The world is fond of smartphone solutions, and the social distancing reality only deepened that obsession.
Among all the developed countries Deloitte surveyed, more than 90% of the population had smartphones, and one-third of them were really addicted to these devices.
This obsession creates a huge market for businesses to reach their clients and establish a profitable sales channel.
When it comes to the concrete mobile solution, you realize the types of app development can be different. If you’ve heard of hybrid and native app development but don’t really know what they are and how they are different, we’re here to help.
In this post, IT experts from Intellectsoft, one of the top mobile app development companies globally, explain how to choose between these two options in the mobile app development menu.
Hybrid App Development
As you can catch from the title, hybrid apps combine several elements from other types of mobile app development.
Namely, they are native apps and web apps: what you’ll see is the web page (in a very simplified browser) that is adapted to a mobile WebView display.
You can link the native elements to let the app be connected to a smartphone's specific features (like camera, maps, or contact list).
Technically, this development type applies the simplest frameworks (like HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS) and creates a unified codebase that works on several markets.
The technology is advanced by adding native code for the selected features. This significantly cuts cost and project timeline, which is highly attractive for business owners.
Pros of Hybrid Mobile App Development
The most popular benefit of hybrid apps is cutting time and spendings during the development stage. That’s why this type is the best solution when your task is to create a prototype.
Here are some other advantages:
- Ability to avoid strict app store limitations. This situation is especially relevant for the Apple Store that is known for its rigid regulations and the high possibility of being rejected.
- Quick validation. There is no need to wait long after submitting the proposal to the app store. Your customers can try your product right away.
- Available resources. Hybrid mobile app development doesn’t require sophisticated knowledge from coders. Thus, it’s easy to find a developer who can make it.
- Optimization. You need to create one code only to make the app work on several devices. This means creating one place to manage.
Cons of Hybrid Mobile App Development
Since hybrid app development technically requires building an additional layer between the platform and the source code, the applications may demonstrate poor performance.
Such a limited user experience is the main disadvantage for investing in hybrid apps, especially if your budget allows paying more for native app development.
Here are some other limitations:
- Partial native functionality. Hybrid apps have access to a couple of native elements only. All the rest are locked and require a separate native app instead.
- Speed problems. Hybrid apps are slow when it comes to transition between their pages.
- Not a cross-platform solution. It’s not that easy to scale hybrid apps on multiple devices. The more platforms you want to cover, the more costly it will be to cope with all the problems that will need your reaction. Native app development, in this case, will turn out to be a cheaper solution.
Native App Development
All the mobile app development that is compatible with a sole operating system is native. For example, iOS native app development means that the software solution will work on Apple devices only.
But if you want the same app to appear on an Android device, you’ll need to invest in the separate Android native app development for that. This way, cross-platform native app development will take place.
The difference between the various types of native app development lies in the difference between various platform-specific programming languages.
Mostly, iOS apps are written in Swift-C and Objective, Android apps use Java, and Windows apps apply C#. To get a native app, a user should enter an app store and find it there.
Native mobile app development is linked to an operating system exclusively to let the users enjoy the full functionality of their smartphones: device features, gestures, and push notifications.
Moreover, the software is normally designed to fit the screen and characteristics of each device accurately. All these elements make a native app highly enjoyable and fully functional.
Pros of Native Mobile App Development
Native apps, if built accurately, guarantee the highest level of user experience among all the mobile app types.
Here are some other advantages of native apps:
- Access to all native features of the device. A native app can use a camera, accelerator, GPS navigation, list of contacts, and other things and information stored on the device. It increases interactivity.
- Fast and enjoyable user experience. The mobile solution is native to the platform, runs fast, and fits the device parameters accurately.
- App store support. If used correctly, the external marketplace can serve as an additional channel for attracting customers to your mobile app.
Cons of Native Mobile App Development
Because of its overloading with numerous elements, the native app development process is complicated and requires careful attention. That’s why it’s not the easiest and cheapest solution to pick.
Here are some other disadvantages of native apps:
- Need to follow app store regulations. Native apps should pass the verification stage to appear on the app store platform and become available for users. This may become a severe obstacle for your business app.
- Multiple code bases. Each new platform requires extra costs on development, maintenance, and updates.
- Consistency of versions. App updates don’t come synchronized, so some users will experience delays and support problems.
Which One to Choose: Native vs Hybrid App Development
In practice, picking the right development type depends on the business goals and your budget limitations mostly.
Since both hybrid and native app development are advantageous in their own way, you should critically evaluate your project and pick the mobile app architecture that will maximize your benefits the most.
Ask questions about your audience:
- Who they are
- What are their access points
- Which app stores we target to appear at
- What’s the frequency of updates needed
- What kind of experience is desired.
Clarity on all these points to maintain the needed balance between business aims and customer expectations. Thus, ensure that the mobile app will satisfy them both.
Each development type has its beneficiaries, depending on your project aims and customer needs.
- Long-term vs. short-term perspective. Native apps are costly but can become a wise investment move in the long run. If you’re going to scale and save the complexity of your mobile solutions, you’d better invest in the native application development right away. Alternatively, you can build workable and multi-device solutions fast by adopting a hybrid app development approach.
- Quality-to-price ratio. The expensive price tag for native app development has its cost — the only problem is whether you really need to pay it. With a native app solution, you get the chance to get top-quality software, totally compatible with the selected operating system till the slightest detail. However, if your task is to test the mobile app solution on the widest audience possible, hybrid app development is a much wiser solution to make.
Whichever mobile app development type you’ve picked, remember that it's important to implement it accurately! Use our checklist with 25 steps to building a mobile app that brings you real profit.
Where to Get Top-Class Hybrid and Native App Development Services
We hope now the difference between native apps and hybrid apps is much clearer to you! If so, it’s time to find a reliable provider for your business solution. Please check the list of our mobile app development services.
If you’ve found something relevant for you there, don’t hesitate to drop our experts a line, and we’ll contact you shortly!
About us: We’re Intellectsoft, a leading software development company specialized in providing innovative solutions and approaches to companies worldwide.
We have vast experience in addressing the business needs of corporations and startups alike. And we’ll be glad to help you too!
