It’s no secret that global smartphone penetration is rising rapidly. Billions of people already use mobile devices to conveniently complete various complex tasks, and more will join them in the future. As the user base grows, so does the demand for smartphone apps. Meeting this demand are startups, medium-sized businesses, and large enterprises developing software for various mobile and web platforms.
Such organizations looking for mobile app development in Toronto, Montreal, and other North American cities partner with a team like Guaraná Technologies for optimal results. Leveraging our skills, experience, and commitment to a collaborative development process, we ensure that our clients meet their goals.
Native Apps vs Hybrid Apps
The two major platforms for mobile apps are iOS and Android. In Canada and the United States, the market share for both is split, so many companies develop apps for both platforms to maximize their market reach.
Many clients ask about the differences between native, web apps, and hybrid apps.
Native apps
Native apps are software developed for particular platforms, usually coded with languages that suit these platforms. For example, mobile app developers may use Objective C or Swift for a native iOS app but Java for Android.
Users must download native apps on their devices to use them. Additionally, certain native apps need validation before deployment on the platform. For example, iOS native apps must be submitted for validation before they can be published on the Apple app store.
Web apps
Users don’t have to download web apps to run them because they’re run in a web browser. Web apps, developed by a good web application development team, help businesses extend the experience of the native app to the web, but these apps are usually less sophisticated than native apps. They typically work by rendering HTML in a browser.
Hybrid apps
As the name suggests, hybrid apps are software crossbreeds. They use elements of native apps and web apps together. More specifically, they are web apps in a native app shell. Like web apps, they use HTML that’s rendered in a browser, with the browser embedded in the app shell.
They are quicker to deploy across platforms because their code is written once. They may also be more cost-effective, depending on the scope and scale of the project.
Upgrading hybrid apps can also be faster. A developer may only need to resubmit a new version of a hybrid app for approval if they’ve modified the native code.
Despite working on multiple platforms, being potentially cheaper to develop and faster to build, modify, and update, experts believe that hybrid apps aren’t as durable as native apps. Let’s look at some key advantages of native apps over hybrid apps.
Benefits of Native App Development
1. Native Apps Are Specialists
Native apps are platform-specific software that live on a device, utilizing its operating system and hardware. Developers use software development kits (SDKs) to make native apps that carry specific tools, libraries, and more to help them take full advantage of the platform.
Native apps are more durable than web apps because of their platform-specific nature. While basic web apps may be more cost-effective to develop, they are unable to take advantage of a platform’s unique strengths without plugins. Such plugins can make development needlessly complex and expensive. Additionally, plugins can lead to instability.
2. Native Apps Can Be More Sophisticated
Businesses with smaller budgets with content-oriented projects may find a hybrid app sufficient for their needs. However, hybrid apps are less durable for more demanding projects that require a device’s full paraphernalia of features to deliver a more sophisticated user experience.
While hybrid apps can benefit from a handful of device features, native apps can use a device’s accelerometer, GPS, camera, compass, gestures, notification systems and much more for complex tasks.
3. Native Apps Can Work Without the Internet
Another reason native apps are more durable is that they can work online or offline. For example, a native app like a navigation program can offer accurate directions with or without an Internet connection by utilizing the device’s GPS.
Hybrid apps are essentially websites packed in the body of a native app. Naturally, such websites work best when there is connectivity. Sure, in-browser caching in HTML5 can help, but hybrid apps lack durability in environments without the Internet.
4. Swiftness
As any software team will tell you, a well-developed native app will outpace a well-developed hybrid app because hybrid apps are dependent on the speed of a user’s browser.
With modern devices featuring speedier processors and faster and larger memories, native apps are getting even quicker. Speed is why many renowned companies are replacing hybrid apps with native ones.
In 2012, social media thought leader Mark Zuckerberg even admitted at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in San Francisco that developing a Facebook hybrid app wasn’t the best idea, “The biggest mistake we’ve made as a company is betting on HTML5 over native.”
Of course, the tech industry learns from errors. Instead of an HTML5-powered hybrid app, Facebook is a native app today. Although Facebook undergoes a more laborious process to update its native iOS and Android apps, the performance of the software is worth the effort.
Interestingly, a year after admitting that the Facebook hybrid app was a mistake, Facebook launched the React Native technology following one of their hackathons. This trendy mobile JavaScript framework allows developers to prototype more quickly and easily.
5. User Interface
There are millions of apps for mobile devices. Competition is certainly stiff, and users have more discerning palates. The average user may reject an app that loads a few seconds too slowly or offers an unintuitive or unfamiliar user interface.
Native apps can offer more consistent and intuitive user experiences as they adhere to a platform’s UI/UX guidelines. By contrast, hybrid apps can feel less familiar to a user.
Native apps can also utilize a device’s features for better visuals and smoother interaction. While a hybrid app’s user interface isn’t necessarily bad, it can be clunkier for the end user.
At Guaraná, we’ve been specializing in UX and UI development services for over a decade. Our knowledgeable designers recognize the intricacies and nuances that go into creating a user-friendly app. We’ve worked with customers in every key industry, helping them enhance their company’s virtual presence and build sustainable relationships with their audiences.
Moreover, we’re your partners in UX and UI app development. Whether you need native, hybrid, or web application development — we’ll guide you through every phase of the process, from planning to launch.
6. Fewer Bugs
Mobile app users are typically unforgiving. If an app is too slow or crashes too often, they move on to a competing app instead of being unpaid beta testers. Correctly developed native apps can have fewer bugs because they’re platform specific.
If you’re looking to develop a bug-free app, we’re the right mobile app development agency. We take multiple steps to mitigate the risk of bugs and crashes:
- Unit Testing: Our apps integrate functional testing to prevent bugs and crashes.
- Bug Tracking: We outline any flaws and reduce each one until the app is functioning perfectly.
- User Testing: Our internal testing team verifies apps while offering valuable feedback.
- App Maintenance: We ensure that your app is running continually through proactive maintenance.
7. Greater Customization
Native apps can be more customizable because they take advantage of a device’s software and hardware. For example, a hybrid app that’s available on Android, iOS, and Windows can’t offer custom features based on Apple’s ecosystem. However, a native iOS multimedia app can be customized so users can share photo libraries on iCloud.
Similarly, a native shopping app designed for Android can let users add items to their shopping carts through Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. A simple hybrid app would struggle to offer such a feature.
8. More Scalability
The success of an app is sometimes hard to predict. A popular app may suddenly acquire more traffic and need to support a higher user load. Native apps are more durable because they can leverage a device’s features to support more users. On the other hand, a hybrid app may crash under the pressure of higher demand.
Is Native App Development the Right Call for You?
Although native app development brings more durability to your app, it may not necessarily be the right call for you. It all depends on the following aspects of your project:
- Launch time
- Budget
- Performance level
- Update speed
- Customization
You can contact Guaraná Technologies for the most educated advice in order to determine what app is most suitable for your project. Although we specialize in developing native iOS and Android applications, our team of expert engineers and developers carry in-depth expertise in many new technologies. Please get in touch with us today to find the best way forward for your project.