Native Vs. Hybrid/Web APPs. Which one to choose for your business?

Which one to choose for your business?

Each company is eventually facing the question “which is better native or hybrid app?” We are going to find the answer in this document however we suggest changing the question for “what fits better your company?”

Since hybrid and native apps have their strengths and weaknesses as well as different companies have different objectives, budget and time restrictions, marketing strategies, and business life cycle stages.

What is NATIVE APP?

A native mobile app is an application that is developed to be used on a specific platform and meets the requirements of a particular operating system by using its SDK.

It has the ability to use device-specific hardware and software, meaning that native apps can take advantage of the latest technology available on mobile devices such as a Sensors, FingerPrints, CPU, Caching, Device Memory, global positioning system (GPS) and Camera…. Thos apps are characterized by faster performance and better security. This can be construed as an advantage for native apps over Web apps or mobile Cloud apps.

The native applications are created for a particular platform either Android or iOS, whereas the hybrid development process relies on cross-platform functioning. That is to say, native applications are built on strong & robust programming engines: Java, Kotlin are usually applied technologies for Android development, and Objective-C, Swift – for iOS.

Specialized apps provide better security so they are widely chosen by financial institutions like banks, insurance companies, etc. Amazon and PayPal can be mentioned as such applications examples.

What is HYBRID APP?

A Hybrid application is a compatible mobile app with multiple operating systems and can run on any smartphone or tablet. The idea of cross-platform application is that a software application or product has to work well in different digital habitat not in a specific one.

For hybrid applications, developers should use several web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and Javascript frameworks. In other words, they are more websites packed into containers that emulate software behavior for every platform to function and look in a natural way. Therefore the development process is the main difference in the light of native vs hybrid app comparison.

As for cross-platform frameworks, versatility will be the notable advantage that speeds up the development cycle and cuts down expenses. The slower performance will be a minor trade-off. The cross-platform framework is more appealing for startups with restricted funding and business focused on content delivery.

Native vs Hybrid App Development: Which is Better?

HYBRID Advantages:

1. SINGLE CODE BASED / REUSED CODES: Instead of writing new codes for every platform, developers can reuse the same code across all platforms
2. REDUCE TIME : it’s faster to work on a cross platform for developers
3. LESS COST : Less spending money on developing apps for every specified platform

HYBRID Disadvantages:

1. LOW FUNCTIONALITY – every platform has its own features and tools, the use of a cross-platform app won’t be enjoying on the different platforms (Ionic, React Native, Xamarin)
2. UI DISPARITIES – since every platform has it specified screen layout, cross-platform would be difficult to be built fitting all the platforms.
3. LOW FLEXIBILITY – leaded by the focusing on commonalities, the flexibility of each platform will turn into a lower one.
4. BOUNDED EFFICIENCY – Cross-platform framework depends on plugins to be connected with the device features. Sometimes developers have to create them manually to approach the particular function of the device
5. INTERNET CONNECTION – As for native vs hybrid app efficiency, there is one significant difference. The cross-platform frameworks require a regular internet connection. Some functions won’t be available when the user lacks connection. (caching, offline data,etc…)

NATIVE Advantages

1. •BETTER PERFORMANCE – When we analyze hybrid vs native app performance, it is clear that the native applications will be faster. They are built with a framework that is native to the platform.
2. •DATA PROTECTION – It is much easier to make the native application secure. That is the advantage that a lot of companies are interested in providing for their customers especially in the enterprise sector, fintech, and applications with sensitive data.
3. OVERALL FUNCTIONALITY – The application will have the important ability to connect the device hardware features and different databases. There is no need for plugins or extra tools.
4. CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE – They will definitely have high performance. In addition, they can work in offline mode, which is still an issue for the hybrid app examples.
5. FAST RUNNING CODES – Developed and compiled using a platform’s core programming language and APIs making them more efficient on that platform, with fewer hiccups across devices.
6. EASY TO ADD NEW FEATURES – more creative, you can use the existing APIs or create your own if the existing won’t satisfy.
7. APP STORE VISIBILITY – every costumer looks in the app store in search for an app. Your visibility in the app store can make you getting more clients who seek for needs in your apps. 

NATIVE Disadvantages:

1. MORE TIME – making a native app will take more time to be built since every platform has it codes and features.
2. MORE COST – more developers, every specific platform has its own developers, more cost for making a native apps.