Which Is Better for Your Startup – Native or Hybrid App Development?

Which approach should I go with for my startup – native or hybrid app development? Which one is the ideal solution for my million-dollar startup idea? Which one can give my startup business the much-needed push? I am sure as a business owner or entrepreneur, these questions often bewilder you when thinking about startup app development.

Mobile app development is an expensive investment, so choosing the right technology for developing the mobile app is crucial, especially for startups. The discussion around hybrid vs native app development for startups has been doing the rounds; however, both native and hybrid development hold intrinsic value. But before you choose between native vs hybrid app development, it’s better to know everything about startup app development first.

Native and hybrid app development are not the same in terms of user experience, performance, development budget, and build time. To choose between hybrid and native apps, a startup needs to consider several factors such as target audience, app development budget, business objectives, and more. 

While the hybrid app can run on any mobile platform, the native app can only run on a single mobile OS, either Android or iOS. So, which of these apps are suitable for your business? Let's find out by revealing the pros and cons of both native and hybrid app development.

What Is a Native App?

A native app is an app that's built specifically for a specific platform or device. Native apps are written with native programming languages: Java and Kotlin for Android development, and Objective-C and Swift for iOS app development. One of the benefits is that you can create a better presence for your brand throughout the entire experience on that platform. Also, since native apps are built for specific target platforms, they offer fast and reliable user experience. 

Native App Development - Pros

• High Performance - Being native to the platform, native apps deliver an incredibly high level of performance. Native apps are faster because of their optimization, built-in features, and code.
• Full-fledged Functionality - Native apps come with full-fledged functionality. They have full access to a device's databases and hardware features and are not limited to plugins or any third-party tools.
• Better Security - Native apps guarantee your users the utmost security and reliable data protection. It uses the full power of hardware to engage in the process tasks.
• Offline Accessibility - Native apps work even if there is no internet connectivity. Thus, native apps are preferred in situations when users get stuck somewhere with limited or no service.
• Rich User Experience - Native apps allow users to intuitively navigate through the interface and better understand the functionality of your application.
• Appealing Look and Feel - Native apps provide a recognizable look and feel. When users perform some functions, they quickly understand the natural flow of the application.
• Personalization - Native development is the only way to keep the design at a high level and deliver a great experience to all users of your product as it offers personalization.

Native App Development - Cons

• Expensive Development -  Because of trickiness and platform-specific platform, native apps require more labor, which leads to the time and cost of development.
• No Flexibility - Native developers have to code for one platform at a time, with separate coding for Android and iOS, thus have no flexibility regarding the platform for native app development.
• Time-Consuming - Required separate sets of codes for every platform, which means more time is required, as it is equivalent to coding for two different apps.

What Is a Hybrid App?

Hybrid apps refer to the apps built for running across multiple mobile OS platforms. Hybrid apps allow you to reuse the same code for building iOS and Android versions of the app. In fact, many companies consider to React Native as the future of hybrid app development. These apps are made within a web view, and the native UI elements are incorporated through a native wrapper. 

Hybrid apps are the best way to reach audiences through multiple platforms in a cost-effective manner. Being designed to be cross-platform, you can reach the web, Android, and iOS in one development cycle.

Hybrid App Development - Pros

• Cost-Effective - Hybrid apps are cheaper to create than native ones. With the hybrid approach, the developers need to create only one project for both Android and iOS.
• Faster Development - Using a single codebase, it makes it possible to reuse the same code for both iOS and Android, making the development process faster.
• Native APIs - Hybrid app development platforms offer a range of plugins that enable you to access features on the device, giving the app a native-like feel.
• Greater Market Research - With the availability of both iOS and Android platforms, hybrid app development allows you to reach a wider audience.
• Maintenance - Hybrid apps are generally simpler to maintain and update than native apps because of the single codebase, it is easier to update, change, and maintain hybrid apps.

Hybrid App Development - Cons

• Functionality Limitations - Hybrid app development might not be the right approach for you if your mobile app involves complex features and functionalities.
• Sluggish Performance - As the performance is one of the crucial aspects, hybrid app development can be the wrong choice for you as it might give you a slow performance.
• Internet Connection - Hybrid apps require a constant internet connection to deliver the full range of features to the users, so users have difficulties when they lose service.

Which One to Choose?

As you can see, both the hybrid and native app development have their advantages and disadvantages. Hybrid apps are an appealing option because of the incredibly fast time to market, single codebase, cross-platform, and lower development costs. 

If you want to captivate your user base with an application that performs excellently on their platform choice and provides the great user experience, then it's better to choose native app development.

Key Takeaway: Based on your business requirements and audiences, you can choose either of them and help your startup prosper.

Have anything in mind related to startup app development? Feel free to share your thoughts with us!