Native vs. Hybrid Apps: Which One to Choose?

mobile app development services

This article will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of developing native and hybrid applications will So that we can choose the best approach for developing mobile applications.

Native Apps

A native application is software or a program designed to perform a certain task on a specific environment or platform.

Software development tools (SDK) are used to develop native applications for a specialized software framework, hardware platform, or operating system.

Android apps are created with the Java Development Kit on the Java platform, while iOS apps are created with the iOS SDK, Swift, and Objective C. Similarly NET is required for the Windows platform.

Advantages of a Native App

  • Graphical applications, HD games, and intensive animation applications may perform better as native apps because native code is still faster than HTML and JavaScript. Webgl guidelines assist browsers and hybrid apps for gaming apps to meet performance, but still native apps have an advantage.
  • Native sdks enable access to devise features without dealing with the complexity of native plugins, and new device features will be accessible right out of the box with sdks.
  • There are not many open source libraries and platforms, such as Cordova and Ionic, to rely on.

Disadvantages of Native App

  • Each platform requires its development effort, which extends the development time
  • Each platform code will have its release cycle and updates, which adds to the time and cost of development.
  • releasing the same feature on all platforms at the same time is always a challenge Because of the varied codebases,
  • Different skill set requires in developing and maintaining the same application on each platform, which increases the cost.

Hybrid Apps

Hybrid apps are considered native apps only because they can be installed from the system’s app store. It has access to the entire native platform feature. It can perform similarly to a native app.

The most significant distinctions are given below.

  • Hybrid applications are developed using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, whereas native apps are created using platform-specific technology and languages such as Java for Android and Swift for ios.
  • The hybrid app is executed in a web view (a view that displays web pages and utilizes the same engine OF the browser, but without the browser’s widgets).
  • Native plugins are necessary to use the native features of the platform, such as the camera and microphone. (Native plugins are like the wrapper on top of native libraries or elements.)
  • A hybrid app can be developed for any platform from a single code base

Advantages of Hybrid Apps

  • A single code base for all platforms means that we can write once and run anywhere, whereas, in the case of native apps, we must create and maintain different apps and code for each platform.
  • The same development team can develop applications for any platform, including websites. Because all required is a web technology
  • Hybrid app is based on web technologies; it may be used in a browser just like any other website or as a Progressive Web App (PWA).
  • Know The Future of Progressive Web Apps in Web Development – A Game Changer for Web Applications here >>
  • Hybrid apps can get the same hardware-based performance acceleration as native apps.
  • A hybrid app may provide the same and consistent user experience across platforms, even if the user switches between devices or browsers.

Disadvantages of Hybrid App

  • For most apps Performance is similar to native apps, however, hybrid approaches may not work well for 3D, HD games, high graphics-oriented apps, and other performance-oriented apps.
  • Hybrid apps can use all native device functions such as touch id, media, and so on, but they are dependent on native plugins. It is possible that entirely new device features will not be accessible as a native plug in. We can write our own, but this adds complexity to the development.
  • Hybrid apps rely on different libraries and frameworks, like Cordova and Ionic, which must be updated daily with the latest platform version changes and releases.

Frameworks for Hybrid Apps development

Cordova is a free and open-source mobile development framework. The Cordova Plug-in makes it possible to use device features. It allows using standard web technologies for cross-platform building. Applications carry out inside wrappers targeted to each system

Ionic is a web-based mobile app development services platform.  We can create outstanding mobile, web, and desktop apps all with one single code base and open web standards;   it uses Cordova behind the scenes

The following are some other cross-platform app development frameworks:

  • Xamarin (based on C#)
  • Framework7
  • Titanium Appcelerator
  • Onsen UI

Summary

The decision to go hybrid or native is based on the goals and priorities of the organization. The use case, nature, and environment of the application can impact the outcome.  Hopefully, this article will help you in selecting the best approach.

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I am Vaibhav Singhal, a full-stack developer with over 12 years of experience in the technical field. My passion for developing and designing web and mobile applications. As a full-stack developer, I have a broad range of technical skills, including proficiency in various programming languages, databases, and development frameworks. I enjoy the challenge of taking a concept or idea and turning it into a fully functional and visually appealing application that meets the needs of the end-users. I am always looking for opportunities to expand my skillset and stay up-to-date with the latest industry trends and technologies.

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