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Native vs Hybrid vs Web Apps – Which Mobile App Development is Better for Businesses?

Smartphones have now become an evident part of our lives. No matter where we want to go, the first question on our mind is ‘Do I have my phone on me?’ Yes, this is how to offer smartphones have created its importance in the world. By 2019, there were more than 2.7 billion users on the planet. And a third of our global population will be having a smartphone by the end of this year.

Well, this presents an opportune moment for many of the mobile app development services around the globe. There are myriad apps that we rely on daily to get things done. These include social media apps, fintech apps, education apps, entertainment apps, and more. 

Mobile app development has been classified into 3 types i.e. native app development, hybrid app development, and web app development. But which one is best suitable for your business? To ease your confusion with the same, we bring you this Native vs Hybrid vs Web Apps comparison guide.

Let’s take a look.

What is Web-App Development?

Many have the notion that a web app is similar to a website. But this isn’t the case. A website offers more detailed info as compared to a web app. A web app can be considered a concise part of a website that can enhance the functionality as opposed to a website.

A web app can work seamlessly over web browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. Unlike the other mobile apps, a web app doesn’t have to be downloaded over the play store. Hence, it doesn’t need a dedicated space on your mobile phone. One should invest in a web app if they wish to offer mobile-friendly content to a wide user base. 

In addition to web apps, the concept of ‘Progressive Web Apps’ has gained huge attention over the years. Let’s learn about the same in detail.

What are Progressive Web Apps?

Progressive web apps (PWA) are a fusion of web apps and native apps. As we learned above, web apps don’t offer native functionalities such as offline availability and push notifications. Progressive web apps are designed with the purpose of offering features similar to native apps such as enhanced touch gestures, push notifications, and more. 

The only drawback with PWAs is that they only offer compatibility with Google Chrome. Therefore, iOS users can’t access PWAs. If you wish to invest in a PWA, then you would have to exclude iOS users. iOS users spend a lot of money on premium subscriptions and in-app purchases. Hence, you would be at a massive loss. 

Advantages of Web Apps

• Web apps use a common code base to serve various mobile platforms and so don’t need too much maintenance.
• One can develop web apps for all the platforms, as long as they’re compatible with the same.
• One can develop web apps at budget-friendly rates.
• Web apps don’t need permissions from the marketplace as they’re created using standard protocols.
• There are no updates with a web app, a new version can be updated automatically.

Disadvantages of Web Apps

• It’s a tedious task to develop a roadmap for web apps due to the different performance metrics of different browsers.
• When compared to native apps, web apps offer a slower performance.
• Web apps have hardware limitations and therefore cannot make use of device features.
• It offers a complicated user experience as a user always has to type a URL to access the site.
• They’re not listed in the app store and have poor discoverability. One would need a dedicated marketing team to get the attention of their users.
• As compared to native apps they offer a limited interaction.

What is Native App Development?

The most preferred form of mobile application development is Native app development. You have to code in a specific language using which one can create native apps for those respective platforms.

Java or Kotlin are the most popular languages when it comes to developing mobile apps for Android. While iOS app development is carried out using languages such as Objective-C and Swift. 

There is tons of documentation on all the preceding languages. And in addition to this, tech companies such as Google and Apple offer their interface elements, development tools, and standard development toolkits (SDK) for efficient development. 

Advantages of Native App Development

• Native apps have dedicated app stores and marketplaces.
• If you compare native apps vs hybrid apps, you would observe that native techs offer the best performance.
• Users have a much higher chance of discovering the app as your app will always be available on the app store.
• If you test the input and output, native apps offer an intuitive interface, faster execution, and responsive design.
• One can make use of maximum device features with native app development. As native apps are designed keeping the mobile OS in mind, your app can offer an enhanced UX.
• You can trust the security, quality, and compatibility of native apps as they’re tested by the respective app stores.

Disadvantages of Native App Development

• You should have an experienced team of developers for building a native app.
• If you compare hybrid apps or web apps vs native apps, native app development can prove to be more expensive.
• One should native app development for creating simple applications.

What is Hybrid App Development?

As the name suggests, Hybrid apps are designed to function on multiple platforms like Android, iOS, and Web, but are created using a singular codebase. Native app development requires programming in native languages to create different apps for different platforms. 

Hybrid techs save a lot of resources by offering all three types of apps with a single code base. This offers companies more time to market and offers an edge over their competitors. Some of the renowned tech companies like Facebook and Google have created their own hybrid techs such as React Native and Flutter. To develop an app using the same you might have to get in touch with a Flutter app development company or a React Native app development company. 

Advantages of Hybrid App Development

• You can develop a hybrid app for Android, iOS, and Web using a single code base.
• They can easily access a device’s internal hardware and API.
• Hybrid apps are faster to develop.
• They offer ample time for marketing.
• Hybrid apps are budget-friendly.
• Any changes or updates in the app can be easily introduced with hybrid apps.

Disadvantages of Hybrid App Development

• It renders a slow performance as compared to native techs.
• To deploy your app’s wrapper one has to rely on third-party platforms.
• Highly customized apps beat the purpose of using hybrid tech. You can develop the same with higher functionality using native techs.
• The performance of your app is degraded as hybrid apps are rendered in Web View.
• Customization using wrongful practices can hamper the user experience of your application.

Native vs Hybrid vs Web Apps: Which is the Right Choice for your Business?

Above we learned about different vectors of mobile app development along with their pros and cons. Yet, being a mobile app development company we believe that studying your business objectives is primary while selecting the type of app development. Before you narrow in on the type of app development you want to follow, here are a few parameters that you should consider.

• UI/UX design that you want to design for your app.
• Speed of your app.
• The complexity of your features.

You should have a clear vision of what services you wish to offer with your app. Consumers today have grown prone to developing mobile apps and therefore are well aware of their likes and dislikes. In addition to this, the tough competition in the market has made it necessary for apps to offer services as per your user’s expectations. 

So, no matter which app development platform you choose, you should keep the following things in mind.

• The app you build should be a reflection of your brand or the service you’re trying to provide and not just a replica of your website.
• The API infrastructure of your app should be easily accessible to the services and content of your app.
• All your efforts should be focused on developing a user-centric application.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do you build a Web App?

The most conventional method to develop a web app is using HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript. But in 2021, one can also use MERN and MEAN tech stacks for complete front-end and back-end development.

What are Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)?

PWAs are a combination of native apps and web pages. It offers increased functionalities such as

• Access to device hardware like vibration
• Push notification
• Enhanced touch gestures

How much time does it take to develop a web, native, or hybrid app?

The complexity of your app and the features you want to include are the primary deciding factors for the time it will take to develop your app. Yet, a simple app with minimal features can be developed within 90-120 days.

How frequently do I need to update the app?

To keep your consumer excited about using your services, one has to offer updates at regular time intervals. You also have to offer updates to enhance functionality and fix bugs.

What app development process does your company follow?

We follow the Agile-Scrum app development methodology for developing all our applications. Using the same we can offer transparency and understanding to all our clients.