How To Choose Between Native App And Hybrid App

Which is the best app for you and your business? Where to start and what’s your budget? All these questions arise when you are investing in a mobile app. To counter all these questions, you must read this article. 

What is a Native App?

A native app is established for particular devices. It is created in one specific programming language for a particular device, either iOS or Android. Developers create native iOS apps in Swift or Objective-C while native Android apps in Java. 

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Advantages of Native Apps

Native apps have the following advantages

• Native apps are very authentic, fast, and responsive to users. 
• It is easy to tap into the camera, microphone, accelerator, compass while using native apps. It makes the swipe gestures super easy. 
• Due to valid coding, this app uses a minimum amount of hardware.
• A native app can operate without internet access. 
• This app pushes the notification to increase application usage.  
• This app can retrieve the native app functionalities to enhance the experience.
• This app has the highest security, best performance, and best user experience. 
• This app works effectively with older devices and operating systems than hybrid apps. 

Disadvantages of Native Apps

Native apps have the following disadvantages

• A native app can access only one audience on a single platform.
• It is very expensive and time-consuming to establish an app for two platforms.
• It is hard to give the same experience with two different apps on two platforms. 
• Several developers specialize in one platform. You may need other developers to establish and sustain this app.   
• It is difficult to sustain and update the app across the codebase and app store on two platforms. 
• iOS will not work with Android and vice versa so that you will need different codebases for every platform. 

What is a Hybrid App?

The hybrid app includes the features of both native and web apps. You can download it as a hybrid app, but it’s a web app on the inside. Generally, Hybrid App Developers create the hybrid apps using Javascript, HTML, and CSS.

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Advantages of Hybrid Apps

Hybrid apps have the following advantages

• The fantastic feature of the Hybrid app is that instead of building two apps, you are making one app and adjusting it a little bit so it can run on both platforms.
• Hybrid apps are more comfortable and faster to establish than native apps.
• The hybrid app utilizes the device’s native characteristics.
• This app can be created rapidly because most of the development takes place using standard web technologies. 
• This app can function without any internet access. 
• Developing a single base saves resources because you only need a separate team to develop a single base code. 
• A hybrid app allows you to make updates easier.
• As you are working on one codebase, you will need minimum developers, and eventually, it will save your money and time.

Disadvantages of Hybrid App

Hybrid apps have the following disadvantages

• It is challenging to run this app as it is simultaneously built for two platforms and managing them both at the same time is not easy. 
• The performance of the hybrid app is not as good as compared to the native app. Because it depends on the quality of the web view, which varies with the user’s device capacities. 
• It requires a lot of work to run a hybrid app effectively on two platforms. 
• iOS and Android users are loyal to their platforms, and they are used to it. However, when you are building a hybrid app, you cannot satisfy both the users. So, in this case, User Experience (UX) of the app will suffer. 

How to select the best one?

Both apps differ in cost, time, and resources, as well as their abilities to fulfil different needs. But how do you decide which is the best app for you? There are following factors that will help you in the selection of app.

Target Audience and User Experience

User Experience (UX) is the experience users can have while using your app, specifically in terms of how easy it is. It also depends on the audience choices, contexts, and pain points; some apps will adequately satisfy the user’s needs better than the others. 

For example, if your app requires regular updates and your audience relies on it, then a hybrid app will be better than the native app. While, if you know that your audience will download your app and will access it offline, then the native app will be best for you. 

Characteristics of the app

The most crucial point in app selection is which features you want to include in your app. Several apps will work effectively without depending on native phone features, while others cannot operate in that situation. Knowing what features you need will make your decision easy. 

Another essential point to consider is the device’s ability to run the app with all its features. It must be adjustable so that you can add any new features later on. 

Time to market

Native apps may take a little longer to develop whereas; hybrid apps can be developed rapidly. The App Store approval process can influence the time to market for hybrid and native apps. So, it is essential to consider this point for a smooth and quick launch.

Budget 

The cost of development depends upon the programming language and the desired period. Native apps are expensive because they need experienced developers and take time to develop. In some cases, the cost of native apps can be double as they require two platforms and mostly two developers or developer teams. The cost of the app will depend on the functions of the hybrid app. 

Performance 

If your audience is concerned about the performance, then native apps will be your priority. Because if they don’t like the performance of your app, then they will simply switch to another app. So, you need to select native apps, as they have the best performance compared to all the other apps.

Security of the app

The security of any app is based on the platform and how well the code is written. If it is easy for hackers to access code and software, then the app will be more vulnerable to risks. The security risk is more for a hybrid app. Not only programming languages has security vulnerabilities, but web browsers are also affected. That’s why hybrid apps are built with some native code. 

Discoverability 

The marketing strategy may affect your app’s selection because of your app’s capability to be discovered easily. Hybrid and native apps are present in app stores and can be optimized for search and app store rankings due to their description, reviews, screenshots etc. 

If you want to perform heavy-duty tasks, with faster speed and excellent performance, then native apps are your best choice. It includes games or any apps that are based on photos or videos. 

Hybrid apps are the best option for most app’s goals. It comprises productivity apps, utility apps, and enterprise apps. A hybrid app can work like native apps while decreasing development costs. 

Conclusion

At last, both the apps have their own merits and demerits. You cannot be affected by every limitation, and not every advantage will fulfil your needs. Therefore, for the selection of apps, you need to measure the benefits each one gives you and analyze them against your goal.

Author Bio:

James Grills is a technical writer with a passion for writing on emerging technologies in the areas of mobile application development and IoT technology. He is a marketing advisor – currently associated with Cumulations Technologies a mobile app development company in India.