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Native app / PWA / web app / web page (naming)

These are pretty common terms, but what do these buzzwords actually mean?

Definitions

A web page can be reached in the browsers. It’s for the web only.
A PWA can borrow progressive feature set from Google Platform. Installation and other native-like features can be set.
A native app is on it’s platform. It can be a desktop platform (Windows, Mac, Linux) or a mobile platform (Android, iOS) or both. Can be installed fom app stores.

Quick Summary

Term	What it is	Installation	Offline support
Web page	A single page or a site	No	Cookie, Local storage only
Website / Web app	A browser-based application with multiple pages/features	No	Sometimes
PWA	A web app enhanced with installability and offline capabilities	Optional (can be installed)	Yes, to some extent
Native app	Software built specifically for iOS, Android, Windows, etc.	Yes	Usually yes

Naming recommendations

For product architecture:

Web page → Public-facing site, can be single page as well
Web app → Browser-based product
PWA → Web app that can be installed and work offline, handy usage
Mobile app → Native iOS/Android application
Desktop app → Native Windows/macOS/Linux application

Conclusion

Always what you need.
A PWA is a special kind of web app, and a web app is a type of web site.
Native app is a real app indeed.

app, desktop, mobile, native, page, pwa, web — Jun 8, 2026

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