This is called native app development. However, these apps would be native to a specific device, which meant that there needed to be a totally separate development process to build apps for multiple operating systems.

Progressive Web App Example

To better understand PWAs, we’ll now provide some examples of companies who are utilizing them. Check out this PWA apps list below:

• Twitter
• Uber
• Instagram
• Forbes
• Pinterest

Need More Information?

If you’re still confused about PWAs, then check out our Progressive Web App tutorial that we built. There, you can learn more about how PWAs are built, hosting Progressive Web App options, and so much more!

What is a Web App?

To learn more about how Progressive Web Apps work, it’s a good idea to take a step back and observe web apps. A web app works in a similar manner to a website but includes more functionaries. A good example of this is Gmail, Google Sheets, and online shopping sites.

Key Differences

One of the key differentiators between web apps, PWAs, and websites is that web apps don’t cache offline and they don’t use a service worker. There is also a much different buildout process involved with web app development.

Building Web Apps

There are multiple ways to build a web app and there are actually many platforms that help users develop these apps easily, but we’ll now discuss the standard way of building web apps, which some say is the best way to create web application solutions.

Website Drawbacks

When you learn how to create a simple web application, it can bring you many benefits. However, there are some drawbacks when you rely on websites. For one, you have to think about loading speeds. Most people will actually leave a site if the speeds are over three seconds on a page. However, given how there are many app-building platforms out there, which is the easiest way to build a web app, these apps are becoming very popular.

Web App Manifest

A web app manifest is what aids in Progressive Web App development. A manifest provides key info about a web app, which is required for the web app to be downloaded and presented just like native apps. To learn more about how websites and PWAs work, do an internet search for how to convert PHP website to PWA, including web application examples for beginners.

Best Progressive Web App Builder

While PWAs can be built manually, there are many software options out there that help users create these apps with ease. In fact, some don’t even require that the user understands anything about coding! This is made possible by the power of app templates. If you do an internet search for the best PWA builder or the best PWA builder online solution, then the platforms you see probably have a great selection of PWA templates available for users. Some of these platforms are even geared towards those looking to convert website to Progressive Web App. The best PWA builder is Lumavate. Every app deployed on Lumavate is a PWA. And since we’re a no code app platform, you won’t have to touch a single line of code either! 

Examples

Given the amazing capabilities of these templates, we’ll now dive into some of the more popular platforms that offer templates for their customers. These companies are:

• Angular
• Dreamweaver
• Polymer
• Webkon
• Thorium Builder
• Lumavate

Experience Lumavate

While the companies above do have some sophisticated templates and many capabilities, no one compares to the power of Lumavate. Our templates, called Starter Kits, are ideal for those just starting out on their app-building journey. Furthermore, we carry a wide selection of templates so you can find the perfect design that your organization is looking for. Lumavate makes it easy to learn to build web apps and we have many educational resources so users can learn how to become an app-building pro in no time! Have questions? Visit our robust on-demand library of PWA tutorials! 

Progressive Web App Builder Free Options

If you’ve ever done an internet search for a PWA app builder, then you probably came across many free options. Using a free PWA builder is a smart choice when starting out building apps yourself. It’s a cost-effective and efficient manner for dabbling in the world of app building. Lumavate has a free subscription plan for those wanting to try to build a free PWA. Get started for free here! 

Compatible with Audit Technology

When building an app, you always want to monitor its performance. Another benefit of Lumavate is that all of the PWAs you build on our platform are compatible with Google’s Lighthouse Audit. This powerful technology checks PWAs and looks for any issues that may arise and also examines ways on how the app can improve. While other platforms like the Microsoft PWA Builder offer great features and capabilities, Lumavate has some of the leading features in the industry and hundreds have been ecstatic about the apps built on how platform. To learn more about how these platforms work, look up Progressive Web Application development by example.

Ionic Framework

As we’re on the topic of PWA development, we’ll now dive into Ionic framework, framework7 PWA, and other Progressive App frameworks. Ionic framework is an open-source SDK for developing hybrid apps. The original version of Ionic was released in 2013. This framework provides many tools and services for building mobile, hybrid, desktop, and Progressive Web Apps.

Framework7

Diving deeper into Progressive Web App framework solutions, we’ll now discuss Framework7. This is a free open-source framework that is used to build desktop, mobile, and web apps. Additionally, it can also be used as a prototyping tool.

Best Framework for PWA

While Lumavate is the incredible app-builder you need, it’s important to understand the different platforms out there and how they operate. We’ll now dive into some of the leading frameworks on the market and we’ll touch on who made the cut as the best PWA framework 2019 had to offer:

• Polymer
• AngularJS
• Vue.js
• React PWA framework
• Lighthouse

Many of the options you see above have their own special characteristics that make them very popular for users. Many of those qualities revolve around user-friendliness, features provided, and responsiveness. The one framework option that made the list as the #1 choice for 2019 was Ionic.

PWA Stack

Stack is another term to understand that involves PWAs. Stack refers to the combination of coding languages used for development. For example, a web stack could be JS, HTML, and CSS.

Progressive Web App Template

When you’re looking to work with a PWA builder, you want to ensure that the platform comes equipped with all of the necessary tools, features, and capabilities that can help you out every step of the way. With Lumavate, we have tons of amazing features and tools that create an app-building experience like nothing you’ve seen before. And with the help of our Progressive Web App theme template options, you can now build incredible apps in just minutes!

Our Competitors

While Lumavate offers tons of sophisticated PWA template options, we have to point out that we aren’t the only provider offering these. However, we will tell you that our templates and Progressive Web App tools are far better than the rest. We have almost any app template you could need, plus we are constantly adding new ones! Check out our full list of Progressive Web App template free download options. 

Our Resources

Here at Lumavate, we don’t just offer amazing templates to help you build apps, but we also provide infographics, blogs, podcasts, tutorials, and more! For some of our most popular resources, be sure to check out our Design Gallery infographic. Another benefit of choosing Lumavate is that you don’t have to use an HTML PWA template while using our platform because we’ve done the heavy lifting of coding for you!

Progressive Web App Generator

A PWA generator is a tool that helps to display app icons on your mobile home screen. This provides a native-like functionality that is very beneficial.

React Progressive Web App

There are tons of platforms nowadays that help users build PWAs. Many of these have exceptional features, templates, and various pricing options. Some of these options are:

• React
• Bootstrap
• Heroku
• WordPress

React

The React App Builder is a SaaS solution that involves react native source code. Users can use a single source code with multiple apps, which allows companies to build apps at scale.

Bootstrap

Bootstrap Studio is a powerful platform that works with HTML, JS, and CSS. One reason people love Bootstrap is because of the many Bootstrap PWA template options. Be sure to do research on these Progressive Web App Bootstrap template solutions to learn more info.

Heroku

Heroku is an app-building platform that supports many programming languages. The platform is known for its user-friendliness and ability to scale Progressive Web App Heroku solutions, which is very useful with enterprise companies.

WordPress

WordPress is a company that has been around for quite some time. The platform is well-known for building websites. 

Choose Lumavate Today!

While there are tons of platforms out there that help you build PWAs, we invite you to check out Lumavate. Our amazing customers are very satisfied with our platform and our business is growing at a high level. From our many templates to our user-friendly interface, building apps is fun on Lumavate! And better yet, coding knowledge isn’t required!