Frequently Asked Questions

A Progressive Web App is a website that behaves like a native application. It can be installed to your home screen, work offline, send push notifications, and access device features like the camera or file system — all delivered through a regular browser, without going through Apple's App Store or Google Play.

On Chrome or Edge: open the site, click the menu (⋮) and choose 'Install' or 'Add to Home screen'. On Safari (iOS or macOS): tap the Share button (↑) and pick 'Add to Home Screen'. On Firefox: open the menu and pick 'Install'. The exact label varies by version, but every modern browser has the option.

The PWA technology itself is free — anyone can build and ship one. Many PWAs are free to use (fully or with optional paid plans), but some are paid software that just happens to be delivered as a PWA. Each listing on PWA Directory shows a 'Free' tag if the core app costs nothing.

Most do, but it depends on the app. PWAs use a 'service worker' to cache files for offline use. Apps that explicitly support offline mode are flagged with an 'Offline' badge in the directory. Apps that need a live connection (e.g., multiplayer games) won't work offline even if installed.

PWAs run in every major browser: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari (iOS 16.4+ and macOS), Samsung Internet, Brave, Opera, and more. Some advanced features (push notifications on iOS, file system access) ship behind feature flags or only on certain platforms — but the core install + offline experience is universal.

Yes. Every PWA must be served over HTTPS — no exceptions. They run in the browser's standard sandbox, which is more restrictive than a native app: no arbitrary file access, no kernel hooks, no background processes. Permissions (camera, location, notifications) are explicit and revocable at any time.

Three big wins: (1) no app store gatekeeping or 30% revenue cut, (2) instant updates — push code, users see it on next visit, no review queue, (3) one codebase runs on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, and ChromeOS. Trade-offs exist (some platform APIs, push on iOS, performance ceilings) but for many use cases PWAs are simply the better choice.

Often, yes. A well-built PWA is a website — it's just a website with a manifest, service worker, and an installable shell. Visitors who never install still get a normal site experience. Visitors who install get the app feel. This is why companies like X (Twitter), Pinterest, and Spotify ship PWAs as their primary mobile experience.

The catalogue combines discovered public entries with submitted listings. Every submission is reviewed against four criteria: a valid manifest and service worker, genuine value, HTTPS and current availability, and honest behaviour. Discovered entries retain their public-data provenance, and we only display evidence present in the current record.

Yes — browsing is free, with no account or email gate. Revenue comes from optional Fast-Track submissions (€49 once, refunded if rejected) and clearly labelled sponsored placements. See /pricing for details.

Go to /submit. Standard review is free and takes up to four weeks. Pro Launch is €49: published within 48 h, given a permanent in-depth listing and featured on the homepage for 30 days. It is refunded in full if rejected.

PWA Directory is operated by Hugo Berton, a French micro-entrepreneur based in Aix-en-Provence. The site is hosted on a Contabo VPS in the EU and fronted by Cloudflare. We comply with GDPR — see /privacy and /mentions-legales.