Native vs. Hybrid App: Which Is Better for Your Business Needs?

Have you been thinking about producing an app for your business? If so, you’re likely very familiar with native apps. Since each is built for a specific operating system, they may already top your list of development options. At the same time, however, many businesses are considering going the hybrid route. The flexibility of this type of mobile software has given rise to the native vs. hybrid app debate, both in dev circles and in boardrooms around the world.

As you consider going with native application vs. hybrid application development, it’s important to understand what each kind of app is, how they work, their key features, and pros and cons. This is exactly what we are going to dive into here, as well as a more in-depth comparison of the two.

Key Insights

• Native apps enable features that are unique to different operating systems, like iOS or Android, but while hybrid apps offer plenty of features, you may have to stick with those that are common to multiple devices.
• You can use manual coding to build both native and hybrid apps, but many programmers use hybrid app development platforms to speed up the building process.
• Visual LANSA gives you the ability to use low-code tools to quickly build hybrid apps that can work on multiple operating systems just as easily as a native app would.

What Is a Native Application?

A native application is an app built for a specific operating system (OS), such as iOS or Android, and it’s often used in mobile app development. For example, the Safari internet browser is a native app built for Apple and iOS operating systems. You can easily download and install Safari for any Apple device, and many come with the app already installed. But to run Safari on a Windows computer, for instance, you’d have to set up a virtual machine that runs MacOS and then install Safari.

How Does a Native Application Work?

A native application works by using features that are specific to the operating system you’re running the app on. They are also often built with languages that are specifically designed for the target OS.

For instance, Swift is a language designed to develop apps for iOS [1]. Therefore, iOS developers often learn to work with Swift so they can build and maintain iOS apps.

On the other hand, Kotlin is a language designed for building Android apps, making it a common go-to for Android developers.

When designing native apps building with an OS-specific language can present challenges at times. OS-specific languages are a major consideration. For example, suppose you have an internal development team, and all of them know how to program in Javascript, HTML, and CSS. But none of them know any OS-specific languages, like Kotlin or Swift. That instantly limits your ability to develop apps that take full advantage of the features of specific operating systems.

A native app may also use hardware and software features native to specific operating systems. For example, with iOS, you can use Quick Start, which enables you to set up a new iPhone by merely bringing it close to your old iPhone. You can’t do this with an Android device.

On the other side of the native app landscape, there are some Android features that some developers may have a hard time living without. One common example is the ability to expand storage using a microSD card. You could build a native Android app that stores data on a microSD card, giving your users the ability to access vast amounts of information locally. This isn’t an option for an iOS app because Apple devices don’t accept microSD cards.

Key Features of a Native Application

Native applications tend to have the following features, many of which appeal to developers, especially for apps that require speed and straightforward systemic integrations.

• Fast performance. With a native app, the application’s business logic interacts directly with the hardware and APIs that live on the device. As a result, some operations may happen faster.
• Stronger security. Each operating system comes with its own robust security system, and you have access to these when you opt for native app design.
• Easy integration of device-specific elements. For many, the tipping point between hybrid or native app development comes down to enabling users to interact with device-specific features, such as a contact list that’s easy to navigate or fits into the app’s workflow.

Native apps also tend to have several features that make them helpful tools for both users and developers. For instance, they support push notifications, can be used while offline, and often have pages that load quickly and smoothly.

If you’ve also been considering progressive web apps, some of the features native apps are known for may sound familiar. When contemplating developing native vs. progressive web apps (PWAs), however, you’ll want to keep in mind that while building PWAs, you don’t have access to the device-specific functions you get during native app development.

Examples of Native Apps

To help you envision the possibilities as you explore mobile app native vs. hybrid design, here are some common examples you may be familiar with:

• Waze. Waze is considered a native app because it comes with features designed to work well with each operating system.
• Instagram. Instagram, similarly, has features designed to take advantage of specific elements of the operating system it was built for.
• Uber. Even though your ride-sharing experience may be the same whether you use an iOS or Android device, the app’s functions are slightly different because each version has been built for that particular operating system.

As the examples above illustrate, the mobile app native vs. hybrid conversation often comes down to this question: Do you have the time and resources to develop the same software for two or more different operating systems? With Waze, Instagram, and Uber, decision-makers felt it was important to bring in users from both iOS and Android ecosystems, and they decided to develop one app for both OS’s. Not all organizations have the resources to do so, however. This brings us to hybrid applications, where you can often build a full-featured solution for multiple operating systems at once.

What Is a Hybrid Application?

A hybrid application is one that works the same on multiple operating systems. To make this possible, a hybrid app uses a combination of native and web app features. To build a hybrid app, you design the application using a language that a web browser can understand, such as a combination of HTML, CSS, and Javascript. In this way, users can run the app using their browsers instead of having to rely on the programming and hardware of their iOS or Android devices.

A hybrid app gets wrapped in a native shell specific to the operating system it’s supposed to run on. A shell consists of code that bridges the gap between web-based app features and those specific to the target native OS.

For example, iOS devices and Android devices handle camera functions differently because they have different hardware and programming. So when building a hybrid app, you use a native shell to make it so camera operation happens the same way in your app, whether the user has an iOS or Android device.

How Does a Hybrid Application Work?

Hybrid application development works by enabling developers to only build features that work well on multiple operating systems. For example, as mentioned earlier, you can build a hybrid app using JavaScript, and the user’s device’s browser can run it — even if the user doesn’t see the browser itself.

There are other coding languages, however, that are useful for siding on the hybrid side in the mobile application native vs. hybrid debate. For example, some developers use Dart, which works well for building flexible hybrid apps [3]. Dart also has a framework called Flutter, which consists of sets of widgets built using Dart code. This speeds up the development process.

Similar to Dart, many hybrid development options are designed to give you the ability to program many useful features, so you don’t have to choose between building a native or hybrid app.

Some programming tool builders take it a step further and provide you with an entire platform designed for building hybrid apps. In some cases, they even give you low- or no-code tools, which speed up the dev process and make it easier for those without coding skills to build effective solutions.

Visual LANSA is one such platform. It consists of low-code tools that you can use to quickly build robust applications. Visual LANSA also features templates that make the dev process faster because you can simply make a few adjustments to an existing template and quickly complete your app or one of its features.

Key Features of a Hybrid Application

If you’re mulling over the choice of a native app vs. a hybrid app, it’s important to consider the features of a hybrid app to see if they’d be a good fit for your projects. Some standout features include:

• Flexibility. The choice between a native mobile app vs. a hybrid mobile app design often tips in favor of a hybrid design due to its flexibility. You can build a single application that can work on more than one operating system.
• The ability to use a single codebase. While weighing hybrid vs. native app development, a single codebase may be a key factor, largely because it gives you the ability to adjust one set of code while updating or improving your app.
• Fast development. It typically takes less time to write a single set of code than it does to code two different apps for two unique operating systems.

Examples of Hybrid Apps

There are many hybrid apps on the market, some of which you may have already used:

• The BMW app. The BMW app is written using the popular framework Flutter, a hybrid app programming solution.
• Microsoft Teams. Teams is built using React Native, so it works equally well on Windows, Android, or Apple devices [4].
• eBay Motors. EBay’s developers needed their mobile app to have the features and look of eBay, but they wanted it built quickly. They opted for a hybrid approach to enable both speed and efficacy.

Given the range of different kinds of hybrid apps, it is no wonder that many organizations side with hybrid in the hybrid vs. native app conversation.

Native Application vs. Hybrid Application: Pros & Cons

It’s easier to see the difference between native and hybrid app development when you consider their pros and cons side by side:

• Limited access to device features. The hybrid vs. native app discussion may lean more towards native apps if you need specific features that a particular operating system offers. For instance, if you need your app to take advantage of three-dimensional tapping, which detects how hard someone presses on the screen, you’d have to build it for iOS devices because they have the 3D touch feature.

Native vs. Hybrid App: An In-depth Comparison

Hybrid app development vs. native is an easier decision when you take a deeper look into how they compare:

User Experience

Native apps may provide a smoother user experience because you program them using languages designed to work with a particular operating system. At the same time, however, if you use the right development platform, a hybrid app can provide a user experience that’s just as smooth. However, users won’t be able to enjoy functions that are unique to a certain device or operating system.

Development Process

When building a native app, you typically use multiple coding languages, one for each operating system. In some cases, it may be beneficial to take advantage of OS-specific features. But the biggest difference between the hybrid app vs. native app development processes is the length of time it takes to build out your solutions. Since you have to use two different languages, you have to spend extra time building additional versions of your application.

Cost

The cost of development is one of the most notable differences between mobile application development hybrid vs. native. For example, your development team may be able to use the same storyboard and wireframe for both versions, but it takes time to build out the business logic and code in the UI for the second version of the app. And, of course, time is money.

React Native Apps

React Native is a framework created by Facebook that’s based on JavaScript. In other words, React Native consists of tools that have been built using JavaScript code. Since web browsers can read JavaScript, React Native has become a popular option for those contemplating mobile app development native vs. hybrid.

React Native consists of widgets that can dramatically speed up the programming process. For instance, suppose you want to build a button that enables you to navigate between screens. In JavaScript, you have to first set up the structure of the button using HTML. Then, you have to manually program in the routing function. You then need to program in the navigation logic. This involves adding event listeners and managing your document object model (DOM), which represents the page in your app the feature is on.

However, with React Native, you can use the react-navigation, the button component, and the navigation.navigate method to accomplish the same thing.

Native App vs. Hybrid App: Which One to Choose?

Mobile app development native vs. hybrid can be a difficult decision, but it comes down to the answers to questions such as:

• Do you need to save time during the development process, building apps faster and producing iterations at a more rapid pace? If so, hybrid development may be a better choice.
• Do you have the budget to build the same app two or three times on different platforms, as well as the funds to support frequent updates and security fixes for multiple versions of your app? If so, you may want to consider native development.
• Will your end users have a rewarding experience even without OS-native functions, such as three-dimensional clicking? If so, then a hybrid approach may be a better choice.

Build Apps for Multiple Operating Systems with One Tool

At the end of the day, the most important considerations are the end-user’s experience, your time and financial resources, and enabling a smooth, straightforward development process. While it’s hard to check all the boxes with traditional development tools, Visual LANSA runs the gamut. With Visual LANSA, it’s easy to develop applications for mobile users and desktop users as well. Visual LANSA gives you low-code tools that speed up the dev process, as well as pre-tested components that add stability and reliability to your app.

These features make it possible for experienced developers to build apps much faster than with traditional coding or even using frameworks like React Native. By using Visual LANSA, you also lower the barriers of entry for people who don’t know how to code using traditional languages or frameworks. In this way, you broaden the scope of who can build solutions in your organization.

Contact us today to learn more about how Visual LANSA can improve your development processes.

References

Apple Inc. Swift – Apple Developer. developer.apple.com/swift/#:~:text=Swift+is+a+powerful+and,software+that+runs+lightning%E2%80%91fast.

“Kotlin Programming Language.” Kotlin, kotlinlang.org.

“Dart Overview.” Dart, dart.dev/overview.

React Native · Learn Once, Write Anywhere. reactnative.dev.