Are you thinking of investing in a mobile app but are confused on what to choose? Then you are at the right place.

Let us start by understanding the basics —the word ‘app’ is short for an application which is a program, or a group of programs aimed at serving a certain purpose. Although all the software used are technically an application, the term ‘app’ is mostly used in the context of mobile systems, like iOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows.

There are two main types of applications: a Native app and a hybrid app. While for the users’ app developed in either of them may seem identical, but their difference lies in the systems in which they are developed.

For us to understand which one is better and why, we must first look at the difference between them.

Native App

This is the kind of application developed for a specific mobile system, i.e., it would depend on the compatibility with different mobile systems. For example, if an app has been developed for Android mobile system, then it would not work well on other mobile systems like iOS, windows etc. We would need to redevelop the app again according to iOS framework specifications. The reason for the former is that Android development requires languages like Java or Eclipse while iOS uses Objective-C or XCode.

From the above, we can understand that to develop Native Apps we need SDK platform, tools, and languages relevant to the platform. This means that native app can be easily developed by any developer. Currently, a large chunk of the apps in the play store and app store are Native apps.  Some examples of real time Native Apps- Facebook, Pokemon Go

Pros

The first question to pop in one’s mind is — why most apps are, Native apps. To answer this the reasons are listed below:

1. Provides fast and reliable user experience
2. There’s wide integration, meaning it can connect to – contact list, messaging, camera, microphone, GPS etc. The other alternatives also provide a similar functionality but it’s the smoothest on Native apps.
3. Push notification is another key function that makes Native apps a popular choice, because after all the main idea behind an app is that people keep using it. And with constant notifications popping on your home screen it makes for an effective strategy.
4. The graphics quality is much better when compared to Hybrid apps
5. It is more secure

Cons

1. It requires more than one type of coding making it a complex process. For example- Android app will not run on iOS and vice versa
2. Harder to port to other systems
3. Can be a little expensive as they are written with more complex codes, structures and designs

Hybrid App

These are apps that look and feel like native apps. But, they are web pages that are wrapped in a native container. It is built using HTML 5, CSS and JavaScript. The difference is that while in a native app most of the data is downloaded when the app is first installed, in a Hybrid app the information loads while the user navigates the page, as on a webpage. To explain it more clearly

Native + Web = Hybrid

Real time Hybrid apps- Twitter, Gmail, Amazon App store, Khan academy­­­­­

Pros

1. If you are short on time, then this is an option to consider as Hybrid app development is much faster and requires less effort in comparison to native.
2. With plugins, you can have access to various hardware/software capability
3. Best option if you are tight on budget, as it is a lot cheaper to develop
4. Great portability- with one source code you can access multiple platforms, i.e., once an app is developed it can be launched on various platforms like iOS, Android, Windows
5. Easy to maintain

Cons

1. The user experience is not very pleasant
2. It is much slower than native apps
3. There are fewer graphics
4. It may be a problem for certain device features to be integrated into Hybrid apps

Now that you’ve gone through the information provided above, you should understand that each option has its own set of pros and cons.  Apart from this, you should take into consideration the following —

• Speed — How fast will your app need to run
• Features — What are the necessary features you need
• Goal — What you are trying to accomplish with the app
• In-House team — If it is possible to develop a part of the app in-house
• Budget — How much are you willing to spend on app development

Before you make any final decision, have a discussion with your app developers to ensure that they can turn your vision into reality efficiently and effectively. If you are at the test run stage then, outsourcing the app development is a good way to start. With a professional team at www.myappsdevelopment.com, mobile app development project will be a smooth ride. We would do all the heavy lifting to remove any roadblocks, making way for a successful app design.

The post NATIVE VS HYBRID- WHICH IS BETTER? appeared first on My App Development.