Introduction
Today, mobile applications are in huge demand owing to the heavy growth in mobile users. With the kind of presence mobile applications have registered amongst the users, this demand will go higher. Mobile apps have multiple benefits but developing these kinds of apps could be costly. You have to make a decision to select the correct app development platform for your mobile app. Hence, comparing the platforms is extremely important since a wrong decision might negatively impact the overall cost of development. Moreover, in case you decide to switch to a different platform while the development is in progress, it is going to impact costs as well as labor that has been already spent on the development of the app.
Your app can be a success in the market if you select the right kind of app development platform. Here it is why?
- The proposed app should be developed according to its purpose. The core purpose of the app should be to address the challenges of the users. The features and capabilities of the app should be user-driven.
- The cost of the development for app varies from one platform to another. Hence, selecting the right kind of platform will make sure that the cost development is within the budget.
- An app needs long term dedication, and the engagement with the app doesn’t end with its development. Post-development of the app, periodic updates or patches is developed. Future releases are made available as well.
This article will serve as a perfect guide for you and will help you to select the appropriate app development platform for your application.
Classification of the Apps
The apps can be classified into two types:Native Apps: Native apps are platform dependent, and they are developed in the languages which are compatible with the platforms. For example, you need to use Java or Kotlin, if you are developing something on the Android platform and Swift for iOS platform. There are certain benefits of using Native Mobile App Development. Natives apps are faster as well as responsive, resulting in better user experience but are more expensive than the hybrid option. Since these apps are installed on the device itself, it doesn’t require an internet connection.
Hybrid Apps: Hybrids app development platform could be described as a mix of both the approaches, that is a web app and native apps. A hybrid app is made up of two distinct parts. These two parts are, backend code and native shell. The native shell is downloadable, and it loads the code with the help of web view. There are multiple of advantages of Hybrid Mobile App Development. It is cheaper and platform independent as well.
You might want to read about Ionic – the best framework for developing hybrid apps
Key differences between native app and hybrid app
This section will detail the key differences in the tabular format, which will compare the two approaches in question, and will also help you to select one of them.
| App Types | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Native App | Fast Performance | Expensive |
| Responsive Apps | Not recommended for simple apps | |
| Distributed through App stores | Language skill required for development | |
| More Intuitive | ||
| More Interactive | ||
| Utilizes Device Capacity | ||
| Internet Connection is not required | ||
| Better user experience | ||
| Hybrid App | Easier to build as it is built on web technologies | Performance is slower than native apps. |
| A cheaper option than native apps | Development is expensive than web apps. | |
| Platform Independent | Less interactive than the native app. | |
| The browser is not required (Unlike Web apps) | Through enhanced customization, it gets converted into a native app. | |
| Can fully access internal APIs of a device like microphone, camera, storage etc. | ||
| Faster development owing to single codebase. |
What should you consider while choosing an app type?
There are multiple factors which come into play while choosing a particular app development platform. If two businesses are asked the same question that which type of app development they will select, then there are high chances that the answer won’t be the same. However, you consider the following factors:
- Programming Languages: Each platform will have its own set of languages for the app development. For example, in case native app development platform it specific to the platform itself, while for hybrid app development platform you used HTML5, JavaScript and CSS.
- Device Access: This define the app’s ability to use the native features of the platform along with the other available APIs.
- App distribution: It determines the channel through which the particular app will be distributed, like Playstore or AppStore.
- Multi-Platform support: This implies whether the app can run on multiple platforms or not. For example, iOS & Android, or either of them.
The table given below provides a detailed comparison of the attributes.
| Attribute | Native App | Hybrid App |
|---|---|---|
| Languages | Specific to platform | HTML5, JavaScript, CSS |
| Distribution | Appstore | Appstore |
| Internet Connection | Not Always Required | Required |
| Performance | Fast | Average |
| Platform Independent | No | Yes |
| Development Time | Longer | Shorter |
| Device Access | Full | Full |
| Development Cost | Medium/High | Low/Medium |
| UI Experience | Original Native Interface (Rich & Attractive) | Lacks Native Experience |
| Graphics | Dependent on the Native APIs | HTML, SVG, Canvas |
| Security | High | Low |
There are multiple factors you should consider before you decide whether it is going to be a native app or a hybrid app. However, before deciding on the type of application, you can first answer the questions given below.
- How fast you need this application to be developed?
- What is your budget for the application?
- What is the purpose of the app?
- What are the features required in the app, in order to fulfill the purpose of the app?
- What kind of user experience do you want your app to create?
- What options you have for in-house development or outsourced development?
How to choose the best app development platform for your app?
You should choose the app development platform for your app based on your business objectives. You can base your selection on the following points.
- Duration and budget of the app development: If you are looking for a faster turnaround time and if your budget is tight, then hybrid app development will be the best consideration for you.
- Performance or UI: If you are looking for performance, better user experience or intuitive experience native app will be the best choice. If you want the flavors of a native app development platform, but you need the app to be platform independent, then the hybrid app should be your perfect choice if performance is not the key consideration. So, if you are looking for something like game apps which are resource hungry then native app type is perfect, however, if you are looking for an app which should have complete device access, but doesn’t have high-performance requirements then the hybrid app will be best.
- Mode: If you want your app to run in offline mode, in that case, the only option for you will be to develop a native app. However, if you are opting for hybrid app development platform then, then the developed app needs to be run on online mode.
- Complexity & Experience: If you are looking towards building a complex app with rich user experience, the native app development platform will the best option.
Conclusion
Both the app development platforms have their own defined scopes, as well as their own merits and demerits. Hence, it all depends on the purpose of the app, and the environment in which the developed app will function. A wrong decision can negatively impact the investment on the app, but correct decision can definitely make your app a success in the market.
