When planning a budget for a new app development, an essential thing you need to decide upon is the app type. Native and hybrid options have both benefits and drawbacks. Let’s find out what app type to select in various situations.
Native and Hybrid App Definition: What’s the Difference?
The key difference between native and hybrid apps is quite simple to understand. Native apps are made for one particular operating system, while hybrid ones can run on any platform. That’s because in the first case we use special programming languages: Objective-C or Swift for iOS apps; Java or Kotlin for Android apps. In the second case, programmers use the tools intended for creating websites – HTML, CSS, Java, etc.
In essence, hybrid applications are websites. After they are written, special middleware translates them into native apps. As a result, they look and function like usual mobile apps.
Hybrid Applications: Their Strong and Weak Points
Because of their specifics, hybrid apps access built-in features of devices indirectly – via a third-party middleware. This is why they lack the power and flexibility of native apps. However, they can be a preferable option for several reasons.
1. Compatibility with both mobile platforms. This means one application will replace two different products.
2. The development process is significantly simpler and faster. The same is about testing.
3. Auto-update. These apps work exactly like websites. The whole product is stored on a server, and after it is upgraded by developers, the latest version is automatically launched on users’ phones or tabs.
4. The cost. Hybrid apps tend to be cheaper just because the whole process is less time-consuming.
Meanwhile, hybrid apps are not always a perfect solution because of some problems and restrictions associated with them.
1. They are not as speedy as native apps. They behave like websites, not mobile apps in many aspects, so you can’t launch them without a strong and stable Internet connection.
2. Their possibilities are cropped. As we’ve mentioned, they don’t have a direct connection with the inner features of mobile devices (camera, GPS, etc.) Third-party API that connects the app to these features does not always work smoothly enough.
3. User experience can be disappointing. It’s hardly possible to build an app that would look equally great on Android and iOS. The UX of native apps is always more impressive.
4. You still can’t do without native iOS and Android developers. Though hybrid apps are developed independently, they should be integrated with some native features of smartphones.
Strong and Weak Points of Native Applications
In many situations, native app development is worth considering as a primary option. While being more complicated to create, they offer you numerous benefits.
1. Blameless user experience. Developers create an app with all the special features of a particular operating system in mind. This allows them to provide the best UX possible. Native apps work smoothly, with no lags, and they can be launched even with a weak Internet connection.
2. Better performance. As we’ve mentioned, apps of this type don’t require any middleware to access the built-in features. Instead, they work with the operating system directly. As a result, they consume less energy and work quicker.
3. Wider possibilities and flexibility. Any native app is designed specially for the platform selected, so it can interact with all built-in features without the need for any third-party tools. This allows you to take advantage of a wider set of a smartphone’s capabilities.
4. A higher level of protection. Modern operating systems come with strong security features. If you want to guarantee the utmost protection, develop a native app with no intermediate plug-ins.
5. Adjustability and much freedom for personalization. Native apps are easier to customize according to the user’s needs. Also, they come perfectly adjusted for typical screens.
Nevertheless, native applications have at least two serious disadvantages, which often force startupers to focus on alternative solutions.
1. The development process is time-consuming. You need twice as much time to develop two apps instead of one.
2. Complicated and costly development. Apps for different platforms are programmed in different languages, so you need more specialists to complete the task. This automatically boosts the development costs.
Summing Up
Taking into consideration all the pros and cons of native apps, it makes sense to choose this option if:
- You need high the top level of security
- High productivity is crucial
- You are going to use native phone features intensively
- The app must be customizable
Hybrid app development is worth considering if:
- The app is not packed with features
- You need a budget-friendly solution
- You have no time to wait
- The focus is on content, not features
