- Many businesses want to know whether the native or hybrid approach is best for them. But instead, they should be asking which one is best for their users.
- No matter what your mobile app does, your user experience should be your number one priority during development. UX must drive your app development process and inform every decision you make.
- Native apps perform better, they’re more secure and they offer users a better UX. One that’s tailored to each specific platform and takes advantage of every feature available.
One of the most common questions when it comes to app development is the native vs. hybrid debate. A lot of this will depend on the app you’re developing and your matching business goals. But no matter what your app does, there are several key benefits to choosing native app development over the hybrid approach.
In this video insight, Sonin MD Paul Jarrett explores the benefits of native apps. If you’re looking for a more in-depth discussion on whether hybrid or native is best for your business, then don’t hesitate to contact us today.
Hybrid Mobile App Development
Businesses aim to save time and money during the app development process by developing for multiple platforms at the same time. But the multi-platform hybrid approach often means limited functionality for your app. So, you won’t be able to take advantage of everything each platform has to offer. This means that instead of getting the best of both worlds, you end up with the same uninspired experience across every platform.
Further to this, to give everyone the best user experience possible, you’ll often have to develop lots of bespoke features anyway. And these hidden costs can make hybrid apps less cost-effective than you would think at first.
The idea of building once and deploying on any platform you like is tempting. But the compromises you’ll end up making will have a big impact on the user experience. This makes it harder to retain your users in the long-term and reduces your mobile ROI.
Native Mobile App Development
On the other hand, native app development is when you develop your app for each specific platform. For example, developing a native app for Android involves the Android NDK platform powered by Java or Kotlin. Because you’re not reusing any code, native apps often need more development time.
But right from the get-go, native apps present your user with an interface and experience that they expect from their device. You can make hybrid apps and web apps look like native apps, but they won’t perform like them. And if your app doesn’t meet your users’ expectations, then they’re more likely to abandon it down the line. So, by choosing a native app, you’ll be giving your users a more consistent experience that keeps them coming back for more.
Another key benefit to native apps is that you can take advantage of every OS feature available. This means you’ll get much more functionality from your mobile app. But it also means your app will be more secure, more reliable and offer a faster user experience. This drives engagement, helping to your users to achieve their tasks more efficiently and encouraging long-term loyalty.
The Bottom Line: Native or Hybrid?
There are several key questions you need to ask yourself to work out whether the native or hybrid approach is best for your business:
- Are your looking to build a high-performance app?
- Will your app need to take advantage of a specific platform or hardware features?
- Will you be competing in a consumer marketplace with your mobile app?
- Is the security of your mobile app important?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then a hybrid app is unlikely to be right for your business. If you need to talk more about which approach is best for you, then we would love to talk to you. Get in contact with us today to discuss your mobile needs.
Suggested reading: iOS vs. Android for App Development
Full Transcript of ‘Should I Build My App Native or Hybrid?
“So, a common question is whether you should build an app in a hybrid fashion or whether you should build it natively. Most of the time we tend to recommend that native is the best approach. Because the native approach typically is written in the language that the phones are designed to be written in, objective C or Swift for iOS and Java for Android.
You tend to find that you get better performance from the apps. You will also have complete access to everything that operating system is making available. The opportunity or the promise of being able to build once and deploy everywhere through hybrid is an appealing headline.
But a lot of the time we tend to find that as you go through the process to deliver the best experience to the user, one that doesn’t jar. So to make an android app feel like an android app, and an iOS app to feel like an ios app means that you have to make a lot of compromises and build a lot of bespoke functions anyway.
So, therefore the promise of being able to build once and deploy everywhere doesn’t normally materialise and quite often ends up with compromises throughout the user journey. Whereas if you go down the native route you’ll make the best of the operating system and you can make the best user experience.”
Suggested reading: Kotlin, what’s all the fuss about?
About Sonin
Sonin help businesses utilise the latest in mobile app technology, offering bespoke consumer apps, enterprise apps and mobile first solutions. We recognise that each business has different objectives, so we listen and understand our clients’ needs to ensure they receive the highest quality solution to improve their business.
If you’re interested in developing a native mobile app, then we’d love to hear from you. Give us a call on +44 (0)1737 45 77 88 or contact us today.