Selecting the Perfect Approach for your App: Native, Cross-Platform, Hybrid or Cloud-Based?

When you hire an IT outsourcing developer or you work with an internal team to create your mobile app, it’s essential to identify the type of development that aligns best with your business needs.

Which type of mobile application aligns best with your business needs?

If you hire a development company and they don’t raise this question, you are in trouble. Selecting the right type of development is a key factor for having a successful project. The main 3 approaches for app development are Native, Web Apps, and Hybrid. There’s also 2 other types you might want to think about: Cross-Platform or Cloud-Based. Let’s see what are the differences between different options.

Before going forward, let’s clarify an idea that you should already know: if your business lacks a mobile app, you’re falling behind. It’s highly likely that your competitors have already introduced a mobile app, simplifying customer interaction with their website, services or eCommerce solution. So there’s absolutely no excuse.

So, now that you understand the importance of having an app, when you begin your mobile development journey, you’ll immediately face a question that is essential to answer before the first line of code is written:

Native Mobile Apps

This stands out as one of the most widely used categories of mobile applications. Native apps are meticulously designed to be installed and operate seamlessly within an operating system. Therefore, an iOS-native app is exclusively compatible with iPhones, while Android-native apps are tailored solely for Google’s platform.

These applications are not installable on a competitor’s operating system, so your developers must not only have a deep understanding of those platforms but also be proficient in developing using their native languages (Java for Android and Swift for iOS).

Native apps leverage the full capabilities of mobile devices, making this approach a preferred choice for many projects. If the performance of an application is your top priority, opting for a native app is the way to go forward. This kind of app is also more adept at optimizing the user experience.

Opting for native mobile apps offers the following main benefits:

• Better security
• High performance
• More interactive and intuitive
• Can access the full device feature set
• Fewer issues during the development process

Keep in mind that native mobile apps have a few disadvantages. One initial drawback is that they operate solely on one platform, so if you’re planning to release on both Android and iOS, you’ll need to create separate developments for each one. This implies that developing native mobile apps can generate higher costs and require specialized developers for each platform. Finding a trusted outsourcing development company like Greelow, capable of working both on Android and iOS platforms in an efficient way, is the solution for this challenge.

Web Apps

When you access your website through a desktop browser, it is designed to utilize the entire screen and is compatible with resizable web browsers. However, viewing the same desktop website on a mobile device can be challenging, requiring zooming in and dragging the page to read the text.

That’s where web apps are important. When a user accesses a site optimized for adaptive web applications on a mobile device, the site automatically presents pages in a manner that is not only easily viewable but also optimizes site elements for smaller screens and touch interaction.

The main benefit of these kind of mobile applications is that they are typically integrated into modern-day web frameworks, making them straightforward and cost-effective to deploy.

Hybrid Mobile Apps

The final type of primary app is Hybrid mobile apps. These applications are installed on both Android and iOS devices similarly to native apps, but they operate through the native web browser (or a subsystem, like Android’s WebView) responsible for rendering app content. Hybrid mobile apps are developed using HTML5, enabling anyone proficient in the language to develop an app that can run seamlessly on both Android and iOS platforms.

One key advantage of hybrid mobile apps is the possibility of creating a single app, compatible with both major mobile platforms, leading to a significantly shortened development lifecycle. With these apps, not only can you achieve cost savings, but you can also expedite the release process.

Cross-Platform Mobile Apps

Developing for both platforms simultaneously is possible by cross-platform apps, allowing you to avoid the need for building separate native applications for each platform. Various development tools facilitate the creation of these apps, including:

• React Native

• Xamarin/MAUI

• Flutter
• NativeScript
Although cross-platform mobile app development can be more expensive due to the need for specialized technology knowledge among hired developers, it allows you to deliver apps for both platforms much faster. So, the primary drawback is related to increased costs, while the main advantage is a faster development process.

Cloud-Based Mobile Apps

This type of application is engineered for accessibility across diverse computing devices. Mobile cloud applications and web applications share substantial similarities, with a primary distinction being that cloud-based mobile apps typically operate within a virtual environment, often hosted by a third-party cloud service. Similar to web apps, cloud-based mobile apps are not downloaded or installed; instead, they are delivered directly from cloud-hosted accounts and platforms.

This implies that, similar to web applications, developers only have to create a single app compatible with both Android and iOS. However, the significant challenge with cloud-based mobile apps is that developers need to possess the expertise to adeptly write and manage multiple APIs and effectively handle cloud services in a cost-efficient manner. Without such skills, this type of application has the potential to exceed your development budget significantly.

Conclusion

The final decision is straightforward: Opt for a native mobile app if you prioritize the best user experience. Choose a hybrid app if you aim to reduce costs while maintaining a satisfactory user experience. For those prioritizing speed of delivery and cost efficiency, a web-based application is the preferred choice.

Regardless of the path you choose, Greelow expert developers are the best choice for creating the right app for your business needs.

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