There are distinct approaches to delivering an excellent mobile experience to the targeted user base and different tactics for mobile app development.
Each project has some unique requirements compared to the other, so the methodologies keep changing based on that. Fortunately, we have technologies and tools that support all of them, but the point is – which one to select among all for the next project?
The answer is – that it depends on the app’s features and functionalities you want to add, the time frame, the budget, availability of resources, and many more such factors.
In this blog, we will discover the difference between Native, Hybrid, and Cross-platform app development approaches. It also points out which one is the best and when. So let’s get going.
Native Mobile App Development
Mobile applications developed by focusing on a particular technology and dedicated to a definite platform such as Android, iOS, or Windows, are known as native apps.
Each mobile operating system has its own programming languages used to write code for native apps. For example, Kotlin or Java are used for Android app development whereas Swift or Objective-C for iOS app development.
Native apps are renowned for their robust and scalable functioning, quick performance, and superior user experience that can be customized.
Leveraging system resources offered by specific platforms is quite simple and performs well when it comes to native mobile app development.
Advantages
- Simple and easy to understand code enables faster performance
- Even in an offline environment, it functions well
- There are layouts for each platform, so no issues regarding screen-ratios
- It supports device APIs that deliver higher usability Customized UI components to each platform that improve user experience
- It is easy to prevent bugs and errors with access to the required hardware
- Users do not need to be dependent on open-source libraries
- Better security and reliability
- More powerful and seamless
Drawbacks
- If you want to develop native mobile apps for more OS, it is time-consuming and quite an expensive process
- Including new features need to keep independent in every codebase
- Developers can not reuse the code
- You need a big team of experts with high skill sets
When to choose?
- When you need to write code for only one platform
- When you want to deliver a superior user experience while launching your app for the first time
- When you want to leverage certain hardware options such as camera, GPS, device settings, etc.
- When you want to leverage all the features of a platform for the robust app performance
- When you want to develop 3D games with lots of animations
Examples
- Spotify
- Pokemon Go
- Waze
- Tesla
- SoundCloud
- Magento 2 POS
Hybrid Mobile App Development
Hybrid app development is defined by blending features of native and web apps. That means developers can develop a hybrid mobile app using widely-adopted languages and frameworks such as HTML, CSS, and JS.
Ultimately, it is about the combination of web and mobile components to rapidly develop a mobile app that works on different platforms – known as a hybrid app.
The process of a hybrid app developer comprises writing backend code that will get covered with a native shell. It enables them to get uploaded to the iOS app store or Android Google Play store.
Advantages
- Lower development cost
- Quick time-to-market as it has the same backend for every variant
- Easy maintenance
- Native APIs to leverage device features like camera, GPS, device settings, etc.
- Adding new features is easy with a single codebase
- Faster development
- Plug-in and portability support
- Managed features of hardware and software
Drawbacks
- Complex mobile apps will not work smoothly as more features lower the speed.
- It will not work offline.
- Slower performance.
- It performs the same everywhere as there is a single code base. It might cause problems when it comes to using particular features provided by specific iOS and Android platforms.
- It requires a large team of experts. Web developers for the backend and native developers for the rest.
- Deployment is simple, but development is complex.
When to choose?
- When you have a wide-ranging user base that uses an app on different platforms such as mobile and web
- When you want to develop a simple app without any animations or complicated functionalities and features
- When you have a limited time frame to go for cross-platform but you want the app used on various devices
- MVP (Minimum Viable Product) to validate your app idea
Examples
- Evernote
- Amazon app store
- Uber
- Gmail
- Remote POS
- Pacifica
- Baskin Robbins
Cross-Platform Mobile App Development
It might look like hybrid mobile app development, but both are different. Cross-Platform mobile apps leverage native components to deliver an excellent user experience no matter whatever device they use.
Cross-platform apps use a single code base for each platform, but they can have their own respectful uniqueness in User Interface.
These apps are widely accepted, thanks to frameworks like React Native, Xamarin, and Flutter or Kotlin language for cross-platform programming. Building cross-platform apps with these technologies can save a lot of time, money, and resources.
Advantages
- Reusable code. So no need to make a separate codebase
- Fast development
- Apps look, feel, and work consistently across all the platforms
- Simple maintenance
- Time and cost-effective
- Easier to reach more target groups with iOS and Android apps
- Adding more features is easy
Drawbacks
- The process of cross-platform app development is complicated
- User experience is not much superior compared to native ones
- You need a big team of experts with high skill sets
- Highly dependent on frameworks when it comes to OS, UI features, and hardware
- Not all code can be reused. Need to create some native code.
When to choose?
- When you are sure to target the Android and iOS user base
- When you are confused about which of these platforms’ user bases are more significant for your app
- When the app is not much complex and does not need features that differentiate much between the platforms
- When you have limitations on a budget to develop expensive native apps
- When you have a limited time frame for the app development
Examples
- Google Ads
- Uber Eats
- Airbnb
- Xianyu by Alibaba
- Skype
Summing Up
The process of app development is all about choices that begin with deciding the app type, its complexity level, UI/UX design factors, number of features, etc. Each option should be analyzed based on market demand and aligned with business goals.
The decision of app type also depends on a well-structured business plan and the development team that will execute the idea. Today’s skilled talents offer infinite opportunities based on your needs. So choose the right development team along with the right approach.