Native Vs Hybrid Mobile App Development – What’s Best For Your Business?

If you wish to build a mobile application for your business, you must be confused between Native Vs Hybrid Mobile App Development.

Well, you can now end your search for answers as you’ve come to the right place!

As an industry expert, we will provide you with all the information you’re looking for (and much more!) to build a suitable project that caters to all your business needs. 

Let’s get started.

Native App Development

Native apps are the most common type of smartphone application. When a user accesses its device’s in-built camera, phone book, music app, GPS, or sets reminders – they are using native apps. As the name suggests, they are native to the device’s operating system.

These apps are built for specific mobile operating systems. Android developers use Java or Kotlin, and iOS developers use Swift or Objective-C. This calls for building two applications simultaneously, ultimately leading to more effort and a slight delay in launching the app. 

However, the advantages that native apps offer balance it out – which we will discuss later in our thorough comparison of Native Vs Hybrid Mobile App Development. 

Native Apps Vs Web Apps:

People often confuse both these terminologies. Unlike native apps, a web app does not take up storage in a user’s device, which means that the user doesn’t need to download it. One can easily access these apps via browsers such as Google Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.

A web app’s primary goal is to condense the website’s information and content to improve its functionality. However, it does not come up to par with the user experience of native apps – they are slower and much less responsive. 

Hybrid App Development

In a simple explanation, if native apps and web apps had a baby, it would be a hybrid app. 

Hybrid apps are nothing but a website packaged into a native wrapper. They look and feel like native apps but are different in terms of software efficiency. Hybrid apps are bound to the application’s basic frame and are ultimately fueled by the company’s website. They also need an uninterrupted internet connection. 

Hybrid app development requires HTML, CSS, or Javascript and runs in a web view, but it can be installed on devices, unlike web apps.

Native Vs Hybrid Mobile App Development – A Detailed Comparison

There is no single, definitive winner between native apps and hybrid apps. It all depends on a bunch of competing factors and, ultimately, on what your needs and requirements are. 

Let’s begin with a detailed comparison, and then it is up to you to choose what suits you and your business the best.

• Speed To Market

Native Apps:

As mentioned before, native apps are built in a specific programming language, which means you will need to create different apps for Android and iOS. 

This leads to a choice between launching your app on Google Play Store or Apple App Store, and if you choose both platforms – you’ll need to build your app twice. 

This requires a lot of effort, time, and money, as you will have to work with different code bases. 

Hybrid Apps: 

Unlike their native counterpart, hybrid apps function on both operating systems – iOS and Android.

This means that you can be available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store and simultaneously launch your app. This is essential for your organization’s success as this increases your brand awareness. 

The Ultimate Decision – Native Vs Hybrid Mobile App Development: 

Idea Usher suggests you opt for hybrid app development if you’re looking forward to targeting a broader demographic and getting faster returns on your investment. 

• Design Changes and Updates

Native Apps:

Developing and launching an app is not the end of the story. You need to regularly update and maintain the app to give a spot-on user experience. 

Coding native apps is a complex task, making it further complicated to update your apps, especially if they have glitches.

Hybrid Apps: 

As hybrid apps are web-based, they are quicker to code as compared to native apps. This makes it easier to build, test, and launch the app. Therefore, if you encounter a glitch or a bug, you can simply make changes and move on.  

The Ultimate Decision – Native Vs Hybrid Mobile App Development: 

Idea Usher suggests you opt for hybrid app development if you want an app that is easy to code, test, lunch, and update. You can make enhancements without the hassle of doing everything twice. 

• Performance

Native Apps:

Native apps give a seamless experience by loading instantly and making it easier to navigate the contents, visual elements, and overall structure. They are fast and reliable.  

Hybrid Apps: 

Hybrid apps work slower – and this is where the performance takes a hit. They are basically browsers and load in the web-view component, making it challenging to navigate the app.

Here’s something that our mobile application clients have to say about mobile app performance. 

The Ultimate Decision – Native Vs Hybrid Mobile App Development: 

60% of our clients who got mobile applications developed by us said that an app’s performance is important. 

Better performance, happier users. 

If you and your business count performance as an important factor, Idea Usher suggests you opt for native app development.

• Affordability

Native Apps:

If you consider all the limitations of this application, they all lead towards one common denominator – money. 

The upfront costs of building a native app are high as it involves double the amount of work – coding, testing, debugging, and launching on two separate operating software. 

Typically, app development companies quote prices anywhere from $100,000 to $500,000 for the same. 

However, the cost to develop an app via Idea Usher would range anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 – depending on your needs.

Hybrid Apps: 

Hybrid apps are affordable and can be a good option for your company if you have a low budget. 

The Ultimate Decision – Native Vs Hybrid Mobile App Development: 

While the initial costs of native app development may be higher, its performance will lead to various perks in the long run, including higher conversion rates and customer loyalty. 

Due to the performance-driven issues of hybrid apps, your company will be more likely to spend more on fixing the application’s UI elements. 

We would suggest you make this decision according to your budget needs. 

If you wish to build a world-class app while not being too heavy on your pockets, feel free to get in touch with us.

• User Experience (UX)

Native Apps: 

The functions and standards of native apps are specific to the Operating Software they are built on. Therefore, they offer great controls and interactions – and, ultimately, a fantastic User Experience. 

Hybrid Apps: 

Hybrid apps are not as conducive as native apps when it comes to User Experience. The application needs to be tweaked as per the user’s needs. Failing to do so may lead to users switching to your competitor’s application. 

Consumer reaction to a poor app experience:

The Ultimate Decision – Native Vs Hybrid Mobile App Development: 

Idea Usher suggests you opt for native app development if you wish to offer an application that strictly adheres to iOS and Android standards. 

• Quick Wins 

Here are some of the quick wins of native and hybrid apps:

Native Apps:

• • • Ensures optimum quality, security, and device compatibility.
    • Easy to discover in application marketplaces – App Store, Play Store. 
    • Access to the device’s software – GPS, location, calendar, camera, microphone, etc.)
    • Better User Experience 

Hybrid Apps:

• • • Access to a device’s internal APIs and hardware
    • Faster (Initial) Speed To Market 
    • Cheaper origination costs
    • Portability (One code, multiple platforms) 

Conclusion

After having gone through the comparison, we can conclude that each approach has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. This is the reason why the Native vs Hybrid Applications debate will always be relevant. 

Here’s a quick summary of the comparison of Native vs Hybrid Mobile App Development:

Summary of Native Vs Hybrid Mobile App Development – Comparison Chart: 

Native Vs Hybrid Mobile App Development – What’s best for your business?

Speed to market, easy updates, and low budget costs make hybrid apps an appealing option. Still, native apps will always have the upper hand due to their superior UX and highly responsive interface when it comes to being a company’s final choice. 

Idea Usher recommends you to consider hybrid application development only when you have a low budget, less than four months to develop an app, or want to develop a prototype and test the app in the market before launching separate apps for Android and iOS.

In the debate of Native Vs Hybrid Mobile App Development, our final choice lies in native application development. 

We hope you liked our comprehensive Native Vs Hybrid Mobile App Development comparison. 

If you wish to get further assistance or a quote for app development, we will be more than happy to assist you. Feel free to reach out to us.

Our talented team of App Developers and Web Developers can provide tested and verified solutions to all your IT and software needs.