P8 — Category Mobile App and Development with Android Studio.
By: Pipit Susiyanto
Tags: Kotlin, Android Studio

Mobile App Development: Web vs. Native vs. Hybrid

Advantages Of Web Apps

Web apps are relatively easy to maintain because they use a common code base across multiple mobile platforms.

Web apps can be built for all platforms as long as they can run in an appropriate web browser.

Compared to native apps, web apps are less expensive upfront.

Web apps don’t adhere to standard operating system protocols and don’t require approval from the app marketplace; they can be released at any time and in any format.

Updates to web apps don’t need to go through an app store meaning the user doesn’t have to manage updates manually. The newest version always loads when a user opens a web app.

Disadvantages Of Web Apps

Web apps have a much smaller scope when it comes to leveraging device features and hardware.

A browser is required to run a web app. Users have to take more steps to use a web app, whether that’s searching for the page or typing in a URL. Either way, more effort complicates the user experience.

Users interact with different web browsers and as a result, the usage patterns and performance metrics used to create a product roadmap are more difficult to collect.

Unless a web app marketed well, web apps have poor discoverability because they’re not listed in the app store.

Web apps are slower and much less responsive than native apps.

Web apps are less interactive and intuitive compared to native apps.

There are fewer branding opportunities with web apps. An app store listing presents an invaluable opportunity to convey an app’s unique value proposition.

Native App Development

Native mobile apps are the most common type of app. They are built for specific platforms and are written in languages that the platform accepts. For example, Swift and Objective-C for native iOS apps and Java or Kotlin for native Android apps.

Advantages Of Native Apps

Native apps deliver the best performance of all three development approaches.

Native apps receive complete support from app stores and the overall app marketplace. Distribution in app stores helps with discoverability.

Native apps are interactive, intuitive, and run more smoothly in terms of user input and output.

Native development allows developers to access the full feature set of the selected operating system.

The user experience of native apps is far superior to web apps or hybrid apps. To the user, the flow is more natural because of each mobile operating system’s specific UI guidelines and standards.

A native app must be approved by its respective operating system which assures quality, security, and device compatibility.

Disadvantages Of Native Apps

Native apps use difficult programming languages which require experienced developers.

Expenses are more costly upfront for native apps compared to web or hybrid apps.

Native apps are not the best option for simple applications.

Web Vs. Native Vs. Hybrid: Which Approach Is Best?

The decision to build either a web, native or hybrid app should be based on your business objectives. Before jumping into development, you should consider the following factors:

How fast you need the app?

The quality of the user experience you want your app to have

The complexity of features you need for your app to work

Whichever approach you choose should, above all, be quick, responsive, and reliable. As users are demanding more from mobile experiences, it’s important to keep up with their changing demands. Whichever app you decide to build, remember the following:

Your API infrastructure should have reliable and easy access to your content and services

A mobile app should not be a replication of your website, rather an extension of your brand

Always have an understanding of your users’ expectations and behaviors and adapt as market demands change

Web Vs. Native Vs. Hybrid Infographic

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