‘’Which type of mobile app should I build?’’ It is a crucial question for anyone who intends to hire mobile application development for their project.
You might have heard that a house or a mobile app development services agency helps you develop web or mobile app solutions, but how they built their native app from the ground up is important to know.
Web, native, and hybrid mobile apps are the three main categories you might research for your mobile application development project.
This choice will determine whether your mobile strategy is successful or unsuccessful, depending on your company’s aims and the overall goals of your product.
Choosing whether to develop your mobile product as a web, native, or hybrid app involves taking into account a number of aspects.
This article will compare the mobile application development of web, native, and hybrid applications. An infographic describing the benefits and drawbacks of each strategy is also given.
Mobile Application Development Types by Technology
If we divide mobile application development into three categories based on the coding language they were written in:
Native applications are designed only for a single platform or operating system.
Because they are provided using a mobile browser, web applications are responsive versions of websites that can function on any mobile device or OS.
Hybrid apps include features from native and online applications, but they are contained within native programs that can have their own icons, or you can download them from app stores.
What exactly are native apps?
Most likely, when you think of an app, you picture a branded small symbol that resides on your smartphone’s screen.
The mobile apps you can download from the app store are actually just one kind of mobile app. They go by the name of native mobile apps.
Java is used to create native Android apps, while Swift is used to creating native iOS apps (you may find older iOS apps written in Objective-C).
Native mobile apps give a superior user experience because they are speedier and more dependable than hybrid or web apps (UX).
Additionally, they enable interaction with a device’s internal hardware and API, giving your business’s app access to capabilities like:
The device’s microphone, camera(s), user contact lists, and location tracking
Many businesses choose to create native mobile applications because they want to be able to communicate with the operating system of a device.
These native features are all more expensive to develop initially, which prevents enterprises with limited funding from using them.
Pros:
Native apps have the benefit of being faster and more dependable in terms of performance due to their solitary focus.
Compared to other kinds of mobile apps, they typically use the device’s resources more effectively. Native apps employ the native user interface of the device, providing consumers with a more enhanced user experience.
Additionally, because native apps are directly connected to the device’s hardware, they have access to various hardware functions, including Bluetooth, phonebook contacts, camera roll, NFC, and more.
Cons:
The issue with native apps, though, is that once you start creating them, you’ll need to duplicate your efforts for each of the other platforms. You can’t utilize the code you write for one platform again on another. Costs rise as a result. Not to mention the work required to keep the codebase for each version updated and maintained.
The user must then download the new file and reinstall the software each time it is updated. This implies that native programs use up valuable smartphone storage space.
What is a web application?
A web application development is essentially a website with more of a mobile application look and feel. Web apps, which may run on different internet browsers like Chrome or Safari and are created using JavaScript and/or HTML5, are different from native programs.
Due to their relative simplicity, web apps have a lower entry barrier than native apps and are typically less expensive and simpler to produce. However, web apps also frequently feature slower loading times and less user-friendly UI designs as a trade-off (UI).
In addition to these drawbacks, online apps cannot be highlighted in Apple or Android app stores. As a result, your program would be less visible and more difficult to find organically.
Despite not being available in app stores, you may still access web apps from any mobile device as long as it has a web browser. And nowadays, practically every gadget has a web browser, from smartwatches to smart TVs.
Pros:
There is no need to modify it to a platform or OS because it is web-based. This lowers the price of mobile application development.
There is also nothing to download. Simply push the update live via the web because they won’t consume memory on your device the way native apps do. In addition, you don’t need to download the update from the app store.
Cons:
However, it’s also important to note that online apps rely only on the device’s browser. There will be features that are available in one browser but not in another, which could result in different user experiences.
They also won’t fully function offline because they are only shells for websites. Therefore, the device will still require an internet connection even if it has an offline mode in order to back up the data.
Mobile hybrid apps?
Mobile hybrid apps, as their name suggests, incorporate features from both native and web apps. However, hybrid mobile apps fall between native apps and web apps. An app development agency can help you install them on the device and use them in a web browser.
These apps have two components:
- The code is in the backend.
- The indigenous shell (which allows it to be downloadable on app stores).
Progressive web apps are similar to hybrid apps (PWA). Although there are some significant distinctions, both are a little bit of a hybrid of native and web programs.
PWAs lack an app icon. It is because they aren’t offered in app stores. However, users can still create one on their smartphones. Additionally, they are easier to customize, less expensive to build, and, in locations with slow internet, they typically offer faster speeds than hybrid apps.
Pros:
Compared to native apps, you may build hybrid apps significantly more quickly and cheaply. As a result, a hybrid app may serve as a proof of concept for a native app or the minimum viable product. Additionally, they offer users a consistent user experience, load quickly, and are perfect for use in nations with slower internet connections. Finally, there is a lot less code to maintain because they share a single code base.
Cons:
Native apps’ characteristic power and speed may not be present in hybrid apps.
By this point, you need to be very familiar with hybrid apps, native apps, and web apps and how they differ.
Conclusion:
A native app is arguably the greatest option for companies with a sizable budget. It is because they guarantee high performance and a reliable user experience. The most economical choice for you will be a web application. It’s the best choice if you are a startup or small firm with a limited budget.
A hybrid app will also fulfill your demands if your web design agency falls somewhere in the middle and wants to appear in the app store. Whatever course of action you take, your company should strive to provide the finest user experience imaginable. Otherwise, if you users can’t use the app, then all the effort and money you spent would be for nothing.
