Native, Web and Hybrid Apps – Understanding the Difference
By [x]cube LABS
Published: Mar 20 2012
As newer technologies emerge, the mobile landscape is becoming incredibly intriguing. While currently everyone is gung-ho about native or HTML 5 apps, a considerable section is also rooting for the third approach called Hybrid mobile applications, which combines the best of both native and HTML 5 apps. As the debate rages on which one – HTML 5, native or hybrid – is the right choice; we present before you a feature-wise comparison of each category to help you make your own choice. But, first a brief introduction on each-
Native Mobile Apps- Built using native programming language for the platform- iPhone or iPad apps are built using Objective-C, and Android applications are built using Java. Native apps are fast, provide better user experience and interface and have access to all device features for which it is built. On the down side, a native app can be used only for its specific platform thereby restricting the reach. For e.g., an android app cannot be run on an iPhone and vice versa. If you want to cover a larger audience across all platforms, you will need to have separate native apps for them.
Web Apps- A website built using HTML5, CSS3 etc., which resembles an application and can be accessed through a mobile browser is called a web app. The biggest advantage of web apps is that it can be used across all platforms and devices. However, web apps are not accepted in any of the native app stores thereby cutting off an important distribution channel for the app developers. Also, web apps cannot access or use the native APIs or device specific hardware features.
Hybrid Apps- While many confuse a hybrid app with a native app, but there is a fundamental distinction. A hybrid application is built using web technology, and then wrapped in a platform specific shell. The native shell not only makes it look like native apps and makes it eligible to enter the app stores, but also, developers can build in some of the native functionalities into it, to access some of the native APIs and use device specific hardware features to some extent. A hybrid app is basically an app developed in combination with HTML 5 and native technology. For cross platform reach, developers would need to code the native part separately for each platform but they can use the same HTML5 part across all of them.
Features
Native
Hybrid
Web
Development Language
Objective C for iOS, Java for Android
HTML plus native
JavaScript, HTML
Tools
iPhone SDK, Android SDK, Windows SDK
RhoMobile, Titanium Appcelerator, PhoneGap, Worklight etc.
HTML5, Sencha, JQuery Mobile
Code Portability
None
High
High
Publication & Distribution
App Stores
App Stores
No Stores
Access to device hardware
Yes
Yes (need to write platform specific wrappers)
No
User Experience
High
Moderate
Low
Upgrade Flexibility
Low
Moderate
High
Development Cost (relative)
High
Low
Medium
Speed
High
Moderate
Low
Maintenance
Complex
Simple
Simple
Content Restrictions
Must adhere to app store guidelines
Must adhere to app store guidelines
No restrictions
Offline Capabilities
Yes
Yes
No
Pros and Cons
Pros
Best performance & user experience
Works offline
Visibility in app stores
Full access to device features
Build once, deploy multiple times
Lower development costs
Visibility in app stores
Access to all device features
Easy maintenance & upgradation
Largest reach
Lower development costs
Easy maintenance & upgradation
Cons
High development costs
Requires good development experience
Longer production cycle
Complex maintenance.
Performance and experience weaker than native
Apps require tweaking for each platform
Performance and experience weaker than native
Don’t have access to native functionalities
Don’t work offline
As we see, the jury is still out on which one is the best approach. It all boils down to your requirements and the way you want your user to interact with your app. While you have all the options, selecting the right platform could be a critical factor in the success of your app.
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