Is a Progressive Web App (PWA) a real substitute for a native app?

For many operational workflows, yes. Modern mobile browsers support installable PWAs, offline storage (Service Workers, IndexedDB), camera and geolocation access, and push notifications on Android. iOS PWA support has historically been more limited but has expanded in recent Safari releases. For workflows with strict offline reliability, deep sensor access, or app-store distribution requirements, native still has advantages.

Does going mobile-first slow down the desktop experience?

Not inherently, but it depends on resourcing. Teams that build mobile-first sometimes under-invest in the desktop view that managers and back-office staff need. Define both surfaces in scope from the start.

Should we use the same codebase for web and mobile?

There is no single right answer. Web + responsive PWA shares one codebase. React Native or Flutter share much of the codebase across platforms. Fully native (Swift/Kotlin) gives the deepest device integration at higher build cost. The right choice depends on the workflow's reliance on device-specific features.

Web App vs Mobile App for Operations

An insight on web app vs mobile app for operations from CodeCraft Enterprise.