Native vs. Cross-Platform App Development - PerfectionGeeks
Our lives are now confined to digital assets thanks to the advancement of technology and mobile development. The Internet and mobile apps are where we make the most important decisions about our lives and business. Businesses find it difficult to stay competitive in this digital environment.
There are countless apps available on the Play Store or App Store, but they have limited exposure, skills, budget, and resources.
It is expected that app downloads will increase to 299 Billion annually by 2023 from 247 Billion in 2020.
In-app advertising and paid downloads are expected to bring in more than 935 Billion U.S. Dollars in revenue by 2023. Due to the fierce competition, business owners are under pressure to focus more on quality, precision, functionality, and other parameters that will convince potential customers to choose their services over others and then create an app development strategy. Businesses often face multiple dilemmas at this point. They need to decide which technology is best, which platform to use, and which framework to develop apps to increase customer engagement.
This blog will discuss the main app development methods - Native Hybrid and cross-platform development.
What is a Native App?
Native apps are designed for specific operating systems and use platform-specific programming languages. Native app development refers to the process of developing apps and software that can be used on specific devices or mobile app platforms like Android and IOS. With native app development, developers rely on the native-to-the-operating-system programming language to craft apps that fit one particular platform- may it be desktops, smart TVs, smartphones, or any other advanced gadgets being used by digital transformation Companies.
Native apps for Android can be developed using Java, Kotlin, Objective,-C, and Swift. If you want to provide the best user experience possible, native mobile app development is the way to go. Native app development allows developers to add additional capabilities and features to their apps. It also can use primary smartphones hardware elements such as GPS, Proximity sensors, and a camera.
Native Apps: Benefits
Following are the top benefits of Native Apps.
High Speed
Native apps are much faster than cross-platform and hybrid apps because they don't have complex code. Most of the elements can be displayed quickly because they are preloaded well in advance. Native applications are preferred by startups due to their speed of development and cost-effectiveness.
Offline functionality
Native apps work flawlessly in any environment without internet connectivity. This is one of the most prominent benefits of native apps. The app functions can be accessed in offline or airplane mode, which provides more convenience for users. App users who live in areas with low internet connectivity, are located in remote areas, or have limited access to data may need this offline support functionality.
Interactive & More intuitive
Native apps offer a superior user experience for emerging entrepreneurs. Native apps are designed for specific OSs and follow the guidelines to ensure a seamless experience. Native apps adhere to these guidelines and allow users to interact with them using gestures and actions they already know.
Minimize the impact of bugs
It is more difficult to manage two codebases than one in native app development. Native apps only have one codebase, and they don't rely upon cross-platform apps tools to fix bugs.
Maximum Performance
Native app development allows you to develop apps that are optimized for a particular platform. This ensures high performance. Native apps are optimized for a specific platform and can be responsive and relatively fast. These apps can also be compiled with APIs and core programming languages, making them more efficient.
Enhanced Security
Native app development uses different browsers and technologies such as HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS. This ensures that the user is protected from all data.
What are the benefits of developing a native app?
Your app will be used by your target audience for the first time. You want to impress them with the best app experience. You will need to code for one platform only.
Companies invest in 3D animations and games. You plan to target VC investors and grab a large base of DAUs and create an intuitive and easy-to-learn app. You may need to add specific functions like GPS, camera, etc.
High Maintenance
Native app development can come with high maintenance costs that are higher than actual development costs.
Cons of Native App Development
No Code Reusability
Native apps that are built for iOS or Android will need to be developed separately. This would take a lot more time, effort,t and money than the hybrid mobile apps that share backend code, or cross-platform apps with a reusable codebase. Native apps that are built for iOS or Android will need to be developed separately. This would take a lot more time, effort, and money than the hybrid mobile apps that share backend code, or cross-platform apps that have a reusable codebase.
High Maintenance
Native app development can come with high maintenance costs that are higher than actual development costs.
There are more skills and talents needed
Native mobile apps require developers to be able to develop native apps in different languages. If you want to develop native apps or cross-platform apps, you will need to hire two teams while cross-platform app developers only require one team.
What is a Hybrid app?
Hybrid app development combines web and native solutions. Developers need to embed code written in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and HTML into a native application with the help of plugins such as Ionic's Capacitor and Apache Cordova which allow for native functionality.
The Hybrid Platform consists of a backend code and a native viewer that is used to display the functions.
Hybrid app development allows you to write the code once, and it can be used for multiple platforms. Hybrid app development is capable of providing performance and user experience that is comparable to native apps.
However, hybrid app development falls short in UI/UX design services and navigation patterns.
Hybrid Apps: The Benefits
Rapid time to market
Most startups have the mindset of ensuring faster delivery of MVP to market. A hybrid app development framework is the best choice in this case because it allows rapid development and launch of an app to the market, rather than waiting until later.
Simple Maintenance
Hybrid apps are purely web-based, so it is much easier to maintain than native app development companies or cross-platform apps with complex coding.
Low Development Costs and Easy Access to Development
The hybrid app development lifecycle is very effective. Start-ups with limited budgets will feel relieved when unified development is included. Developers don't need to spend separately to create different versions for different platforms. Developers can create a single version of an app and use it for multiple platforms with hybrid app development frameworks.
Improved UX/UI
Hybrid apps combine the best of both native development and web apps while providing a seamless and enhanced user experience across Android and iOS platforms. Hybrid app development uses a lightweight hybrid UI which allows for super-fast loading of graphics and content.
What are the benefits of a hybrid app?
You want to seamlessly operate your app across all platforms but don't have the time or resources to create a cross-platform app development. You intend to distribute your web app through app stores.
Your app is accessible to a wider audience via web and mobile. For testing your project idea, you can use Minimum Viable Product (MVP). You want to use the device's built-in features such as GPS, camera, etc.
Cross-platform native apps. Each operating platform has its SDK and technology stack. Java, Kotlin, or Swift for iOS apps. Cross-platform app developers create a unified SDK for developers that runs on top of a native SDK. They use native IDEs and share the same codebase for iOS and Android apps. Native cross-platform apps are primarily created with Xamarin and React Native.
Conclusion
This should help you decide the best path for your business and mobile app. Many factors will influence the choice of solution with the assistance of the development team. The first thing you need to do is talk to the development team about your business model, and how you plan to monetize your app.
This will make sure that your software project is a success. Both Cross-platform and Native app development come with their perks and disadvantages. It all boils down to what the business needs are before you can choose an app development framework. IT business owners need to know what their needs are before they decide on an app development framework. The future, as well as the present, should all be considered when making a decision. Reach PerfectionGeeks Technologies as we are working in this field and have a team of experts who are dedicated and will give you with best services.
