Native VS Cross-platform Vs Hybrid Mobile Apps

We all know that the number of mobile app user are increasing worldwide. According to a report by "Statica", the total number of mobile app downloads in 2017 was 197 billion. This shows how the mobile app market is evolving. So why we are here? We found that a big ratio of the population is connected with mobile apps, and choosing the right or relevant app is the user’s major concern. 

And People are actively looking for answers to what to choose, a native or a cross-platform mobile app. 

This is the reason why we are writing this blog to demonstrate the major differences between native & cross-platform mobile apps. Kindly go through the blog points to find the advantages & disadvantages.

Difference between Native & Cross-platform Mobile Apps:-

A native app is an app that is developed with the intention of being used in a particular platform like only for android or ios or a particular device, whereas a cross-platform application is a mobile app that is built to be used on multiple operating systems. To clearly understand the main features of each platform, read all the advantages separately.

The Major advantages of native mobile apps include:

1). High performance.

2). Ultimate user experience.

3). Greater app store visibility.

4). Optimum utilization of device hardware.

Some of the major disadvantages of native mobile apps are as follows:

1). Very Expensive Development.

2). Time Consuming.

3). Takes lots of time when downloading.

On the other hand, some of the major cross-platform mobile apps include:

1). Codes can be reused.

2). Easy Implementation.

3). Controls the cost & pricing.

4). Fast to develop.

5). Easy Access to Plug-Ins.

Some of the major disadvantages of Cross-platform apps are as follows:-

1). Inefficient Code.

2). Slower Rendering.

3). Platform limitations.

4). Integration Challenges.

There is a last but not the least mobile app category available which is recognized as the “Hybrid Mobile apps”. Let us know more about this type of app in the below paragraph.

Hybrid Apps:

The hybrid mobile apps are also cross-platform apps but render the user interface using an embedded web browser, leveraging HTML, CSS and Javascript. The trending hybrid apps are HTML5 hybrid apps that are developed with the help of Cordova, Trigger.IO, Ionic Framework, and Telerik Platform.

Some of the major advantages of hybrid mobile apps are as follows:

1). Sharable code with all versions of the app.

2). Faster development.

3). Low-level access.

4). Offline Support.

Some of the major disadvantages of hybrid apps are as follows:-

1). Limited User Interface.

2). Slower Performance.

3). Dependency on browser speed.

The most popular proven incident across the world which can help you to understand the above statements is facebooks cross-platforms based mobile app. In 2012, the Social Network Giant Facebook supplanted its HTML5 application with a local iOS title and named its cross-platform attempt "the biggest mistake" they've ever made. 

As indicated by Mick Johnson, previous iOS Product Manager at Facebook, the choice to go, native, helped the organization comprehend three noteworthy issues identified with the application's execution including the dispatch speed, looking through the News Feed and tapping pictures inside it. Facebook released a native Android app later that year. 

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This explains that choosing an app development platform can be very efficient or dangerous as well. We hope this blog helps you to find the appropriate app development platforms for you or your business.