Graphics & Rendering
GPU-accelerated 2D/3D rendering, video effects, and hardware-level graphics.
WebGPU
Next-gen GPU API. Compute shaders, modern rendering pipeline, ML inference on the GPU. Successor to WebGL.
Build: 3D editors, AI inference, data visualization, games
WebGL 2
OpenGL ES 3.0 in the browser. Stable, universal. Powers Three.js, Babylon.js, PixiJS, and most browser games.
Build: Games, 3D product viewers, maps, charts
Canvas 2D
Immediate-mode 2D drawing. Fast, simple, everywhere. Drawings, photo editors, signatures, charts.
Build: Drawing apps, image editors, dashboards
OffscreenCanvas
Render canvas in a Web Worker — no jank on the main thread. Critical for complex games and visualizations.
Build: Heavy visualization, game engines, video processing
View Transitions
Animated page transitions with a single CSS rule. Cross-document transitions for multi-page apps.
Build: Fluid navigation, app-like page transitions
Hardware Access
Connect to Bluetooth devices, USB peripherals, gamepads, and serial ports directly from the browser.
Web Bluetooth
Connect to BLE devices. Heart rate monitors, smart lights, fitness trackers, IoT sensors.
Build: Fitness dashboards, IoT controllers, device config tools
WebUSB
Talk to USB devices directly. Arduino, 3D printers, microcontrollers, custom hardware.
Build: Firmware flashers, hardware configurators, lab tools
Web Serial
Serial port communication. Robotics, CNC machines, Arduino serial monitors.
Build: Serial monitors, robot controllers, device diagnostics
WebHID
Human Interface Devices. Game controllers, specialized keyboards, LED controllers.
Build: Custom controller apps, macro editors, accessibility tools
Gamepad API
Xbox, PlayStation, and generic controllers. Vibration, analog sticks, buttons.
Build: Browser games with controller support
Web NFC
Read/write NFC tags. Asset tracking, smart posters, authentication tokens.
Build: Inventory scanners, NFC tag writers (Android only)
Media & Communication
Video calls, audio processing, screen sharing, and speech — all in the browser.
WebRTC
Peer-to-peer video/audio/data. Video calls, screen sharing, file transfer, multiplayer games.
Build: Video conferencing, P2P file sharing, live streaming
Web Audio API
Professional audio processing. Synthesis, effects, spatial audio, visualization, mixing.
Build: DAWs, synths, audio visualizers, podcast editors
MediaRecorder
Record audio/video from any MediaStream. Screen recordings, voice memos, video capture.
Build: Screen recorders, voice note apps, video editors
Screen Capture
Capture entire screen, window, or browser tab as a video stream.
Build: Presentation tools, screenshot apps, remote support
Speech Recognition
Voice-to-text. Dictation, voice commands, transcription. Works offline in some browsers.
Build: Dictation apps, voice-controlled UIs, transcription tools
Speech Synthesis
Text-to-speech with multiple voices and languages. Accessibility, narration, language learning.
Build: Read-aloud, language tutors, accessibility tools
Storage & Files
Gigabytes of client-side storage, real file system access, and offline-first data.
IndexedDB
Structured client-side database. Stores objects, blobs, files. No size limit (quota-managed). Backbone of offline apps.
Build: Offline-first apps, local databases, caching layers
Origin Private File System
High-performance file storage in a sandboxed file system. Fast reads/writes, great for large assets.
Build: Video editors, IDEs, SQLite-in-browser, large file processing
File System Access
Read and write to the user's real file system. Open files, save files, watch directories.
Build: Code editors, Photoshop-class tools, file managers
Cache API
Programmatic HTTP cache. Store responses for offline use. Powers service worker caching strategies.
Build: Offline-capable PWAs, asset caching, API response caching
Performance & Compute
Native-speed code in the browser. Multi-threading, SIMD, and compiled languages.
WebAssembly (WASM)
Run C, C++, Rust, Go at near-native speed. Photoshop, AutoCAD, Figma, and FFmpeg all use WASM.
Build: Video encoders, image processors, CAD tools, emulators
Web Workers
Background threads. CPU-heavy work without blocking the UI. Shared workers across tabs.
Build: Parallel processing, syntax highlighting, search indexing
SharedArrayBuffer
Shared memory between workers. Enables true multi-threading with atomics.
Build: Multi-threaded WASM, real-time audio/video processing
WASM SIMD
Single Instruction, Multiple Data. Process 4+ values in one CPU cycle. Critical for ML, codecs, physics.
Build: ML inference, image filters, physics engines, codecs
Scheduler API
Prioritized task scheduling. Keep the UI responsive while doing background work.
Build: Smooth UIs under heavy load, priority-aware rendering
Networking
Real-time connections, streaming, and peer-to-peer communication.
WebSocket
Full-duplex persistent connection. Chat, live updates, multiplayer games, collaboration.
Build: Chat apps, live dashboards, collaborative editors
WebTransport
HTTP/3-based transport. Unreliable datagrams + reliable streams. Lower latency than WebSocket.
Build: Real-time games, live video, IoT telemetry
Fetch Streaming
Stream request and response bodies. Process data as it arrives — critical for LLM token streaming.
Build: AI chat UIs, large file uploads, real-time data feeds
Server-Sent Events
One-way server push over HTTP. Auto-reconnect, last-event-ID resumption. Simpler than WebSocket for push.
Build: Live feeds, notification streams, stock tickers
Sensors
Device sensors for location, motion, orientation, and environment.
Geolocation
GPS position. One-shot or continuous tracking. Used by every map, delivery, and fitness app.
Build: Maps, delivery tracking, geofencing, fitness
Accelerometer & Gyroscope
Motion and orientation sensors. Tilt controls, pedometers, gesture detection.
Build: Motion-controlled games, step counters, AR experiences
Ambient Light Sensor
Measure ambient light level. Auto-adjust UI brightness or trigger dark mode.
Build: Adaptive UIs, reading modes, photography tools
Auth & Security
Passwordless auth, biometrics, and cryptographic primitives — all built into the browser.
WebAuthn / Passkeys
Passwordless login with biometrics or hardware keys. Phishing-resistant. The future of auth.
Build: Passwordless login, 2FA, secure admin panels
Web Crypto API
AES, RSA, ECDSA, HMAC, SHA, PBKDF2 — hardware-accelerated. No external crypto libraries needed.
Build: E2E encryption, password managers, signed messages
Credential Management
Programmatic access to the browser's credential store. One-tap sign-in, federated login.
Build: One-tap login, password auto-fill, federated auth
Platform Integration
OS-level features that make PWAs feel native.
Push Notifications
Real push notifications — even when the app isn't open. iOS added support in 2023.
Build: Messaging apps, task reminders, live alerts
Web Share API
Invoke the native share sheet. Share text, URLs, and files to any installed app.
Build: Social sharing, export flows, content distribution
Badging API
Set a badge count on the app icon. Unread messages, pending tasks, notification counts.
Build: Messaging apps, to-do lists, email clients
Clipboard API
Read and write to the clipboard. Rich text, images, custom formats.
Build: Code editors, design tools, rich text editors
Fullscreen API
Go fullscreen. Essential for games, presentations, video players, kiosk mode.
Build: Games, presentations, media players, kiosk apps
Picture-in-Picture
Float a video in a mini window above other apps. Video calls while multitasking.
Build: Video players, tutorial overlays, meeting companions
Payment Request API
Native checkout UI. Apple Pay, Google Pay, saved cards — one-click payment.
Build: E-commerce, donation flows, subscription checkouts
Window Management
Multi-screen placement. Detect connected displays, open windows on specific screens.
Build: Trading terminals, presentation tools, kiosk setups
AI & ML (On-device)
Run machine learning models directly in the browser — no server round-trip.
WebNN (Web Neural Network)
Hardware-accelerated ML inference using the OS neural engine. NPU, GPU, or CPU.
Build: Real-time translation, face detection, voice commands
WebGPU Compute
General-purpose GPU compute via compute shaders. Run ML models, physics, and simulations on the GPU.
Build: LLM inference (llama.cpp), image generation, scientific computing
WASM + ONNX Runtime
Run ONNX models via WebAssembly. Framework-agnostic ML inference with SIMD acceleration.
Build: Object detection, sentiment analysis, recommendation engines
What You Can Build
These are real app categories that are fully possible with today's browser APIs — no native code, no app store.
Creative Tools
Photo editors, vector design (Figma-class), DAWs, video editors, 3D modeling. Canvas + WASM + OPFS.
Productivity
Spreadsheets, project management, note-taking, calendars, CRM. IndexedDB + sync + offline.
Communication
Video conferencing, chat, email clients, social networks. WebRTC + WebSocket + Push.
Developer Tools
Code editors, terminals, Git clients, database browsers, API testers. File System Access + WASM.
Games
2D and 3D games, multiplayer, controller support. WebGL/WebGPU + Gamepad + Web Audio.
IoT & Hardware
Device dashboards, firmware flashers, sensor monitors, smart home controls. Bluetooth + USB + Serial.
AI & ML
On-device inference, real-time translation, image generation, chatbots. WebGPU + WASM + WebNN.
Health & Fitness
Step counters, heart rate monitors, workout trackers, meditation timers. Bluetooth + Sensors + Push.
What Browsers Still Can't Do
Some things genuinely require a native app. Be honest about the gaps.
| Capability | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Background execution (always-on) | Limited | Service workers wake on push/sync, but can't run indefinitely |
| System tray / menu bar | No | PWAs can't sit in the system tray |
| Low-level networking (raw TCP/UDP) | No | WebTransport covers most cases; raw sockets are not exposed |
| Inter-app communication | No | Can't talk to other installed apps (no Intents equivalent) |
| Phone calls / native SMS | No | Can trigger tel: / sms: links, but can't programmatically dial or send |
| Contacts / Calendar access | Partial | Contact Picker API exists (Chrome only); no calendar access |
| Kernel extensions / drivers | No | Obviously. Use WebUSB/WebHID for device communication instead |
| App Store distribution | Partial | PWAs can be listed on Google Play (TWA) and MS Store, but not Apple App Store |
Start Building
The browser is the most powerful application platform ever created. Every API on this page is available to ProAppStore apps out of the box — plus cloud storage, real-time sync, push notifications, AI, and payments through the SDK.
npm i @proappstore/sdk
pas create my-app