Hybrid vs Native Mobile App Development – What to Choose for Your Business?

Smartphone usage and interaction with mobile apps has tremendously grown in recent years. Due to the pandemic, this year has seen a massive surge in more and more companies launching personalised mobile apps to connect with consumers. After all, the benefits are endless. It no longer matters whether you are an established business or a startup, mobile app development is booming and everyone wants to make the most of it.

Now, the very first question that arises when creating a mobile app, is to go for native app development or hybrid app development? This blog is going to give you the answer to this extremely crucial question. But first, let us take a look at what are native and hybrid apps.

A native app is a mobile app which is developed for a particular operating system. It will run on that operating system only. For example, Swift can only be used to create apps for iOS and Java can only be used to do the same on Android. It will not work the other way round. Other popular technologies for iOS include Objective C and Kotlin for Android.

A hybrid app on the other hand is a cross platform app. This means that the same app can run on Android as well as iOS, unlike native apps which are only suited to one particular platform. They are basically websites which make use of HTML, CSS and JavaScript to work like an app on all operating systems such as Android, iOS and Windows.

For example, React Native can be used to build hybrid mobile apps using JavaScript. Similarly, Ionic is a free and open source framework based on CSS which when combined with AngularJS becomes powerful. For simple apps, you can use Xamarin which is backed by Microsoft.

Pros Of Native Apps

• Native apps offer higher performance and speed since they are specifically customized and built for a dedicated operating system.
• It provides a much better overall user experience since you can even use it in offline mode. They are flexible and offer many features such as camera, GPS, screen size optimization, etc.
• They are very secure and can keep your data safe. This is particularly important in case of enterprises with sensitive and personal data.

Cons Of Native Apps

• It requires a lot of time and money to make native apps. You have to hire separate developers for both the platforms and it also requires a hefty investment.
• Native apps have a distributed codebase which is different for iOS and Android. iOS users may miss out on some features while Android users may miss out on regular updates or vice versa. These things are common when dealing with native apps.

Pros Of Hybrid Apps

• The biggest advantage of hybrid apps is that it uses a single codebase unlike native apps, as we had just discussed. You only need to build one app and tweak it, instead of building two separate apps for Android and iOS. All the advantages of hybrid apps come from this.
• Naturally, hybrid apps are more cost effective & time saving as you are building only one app. It is a great solution for startups.
• The time to market is less when compared to native apps. You can launch hybrid apps much faster.
• It is much easier to maintain hybrid apps. All changes and necessary updates can be tested simultaneously on both the platforms.

Cons Of Hybrid Apps

• It results in lower performance and efficiency since hybrid apps make use of plugins, extra layers and third party apps. The UI/UX may differ for Android and iOS.
• There are always some security concerns and data breach issues with hybrid apps as they make use of that extra layer. Debugging it could pose a problem.
• Without internet connectivity, users cannot access all the features available in hybrid apps. One can only make full use of the app with internet connectivity and it may not be possible to have a stable one at all times.

Which is the right choice for you?

After analysing the pros and cons of each, it can be seen that there is no straight winner for everyone. It all depends on a few key factors.

User Experience & Interface

Do you use an app with a bad interface and layout each day? Probably not, because it is so frustrating. If having a buttery smooth UI/UX is your top priority then go with native app development. It is not that hybrid apps have a bad UI, but when compared to the native apps, they do struggle a bit.

Performance Requirements

Performance plays a very crucial role in making the choice between hybrid and native apps. If your app cannot even serve its main purpose properly then users will simply not use it and find an alternative. If your app has many animations and graphics, such as a gaming app for instance, then it is best you go for native app development. Hybrid apps can handle your needs as long as there is nothing complicated involved and the app is for light to moderate usage only.

Estimated Time & Cost

If you want to bring your app to the market as soon as possible and you are on a budget constraint, hybrid apps are your saviour. You just need one team to work on the app and it will run on all platforms. Unlike native apps, you need more time and money for two separate iOS and Android teams.

Features & Gestures

If you are looking to build a complex, feature packed app that can tap into the smartphone’s sensors such as GPS, camera, accelerometer, then native apps would be a better choice. Similarly, for improving gesture support in the app such as swiping, double tap, etc, native apps would be more responsive. In case of hybrid apps, you have to rely on third party libraries, plugins and codes which may or may not be good enough.

Conclusion

So carefully break down what your needs are, the resources available with you, the time and money you are willing to spend on your app. If you critically examine each factor, the pros and cons of how hybrid and native apps stack against each other, you will find out which one is right for your project. Last but not the least, hire a trusted mobile app developer who can give you your money’s worth.