Native apps are what comes to most of our minds when we think of mobile apps and are downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.

What distinguishes native apps from mobile web and hybrid apps is that they are developed for specific devices. The advantage of choosing a native app is that it is the fastest and most reliable when it comes to user experience. However, a bigger budget is required if you want to build your app for multiple platforms i. Web applications are basically websites with interactivity that feels similar to a mobile app.

The downside is that web apps can be slower, less intuitive, and inaccessible through app stores. A hybrid app combines elements of both native and web applications. Hybrid apps can be distributed through the app stores just like a native app, and they can incorporate operating system features. Like a web app, hybrid apps can also use cross-compatible web technologies. Hybrid apps are typically easier and faster to develop than native apps. They also require less maintenance. This means hybrid apps will almost never run as fast as a native app runs.

The advantage of hybrid apps is that you can build them on a single base, which allows you to add new functionalities to multiple versions of your app. With native apps, you will need to replicate every new feature you want to introduce for each platform.

What are Native, Web and Hybrid Apps?

Outsourcing your app development is a good way to test run your project without hiring permanent in-house staff. Working with a professional outsource development team is also a good way to make your mobile app development project feel like a natural transition, rather than a giant leap into uncharted territory.

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With native app development, you have to build different apps for different operating systems; however, developers have new technology for programming. Two platforms, in particular, Xamarin and React Native can sometimes be classified as other types of native app development. Xamarin lets developers build one app that runs on many platforms using C.

With C -shared codebase, developers can use Xamarin tools to write native iOS, Android, and Windows applications with native user interfaces and share code across multiple platforms. React Native also allows developers to build authentic native iOS and Android apps with one codebase. React Native, however, is written in JavaScript and React.

In mobile app development, the term native is defined as an ecosystem that Apple or Google, for example, chooses for developing apps for their operating systems. Xamarin and React Native technology is very complex and can be classified as either native or hybrid.

Mobile Apps vs. Web Apps: What’s the Difference? - SmallBizDaily

Xamarin can be considered a native and a hybrid development platform, as it builds native Android, iOS, and Windows apps in C , with either Visual Studio or Xamarin Studio. However, since there is another layer between the code and the platform, many people consider it hybrid development. Hybrid apps work across multiple platforms and behave like native apps.

A hybrid app is essentially a combination of a native app and a web app.

Although this type of app can be installed on a device like a native app, it technically is a web app. Hybrid app development is essentially a web app that incorporates additional native features. Including native features is possible when you deploy a wrapper to act as a bridge between platforms. A hybrid app consists of two parts:.

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With hybrid app development, you have to contend with issues that stem from both native systems and hybrid systems, which makes bug fixing more difficult. Performance is also a disadvantage because hybrid apps load in a webview. The user experience is often sacrificed with a hybrid app as you cannot customize the app based on the platform. Customizability is a significant disadvantage to hybrid apps.

If customization is important to you, taking the native approach to development will be more beneficial. In fact, the more customization you want in your hybrid app, the more expensive the project will be, and therefore a native solution will end up being more cost-effective. The decision to build either a web, native or hybrid app should be based on your business objectives. Before jumping into development, you should consider the following factors:. Whichever approach you choose should, above all, be quick, responsive, and reliable. Whichever app you decide to build, remember the following:.

In short, choosing a development method should not be determined solely by cost. The user experience should be the primary factor that helps you decide whether to build a web, native or hybrid app.

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While a hybrid app may have lower upfront costs, hybrid apps are more prone to bugs which can end up costing you more money. Not to mention losing frustrated users to subpar user experience.

When working with the latest features released for a particular operating system, bugs become a huge concern for hybrid app development. This carries cost implications and can extend the timeline for development. Similarly, web apps may not be as expensive as native apps, but depending on your business goals and required functionality, a web app might not meet user expectations for experience.