Complete Guide to Mobile App Development: Web vs Native vs Hybrid

Mobile apps can help you reach a wide audience that is increasingly using apps to get things done all day round. Building a mobile application is not a cakewalk. And, so, you need to put a lot of thought into your mobile app strategy.

After you have the right strategy and want to begin implementation, there are three types of mobile app development services you can choose from:

1. Web App Development
2. Native Mobile App Development
3. Hybrid Mobile App Development

Before building a mobile application, consider all three, weigh in their advantages and setbacks and then make an informed decision.

Let’s learn all about these three mobile app types and help you pick the one that would be the best for your requirement.

Quick Introduction to Web Apps, Native Apps, and Hybrid Apps Development

All three mobile app types are ideal for some specific mobile apps. Let’s see each in brief:

• Web App Development – Web apps are not installed on a mobile device. Instead, they are hosted on web browsers and are basically websites that resemble native mobile apps. Users interact with web apps through a webview. Unlike websites that are for information consumption, web apps are functional. Web apps are an excellent choice when you want to develop one mobile app for your entire audience. Since web apps work on the browser, they need not be developed for separate mobile platforms.
• Native App Development – Apps that are developed, designed, and deployed keeping one mobile OS in mind are generally native apps. They are more complex to develop than web apps since they take platform specifics into account and use particular mobile app development languages. A native mobile app created for one mobile OS (iOS or Android) will not work on any other platform. So, if you want to reach two segmented audiences, you will need to have two separate teams working to develop native apps for Android and iOS.
• Hybrid App Development – Hybrid apps are part native and part web apps. They can be installed just like a native mobile app but impart the look and feel of a web app. Hybrid apps are the best option for MVPs as they can be developed in a short period with limited resources and can be tested after launching. Hybrid apps can be written once and the single web technology codebase can be deployed on multiple platforms.

Let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages of each mobile app development service.

Weighing the Pros and Cons of Web, Native, and Hybrid App Development

Web Apps

Here are a few benefits of using web apps for your business-

• Web apps are easy to maintain since they have a simple codebase and glitches are easy to find and fix.
• Web apps share codebase across platforms which means limited budget projects can be successfully completed with web apps without compromising with app reach.
• The distribution, deployment, and release of new features takes no time since the apps need no updating in an app store.
• The development costs in terms of time and effort are lower since you only need to deploy one codebase across mobile operating systems.
• Web apps can access device-level features through a few Javascript APIs.

Here’s what you don’t get using a web app-

• User interactions with the app are not as smooth and seamless as with the other mobile app types.
• The UI design elements could be inconsistent. For instance, features such as push notifications, work offline, and load on the home screen are absent for a web app.
• Since web apps cannot be uploaded to app stores, the potential reach to users might be affected.
• Often, web apps operate slowly and can’t be accessed without an active and strong internet connection on the user’s mobile device.

Native Apps

Here’s why you should be using native app development-

• Native apps are highly responsive as they are tailored for specific platforms.
• They have high functioning speeds that add to the user experience.
• Native apps are high-performance apps.
• They reach a wider audience as they are made available through app stores.
• Native apps run much smoother and are more interactive and intuitive in terms of user input and output.
• Native apps can leverage all device features to give users an unparalleled experience.
• An internet connection is not a necessity for native mobile apps, though that might be a preferred functionality.
• Since each mobile platform has its set of standard UI practices, native apps follow them and deliver an overall exceptional experience.
• Native apps use less hardware and the code written for them is efficient.

Here’s why native app development might not be for you-

• Native apps are more expensive since separate apps need to be developed and deployed to reach a sufficient audience on each leading mobile platform.
• Native apps are time-consuming to build, which also adds up to their cost.
• Native apps have no cross-platform support. An app created for Android won’t work on an iOS mobile device.
• Publishing a native app to Apple’s app store might need prior approval.
• The maintenance and updating of native apps are demanding processes.
• Building a mobile app that’s native requires developers with expertise in difficult programming languages which adds to the cost.
• Native app development is not the best option for simple and basic functionality mobile applications.

Hybrid Apps

Here’s why hybrid apps are a lucrative option for mobile app development-

• Hybrid apps sport a single codebase so you can write code once and deploy it on multiple mobile device platforms.
• Hybrid apps support cross-platform mobile apps which reduces the development cost and time.
• Hybrid mobile app development is convenient, quick, and cost-effective with standard web technologies.
• Hybrid apps can be marketed in app stores and reach masses of audience.
• Hybrid apps can leverage easy and fast updates.
• This class of apps can be made to work offline.
• Hybrid mobile applications allow access to the device’s internal APIs so your app can access hardware components.

Here’s why you might not choose developing hybrid mobile apps-

• Hybrid apps tend to be slower than native apps.
• These are more expensive than web apps since you require a wrapper. Basically, you are dependent on a third-party system.
• Hybrid apps are less interactive than native apps which is not the ideal solution if you need highly interactive apps that enhance the user experience.
• If you need customizations in your app, that might steal away the core benefit of hybrid. Then, you might as well go with native mobile app development.
• The UX is usually a compromise in hybrid mobile app development.

Customizations don’t make any sense for hybrid apps since the more you customize your mobile app, the more you move toward a native mobile app.

Which is a Clear Winner for Mobile App Development?

As you might have guessed, we don’t have a winner here. Instead, the winner would be different for various kinds of mobile app requirements businesses have.

However, here are the factors you might want to consider before deciding on a specific mobile app type-

• Your budget for mobile application development.
• Your timeline for app deployment.
• The quality of user experience you want your app should have.
• The complexity or simplicity of app features you need.

No matter what your approach with mobile app development, your app should be quick, interactive, intuitive, and responsive.

User expectations are at an all-time high for in-app experiences and you don’t want to let your audiences down. A mobile app can be another great sales and marketing tool for your business.

Therefore, we encourage you to work with a credible mobile app development team such as the one we house at CDN Solutions Group.

CDN Solutions Group can Help with Web, Native, and Hybrid App Development

Having catered to over 200 clients based in nearly 40 countries, we have become trusted partners for 85% of our clients. They remember us when they need mobile app development services.

With that high a rate of repeat customers and clients vouching for our services, we prove to be a reliable and dependable name in mobile app development services.

Here’s what differentiates us from the rest-

• We house a team of handpicked, talented experts in programming languages such as Javascript, HTML, CSS, Java, and Objective C.
• Our specialist testers don’t leave around predictable glitches and minimize any loopholes in your app.
• We take due care of your app’s security and make sure we don’t break your brand’s loyal customer base.
• With us, you never see a garb. We keep our prices in the open for you to see. No hidden charges.
• We communicate well. The transparency in our communication allows our clients to be a part of their app’s development process throughout the journey.
• We are cost-effective and don’t burn your bank.
• We stick to deadlines like glue!

Learn more about our services and reach out to us for web app development, native mobile app development, and building hybrid mobile apps.