PWA Development Company
PWAs give you one codebase that works as a website, installs like a native app, and runs offline, without the App Store gatekeeping or platform-specific dev teams. For some products, that's exactly the right call. For others, it isn't.
RaftLabs builds Progressive Web Apps for businesses where install-friction, offline use, push notifications, and shippable updates without store review are the deciding factors, and we're honest when a native app would serve you better.
One codebase that runs as a website on iOS, Android, and desktop browser, and installs to the home screen on supported platforms
Offline-first architecture with Service Workers and IndexedDB so the app keeps working when the network drops
Installable to the home screen with a Web App Manifest, no App Store review, no Play Store rejection
Ship updates instantly to every user without waiting on store review or asking them to update
Recent outcomes
Voice AI · Research
Text-based interviews converted to automated phone calls
6× deeper insightsAI Automation · Ops
Manual invoice OCR across 40+ gas stations
20k+ txns day oneLoyalty · Retail
SuperValu & Centra loyalty platform with receipt validation
1,062 users in 4 weeksSaaS · Logistics
Multi-carrier shipping hub for Indonesian eCommerce
2,000+ shipments yr 1Recognition
Paying twice for an iOS team and an Android team when a PWA would have covered both use cases?
Mobile-friendly site that loads fast but can't be installed, can't work offline, and can't send a notification?
In short
RaftLabs is a PWA development company that builds Progressive Web Apps with one codebase that works as a website, installs to the home screen on supported platforms, runs offline via Service Workers and IndexedDB, and sends push notifications via the Web Push API. We're honest about iOS PWA limitations (limited push support on older iOS versions, restricted background sync) and recommend a native build when those constraints would block your use case. Most PWA projects launch in 8-14 weeks at a fixed, agreed cost. We own the full build from design through to delivery, with source code ownership transferred to the client.
Trusted by
A Progressive Web App is a website that browsers treat like an app when the right conditions are met. A Web App Manifest tells the browser the app is installable. A Service Worker intercepts network requests and serves cached responses when the network is down. IndexedDB stores structured data on the device. The Web Push API delivers notifications. The install prompt (triggered via beforeinstallprompt on Chromium-based browsers, or via Add to Home Screen on iOS Safari) lets users add the app to their home screen with no App Store involved.
For a lot of products, that's the right architecture. You ship updates the moment you push to production. You don't pay separate iOS and Android teams. You don't queue behind store review every time you fix a bug. You don't share 15 to 30 percent of revenue with Apple or Google.
For other products, it isn't. iOS still has gaps in push and background sync. Some hardware APIs aren't exposed to web apps. Discoverability through the App Store matters for certain consumer categories. We don't pitch PWAs as a universal answer. We scope your use case first and tell you what actually fits.
Capabilities
End-to-end PWA builds covering the full standard: a valid Web App Manifest with the correct icons, theme color, display mode, and start URL so the browser treats the app as installable. A Service Worker registered for your origin with caching strategies designed around your specific data shape, not generic boilerplate. HTTPS-only delivery (a hard PWA requirement). Responsive layouts that work from a phone in portrait to a desktop browser at full width. A Lighthouse PWA audit score in the 90s before we ship, because that's the floor for being treated as a real PWA by the browser and discovery surfaces.
We build with React, Next.js, Vue, or your existing stack. The PWA layer (Service Worker, manifest, install prompt, offline layer) is framework-agnostic, so we drop it onto whatever frontend you already have or want to use. App shell architecture for instant first paint after the first visit. Code splitting and route-level lazy loading so the initial bundle stays small. Workbox for the Service Worker lifecycle so you're not hand-rolling cache invalidation logic.
Web applications designed from the data layer up to work without a network connection. IndexedDB as the local store for structured application data, accessed via a typed wrapper (Dexie or idb) so the queries are readable and the schema is versioned. The Cache API for HTTP responses and static assets. The Service Worker as the network layer between the app and the server, serving cached responses when offline and pushing local changes when connectivity returns.
Sync architecture designed around your specific conflict scenarios. Last-write-wins is simple but loses data when two users edit the same record offline simultaneously. Operational transform or CRDT-based sync is more complex but preserves all edits. We scope the right approach during discovery based on how many concurrent offline users you have and what the acceptable data model for conflict resolution looks like in your workflow. Background Sync queues failed mutations and replays them when the network returns. Users see an explicit sync status indicator so they know whether their latest edits have reached the server, not a spinner that might mean anything.
Custom Service Worker implementations built on Workbox, the Google-maintained library that handles the messy parts of the Service Worker lifecycle (registration, activation, version skew, claim, skipWaiting). Caching strategies designed per route, not applied as a blanket rule. Cache-first for static assets that change rarely and have hashed filenames. Network-first with cache fallback for API requests that should be fresh when possible but usable when offline. Stale-while-revalidate for content that should load instantly from cache while the network fetches a fresh version in the background.
Cache versioning and cleanup so old caches don't accumulate on users' devices. Update flow that prompts the user when a new Service Worker is ready, rather than silently swapping the app mid-session. Skip-waiting logic for critical updates that need to ship immediately. Background refresh patterns that prefetch likely next pages so navigation feels instant even on poor networks. Service Worker tests run in a real browser environment, not mocked, because the Service Worker lifecycle has too many edge cases to verify any other way.
Web Push notifications via the Push API and VAPID (Voluntary Application Server Identification) keys, which is the standard for sending push to PWAs across Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and iOS Safari (16.4+ on home-screen-installed PWAs only). Notification permission flow designed around when the user actually wants notifications, not a permission prompt on first load that gets denied 80 percent of the time. Server-side push delivery via a Node, Go, or Python push service, with VAPID key management and subscription storage scoped per user.
Background Sync API for queuing actions when the user is offline and replaying them when the network returns. Periodic Background Sync for apps that need to refresh data on a schedule even when the user isn't actively using the app (note: this is Chrome and Edge only, not available on Safari or Firefox). We're explicit about the platform support matrix during scoping. If your use case depends on push working reliably on every iOS device including older ones, we'll flag that and discuss whether a native iOS app or a fallback channel makes more sense.
PWAs designed to be installed and used, not just bookmarked. Web App Manifest configured with the right display mode (standalone is the standard choice; fullscreen for media apps; minimal-ui for apps that need browser UI), the correct icon set covering every required size from 48 to 512 pixels, maskable icons for Android adaptive launcher icons, and a splash screen configured per platform. Install prompt UI that fires the beforeinstallprompt event handler on supported browsers and surfaces a custom install CTA at the right moment in the user journey.
iOS-specific handling for Add to Home Screen. iOS Safari doesn't fire beforeinstallprompt, so we surface an in-app instruction for iOS users on first visit. The installed app on iOS doesn't share cookies or storage with Safari, which has implications for authentication that we handle explicitly. Splash screens generated per iOS device resolution because iOS still requires the legacy apple-touch-startup-image link tags. Status bar styling configured so the app looks native rather than like a Safari tab. Lighthouse PWA audit passing before launch, because if the audit fails, the install prompt doesn't fire on Chromium browsers.
Migration of existing web applications to PWA status without rewriting the application. Common scenarios. You have a React, Vue, or Angular SPA that works well but can't be installed and doesn't work offline. You have a server-rendered Rails or Django app and want to add a Service Worker layer for offline support and installability. You have a legacy jQuery or vanilla JS app that needs the PWA layer added without touching the existing application code.
The migration plan starts with a discovery audit: what does the app currently do, what are the actual offline use cases (not the imagined ones), and what's the minimum viable PWA layer for your use case? We add the Web App Manifest, the Service Worker with appropriate caching strategies, the install prompt UI, and any required HTTPS and security headers. Offline support is added incrementally: first the static asset layer (the app shell), then the API caching layer, then the data layer with IndexedDB if the use case warrants it. We deliver working increments rather than a big-bang rewrite so you're not blocked from using the existing app while the PWA layer is being added.
Web App Development
Browser-based applications for internal tools and customer-facing products.
Mobile App Development
iOS and Android apps for consumer products and enterprise field teams.
Custom Software Development
Full-stack platforms built around your specific business logic and data model.
SaaS Application Development
Multi-tenant SaaS platforms with billing, auth, and usage analytics.
Describe the workflow, the audience, and the platforms that matter. We'll scope the right architecture and give you a fixed cost.
A PWA is the right choice when you want one codebase across iOS, Android, and desktop browser, when you don't need deep OS integration, and when you can live with the platform constraints that browsers impose on installed web apps. PWAs install to the home screen, work offline, send push notifications (with caveats on iOS), and ship updates instantly without store review. A native app is the right choice when you need full access to platform APIs that browsers don't expose, when push notifications are critical and you can't tolerate iOS limitations, when you need tight integration with platform features like Apple Pay, HealthKit, or HomeKit, or when the App Store presence itself is part of the product. We're honest about this in scoping. iOS still doesn't support web push on older versions, background sync is limited, and some hardware APIs are not available to PWAs. If those constraints would block your use case, we'll recommend a native build and tell you why.
Offline support in a PWA is built around three browser primitives. The Service Worker is a background script the browser registers for your origin. It intercepts network requests and can return cached responses when the network is unavailable. We use Workbox to manage caching strategies (cache-first for assets, network-first with fallback for API calls, stale-while-revalidate for content that can be slightly out of date). The Cache API stores HTTP responses, static assets, and HTML shells. IndexedDB stores structured application data on the device, which is what lets the app keep functioning with no connectivity. When the network comes back, a sync layer reconciles local changes with the server. We design the conflict resolution logic during discovery so simultaneous offline edits don't corrupt records when they sync. Offline-first is not a flag we tick. It shapes the data model from the start.
Yes, with caveats. Apple added Web Push support to iOS Safari in iOS 16.4 (March 2023), but only for PWAs that the user has explicitly added to the home screen. Push does not work on PWAs accessed through the regular browser tab on iOS. Older iOS versions don't support web push at all. If your audience skews toward older iOS devices, or if push delivery is mission-critical (a banking alert, a healthcare reminder), we'll flag this during scoping and recommend either a native iOS app for the iOS audience or a fallback channel like SMS or email for users on unsupported devices. On Android and desktop browsers, push works reliably via the Web Push API with VAPID keys. Background Sync and Periodic Background Sync (which let the app sync data when the user isn't actively using it) have similar platform gaps. We design around the constraints rather than pretending they don't exist.
A focused PWA, core workflow, offline support, installable manifest, and push notifications on supported platforms, typically runs $20,000 to $50,000. PWAs that replace a native app or that need complex offline sync with conflict resolution run higher, in the $40,000 to $80,000 range. Migration from an existing web app to a PWA (adding the Service Worker, manifest, install prompt, and offline layer to an app that already exists) is usually $15,000 to $35,000 depending on how the existing app is structured. We scope every project before pricing it and give you a fixed cost, not a time-and-materials estimate.
Don't build a PWA when your product depends on features only native apps can access. The clearest cases. You need Apple Pay, Google Pay native sheets (not the Payment Request API web equivalent), HealthKit, HomeKit, ARKit, or any platform-specific framework that's not exposed to browsers. You need reliable background processing on iOS, which PWAs cannot do. You need the App Store presence as a discovery and trust signal for consumer audiences. You're building a game with heavy graphics that benefits from Metal or OpenGL ES rather than WebGL. Your audience is enterprise iOS deployed via MDM, where IT controls the App Store and side-loaded PWAs aren't acceptable. Also don't build a PWA if your existing app is already a healthy native build and you're considering a rewrite for cost reasons alone. The migration effort usually doesn't pay back. We'll tell you that in discovery rather than after you've signed the proposal.
Work with us
We scope PWA Development Company in 30 minutes. You walk away with a clear cost, timeline, and approach. No commitment required.