August 21, 2023
Is Hybrid App Development Better Than Native App Development?
With over 6.3B Smartphone users worldwide, it is no surprise that the mobile industry is booming day by day. According to a recent report published by App Annie, time spent by a user on mobile apps is 90%.
With the ever-changing technology trends, every business aims to innovate to increase their customer base, brand reputation, sales, and Return on Investment (ROI). And Mobile Application is capable of delivering all these and helping businesses leverage market opportunities to generate hefty revenues.
While deciding on developing a mobile application, a common issue that often arises is either to create a native or hybrid app. So, today we will explore both types. We are hopeful that at the end of this blog, you should have a better understanding of both approaches and will be able to choose the best option for your business type.
Before we jump to any conclusion, let’s define what our genres are
WHAT IS A NATIVE APP DEVELOPMENT?
Native Mobile Applications are primarily written and developed for a specific mobile device and its operating system. For example, A native Android application would be developed using Kotlin/Java and compiled using Android Studio, While A native iOS application would be written in either Swift or Objective-C and assembled using Xcode.
Since, Native applications are developed for a specific OS, using the platform’s default solutions, developers have full and easier access to the built-in capabilities of the device, user interface (UI) controls, and layouts, which is why they provide the best user experience. This advantage makes native apps more efficient than their counterparts.
However, the drawback is that an application written for android using Java will not function on iOS, and vice versa. It implies that it has to have multiple source codes for each platform. But it would require a big budget and a bigger team size.
WHAT IS HYBRID APP DEVELOPMENT AND WHY ITS BETTER THAN THE NATIVE APP MODEL?
Hybrid Apps are developed on a single code-bar that can run on multiple operating systems, including Windows, Android, and iOS, using web technologies (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript), which are then compressed within a native application. But through the usage of plugins, these applications can have full access to the mobile device’s features. Hence, Hybrid Apps at core are a blend of both native and web solutions.
The only trade-off between native and hybrid options is UI(User-interface).
However, there are some drawbacks with this method, and one of them is a good UI (User Interface). But solutions like Ionic, NativeScript, Xamarin, React Native, and others, have made it easier to achieve a great UI, providing robust UI components that look and feel like their native counterparts, giving a complete set of building blocks for a hybrid Application
BENEFITS OF HYBRID APPLICATIONS:
One Codebase to manage:
All the advantages of a hybrid app stem from the fact that it is platform agnostic and needs a single codebase for an app to run on both platforms, Android, and iOS which makes it easier to manage the database.
Low Cost of Development:
As hybrid apps require a single codebase to run across platforms, it costs less to develop than native apps
Easier to Build & Scale:
Hybrid apps are easier to build, scale, and take less time to market.
Centangle’s Campus App:
Centangle has extensive experience in developing apps in Native and Hybrid models. But most recently, we built a Hybrid App for The World Bank, Pakistan. A customized, robust Campus App, which consisted of detailed facilities available in the office, daily updated cafe menus, & SIMSIM integrated digital payment for online ordering. We incorporated technologies like Ionic, NativeScript, Xamarin, React Native for providing a good user interface. We used Yii2 to develop REST API and MySQL for the database. On the front-end, we used ionic to develop mobile applications for both iOS and Android platforms. Both applications were then deployed on the MDM server of World bank. We also deployed databases and back-end applications in a dedicated server machine hosted in a CIS datacenter in Pakistan.
Final Thoughts:
When a business/organization decides to develop an application, there are several factors to consider: Budget, the timeline, the team’s experience with technology, and, finally, your target audience. So, unless you are creating a highly performant game or a similar application, the hybrid app might be the best option because of its flexible development approach, cost-effectiveness, and compatibility across various platforms. However, it requires a team with top-notch expertise to embed the solution and design the best UI (User Interface) for the particular business type. And our team has it in spades!
Contact us now to get a free quote
If you have any queries or want to know more about which option suits your business best, Contact us now and GET A FREE QUOTE!
