ShopNxAndroid app for your online store
Yes, ShopNx provides all three Android app options, and all three are free: PWA, native and hybrid. Choose the one that fits your store.
Ask for your Android app on WhatsApp(opens in a new tab)
The three options
PWA (progressive web app)
This is your store website, installed on the phone. Your customer opens your store in the browser and adds it to the home screen. It gets its own icon and opens without the browser bar. Nothing has to be published on Google Play.
Native app
This app is built only for Android, with its own screens, and it talks to your store through the ShopNx API. It can use everything Android offers. It takes the most work to build, and a new screen reaches customers through a Google Play update.
Hybrid app
This puts your store's web pages inside an Android app. Customers find and install it on Google Play like any other app, and most changes you make to the store show up without a new Play release.
How they compare
| Question | PWA | Native | Hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|
| What ShopNx charges for the app | Free | Free | Free |
| Where customers get it | Your store website | Google Play | Google Play |
| New products and prices | Show right away | Show right away | Show right away |
| Changes to the app itself | Show right away | Google Play update | Mostly right away |
| Phone features | What the browser allows | Everything Android offers | More than a browser, through plugins |
| Work to build | Least | Most | In between |
A listing on Google Play needs a Google Play developer account, which Google charges for. A PWA doesn't need one.
Which one should I choose?
- Choose a PWA if you want an icon on your customer's phone and don't need a Google Play listing.
- Choose native if regular customers buy from you often and you want the smoothest experience on their phones.
- Choose hybrid if you want to be on Google Play and keep one set of store pages to look after.
Not sure? Tell us about your store on WhatsApp(opens in a new tab) and we'll suggest one.
Questions sellers ask
Is a PWA a real app?
It installs on the phone, has its own icon and opens without the browser bar, so to your customer it behaves like an app. The difference is that it comes from your store website and not from Google Play.
Do I add my products again for the app?
No. All three options use the same ShopNx store, so your products, prices and orders stay in one admin.
Can I start with one option and change later?
Yes. The app is a way into your store, and the store stays the same when you change it.