Hybrid vs Native vs Web Apps: How to Choose the Right Development Approach?
When you plan on devising a mobile app for your business, the one thing you need to get right, apart from the strategy and the blueprint, is the approach. What type of app do you want to develop? In my experience, most developers switch between hybrid, native and web app approaches. Choosing one from these three can prove to be quite a tough deal, especially if you have expertise in all three methods. I too have gone through this pain of choosing, and that’s why I have come up with a way in which you can make the right choice. There are a few factors that need to be considered and some understanding that you require before you can set forth with the development approach you have chosen. Let’s dive deeper into each of these app development approaches, and identify the best-fit approach for your app needs.
Web App Development When we say web apps, we really mean websites that are mobile-optimized for ease of access and usability. While the overall appearance and interface of web apps is similar to the mobile apps, they are not native mobile apps. They have been devised using modern development technologies such as HTML5 and CSS3. When users access web apps, it will be akin to accessing a web page. However, once on the web app, the user is given a choice to download the app. There are obvious benefits of developing web apps, which is why a lot of developers offer this approach, especially to startups. Pros ● With a single codebase, you can write web apps for multiple platforms and operating systems. The best part is that you need only a browser and a network connection to make the web app work. ● They don’t occupy a lot of space, as you don’t download them till you need them ● As they are developed specifically for the browser, you won’t need the permission of the app store to launch them ● With web apps, you don’t need to worry about the maintenance of the apps. As a result, you not only save on the cost of development but also the cost of maintenance of these apps ● When you update an app, it is automatically loaded to the app. So, the new version can be easily accessed when the user opens the app in the browser. Cons ● A typical web app cannot take advantage of the device features, thus increasing the app limitations
● When you are studying the users for web apps, you will realize that they use the apps on various browsers, thus making the study extensive, and limiting your insights ● You need to invest more time and money into marketing the web app if you want to increase the reach and visibility ● The interactivity and intuitiveness of these apps are far less than the regular apps Native App Development As the name suggests, native apps are platform-specific. It is the most common app development approach taken by the developers. The apps are written using the languages accepted by the platform. For instance, Swift and Objective-C are the languages typically used to develop apps for iOS. Similarly, you can write the apps using Java or Kotlin for Android OS. You will need to use the platform-specific IDE to develop a native app. The developers need to take into consideration the app store guidelines, the platform’s SDK, as well as the other development tools when developing a native app.
Pros ● They are known for being high-performance app solutions ● These apps are uploaded to the app store, adhering to the app store guidelines, thus making it easier for businesses to improve the reach and visibility of these app solutions ● As they are devised for the particular platform, the coding would be smooth and simple, and the apps make use of the hardware and software components. As a result, you will find the interface to be intuitive and the experience enriching
● The flow of the mobile app design will be smooth and well-defined for these apps.
Cons ● As you need to be adept with the native programming language, you will need to hire experts in the particular programming language. This will, in turn, be time-consuming and expensive Hybrid App Development If you are planning to release a single app across the various platforms, then hybrid app development is your go-to option. Here is the cherry on top of your regular awesome development time-span cake, it is cost-efficient. You need to have a knowledge of HTML, CSS or JavaScript to develop these apps. They are an excellent combination of native and web apps, thus bringing together the best of both worlds for the app user. If you want to add native features to the app, you simply need to add a wrapper that will bridge the existing gaps. In the case of hybrid apps, the native shells are downloaded, which adds the code for webview, thus reducing the memory used by your phone and increasing the app’s speed and performance.
Pros ● As we have already mentioned, they enjoy the best of both worlds. They don’t need to access the web browser and can easily access the native elements, thus ensuring quick and hassle-free usage of the apps ● You just need to code once, and you can deploy the code on every platform. In fact, if you want to make it more platform-specific, you just need to make a few additions to your code ● It gains access to all the software and hardware elements, thus enabling you to add more components to your app Cons
● You have more dependencies in this case, as you need to depend on third parties to deploy the app wrapper ● The performance of the app is not as good as the native or web apps ● In case you go with customization, you might need to invest more time and money, which can add to your cost of development. How to Decide the Best Approach? Type of organization: If you are just starting out, you need something that is accessible, functional and within your budget. A good web app can help you cater to your audience. It will not depend on the platform, and getting it out in the market would be way easier than native apps. However, if you are an enterprise-grade organization, and you need to cater to a heavy load, then you should go with native apps. The type of organization is one of the many deciding factors for the approach to be taken into account. In case your organization caters to user groups from both platforms, then hybrid could be a sound approach too. Experiential Apps: In case you want to deliver an app that enhances user experience, and caters to their basic accessibility and usability needs, then you ought to choose native apps. They are developed keeping in mind the guidelines defined by the app store, and quality is supposed to be top-notch for them Quick Launch: In case you want to reach out to the audience quickly, and make your app available to them as fast as you can, then you ought to go with web or hybrid approaches. Native app development requires certain expertise, and you might want to hire expert native app developers Access to Hardware: Without a doubt, you will need to develop hybrid or native apps if you want to gain access and leverage the device hardware components. Key Takeaways Here is my take on the choice of app development approach, after having detailed out the differences, as well as the pros and cons associated with each of them.
● If performance is something you cannot compromise upon, and that is the pre-requisite for your app development approach, then you ought to go with native apps. You can roll out the app for one operating system, make the necessary changes, and then roll it out for the other OS. ● If you want a cost-efficient way of producing apps, then you should either go with web apps or hybrid apps. However, the slight difference between the two app methods and the end goal of your business need to be taken into consideration when finalizing the development strategy. I have given my take as well as a detailed purview into these approaches. However, if you feel this is not sufficient information or, you want to discuss something more, you can connect with me. I will not only help you understand the approaches in detail but also guide you through the choice. In case, you wish to discuss this article, feel free to comment.