App world

Introduction to Hybrid and Native Apps

What is the difference between hybrid and native apps? Read about the pros and cons.

Roman Mastalir
Roman Mastalir

Apps. We hear about them all the time. But when it comes down to the nature of an app, a lot of things may surprise you because not every app follows the same design. To distinguish how different apps can be with respect to their design, there are two types of apps - native and hybrid.

Types of apps

  • Native Apps
  • Hybrid Apps

How are they different from each other, you ask? The answer is simple:

When it comes to Native Apps, the app's design is based on the mobile phone’s operating system (Android, iOS, Windows). When the app is in development, the coding involved in the process is directly related to the mobile’s operating system. If an app is being developed for iPhones, the coding utilized will correspond to iOS. The same goes for other OS (Operating systems).

What happens with Hybrid Apps is a little different. The Hybrid Apps are designed to utilize web development softwares and coding. This kind of coding is not employed for previously mentioned Native Apps. In Hybrid Apps, as the name suggests, the apps are designed under the umbrella of the OS and the coding is performed with web development tools and softwares.

Now that we introduced Native and Hybrid Apps in a very brief manner, it is important to keep in mind the pros and cons of both apps. It is apparently obvious that we use both apps in our daily life routine but from the standpoint of a developer, and app developing enthusiasts, it is important to know beforehand the ups and downs of both Hybrid and Native Apps.

Pros and Cons of Native Apps

Pros:

Native Apps tend to respond fast and efficiently. Because the apps follow the OS, the apps tend to be more responsive.

Major mobile Operating Softwares like Apple and Google offer variety of support when it comes to Native Apps. There are certainly no restrictions when it comes down to Native Apps. Native Apps have the full fledge support of being creative and introducing innovation to the App market.

Because Native apps are intended for the dedicated OS only, they adapt to the UI (User Interface) of the OS. Having this advantage on your side gives a benefit to the users in a way that they face little to no difficulty operating the app.

Cons:

If you are dedicated to your app and want its expansion for both iOS and Android, it is important to keep development teams of both OS. Having to do that with involve keeping up the cost of both teams and therefore the cost of the development of your app will certainly be high.

With an app taken into consideration, it is important to know the response of the app on all OS. An app is certainly and not necessarily going to be responsive in the same way for all platforms. All platforms tend to have their own response, and so keeping in mind the logic and implementation of one app will vary based on the platform. With this idea in mind, the algorithm involved for the development of the app will vary based on the OS.

Pros and Cons of Hybrid Apps

Here are a few things you might want to know about Hybrid Apps

Pros:

One of the ideal factors of Hybrid Apps, that have been the major attributing factors of Hybrid Apps is its coding. One only needs to know the basics of HTML, CSS and other web developing languages, usually Javascript or Typescript, to make Hybrid Apps. This along with the umbrella of the considered mobile OS makes it easier for developers to create Hybrid Apps.

One significant advantage of Hybrid Apps is that they are likely to cost less than Native Apps. That is because most front-end developers use frameworks and libraries for the web, that are also used for Hybrid Apps, e.g., Angular, React Native and others. This also means that fewer people can work on more platforms. One developer can create app for multiple platforms, which doesn’t usually happen with Native Apps. This is why the development team for creating the Hybrid Apps will certainly cost less.

Cons:

If you’re serious and want a stable app for all platforms there are, you might not want to go for Hybrid Apps. Hybrid App patterns tend to perform poorly and are highly likely to be inefficient in terms of response.

Hybrid Apps solely rely on HTML, CSS and other web development coding. It is therefore important to understand Hybrid Apps are very likely to be estranged from the Native and the intended platform’s working and responsiveness. Therefore, Hybrid Apps may not gain the user friendly environment, which the users always expect.

Verdict:

Both Native and Hybrid Apps have a lot to offer. Considering their pros and cons, it is important to understand just how important it is to balance quality, responsiveness, and not to mention the cost. It all

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