Since its first appearance in 2015, PWA technology is becoming in vogue among Magento users. Taking advantage of integrated functions and cutting-edge design, a Magento PWA delivers special experiences such as an app-like storefront, smooth loading, or easy installation.
However, developing Magento PWA from start to finish is not only time-consuming but also pricey. Therefore, merchants tend to utilize available PWA solutions in the market.
But how much exactly does a PWA for Magento development solution cost? Let’s take a look.
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What Are Common Magento PWA Solutions?
As its popularity these days, integrating PWA in Magento websites is not a complicated thing anymore thanks to ready-made solutions.
Looking at the marketplace, there are several methods worth mentioning with a different price range from 0 to up to thousands of dollar:
- PWA Extensions: $0-300
- PWA Themes: $0-2,000
- Custom PWA Development: at least $10,000
Why Are Their Costs So Different?
Each PWA solution gives distinctive functions in order to serve different purposes. That’s the reason why they differ in cost.
PWA extensions
Installing extensions is the simplest way to integrate Progressive Web App functionality into an existing Magento website. Currently, there is an array number of Magento 2 PWA extensions on tap.
The cost for a PWA extension after including the installation fee is still affordable at one or two hundred dollars. Thus, compared to other solutions on the list, it is undeniable that the low-cost price is its greatest strength.
Despite that, PWA extensions do not provide enough PWA core functionalities to run an effective Magento progressive web app as a matter of fact.
In other words, with only a few basic features similar to a progressive web app such as add-to-home-screen or push notifications, they cannot convert the website into a real Magento PWA.
PWA themes
$0-2,000 is a common price for a PWA version with full functions from a Progressive Web App to the store (e.g.: offline working mode, Background sync, Add to the home screen, etc.).
Besides, PWA themes can be updated with additional advanced features depending on the customer’s requirement for customization. For these reasons, PWA themes are obviously more costly than PWA extensions.
One more thing is that even among PWA themes, there is a significant variation in price due to the difference in quality and development technology.
Custom-PWA development
Needless to say, it is the most expensive option among the three solutions because of its complexity.
Everyone knows that building a house from scratch is extortionate when being put in comparison with fixing up an apartment that is ready to use. The price is for building specialized features to meet all customer’s demands.
Why PWA Themes Appear To Be The Best Solution?
Numerous advantages with a reasonable price
PWA themes have surpassed other Magento PWA development solutions with their outstanding strengths. Here are four of the most visible perks that a PWA theme might have:
Easy installation
Some PWA themes are extremely easy for developers to install with just a few steps. In fact, it is more challenging than adding an extension but not that much.
Various storefront designs
In addition to default storefront, some PWA themes also provide numerous exquisite storefront designs for business owners to choose from. It can be customized to be as unique as possible which makes the business become more recognizable and professional.
Built-in features
Improved layered navigation, one-step checkout, shop by brand, live chat, banner manager, and so on are built-in features in some PWA templates.
Extension compatibility
Most PWA themes are compatible with existing popular Magento extensions that make the PWA integration process easier.
Tips for picking the right Magento 2 PWA theme
Choose a PWA-studio-based theme
A theme developed from PWA Studio will follow Magento’s high standards which help to avoid conflicts between it and Magento versions.
If developers use other themes, it will be hard to ensure the code quality and possibly cause conflicts in the future.
Buy a premium theme instead of a free one
As mentioned above, the price gap among PWA themes is a result of the dissimilarity in their quality.
Tons of free themes are available on the internet but their quality is in doubt and there is nothing much to expect from. In general, they have an unaesthetic design and fewer Magento features.
Meanwhile, a premium theme (e.g.: TigrenPWA theme) is elaborately designed and furnishes more advanced functions for an e-commerce site.
In A Nutshell
The differences in expense and effectiveness among Magento Progressive Web App development solutions result in a need to consider carefully before making a decision.
With all benefits which can be taken from using it, investing in Magento PWA is truly worthy.