Mobile apps are gradually becoming one of the most powerful tools that almost every business must invest in. This is mainly because it serves a wide range of users especially if the app is customer-based. Many businesses are beginning to realize that there is a need for them to invest in the mobile development industry. This is done by creating an app that portrays your goals and ideas.
There are two major operating systems in the mobile tech industry (Android and iOS) with both having their app store. iOS has the Apple App Store whiles Android has the Google Play Store. Because of these two different platforms, business owners have to choose whether to invest in a native app or a cross-platform app. A native app means you can only launch the app on one app store, but the cross-platform allows you to launch on both platforms.
We are going to talk about some of the advantages and disadvantages of using a native or cross-platform app. Then we will let you decide which is best for your business.
Differences between native and cross-platform apps
As said in the introduction, native apps are built for a particular platform. All the integrations are made specifically for the platform it is intended to run on. Native apps are built using a specific Integrated Development Environment (IDE). The major platforms provide developers with their own development tools that can be used to build native apps.
Cross-platform or hybrid apps is a feature that helps you build apps for both platforms. With hybrid apps, developers have to build an app that runs on both platforms but feels like you are using a native app.
Advantages of using native apps
User satisfaction:
Native apps are built for a specific platform meaning all the features of the app are meant to satisfy that particular platform. For example, if you a developing a native app for Android users, all the features used for the app are meant to satisfy Android users. This makes it easy to satisfy user experience because resources are meant for one specific platform.
Security:
Native apps are secured because developers take their time to add security features to make the app safe to use.
Better performance:
Since native apps are for one particular platform, developers focus all their energy on making sure the app runs properly on the chosen platform. This increases the performance abilities of the app because it has been developed for that specific platform.
Advantages of using cross-platform apps
Time-saving:
When a native app is successful on one platform, most developers try to build the app for the other platform. This means more effort time and effort must go into making a similar app. Building a cross-platform app prevents this time investment; making it easier to build an app for both platforms.
Large audience:
Both Android and iOS have a large customer base. Having a successful native app for one platform means you have a large audience on a specific platform. A successful cross-platform app means you get a larger audience because your app is being used on both of the major platforms.
Faster to develop:
With cross-platform, you are using a single codebase to develop an app for both platforms. Unlike native apps, the single codebase makes it faster and easier to develop an app for both platforms. Trying to launch two native apps on different platforms takes a lot of time and effort.
Disadvantages of using native apps
Expensive:
Developing native apps can be expensive because developers who specialize in this kind of programming are scarce. The maintenance of native apps is also expensive. The higher the cost of building the app, the higher the maintenance costs.
Time-consuming:
Both Android and iOS require a different set of code for their platform. This means more time is needed to ensure all the code developed works well with the platform. It is more time-consuming if you are developing two native apps for both platforms.
Disadvantages of cross-platform apps
Limited user experience:
Cross-platform apps are developed for more than one platform. This means the code and features used for the app is not meant for one specific platform. This also means that the app cannot take full control as a native app can. For example, a cross-platform app cannot make use of all the available features provided by Android because it has been made to run on both Android and iOS.
Lower performance:
Even though cross-platform apps are easier and faster to develop, their performance on the platforms can be sluggish. It is mainly because the code is complicated and meant for more than one platform. The app cannot perform 100 percent on one particular platform than the other.
Summary
The debate on native and cross-platform cannot be ended based on what they offer. This is because they both have their advantages and disadvantages. As a business owner, it is up to you to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of using either and try to align it with your app idea. That is the only way you can decide on which option is better for your business app.
You also have to consider your target audience, the features you have in mind, your budget, and the time you have available. If you have the budget and enough time, you can invest in developing a native app. But if you are running on a deadline with a small budget, it is better to opt for a cross-platform app.
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5280 Software LLC, located in Denver, Colorado is a premier software development firm. We have worked with a variety of clients over the years. Our expert team of developers have helped small to medium sized businesses, startups, as well as enterprise level clients such as RingCentral. If you are looking to build a mobile app, we can deliver flawless apple ios mobile apps as well as android mobile apps. Our mobile app development agency designs apps for smartphones, ipad and android tablets, wearable such as smart watches, and even smart TVs.
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All projects are built according to a clearly defined scope of work. If you need assistance with scope creation, we offer this as a service. This scope of work will be used in the provided development contract. Make sure whomever you hire for your project provides you a development contract with clearly defined pricing, development timeline, payment schedule, and deliverables. We would like to learn about your project and help refine your scope of work. Our custom website, software, and mobile app development agency is here for you every step of the way. We are one of the most renowned mobile app development companies in the USA.
If you have an idea for a mobile app, please emails us your full name or company name and we will send you a signed NDA. We send NDAs to all potential clients to guarantee your ideas and documents will be kept in confidence. Once an NDA is in place, feel free to book a free discovery call. You can also fill out our app development questionnaire to share the details of your project before your call. We are the leading firm specializing in building solutions for the web, iphones and other smart devices including IOT. Our company can create a custom solution on a variety of platforms using the most current popular programming languages. Weather it is a cross platform hybrid app or a natively programmed solution, we have you covered!
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