What is The Difference Between Native and Hybrid App?

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Native apps are designed for specific platforms like iOS or Android. Hybrid apps mix native and web features. HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are used to build it.

real differences between native and hybrid app development

Table of Contents

When making apps, there are now two main ways to do it: native app and hybrid app development. Both ways are good in some ways, but it's important to know the real differences between them. 

This blog will go into great detail about native app development, hybrid app development, and comparing the two. It will also talk about important things to think about when making a choice between these two application developments. 

>> Read more: Top Mobile App Development Trends for 2023

What Is A Native App?

Native apps are designed for specific platforms like iOS or Android. These apps use platform-specific programming languages to maximize hardware and software capabilities. Instagram, Facebook, Google Maps, and Gmail are iOS and Android examples.

App developers should know how to make apps. Even deep knowledge of the top app development languages (Android Studio, Kotlin, Java, Objective C, Swift) is a bonus.

Use of device features and easy access to components make these mobile apps powerful and sturdy. It scales apps for a smartphone effortlessly.

Interface and navigation are designed using mobile app platform specifications. The user must download the app to use it.

what is native app
 What is Native App? (source: Internet)

Key Features of Native Apps

Before choosing the strategy, make sure you are aware of all these essential characteristics of a native solution.

Feature

Meaning

Detail

Standardized Development Kits

For native apps, the environment, infrastructure, tools, and even the computer language are all different.

Use a computer language that is unique to Android and not iOS.

Offer standard software development kits that include all the interface parts and elements that are unique to the native method.

Delivery Approach

Get it on your phone or computer.

To use the app, you need to download it to your computer. It takes up some of the device's memory.

High Performance

The apps run faster because they use parts that are specific to each gadget.

Because they use internal parts, the apps are faster.

There is no delay when the app gets the parts because they are all made to meet the standards.

Faster Approvals

Very quickly, your app is made available to everyone.

You don't have to wait long for the entry to be made public. Because your app follows the design rules, it gets accepted more quickly.

Programming Language

To build something, you need to use a native computer language.

You should know how to use Swift and Objective-C well if you want to make apps for iOS. For Android, you should also know Java, Kotlin, or Android Studio.

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Pros and Cons of Native Apps

Advantages

  • Work well with certain operating systems: Programmers use different programming languages to make codes that work with different operating systems in native mobile app creation. The software works well because it was made to work with a certain operating system.

  • Fast update: With native SDKs, you can use the features of a device without having to deal with the hassles of native apps. Also, new features of devices will be available right away.

  • User-friendly features: Native apps have a familiar look and feel because they are improved versions of the operating system's built-in programs. This relaxation may make the whole experience better for the user.

  • Faster start: Native apps usually start faster because they were made to work with that platform. They made the app's pictures and images better by keeping the aspect ratio.

  • Use without Internet: You can use them without being linked to the Internet (most of the time) because they work better when they're not. Users can still access the most important parts of your app even if they are stuck in the middle of nowhere, like on a bus or the subway.

  • Running faster than other codes: Native code is still faster than JavaScript and HTML. Because of this, native apps work pretty well for apps with a lot of graphics, high-definition games, and a lot of animation.

  • Direct operation: Native apps operate directly on the device's operating system, maximizing its capabilities. The app runs faster and is more user-friendly. 

  • Complete access to mobile devices: Native apps have complete access to mobile device hardware including cameras, GPS, contacts, microphones, etc. Mobile app developers can add complex features that hybrid apps cannot. 

  • Security: Native apps are tailored for certain platforms, thus developers must follow platform-specific data security guidelines.

Disadvantages

  • Longer downloading: Downloading native mobile apps takes longer. Users must search the app store, open it, accept the terms, and download it. Potential customers may leave the download midway if it takes too long.

  • High cost: The cost of native app development rises because developers with different skill sets must design, maintain, and manage the same software on each platform.

  • Take time in coding: Bringing the same feature to various platforms is rarely easy or quick. Due to their distinct coding, native mobile apps do this.

  • Separate codebase: Native apps' main drawback is that developing tools and programming languages for each platform demands specialized knowledge. Additionally, each codebase must maintain and update the application version individually, resulting in a lack of consistency on iOS but not on Android, or app versions on Android being updated routinely but iOS slower, and vice versa. Businesses must design an app for each platform, which can limit its access to many target clients. 

  • Long developing time and money: Businesses must spend time and money to develop, maintain, and update native apps because each platform has a different codebase.  

Practical Examples of Native Apps

  • Spotify: Because it's a native app, Spotify uses the features of your device, like iOS or Android, to give you high-quality sound and an easy-to-use interface. 

  • WhatsApp: is an important communication tool because it works well, syncs with other apps easily, and lets you get to your chats quickly.

  • SoundCloud: It uses your device's built-in features to give you a more immersive music listening experience.

What Is A Hybrid App?

Hybrid apps mix native and web features. HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are used to build it, and a native container lets it run as a native app on app stores. Instagram and Uber use web technology and native device functionality.

Native apps must be developed for Android and iOS, but hybrid apps can be used on several platforms.

WebView displays web pages in mobile apps. They employ native components and device elements without downloading. No coding is needed for hybrid apps, unlike traditional mobile apps. You must verify browser compatibility since they are viewed in web browsers.

These apps also have low development and maintenance costs.

what is hybrid app
 What is Hybrid App? (Source: Internet)

Key Features of Hybrid Apps

Check out all the great things about hybrid apps that make them great for making mobile apps.

Feature

Meaning

Detail

Offline Access

To use the apps, you don't need to connect the computer to the Internet.

They keep the app API in addition to the data, which lets them get to the data and use the app even when they're not connected to the internet.

Portable Codes

There's no need for different codes for iOS and Android.

The device-specific component can be used, the native container can hold them, and web browsers can be used to view them. You don't have to write separate logic for each machine, though.

Portable Codes

Plugins can help you control the different parts.

For mixed apps, use native plugins to take care of the hardware and software. By doing this, you can get to the apps more quickly and easily.

Cost Efficient

The cost is less because of the single script and web-based access.

To use hybrid apps on different platforms, you don't need to create your own code or use separate resources. It lowers the cost of the platform, facilities maintenance, and growth as a result.

Pros and Cons of Hybrid Apps

Advantages

  • Saving time and money: Hybrid apps have many benefits. When you need to make more than one version of an app, hybrid apps can save you time and money by having a "one for all" build.

  • Same UX for all platforms: There is no need for users to switch between websites, devices, or operating systems when using hybrid apps. The user experience is the same on all platforms, for better or worse.

  • Same code base: All systems use the same code base, so people who make mixed apps only have to write it once and run it when they need to. There are native apps for each platform that need to be built, updated, and written separately.

  • Speed boosts: It is possible for hybrid apps to get the same speed boosts from hardware as native apps. Since native apps can do the same thing, this isn't really an "advantage," but it is something to keep in mind.

  • Work on several platforms: Hybrid apps can run on many platforms with a single codebase, unlike native apps, which require numerous app versions. Businesses can save a lot of money by hiring a hybrid app developer instead of two iOS and Android developers to construct a mobile app. Hybrid apps include HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, so developers can use their web development talents to speed up development. 

  • Faster and cheaper: Businesses may develop hybrid apps faster and cheaper with a single codebase that operates on various platforms. Since updates are made on a single codebase and applied simultaneously across all platforms, maintenance will be easier. 

Disadvantages

  • Lagging and stutter: Compared to native apps, hybrid apps perform poorly and sometimes lag or stutter.  There are many apps that work the same no matter if they are mixed or native. Games in HD and 3D, software with graphics that use a lot of data, and other performance-based apps, on the other hand, could not work properly or regularly in hybrid app form.

  • Use native features: For hybrid apps to work, they need to use native features. As a native app, a completely new device feature could occasionally not be easy to get to. While a skilled worker could make their own, it would add to the work and stress of the development process.

  • Limited functions: Hardware functions like cameras, contacts, microphones, etc. are limited in hybrid apps. This can drastically affect app usability. 

  • User experience: iOS and Android have different regulations and operating techniques, therefore a design utilized in most hybrid apps may not work on either platform. A bad and disconnected user experience can result. Without an Internet connection, the apps may not work. 

  • Security: Hybrid apps are vulnerable to cyberattacks since they use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and are cross-platform devevlopment

Practical Examples of Hybrid Apps

  • Amazon App Store: The combined design of the Amazon App Store makes it easy for users to find and start using a lot of different apps.

  • Instagram: The hybrid approach lets Instagram make sure that the user interface is the same on all devices, making sure that the platform is both visually appealing and fun to use.

  • Twitter uses web-based parts for viewing content, timelines, and interactions, but native parts allow for things like geolocation, push alerts, and media uploads. 

  • Gmail: The app uses web-based features to access and organize emails, write messages, and manage folders. However, native features allow access while the app is offline, push alerts, and seamless communication with the device's address book and calendar.

Native and Hybrid App Differences 

 

Native App

Hybrid App

Code Portability

Writing different sets of code for each device. 

Using different programming languages for native apps.

Using the same code for all systems in this case.

Access Device Features

Be able to access all the device's parts.

In some situations, the app will need outside help to access

User Experience

Following the specific design rules and best practices. 

Putting UX design into action for certain operating systems.

Same UX/UI design across all platforms. It's more important to be uniform here.

Performance

3D, games, and other apps that are built as native apps can run quickly and smoothly without sacrificing quality.

This method gives basic app versions the same quality as native apps, but it can't meet the performance and speed needs of high-end apps

Update

Users of native apps need to make sure they're using the most recent version of the app by updating it in the app store.

Because they are more like web apps, users don't have to update the app in app stores to get the latest version.

Approvals

Need to get approval from the app store. 

Should learn how to launch an application for Android on the Play Store or the app store.

When you use a web browser to view a hybrid app, you don't have to worry about getting it approved by the app store.

Developer Expertise

Need mobile app builders knowing how to use specific computer languages, like Swift for iOS.

Web developers who are good at making apps can choose hybrid app creation because it's easy to use. These apps don't depend on the mobile gadget or operating system.

Security

An Android or iOS app is saved on the phone's local storage and uses features that are built into that phone.

A hybrid mobile application can be viewed through a number of browsers and is not dependent on the device being used

Maintenance

You have to keep the app up to date for each platform, which costs more and takes more time.

With these, you can count on only one asset to keep the app running, which saves money.

Operation Speed

Because the device's parts are used to make the app, it works quickly.

They do not work quickly because they use plugins and are viewed through web browsers.

Cost of Development

It costs a lot to make a native app because you have to hire a dedicated app developer, set up the facilities, etc.

For a mobile web app that uses mixed technologies, you don't need to hire any special tools or set up any special infrastructure. The web app team developing it can help you.

Time to Market

It will take a long time to make apps that work on both iOS and Android. You have to write the code, make the user interface, and plan how people will interact with the tool.

Make one codebase with a consistent look that you can share across all devices.

Ensure that their browsers can run them because they are basically web apps made with cross-compatible web technologies.

Native vs Hybrid App Development
Native versus Hybrid App Development (Source: Internet)

Native App vs. Hybrid App: What To Choose?

When to Use Native Apps?

Native app creation is the way to go when:

  • There is a lot of competition in your niche, so having slightly better success is helpful.

  • Your whole service works on phones, or you want your app to be a business in and of itself.

  • The app has complicated graphics and a lot of different ways to use it.

  • Your app needs to have a lot of features and be very complicated.

  • The app needs to be able to work without an internet connection, and you need to have a long-term strategy for growing.

When to Use Hybrid Apps?

The best cases to use hybrid app creation is when:

  • You need to quickly evaluate an idea for an app and put it on the market.

  • You need a cheap app that works on many devices.

  • There aren't a lot of complicated parts or rules that make sense.

  • Your startup needs to make an MVP fast.

  • The Internet is where the data in your app needs to come from.

What to choose between native and hybrid app
What to choose: Native and Hybrid App? (source: Internet)

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Conclusion

The main difference between native and hybrid app creation is how they are built and what they give up. Native app development may be the best option if you care about performance, platform-specific user experience, and have the means to do it. On the other hand, mixed app development can be a good choice if you want to save money and make sure your app works on multiple platforms.

Above is the discussion of the differences between native and hybrid app development. Hope this blog helps you find the best method for your project.

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