What Are the Different Types of Mobile Apps? And How Do You Choose?
Which form of mobile app do we build? is a crucial decision for anyone who intends to develop an app for their company.
You might learn that a company has a web app or a hybrid app by reading about other brands who boast about how they built their native app from the ground up. But what do these expressions actually mean?
In order to help you make an informed choice, we'll explain the distinctions between the three varieties and talk about their benefits and drawbacks along the way.
Types of Mobile Apps by Technology
There are three basic types of mobile apps if we categorize them by the technology used to code them:
Native apps are created for one specific platform or operating system.
Web apps are responsive versions of websites that can work on any mobile device or OS because they’re delivered using a mobile browser.
Hybrid apps are combinations of both native and web apps, but wrapped within a native app, giving it the ability to have its own icon or be downloaded from an app store.
01. Native Apps
Native apps are created expressly for the operating system of a mobile device (OS). Thus, in addition to all the other platforms and devices, you can have native Android or native iOS mobile apps. You cannot use a Blackberry app on an Android phone or an iOS app on a Windows phone since they are only designed for one platform.
Technology Used: Native apps are coded using a variety of programming languages. Some examples include: Java, Kotlin, Python, Swift, Objective-C, C++, and React.
Pros: Native apps have the benefit of being faster and more dependable in terms of performance due to their solitary focus. Compared Mobile Application 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 hardware of the device, they have access to a variety of 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 have to put in extra work for each of the many 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 do use up valuable storage space on the smartphone.
02. Web Apps
Web applications function similarly to native apps but are accessed through your mobile device's web browser. In the sense that you must download and install code into your device, they are not standalone apps. Actually, these are responsive websites that change their user interface depending on the device the visitor is using. In actuality, the "install" option for a web app frequently just bookmarks the website's URL on your device.
The progressive web app (PWA), which is essentially a native app running within a browser, is one type of web app.
Technology Used: HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, Ruby, and other web-related programming languages are used to create web apps.
Pros: There is no need to modify it to a platform or OS because it is web-based. This lowers the price of 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. The update does not need to be downloaded from the app store.
Cons: However, this is also important to note: web apps are totally dependent 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. The device will still require an internet connection even if it has an offline mode in order to back up the data on your device, provide any new data, or update what is displayed on the screen.
03. Hybrid Apps
Additionally, there are hybrid apps. These web applications have the same interface as native ones. Although they may feature a home screen app icon, a responsive design, quick speed, and even the ability to work offline, they are actually web apps that have been engineered to look native.
Technology Used: Web technology and native APIs are combined in hybrid apps. Ionic, Objective C, Swift, HTML5, and other technologies are used in their development.
Pros: A hybrid app can be created considerably more quickly and cheaply than a native app. 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.
Types of Mobile Apps: How to Choose Just One
If you're currently developing an app, you must decide what kind of app you'll be making. Some components will only function properly on a specific type of app and not on others.
What one factor influenced your decision the most today? should be your answer as you go through the ensuing decision-making processes. The answer determines which type you need to focus on RIGHT NOW.
Decision Factor: I Need an App ASAP!
You should spend in developing a web app if you really must have an app in the smallest period of time possible. One codebase will not only significantly reduce development time but also ensure that your users have the necessary tools to use it, such as a mobile browser.
Decision Factor: I Have Limited Resources
Consider either a web app or a hybrid app if time and money are not on your side. You may test the market with a minimal viable product that can be in users' hands in a matter of months thanks to the hybrid app. And if it works, you can subsequently choose to create a fully functional native version.
Decision Factor: My App Must Be Fast and Stable
There is no getting around the necessity to create a native app if performance is paramount. You'll get the speed, stability, and customization features with this kind of program that you feel essential to your business.
In the end, deciding what kind of mobile app you will create is not a straightforward choice. Depending on the requirements of your users, you can easily decide to construct a different type later.
And whenever you do manage to construct it, be sure to keep an eye on the metrics that are important for the development of your brand.
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