Native vs. Hybrid vs. Web App
Which is the best choice for your business and why?
So finally you have decided to develop an application for your business. Now, what’s your next step?
On one side, it’s projected that mobile applications will generate revenue of $935.2 billion in 2023. On the other hand, these figures are putting organisations in a great dilemma: What type of app should they develop for lasting success?
Well, the choice of developing a mobile app dramatically depends on the users you’re focused on. You need to determine what type of application your targeted audience would like to browse. How long do they prefer to stay on the app? How often do they use the app in a month? And so on.
But don’t worry, we have already gathered some statistics and facts to help you better understand the market and be able to choose the right type of application for your business.
Stats and Facts About Mobile App Downloads and Their Usage
- According to the Buildfire survey, there are approx 2.7 billion smartphone users in the world, out of which 1.35 billion are tablet users.
- The forecast from an eMarketer report reveals that American adults are spent an average of three-plus hours on mobile devices in 2018, which was 11 minutes higher than the previous records.
- A survey report has discovered that on average Americans check their phones 80 times a day and every 12 minutes.
- According to an eMarketer report, 90% of internet time is spent on smartphones and US adults listen to over 50 minutes of audio via mobile apps per day. In contrast, approximately 40 minutes are spent on social networking sites.
- According to Statista, social media accounted for the most time spent by Indians in 2019.
- According to Statista, Google Play Store is the leading operating platform as it has approximately 2.56 million apps, whereas the Apple Store is at the second position, with 1.85 million apps. Moreover, with the increasing number of applications in multiple stores, global app downloads are projected to reach 258.2 billion by 2022.
To wrap up these statistics, it is safe to say that the mobile app industry is thriving and rapidly increasing to the next level with every passing year. So let’s assume that you are convinced to develop an application, but before proceeding to the app development process and making a final decision, you need to evaluate many things.
Technicality, business needs, user requirements, UX/UI design of the app, branding, and marketing are the essential factors to consider, as all of them contribute a certain weight and impact towards the success of the apps.
However, many of you are wondering why you need to choose the specific type of application for your business success when the entire application industry is growing at a fast pace. Here’s why:
- Different apps are developed and designed for various purposes, so it is essential to hire a mobile app development company that can help you develop an app with a clear goal. Combining your app type with a clear purpose will help you meet the needs of the targeted audience.
- When it comes to building applications, the development cost is the most painful concern for the business since development cost greatly varies as per the choice of the application you choose to develop.
- Applications require long-term maintenance and support, so it is crucial to choose the type of app that you can easily maintain and update with future releases.
Choosing the right type of application for the lasting success of your business is quite a critical task for companies. Therefore we have listed the things that matter when choosing between the type of applications.
Let’s get started with a basic understanding of each type of application.
1. Overview of Each Type of Application
Overview
Native apps are those that have been developed for the specific platform by using platform-specific programming languages, whereas hybrid apps are developed with a single code base and able to run on multiple operating platforms. And web apps are simply websites that give the feel of native applications because of their functionality and interactivity.
Native apps: excellent performance and expensive
Native applications are developed for a specific platform, to target Android or iOS users. If you wish to focus on users on both platforms, then be ready to build two separate applications for Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Since each platform has completely different standards, other programming languages have been used to adhere to the app standards.
Pros of native apps
- Excellent app performance: Native apps run smoothly and perform better, even if they have heavy graphics and complex calculations integrated.
- Provide access to platform-specific features: The best part about native apps is that they can access the in-built features of a device or a particular platform.
- Native user interface: A flawless user experience is ensured because applications are developed as per platform-specific standards.
Cons of native apps
- Need two development teams: Since native Android apps are usually developed using Java or Kotlin, whereas native iOS apps are developed with Objective-C or Swift, you need to hire mobile app developers experienced in these approaches.
- Expensive development cost: Native apps are ideal for large enterprises with higher app development budgets. Because you need to develop each native app right from scratch, it takes more time and resources to create an app that ultimately lifts your budget.
Hybrid apps: write once and run anywhere with a reduced budget
Many people interpret hybrid apps as a cross-platform app, but the only common thing that they share is a single code base. But a cross-platform application approach works for low-cost apps with secure, stable, and easy-to-maintain features.
On the other hand, hybrid apps are the expert solution for progressive startups or bootstrappers as they ensure high development speed and allow you to develop the ideal solution for your business. If UX and performance is not your priority, then hybrid apps are excellent solutions to look for. The primary tools that you can use to develop hybrid apps are Flutter, Ionic, React Native, Visual Studio, and more.
Pros of hybrid apps
- Quick to market: Hybrid apps are faster to develop as development is done using standard web technologies which are easy to maintain in the long term.
- Access to device features: Even with hybrid apps, you can access the device’s native features.
- Distribution to multiple platforms: They are distributed through both app stores and can reach a large number of users.
Cons of hybrid apps
- Performance: They are low performing compared to native apps as their performance depends on the quality of the processes that display the UI and run the code. If the device is faster, performance will be higher.
- Integration of third-party services: You can’t develop a hybrid app with JavaScript alone. You need to integrate hybrid app development frameworks like Cordova, Ionic, or React Native, and all these frameworks have a learning curve.
Web apps: a single app for all screens and platforms
A web app is an application that gives you native-like experience and that ability to run on all browsers and devices, including a laptop, tablet, mobile, smartwatch, or TV. The only requirement is that devices should have a browser. Instead of developing several applications, you can target several platforms by creating only one application.
Pros of web apps
- Compatibility with multiple platforms: Once you create a web application, you can immediately make it run on any platform without investing any extra time to its development.
- Instant updates: With hybrid apps, users are always able to access the latest versions of your application, so there’s no need to download updates.
- Usage of widespread technologies: Since web apps can be developed with a number of technologies, finding the best software development company has never been an issue for startups.
Cons of web apps
- Limited access to native features of the platform: A web app can’t access your device’s in-built features like camera, storage, contacts, and more.
- Basic performance: Web apps work smoothly for simple applications, such as new publishers and online stores.
2. Battle of Performance
Overview
App performance is one of the essential parts of your app that keep your user engaged with it longer. And a survey discovered the most common reasons for abandoning the app are as follows: 59% of users for slow speed, 76% of users due to screen freezes, and 71% of users due to the app crashing. And when it comes to evaluating app types according to performance, then native apps can offer you unmatched performance.
Native apps
Native apps can assure you of high performance as they can easily access device functionality and elements to ensure a faster response rate. Moreover, these apps are developed using an advanced set of features (including USB input, complex networking, memory management, and more) that allow them to offer an unmatched user interface.
Hybrid apps
On the other hand, hybrid apps are working on a platform to download data from the server and have limited access to device features. That’s where the performance is a little reduced in comparison to native apps.
Web apps
The performance of web apps is based on the internet connection and browser’s performance, and that ensures lower app performance for users in comparison to native apps.
3. Distribution Channel
Overview
As it is projected that global app downloads will reach 258.2 billion by 2022, it’s clear that the wider app reach will help in a sudden increase in mobile app download. Native and hybrid apps are hosted in an app store whereas web apps are directly available on the web.
Native apps
Since native apps are created for a specific platform, Android and iOS apps are hosted in the respective stores of the operating systems. This allows native apps to leverage device features and achieve ranking in the app store.
Hybrid apps
Hybrid apps are designed to run on multiple platforms, so they are usually hosted on various app stores and are able to leverage available features and ranking in the store.
Web apps
Web apps operate on browsers. They aren’t in the app stores, but users can find them directly on the web.
4. Target Audience and User Experience
Overview
Seventy percent of the retention rate of a mobile app depends on the user experience (UX) and UI of the app. But a top mobile app development company can help you achieve a 100% retention rate with minimum bugs or UX flaws, and can design an app with the latest UI trends.
And the user experience of the app is directly related to whom you are trying to target. Based on audience preference, choices, and interests, you will develop the app using the right technologies to make a perfect fit.
Native apps
Android native apps are free to download, whereas iOS native apps are paid apps, so determine what category of users you are focusing on. But keep in mind, native apps require frequent updates to ensure an excellent user experience.
Hybrid apps
Hybrid apps are the choice if you are trying to target the largest number of users through multiple platforms and with a minimum requirement for updates. Secondly, if your targeted users will download the app and access it offline, then native and hybrid apps are the ideal option.
Web apps
Web apps are free to access on any device and browser, so you can target the widest audience. And web apps are easier to maintain as they require fewer updates compared to native apps.
5. Cost of Development
Overview
Since development cost is one of the most painful concerns of businesses, it’s essential to understand your budget before developing any particular type of application. You need to hire different mobile app development teams, with various skills, for creating other native apps, so they cost you comparatively more than hybrid and web apps.
Native apps
The cost of the app development is directly calculated from the number of hours the development team usually spends on the project, so the average development cost of native apps can start from $10,000 to $ 50,000+. It can vary as per the complexity of the features, size, and UX/UI design of the app.
Hybrid apps
By leveraging a single code base, a software development company can customize a hybrid app that runs on multiple platforms. Therefore, the average cost of development starts from $2,000 to $25,000+.
Web apps
Web apps are developed with complex interface and functionality, so the development cost can be a bit higher than the hybrid apps. The average development cost can start from $7,500 to $50,000 and can go to any high price.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you have clearly understood the difference between all these three significant types of applications. To end this article, it’s worth mentioning that each type of app has its advantages and limitations. Again, the choice of app development will significantly vary as per the targeted audience, their preferences, and your budget.
However, no matter what type of application you choose to develop, the success of the app lies in the skills of the software development team and the way they customize your app to fulfill the needs of the end users.
If you have any doubts regarding any app type, then it is worth consulting a top mobile app development company in Chicago for the best suggestions and solutions.
