Hybrid VS Native Mobile Applications

While choosing the mobile application for the business, owners are given two options, hybrid or native mobile applications. If you are tech-savvy, you might be aware of the difference between native and hybrid mobile apps, but nontechnical business owners don’t. In this article, we will compare both technologies and mobile application development approaches from the user point of view. These details will allow you to make a better decision about mobile app development for your business.

What is Native Mobile Application?

Native mobile application development approach focuses on developing apps for a single platform, only like Android, iOS, or Windows. Users don’t need any kind of browser support for the use of native apps. Users can simply download the native apps from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Swift, Java, Kotlin, Objective-C are common programming languages used for both iOS and Android devices. Most businesses prefer to have native apps instead of other types of applications. The Facebook mobile application is the most common example of a React Native application.

Advantages of Native Mobile Applications:

• Native apps perform better than any other development approaches;
• The distribution of the native app is easy, and support is great;
• UI and UX are great for native apps;
• Developers can integrate more functionality for every operating system;
• Native apps are happily accepted by marketplaces and other online stores;
• Users feel more comfortable with the native mobile app experience.

Disadvantages of Native Mobile Apps:

• Developers need more experience for fully functional native app development;
• Development costs are higher for native applications;
• If you want a simple and straightforward application, a native app is not that great in that aspect.

What is a Hybrid Mobile Application?

As the name suggests, the hybrid app development approach combines the functionalities of both native and web applications. The user experience is a must like the native apps, but the development requires the use of web technologies. Hybrid apps are developed by using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other latest web technologies. The hybrid apps are installed on the device just like the native app but offer the technical specifications of the web pages. Uber is the perfect example of hybrid application development.

Advantages of Hybrid Applications:

• Unlike web pages, users don’t need web browsers to access hybrid apps;
• Hybrid apps have access to the device’s hardware and API;
• Developers can deploy plugins for additional functionality;
• Overcome the limitations of the web pages.

Disadvantages of Hybrid Applications:

• Hybrid apps are slower in processing as compared to native mobile applications;
• Developers need the support of 3rd party platform for the deployment;
• Customization and additional features will cost more.

Both app development technologies and approaches have some pros and cons. The decision of the right mobile application for your device depends upon your business requirements and needs. The nature of the audience and environment also influence the choices.

The budget is also another factor that decided the best app development approach for the business. You can discuss the use cases with us and our team will suggest a suitable outsourced mobile development approach.