Most companies are exploring avenues to build a mobile app. Businesses that ought to start the process, can find it extremely challenging to find the right direction.
There are a couple of mobile app development platforms to build a business app. The most popular and reliable among them all are Hybrid and Native app development platforms.
In this post, we will be discussing the pros and cons of both the platforms to determine the one that you can go with.
Let’s begin:
Native development platform
Native mobile apps are built for specific platforms or devices. The reason that every native app is device specific is that they have the ability to completely utilize the device’s efficiency.
This platform explicitly builds apps for Apple and Android. The coding is normally written by developers in Swift or Objective-C for iOS and Java for Android.
Native apps were earlier referred to apps that came in-built in Mac or iPhones, such as Photos, Calendar, Clock apps and more. Every app built on a native platform is different, according to the device they will be used on.
Advantages
Let’s review the benefits offered by native mobile applications:
- The performance of native app is the best when compared to apps that are built on hybrid platform or are web view
- They are aesthetically more appealing and faster to upload and download
- Since these apps use the devices’ resources more efficiently, they have better access to internal features of the device
- Collecting data is easier with native app
The robust tools provided by the Native Integrated Development Environment (Native IDE) empowers developers to quickly take actions to fix the profiling with an open doorway to documentation.
Disadvantages
There is a flip side to everything. Let us look at the shortcomings of this one:
- The cost of developing a mobile app is usually on the higher end. It is unlikely for small businesses to afford the development of these apps
- It is important to engage only skilled developers who master the art of writing specific codes
- It is highly impossible for inexperienced developers to come up with an app as advanced as a native one
Of all the disadvantages that we discussed in the section, the biggest one is the cost and the time involved in creating a native app. The costs can further shoot up because the skills needed to build these apps, have no connection between platforms. In simpler words, you will need to create an app for every app store.
Suggestion read: Here’s why building a native app incurs high costs (and how to build it cost-effectively)
Hybrid development platform
The apps created on this platform perform with the help of mobile websites via native wrappers. Hybrid apps create an experience for the user which is as good as a native one.
These applications are built using HTML, CSS and JavaScript. After the development is complete, they are wrapped in a native project using Cordova or XCode.
You can keep one code for all the projects and deploy these apps on any device or app store. This basically means you can create one code for an app that can be published on any application’s store (Windows, App Store, Play Store etc.)
Advantages
Let’s evaluate the benefits that hybrid app development offers:
- The app development cost is much lower as compared to native applications.
- The apps can be developed and published cross-platform
- Both web and app developers can build a hybrid app, which drastically brings down the cost of the entire project
- The tools required to build and maintain the app are mostly free, which further helps to lower the investment cost
There are many advantages that can appeal to small scale business, especially the cost and time that one needs to build it.
Disadvantages
From a layman’s perspective, it’s natural to be tempted to build a hybrid app. However, it’s best to check the shortcomings involved too. Have a look:
- The apps built on hybrid platform are not as aesthetically pleasing as native apps are
- The user-interface across all app stores, including iOS and Android, will be uniform, which means that one may not even notice the difference between the two
- Since these apps are only given access to restricted API’s of the device, the documentation is not as detailed as it should be
- Hybrid apps rely on a native browser, which makes them slower in comparison to native apps
- The speed of the app affects its overall performance and efficiency, ultimately causing disappointment at the users end
- These apps fail to offer a complete set of features that native apps can offer
Building hybrid apps can be extremely affordable but the look and feel of these apps are not as great as native apps. The sad part is that even a layman can point out the difference between the two.
Which platform should you go with?
It can be very difficult to ignore how smooth and easy the process of developing hybrid apps is. At the same time, you can’t ignore the fact that they are not the best in the class of app development.
Native apps are built from scratch, which encompasses a different code for every screen on the app. The apps made on this platform are not only feature-rich but also the fastest compared to any other platform that exists.
There is a significant difference in the cost involved in building both the apps. However, there is a possibility that you will end up spending more with passing years with hybrid apps than you would in the initial phase of building a native app.
For businesses that can’t afford to build a native mobile app, can always go with a mobile app builder that offers converting website into app. AppMySite is a great tool that empowers businesses to create a native app on a very small budget, and surprisingly lesser time.
Conclusion: Native apps over hybrid apps
We started this post with an unbiased opinion for both hybrid and native apps. However, after discussing the pros and cons of both the platforms, we know the one that stands out.
Hybrid apps may be the most affordable and quick option that you can go with, but you will have to compromise on the quality of the app. It is true that you can speed up the process of building an app,
Native apps, on the contrary might be more expensive option to go with, but their performance is far superior.
Small businesses may not always have a massive budget to invest in a native app. They can always go with AppMySite that can help in converting a website into an app through an app builder. You can enjoy the benefits of building a native app in a surpisingly small budget.
AppMySite is a great WooCommerce and WordPress app builder that offers a burst of features for your mobile app. The app you create will be built on a native platform and in complete sync with your website.
If you are still not convinced, get in touch with the team to know more.
