Native vs Hybrid is something that many of you might have been struggling to understand. They both are used for the same purpose but what is it that makes a difference. Well this article is made just for that. As you not only be learning their meaning but also about their nature and their use. They only sound the same but trust me they are much different than you imagine.
When it comes to the difference between these two then there can be difference in codes, their style, rules and knowledge. There are aspects such as technical, non technical and preference of the client that have to be kept in mind. Native can be pure whereas hybrid can be the use of many. But their availability can be on the same platform such as Android, iOS and windows phone.
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Native Vs Hybrid
Just so you know making apps from native doesn’t mean that hybrid apps are easy. They have their own complication and sometimes create lot of problems. Apps development can be easy if you know what you are doing. It is something that has been going for a long time now. As all the company need to have their very own app to stay in competition with their competitors.
Native apps are not just some websites that can be accessed from browsers. As they require some platform such as iOS or Android. They need to be downloaded from those platform’s store only then can you access them.
Hybrid apps are little different from native. Apps can be used in web browsers. Many people may think that hybrid apps are not as hardware friendly. But it is not the case. They are just as hardware-based as native are.
What is Native App?
Native apps works on specific platforms. Those platforms can be iOS, Android or windows. Their are simple steps to follow such as:
1: Download
2: Install
3: Use the app
As they are different from web development you need different skills to develop them. Don’t worry about browser compatibility because you don’t have to use them. All you need to worry about is the compatibility of your mobile’s OS.
Do you want to develop app for a particular platform then your answer is native app development. They have ability to use specific hardware and software. The use of Native always makes the OS based application much better. Native apps can take advantage of latest technology such as GPS. Some major platforms can be Apple iOS and Google Android.
What is Hybrid App?
You want easy way to develop apps. Then choose Hybrid app development. Single stack code can develop an entire apps very easily. Hybrid app development makes the work very easy and fast for the developers. Developing with hybrid app can make the work much simple as you only have to stack up the codes. Some of the key advantages of using Hybrid app development can be
- Use of standard web development technology
- Cost efficient
- Suitable for wide range of hardware and software
- Attractive designs
- Supports can be provided offline
All you need is knowledge of coding and you can make apps work on almost every platform. Apps can support offline as well as online. This development support HTML, CSS and JavaScript. You can add features of native apps and make the project much more efficient.
Hybrid vs. native App
Native Vs Hybrid is something that most users have been confused with. Most of developer to be are having tough time deciding what they should develop apps on. Some might say Native is good and some might say Hybrid. Today all your confusion will be over
| Native | Hybrid |
| It is much more faster and has better responsive experience for users | Average performance with average responsive experience for user compared to native |
| Cost is high and development can take much more time | Very fast and cheap development |
| Apps made by native can be available almost all the time | Apps made by Hybrid is not as available as the native |
| Native apps are highly dependent to the networks for updates and use | Hybrid are also dependent on network but once html is downloaded network is not necessary |
| Examples: Gmail, Google Maps, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc | Examples: Marketwatch, Sworkit, Tripline, OffCourse Gold, etc |
There can be even more difference but it depends upon the user and the developers. Although you may have already choose the best one for your use you better get all the knowledge from both the perspective both client and developers.
Native mobile app development
Well creation of apps is not the only task for developers. They must know whether the app is good for the user or not is also something to keep in mind. Native app are not just developed for mobile phones but also for desktops, smart tv and other gadgets.
According to study done by IDC in 2018 all the other OS has already been knocked out by Android and iOS. So if you are looking to develop apps or developing apps for your company then development should be done on Android or iOS.
Developing apps with native development techniques is sometimes frustrating and have to use different codes for each platform. But is bitter work with sweat fruit. It may take time but is make some premium apps you can’t regist.
As we must already know that Native apps require different skills than that of website development. It may take some time to learn those codes to use them on your apps. You need to know different languages for different platforms.
Hybrid mobile app development
Want to develop amazing apps easily and faster then you have the answer. Hybrid app development is easy and efficient way to develop. All you have to remember is once you code you can use the same code on almost any platform. Almost all the platform supports hybrid. Such as desktops, Smart tv, etc.
For clients hybrid can also do lot of good as their app will be made in lowest cost as possible. The development will not take much time and they can access the app from almost every devices.
Easy to develop and saving time is something all the developer want. For them using hybrid is like finding water in a desert. Apps made are more easy and one code can be used for all the platform. Easy to learn and single knowledge can make apps for all the the platform. For example if you are making app for Android and have to make for iOS devices than easy use the same codes with some tweaking.
You will have full access to the device with some plugins. To develop all you need are HTML, CSS and JavaScript. You can even make the app support all the platforms. You can reuse all the codes you used on some other app to make new apps which saves time and cost.
Native App Development vs Hybrid App Development
Native Vs Hybrid competition has been going for a long time now. As there might be so much difference between two development process it may make one slightly better than the other. Here are some difference that will help you make the right decision.
| Native App development | Hybrid App development |
| Uses languages such as java or swift, | Uses languages such as HTML,CSS and JavaScript, |
| Single apps for single platform, | Single app for multiple platform, |
| User interface is much more better than Hybrid app, | user interface is not so good as compared to Native apps, |
| Performance is faster and more responsive, | Performance is much more slower and not so responsive as Native, |
| Updates need to be done through the store. | Updates can be done without the help of store. |
There can be even more difference but it depends upon the user and the developers. These difference dont determine one is bad than the other. It is only a way to manage time and effort.
Android Native App Development vs Hybrid App Development
Native Vs Hybrid is something that has been going for a long time now. There can be some difference between Native app development and hybrid when it comes to Android. Using the app and developing that app can be much more different. As a app user you need to know what is fast and reliable but as a developer you must know its codes and interactions. Lets see some of those differences:
| Native app Development | Hybrid App Development |
| Development on Native can be limited as development are mostly done in java. | Hybrid on the other hand can be customized as per the requirement of the user. |
| Native developer have to develop on android platform. | Hybrid developer can develop on web based platform. |
| Development has to be done on Java, Kotin, XML or Python | Development has to be done on HTML, CSS and JavaScript |
| Apps are built on the basic of APK | Apps can be build on many bundles |
| Examples: Facebook, Whatsapp, and so on | Examples: Google, Wikipedia and so on |
iOS Native App Development vs Hybrid App Development
When it comes to developing iOS apps then there are somethings that has to be kept in mind. Many iOS developers may prefer native over hybrid and vice versa. To make everything clear why not look below. Some of those are shown below:
| Native app Development | Hybrid app Development |
| Languages used are Swift and Objective-c. | Languages used are HTML, CSS and JavaScript. |
| Platform used are iOS only. | Platform use are almost any browsers. |
| Can manage packages by CocoaPods, Carthage and Swift. | Can manage packages by NPM, Bower and many more |
| Database such as Core Data, Realm ,SQLite can be used | Databases such as Local Storage, Web SQL can be used |
| Only Xcode and AppCode can be used as editors | Can use any editors |
Benefits of Hybrid apps
Some of the major benefits of using hybrid apps are as follows:
1. Lower cost for development
On of the major benefits of developing hybrid apps is it low cost for development. Almost all the codes can be reused and it can save time as well as cost. Developing apps with hybrid basically means developing one app for variety of platform. This development approach can save the company more money than Native. This can also help the clients stay in the competition with their rivals.
2. Offline use
This style of development can make development process much more reliable as you can use the app while you are offline. For example, you made a mobile app for your company but that company is located on some remote place where connection is poor. Then what do you do. The obvious answer is to make app that works offline. This is achievable with the help of Hybrid app development.
3. Better UI/UX Designs
As most of the app are developed with the help of HTML and CSS there are many places where you can gather ideas for it. Furthermore they are very lightweight and can make the size low as possible. The app designed can easily adapt to various mobile screens and give the user experience. With better UI/UX gives you a better chance of getting approval at the app store.
4. Easy Maintenance
Easy to maintain app is something clients always wants. Hybrid app development can give you just that experience. Apps needs to be maintained more frequently and if it is not easy to do then well it is not so good app. A hybrid app can bypass versions and make app development much more simple.
Benefits of Native Apps
As we know developing apps with native is not easy and fast as you have to do everything from the scratch.But their can be other advantage in terms of performance, security, Interface and others. Some of the major benefits of using Native apps are as follows:
1. Best Performance
Native apps are used to make specific apps for specific platform. As a result performance that apps give are amazing. Native apps are very fast and is more reliable in terms of security. As each code are made for specific apps there is very less of being hacked into. When native apps are used then their contents are already stored into the system which allows quick load.
2. Much Safe
As each app is made with different codes and those codes can’t be reused on other that makes native apps very secure. This ensures data protection for users. Developing with native app is not easy but is much more reliable in the end.
3. Few Bugs while developing
As we dont have to depend upon cross-platform tools their are very less chance of bugs. Developers have to use their own style of coding. As a result their are less bugs. Developers dont need to be dependent upon features to be added on any platforms. If something new comes out they can just develop them without anyone’s help. Therefore developer don’t have to wait for any new contents to be developed by others.
4. Advanced UI interaction
Use of apps must be something that can make app much more useful than others. If there is no interaction such as animation during opening an app then that app might not be worth it. With Native apps you have nothing to worry. Developers can make the app so much interactive that when you use any app you will fall in love with it.
Hybrid App Development Platform
Some of the major platforms for developing hybrid app are as follows:
1. Xamarin
Know for its cross platform implementation this Microsoft-owned software company is used to develop hybrid apps. This tool is so strong that it supports all the platforms. Same codes can be used for Android, iOS and windows. There is no restriction where you build it on. You can build it on mac or pc. As this tools is of open source there are lot of changes to be done.
2. PhoneGap
If you are web developer and want to make apps then you can simply use tools such as phonegap. This is the perfect way to use your web development knowledge and use it as app development. Complaining app in the cloud has never been so easy. This is the perfect way to manage apps and make them suitable for Mobile devices.
3. Framework7
One of the best framework to develop mobile, Desktop or web apps. This is open source and free to use. Using this frame work will give you get more native look and experience. Developing websites can be just as easy as developing websites. With many new features being added there are lot to do.
4. Appcelerator Titanium
Creating apps with web development knowledge has never been easier. You can easily create apps with the help of this tool. Appcelerator Titanium can provide lot of features that a native apps can give you. Powerful API can be build with its API builder which combines a powerful framework for building APIs.
5. Ionic Framework
Like most framework this is an open source development platform. With its new design you can expect fast and beautiful apps that only few cross-platform apps can deliver you. You can develop apps for various platforms with just a single codebase. The use of this tool can make the work much more efficient and faster.
Native App Development Platform
Well unlike Hybrid this process of developing apps is little different. You have to start fresh. For android you may want to use Java and XML. But for iOS you may want yo use Swift. The choice is yours at last. Developing with Native is a tough road with sweater ending. You will not regret about making your decision.
When you are developing Android app then you may wanna start with basic java and add XML for design. Java is one of the official programming language to build android app. Most of the apps on google play store are made with the help of java. First you need to download Android Studio which will have inbuilt android SDK which will provide everything you want.
Now moving towards iOS we know that most apps are made with Swift. You may want to start from developing user interface. For that you must use Xcode and then move towards Swift. Now you start coding on swift. You can add all the features and save that code. When you are done writing codes you can now start with user interface. After codes are done you must know how those code interact. As it is the most important part of any app development. After interaction comes response. You must know how to interact with the responses that a users make. At last just make sure that you system is suitable and you must know how to express logic user input.
Which one is better?
Native Vs Hybrid is something that was discussed above. Both Native and hybrid are amazing way to develop app. Sure one might be better on some aspect but other might be better on other. But there might be a question on your mid which is better. Well it depends upon you. If you want something that is fast and more responsive while looking elegant at the same time then i would recommend Native. But if you want to develop something app faster and make the process simple than you should go with hybrid. In short it is really up to you what do you want. Both are good in the hand of an expert and if you are an expert it doesn’t really matter now does it.