Do you need to develop a mobile application? Don't know whether to choose native or hybrid technology? Is the price the only difference or are there more aspects to consider?
It may seem like a simple decision, but it is not exactly like that. The software development services you choose will define many things about your final application, and will have a direct impact on your users' experience. And at this point, you cannot fail.
To be native or to be hybrid: that is the question
There is an ongoing debate surrounding mobile app development. When choosing, this is our first recommendation, always focus on your users and give them the best experience. Nobody has time for bad experiences. The success of your application depends on this.
So, let's talk in detail about native and hybrids . Are you ready?
Advantages and disadvantages of native applications
Native mobile technology refers to the creation of applications suitable to run on specific mobile operating systems. The most common native programming languages are Objective-C or Swift for iOS and Java or Kotlin for Android.
These are the advantages of choosing native technology:
Advantages of native mobile applications
– Greater performance and speed: they are faster than hybrid applications.
– The use of mobile phone hardware is more efficient because it is accessed and used through the device's native functions of the selected operating system.
– Intuitive to use: These apps tend to have a consistent look and feel with most other native apps on the device. Therefore, users find them easier to navigate and use.
– More security: your levels of control and authorization over API calls to and from the server are better.
– Responsive, high-performance applications.
– They can interact with native libraries.
– They work offline: you can use them even if you are not connected (it happens often, believe me).
– Better user experience: due to all the previous advantages and, in addition, because they quickly access and use the integrated capabilities of the user's device such as the calendar, camera or GPS.
– Testing for developers is simpler: you can test more thoroughly.
– They have access to all the advanced functions of native devices.
– Its better distribution in application stores improves its discoverability.
But of course it also has some cons:
Disadvantages of native mobile applications
– Its development is expensive.
– They only work on one platform.
– They require more resources from the developer.
– Less code reuse.
– Its development takes a lot of time.
– Require frequent updates.
– They must be recorded into a different language to port them to a diverse ecosystem of devices.
– Your upfront expenses are more expensive compared to hybrid applications.
– They are not the best option when developing simple applications.
Advantages and disadvantages of hybrid applications
Now it's time to talk about hybrid technology. Mix of native apps and web apps is hybrid app. Therefore, many mistakenly describe them as websites packaged in a native wrapper.
Languages like JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS are used for hybrid app development and hybrid app framework such as Flutter, React Native, Ionic, Xamarin, or Cordova re used
Let's see them.
Let's start on the positive side and talk about the advantages of this technology.
Advantages of hybrid mobile applications
– Achieve greater developer productivity thanks to cross-platform compatibility.
– They reduce development costs because they are easier to build, require less development time, and only require one code base for multiple platforms.
– They do not need a web browser like web applications.
– They have access to internal APIs and device hardware.
– need a single code base for multiple platforms.
– They reach a broader audience through various platforms.
– Easy to launch and update.
On the other hand, we have the disadvantages:
Cons of Hybrid Mobile Apps
– The user experience is never as good as that of a native app.
– Lower performance.
– Lower speed.
– Less flexibility.
– More user interface design time.
– Limited tools.
– Test complexity: This is because they share a lot of code between platforms and some of that code is often native to take advantage of the underlying hardware.
– They depend on a third-party platform to deploy the application wrapper.
– They are not convenient when more customization is needed. In this case, native apps are more efficient when it comes to reducing costs.
4 tips for selecting the right technology for your application
Product lifespan: If you plan to develop a long-term mobile application (for example, mobile banking), native development frameworks and tools are more stable.
Performance and user experience: This should be one of your top priorities. Regardless of the custom software development services you choose, your users' experience must be excellent because it is the key to the success of an application. According to this, native applications ensure the best user experience, but require more development time. On the contrary, the user experience of hybrid applications is less, but the development time is shorter than that of native ones.
Access to hardware resources: Native technology is the option when the application requires complete access to all the resources and services of the target device. If not, hybrid technology is also a good option.
UI/UX Design: (In general) native apps offer more impressive visuals and exceptional UX, but hybrid apps can also do a good job.
So, the final decision is…
When the moment of truth arrives, you have to decide. Each client has their reasons for choosing one path or another, but their impact on the final product must be clarified.
We are a custom software development company, obsessed with quality and specialized in mobile apps and unique user experiences. We create world-class digital products for
startups and companies, with the aim of transforming their businesses.
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