Building a mobile app involves several key steps, from conceptualization to deployment. Undoubtedly, having a good idea is fundamental for a project to succeed. However, good ideas could be completely ruined if the right App Development framework is not suitable for them. We commonly use the terms “Native Apps” or “Hybrid Apps,” which basically alludes to different approaches to developing them. The distinction is primarily based on how the apps are built.
In this article we will explore the differences between Native vs. Hybrid App Development so you can understand each framework deeply and, therefore, make the right choice. On top of that, we will examine each framework's advantages and assist you on how to choose.
What are Native Apps?
First, let's understand what Native App Frameworks are. Native apps are mobile applications developed specifically for a particular platform or operating system using platform-specific programming languages and development tools. These apps are built to run on a specific device or operating system, such as iOS or Android, and are typically distributed through platform-specific app stores like the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
To further understand Native Apps, let’s delve into their main traits listed below:
Platform-Specific Development:
Native apps are developed using platform-specific languages and frameworks. For example, iOS apps are typically written in Swift or Objective-C, while Android apps are written in Java or Kotlin.
Optimized Performance:
Since native apps are developed specifically for a particular platform, they can take full advantage of the device's hardware and software capabilities. This often results in better performance and responsiveness compared to other types of apps.
Native User Experience:
Native apps are designed to follow the design guidelines and user interface conventions of the platform they are built for. This ensures a consistent and intuitive user experience that feels natural to users of that platform.
Access to Device Features:
Native apps have access to a wide range of device features and APIs, such as the camera, GPS, contacts, sensors, and more. This allows developers to create highly functional and feature-rich applications.
Distribution through App Stores:
Native apps are typically distributed through platform-specific app stores, such as the Apple App Store for iOS apps and Google Play Store for Android apps. This provides developers with a centralized platform for distributing and monetizing their apps.
Overall, native apps offer several advantages, including superior performance, native user experience, and access to device features. However, they often require separate development efforts for each platform and may have higher upfront costs compared to other types of apps.
Discover how DevOps orchestration tools can significantly enhance and streamline the process of developing both native and hybrid apps by automating and integrating various development, testing, and deployment tasks.
What are Hybrid Apps?
On the other hand, to further understand how each framework works, we will now explore how Hybrid App Frameworks work. Hybrid apps are mobile applications that are built using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and then wrapped in a native container that allows them to be deployed and run on multiple platforms, such as iOS and Android. As we can see from now, Hybrid Apps may carry the best of both worlds. These apps combine elements of both native and web applications, offering the benefits of cross-platform compatibility and rapid development.
Let’s take a look at hybrid app characteristics to understand better what we are talking about:
Single Codebase:
Hybrid apps use a single codebase that can be shared across different platforms, eliminating the need for separate development efforts for each platform.
Cross-Platform Compatibility:
Hybrid apps can run on multiple platforms with minimal modifications, allowing businesses to reach a broader audience and streamline the app development process.
Native Container:
Hybrid apps are wrapped in a native container using frameworks like Apache Cordova (also known as PhoneGap) or Capacitor. This container provides access to native device features and APIs, such as the camera, GPS, and accelerometer, allowing hybrid apps to leverage native capabilities.
Web Technologies:
Hybrid apps are typically developed using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, along with frameworks like Ionic, React Native, or Xamarin. Developers can use their existing web development skills to build hybrid apps, making development more accessible and efficient.
Access to App Stores:
Hybrid apps can be distributed through platform-specific app stores, such as the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, like native apps. This provides businesses with a centralized platform for distributing and monetizing their apps.
Offline Support:
Hybrid apps can store data locally using technologies like HTML5 local storage or SQLite databases, allowing them to work offline and provide a seamless user experience even when the device is not connected to the internet.
Performance Considerations:
While hybrid apps can achieve native-like performance for many use cases, they may not perform as well as fully native apps, especially for complex and resource-intensive applications. Performance can vary depending on factors such as the chosen hybrid framework, device capabilities, and the complexity of the app.
Overall, hybrid apps offer a balance between cross-platform compatibility and native functionality, making them a popular choice for businesses looking to develop mobile applications efficiently and cost-effectively while reaching a wide audience across different platforms.
Advantages of Hybrid Apps over Native Apps
Having explored both frameworks’ traits, we can evaluate properly if there are advantages of one over the other. Even though we have seen that Native apps may perform better than Hybrid apps due to their precision, there are many advantages that can be found the other way around. To fully understand the contrast between Native vs. Hybrid App development, let’s take a look at these assets.
Cost-Effectiveness:
Developing a hybrid app typically requires less time and resources compared to building separate native apps for multiple platforms. With a single codebase that can be deployed across different platforms, businesses can save on development costs and ongoing maintenance.
Time Development:
Hybrid apps use web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, allowing developers to leverage their existing skills and tools to build apps more quickly. Additionally, frameworks like React Native, Ionic, and Flutter provide pre-built components and libraries that streamline the development process further.
Access to Native Device Features:
Some of the Hybrid apps mentioned above provide access to native device features and APIs through plugins and modules. While not as extensive as native development, these frameworks allow developers to incorporate device capabilities such as cameras, GPS, and push notifications into their hybrid apps.
Maintenance and Updates:
With a single codebase shared across different
platforms, maintenance, and updates can be applied simultaneously, reducing the time and effort required to keep the app up-to-date. This streamlines the maintenance process and ensures consistency across all versions of the app.Rapid Prototyping:
Hybrid app development is well-suited for rapid prototyping and iterative development cycles. Developers can quickly build and test app prototypes using web technologies, gather feedback from stakeholders, and make iterations accordingly, speeding up the overall development process.
Versatility:
Hybrid apps, unlike Native apps, can run on multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, and sometimes even desktops, without the need for extensive platform-specific development. This allows businesses to reach a broader audience with a single app, simplifying distribution and reducing the need for separate development efforts.
Consistent User Experience:
Hybrid apps offer a consistent user experience across different platforms since they use a single codebase and UI framework. This ensures that users have a similar experience regardless of the device or platform they are using, improving usability and brand consistency.
How to Choose Between Native and Hybrid?
Choosing between native and hybrid app development depends on various factors, including project requirements, budget, timeline, target audience, and team expertise. Optimizing the software delivery process is an important factor, regardless of the chosen development path. Efficient software delivery ensures your app meets quality standards and market timelines through native or hybrid approaches.
If your app requires high performance, especially for complex animations, graphics, or intensive processing, native development may be preferable. However, Hybrid app development can be faster and more cost-effective than building separate native apps for each platform since it involves a single codebase.
It is also essential to determine which platforms you need to support (e.g., iOS, Android, web). If you prioritize platform-specific features or have a significant user base on a particular platform, native development may be necessary. However, if you need to reach multiple platforms with a single codebase, hybrid development might be more efficient.
Knowing your developers' expertise is also important to understand whether Native or Hybrid apps are suitable for you. If your team is proficient in web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, hybrid development may be a natural choice. However, if you have experienced native developers and want to leverage platform-specific capabilities, native development might be more suitable. Nonetheless, there are less experienced native developers and so, this may involve more money or difficulties when hiring.
Regarding maintenance, Native apps may require separate maintenance efforts for each platform, while hybrid apps have a single codebase, simplifying maintenance.
Even though there's no one-size-fits-all answer and the decision between native and hybrid app development will depend on your specific project requirements and priorities, It's essential to carefully evaluate the pros and cons of each approach and choose the one that best aligns with your goals and constraints.
As mentioned above, the right choice over Native vs. Hybrid App development depends exclusively on the product you wish to achieve. Each framework has its clear advantages that you can evaluate just by checking each of the frameworks’ traits with your ideal project to see what works best for you.
However, at Jalasoft we find that Hybrid apps tend to be more productive as we prioritize speed, versatility and cost-effectiveness while we also consider that many of Native apps’ benefits often go untapped or underutilized. We believe that achieving high productivity levels while collaborating on different aspects of the application is fundamental for a project to succeed and Hybrid apps are the most reliable frameworks for this.
Looking for continuous improvement? Read this article: "What is DevOps," to gain insight into this fantastic methodology.
