Apps are a necessity of modern-day needs. And with the number of smartphones available these days, the number of apps needs to be at least four times that. That is why there are multiple apps available for each and every single category and niche you can think of. And if we were to put all those apps together, then the number would mount up to millions of apps.
Moreover, to be precise, a recent report shows that” There are around 9 million apps available around the world. And among those 9 million apps, around 5 million are available across iOS and Android platforms alone.”
That itself speaks length and volumes about the massive amount of apps and their needs. However, before building an app, there is always a question that looms large for app makers. And that question is whether to go for a single-platform native app or a cross-platform hybrid app. Also, the development costs for hiring a development team of hybrid app developers from React Native development companies are a bit more expensive than native development. But which one should you choose out of the two? Above all, what’s the difference and pros and cons of native vs hybrid mobile app development? So, to find out all that, we will talk about native vs hybrid mobile app development in this blog. Therefore, without wasting any time, let’s get straight into this.
Getting To Know: Hybrid App vs Native App vs Web App
Hybrid apps, native apps, and web apps each have their own characteristics and are suitable for different purposes. A hybrid app uses web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript but wraps them in a native shell so the app can be distributed through app stores. Hybrid apps can access some native device capabilities and enable cross-platform development, meaning the hybrid frameworks and codebase can support multiple platforms like iOS and Android. On the other hand, a native app is developed specifically for a given mobile operating system. More so, native apps are built using their native development language and APIs, like Swift for iOS or Java/Kotlin for Android.
Native apps have direct access to all device native features, which allows smooth animations and transitions and high app performance. More so, native apps tend to provide a better experience on native mobile apps. Also, when you develop native apps for iOS or Android, these apps offer offline functionality. As for a web application, it is a website designed for mobile devices, utilizing modern web browser capabilities and APIs to provide app-like features. Certain web apps are called progressive web apps (PWAs) when additional features like working offline, push notifications, etc, are enabled. Web apps work seamlessly like normal apps on mobile browsers.
You can also read our other blog on native and cross platform app development and learn more about native vs cross platform apps.
What is a Native Mobile App?
A native mobile app is developed for a specific mobile operating system using recommended languages and software development kits (SDKs). For example, iOS native apps are built using Swift, Objective-C, and Apple’s SDKs. As for developing a native Android app, it is built using Java/Kotlin and Android SDK. Native apps for iOS and Android have direct access to all device capabilities like camera, GPS, and file system. But native apps need the user’s permission to access those things.
Also, they allow full utilization of UI elements, smooth animations, and transitions for a responsive user experience. As they are optimized for mobile devices and operating systems, native apps offer great performance and high security. More so, they can work offline, maintain local data storage, and provide rich user engagement through features like push notifications and messages. As a result of these advantages, native apps are the preferred choice in most cases, especially for consumer-facing apps.
What is a Hybrid Mobile App?
A hybrid application is built using cross-platform web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Hybrid mobile apps using web technologies. Apart from hybrid mobile apps using web technologies, they are also built on React Native. The web code components are then wrapped in a native container, which allows the app to leverage native device capabilities and distribute them via app stores. As the bulk of a hybrid app uses standard web code, it allows cross-platform development across iOS, Android, and Windows without rewriting the application, saving significant development time and effort.
However, as web languages have limited access to all native device capabilities, hybrid apps may fall short of providing the full native app experience. Also, hybrid apps offer a lower performance compared to their native counterparts due to dependency on bridging components. They are also heavier in size compared to a native app with similar functionality. Designing a flawless UI/UX across multiple mobile devices and form factors can also be challenging with the web technologies used in hybrid apps.
What are Progressive Web Apps?
Progressive web apps, commonly referred to as PWAs, provide an emerging app development model that utilizes modern web capabilities and service workers to deliver an app-like user experience. Some of these capabilities include working offline using cached data, supporting push notifications, and maintaining fast performance over low-quality networks. More so, it includes supporting background sync for data refreshes and providing easy installation from web pages similar to native apps.
PWAs utilize the same web development skills used for websites but require additional effort to enable these native-like features mentioned above. While simpler PWAs have moderate adoption, more complex PWAs have not seen mass adoption yet. So if you were wondering what’s the difference between web apps and hybrid and native apps, we hope our breakdown answers your question.
Main Difference Between Native vs Hybrid Mobile App Development
While the choice might seem obvious and clear-cut at first to go with a hybrid app, once you dig deep in, the answer is not that quite simple. That is because both native vs hybrid mobile app development have their own sets of perks and downsides. The main differences between hybrid vs native app development method are that native apps have much better performance, That is because they have direct access to native SDKs, whereas hybrid apps rely on interpreted web code running on bridging frameworks, thus impacting speed. More so, user experience with native apps leverages full native UI elements, animations, and transitions, providing very responsive and intuitive UIs.
On the other hand, hybrid apps may fall short of native app experience. Also, native code can directly access all device features like camera, GPS, etc, while access is restricted for hybrid’s web code. It takes more integration efforts as well. Native app development requires proficiency in multiple languages and platforms like Swift & Objective C for iOS and Java/Kotlin for Android. Hybrid apps use standard web technologies known to most developers. Moreover, a native app requires building apps individually for each mobile platform from scratch. On the other hand, a hybrid app development process allows cross-platform development. It saves you from costs of developing two native apps for two platforms.
Consider Pros and Cons of Native and Hybrid Apps
You will need to consider the pros and cons of native and hybrid apps, which are as follows:
Native App Pros:
- Native apps provide a great user experience with full access to native UI elements
- Native apps have smooth animations and transitions
- Native apps offer high performance as apps directly access native SDKs
- Native apps can fully leverage the latest device and platform features
- They provide better security as code runs natively
Native App Cons:
- Native apps require developing apps individually for each platform, resulting in increased costs.
- Native apps need proficiency in multiple native languages and platforms.
Hybrid App Pros:
- The hybrid app has cross-platform support, which allows building apps faster.
- Hybrid apps reduce development and maintenance costs.
- Hybrid apps use existing web developer skills.
- Hybrid apps allow for easier integration with back-end systems.
Hybrid App Cons:
- Hybrid apps face performance lags compared to native apps.
- Hybrid apps have restricted access to native device features.
- Hybrid apps face the risk of sub-standard UI/UX across device models.
- Hybrid apps are not suitable for complex apps.
Native vs Hybrid App Development: Which One to Choose?
Now it comes to the main question once again: which type of app should you go for? Well, choosing between native and hybrid mobile apps comes down to your needs and target audience. If you want to develop the app that is intended for consumers with complex datasets, animations, and demanding graphics, you should choose a native app development project. That is because a native app is definitely the best choice to ensure a flawless user experience across supported devices. On the other hand, if your app is intended for enterprise use and is focused on productivity and data operations across different business workflows, then you should choose hybrid development. A hybrid app designed with UI/UX that aligns with the enterprise and brand image is the way to go. More so, a hybrid app makes sense for serving niche use cases.
JTI's Tourism App is a mobile application designed to enhance the travel experience for users. It addresses the need for a comprehensive and user-friendly mobile application in the tourism industry. The project was developed with a focus on Malaysian users. We at Linkitsoft are delighted to launch a tourism app that enables users to explore services, discover popular places, and access exclusive offers and rewards. With the availability of apps on the App Store, Play Store, and App Gallery, JTI offers advantages such as increased tourism, support for local businesses, and advertising opportunities.
JTI - Our Tourism app
While building a dating app, we included a simple and easy-to-navigate layout that would help meet people with similar interests. This helps us keep the mobile app user experience engaging and clean while minimizing needless clutter.
Approach - Meeting and dating app
Whether you are looking for cleaning, plumbing, laundry or else. JUGAAR a top-rated mobile app offers Professional Services at your doorstep. JUGAAR prides on providing top-notch services to clients. By understanding that clients have busy schedules and may not always have the time to go out and seek the services they need.
JUGAAR - Professional services at your doorstep
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Vendy - Order from the app take from the vendy
This app provides a range of features and tools to help you live a more sustainable life. From tips and tricks for reducing waste and conserving energy to resources for finding eco-friendly products and services, this app has everything you need to make a positive impact on the planet.
Johor Environmental System - empowering johorians to live sustainably
It is also useful for B2B scenarios to a small but focused user base. A hybrid app with the best possible UI and UX design can suffice in most cases. More so the budget matters a lot. Because if the budget is limited but you still want wide reach across iOS, Android, and Windows mobile users, hybrid apps are the most cost-efficient approach. More so, if you are a startup that is trying to establish product-market fit through an MVP mobile app working across platforms, hybrid mobile development may be preferable before investing in dedicated native apps. This way, you can publish an app on the Apple App Store, Google Play, Microsoft App Store, and Amazon App Store. So, whether you want to choose the best native or hybrid mobile apps, these are the differences between native and hybrid apps.
Hire Native App and Hybrid App Developer for Mobile Application Development With Linkitsoft
Whether you want to develop hybrid or native applications, Linkitsoft is the partner you need. Linkitsoft has extensive development experience in developing an app tailored to your needs. They are experts in building high-quality, user-friendly mobile apps across various industry sectors. And they do that using optimal hybrid and native application development methods. Linkitsoft’s developers are experts in the latest mobile languages like Swift and Kotlin. They also have expertise in web technologies like React Native, Ionic, etc.
More so, Linkitsoft uses these technologies to deliver robust and scalable mobile apps within short timelines and budgets. They focus extensively on UI/UX to ensure your app provides a seamless user experience through intuitive designs and flow. More so, using state-of-the-art quality assurance practices ensures your apps function reliably across target iOS and Android devices. It also meets your apps needs. So whether you want native vs hybrid mobile app development, you can trust Linkitsoft. They will get it done for you with sheer quality.
Final Thoughts
The choice between native vs hybrid mobile app development depends on your business needs, target users, features required, and budget. Native apps provide superior performance and a seamless UX design for consumer apps. Hybrid apps, on the other hand, offer faster development and multi-platform support working for simpler enterprise apps. By considering the pros and cons of both app types, you can choose the development approach based on your needs. If you enjoyed reading this blog on native vs hybrid mobile app development. Then we recommend you read more like these from our website.
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Foodosti - Food Delivery App MOBILE APPView Case Study