A mobile app kick-starts your transformation. There are 4.4 million apps both on the app store and the play store. If you are keen on developing a mobile app for your business, you need to choose between native app development vs cross platform development.
Both native app development and cross platform mobile app development have their own pros and cons based on cost, time, and functionality. This single decision has a huge impact on the app’s design, the technologies used to create and the users who can access it. According to Statista, in 2023, it is estimated that the annual number of app downloads will increase to 299 billion.
With such competition, businesses undergo the pressure to provide more quality, with precise functions that convince the customers to use their services rather than looking for alternatives. At this point, businesses usually encounter multiple challenges when it comes to choosing the right technology or app development services company.
Also, the choice between iOS or Android will grab wider customer engagement. This blog will discuss the app development approaches like Cross platform mobile app development vs Native.
Let us start with the understanding of individual mobile development approaches.
What is Native App Development?
Simple definition is, native app development is the process of creating apps for specific operating systems like Android, and iOS. This process of app development involves a particular set of programming languages and frameworks for a single platform. iOS or Android applications will be built separately. Android requires Java or Kotlin and iOS requires Swift and Objective-C.
If you need high performance, security, responsiveness and great user experience, it is worth opting for native app development with requirements of a specific OS. Native app development is expensive and time-consuming but provides the top on the platform’s app store to support each feature on your smartphone. Hire React Native app developers, they get access to add more capabilities and features to the apps with elements like GPS, sensors, camera, and so on.
What are the Pros and Cons of Native App Development?
Pros of Native App Development
Speed and Stability
Since developers can fully leverage the benefits of working on one platform and not writing complex code like other platforms, native apps are comparatively faster and more stable. Since they provide high performance, startups usually prefer to opt for native app development.Security and Reliable
Security risks of native apps are relatively lower than cross-platform apps. As these involve very few technologies and layers, vulnerabilities are less likely to slide in.Quick App Release
The features of native apps are as per the requirements and that’s why you can launch your app to any app store in the easiest way and without any delay.Offline Functionality
One of the greatest advantages of developing native apps is that they can work even without a network. Your users enjoy the convenience of having no network or low coverage through this feature. Users can also use these apps during airplane mode or anyone who is living in a remote area with limited data.No Third-party Restrictions
In case you are planning to build an app with more features and complex functionalities, it should definitely be a native app. The cross platform development frameworks involve different architectural structures that offer compromised solutions that are not ideal for high-performance apps. So, it won’t be difficult for you to choose native app. The developers also prefer and have access to third-party libraries while building native apps.Dynamic Design and User Experience
There are significant differences in the UI of Android and iOS platforms. If a user is using iOS for a long time, it becomes difficult for them to get used to the UI of the Android design. The behavioral patterns of both patterns are different and for the same reasons, developers prefer native apps more dynamic and convenient to develop.
Quick Update
A quality app must need a simple way to get timely updates. In this regard, the winner between native vs cross platform app development is native apps as you can easily update apps over time with new features like IoT and AI.
Cons of Native App Development
Increased Development Cost
Building native apps can be costly when you need to launch for both platforms- Android and iOS. It means you need to deploy both platforms.
Longer Time
Native app development is time-consuming as the work is done on different platforms and cannot be repeated to another. Instead, a separate team is required who is well-versed with the other version is.
No Code Reusability
You have to create different codes for different projects to target different mobile OS.
Some examples of Native Apps- Google Maps
- Artsy
- Spotify
What is Cross-platform App Development?
Unlike Native apps, cross-platform apps use only a single codebase to run on various devices and platforms at the same time. Developing an app of this sort is faster and cheaper. This reduces almost 70-90% of the code for multiple other platforms. The other 20-30% code you need to create natively with tools like Xamarin, React Native, Ionic, and Flutter.Cross-platforms apps have benefits like affordable development cost, dynamic functionality, and hassle-free implementation. Remember that the primary goal is to optimize stages of mobile app development done by a cross platform app development company. Such apps compile the source code to execute it on different OS and get a separate executable file for each compilation with a .apk extension for Android and .ipa for iOS.
What are the Pros & Cons of Cross-platform App Development?
Pros of Cross-platform App Development
Code Reusability
We can’t stress enough how reusable code is a bonus for developers for time-saving and cost-effective. It is a write once and run anywhere approach with a common codebase for each OS. leading faster and simpler development processes.
Hassle-Free Maintenance
Since you will only use one codebase, you don’t have to worry about the outcome. You can develop a top-notch quality mobile app with great accuracy as a cross-platform app with a lost easiest way to test, fix and update all the cross-platform apps.
Wider Audience Reach
Cross-platform apps are quite versatile and readily available in the market. Hence, it will allow your business to reach broader users and new markets.
Reduced Cost
Of course, the economical cost of building Native apps or cross platform apps, is the biggest reason to opt for this solution. Just imagine how much you will be able to save by running one app on various platforms. Cross platform development technique is like a blessing for small and mid-size business owners to fit in the budget and cut down the upfront expenses.
Uniform UI/UX
We all know the grave importance of app design. While we always try to develop unique and appealing designs, maintaining the same is not easy. Moreover, creating a similar UI/UX for each app becomes complicated and time-consuming. Cross-platform app development saves from this issue with a common codebase.
Shorter Time to Market
You can launch your iOS and Android app simultaneously since cross-platform development supports both platforms with great strategies to improve your time to market. It helps to increase the number of potential users, and get them to download your app.
Cons of Cross-platform App Development
Slow App
An additional abstraction layer and rendering will make the cross-platform slow than native app development.
Limited Functionality
Developers face some issues while accessing functionalities of smartphones such as camera, geolocation, and microphone in ways possible for a native app.
Limited Design
Cross-platform applications are capable of taking the benefit of native UX components to deliver the user experience addicted to the platform.
Some of the Examples of Cross-platform Applications.
- Insightly
- Bloomberg
- Reflectly
- Skype
- Slack
What To Consider When Choosing An Approach To Build Mobile App
Cross-platform Native App Development: Application Complexity
If you are building an app that’s just displaying information, cross-platform development is the best option. However, if it involves heavy processing or requires access to low level APIs like Bluetooth, you can look for a company with experience in native mobile app development in Toronto.Native vs Cross-platform mobile app development : Cost
Native development produces apps with high performance, but it can be a costly affair to invest. If you have a budget and cannot spend more, cross-platform development is an ideal choice. You will save around 40% by using a single codebase created for an app that can be used for both Android and iOS.
Native App Development Cross Platform Development: Time
In some projects, you want to get an MVP app to check the user experience and get feedback to improve. This is where you will want to consider cross-platform development. You don’t want to have two versions of the app and instead a single cycle of development is needed for an app for both Android and iOS platforms.
Native and Cross-platform App Development: UI/UX
If you are looking for stunning visuals and experience choose native development. Development has access to UI/UX components while developing native apps. With cross-platform, you get a limited UI/UX element of the app.
Native vs. Cross-platform: Which App Type Provides Better Performance?
Application performance is the key to ensure the higher availability and responsive features for the users. A single feature issue can cost a loss of several users. So, app performance is the key to successful operations. Let’s compare the performance of native and cross-platform apps.
According to a survey, performance testing of native apps is higher than that of cross-platform applications. Multiple tests were conducted based on database, operational, and computing.
Native vs. Cross Platform: Which is the Best for Cost Saving?
A comparison of native vs. cross-platform is incomplete without cost investigation. Each application project has an alternate improvement time span contingent upon the intricacy of its highlights, obviously. For instance, a simple login or secret word highlight for the virtual entertainment application could require 26-44 hours of improvement time, while a high-level advanced feature could require 530 to 810 hours.
Expanded development time implies increased commitment with engineers. In this way, you need to pay higher to develop a complicated component than a basic one. Local application improvement requires two independent applications for Android and iOS, which is tedious.
On the other side, cross-platform applications will have less expensive because of reusable codes. You can utilize the equivalent codebase for Android and iOS applications, diminishing time and advancement costs.
Native versus Cross-platform Apps: Which is the Best?
With our conversation up until this point, who do you suppose wins the last fight for your business?
All things considered, I think the choice is completely situational as each approach has its play regions. But, there’s something else too.
To develop a steady and dependable portable mobile application with amazing performance, no time and financial plan constraints, and focused on just iOS or Android clients, local applications would be the smartest option.
On the other hand, if you need to create an application in the most time and the financially savvy way that would zero in on a more extensive client base, picking get stage over local applications can stir things up around town’s – eye for you.
Remember that main individual conditions prepare for picking the proper methodology, and no review can offer a widespread solution to you.
Native App Development Vs Cross-Platform Development: Conclusion
To make an effective, stable, and well-user-experienced portable application, you really want to figure out which working framework — or frameworks you maintain your application should be viable with.
Although both local and cross-stage improvement strategies can be utilized for Android and iOS working frameworks, the methods, techniques, advantages, and disadvantages going with every strategy ought to be thought about while fostering a portable application.
Whether your clients are on Android or iOS working frameworks, you want to guarantee you make your application with security, execution, and adaptability as a primary concern. There is no one-size-fits-all answer for fostering an application. Neither cross-platform nor local improvement will be the most ideal to each portable application and each utilization case.
You ought to constantly evaluate the special necessities of every portable application venture to decide whether it is more qualified for local or cross-platform, and consider what’s in store plans for the application in any event, when you are simply getting everything rolling.
To figure out how you can speed up your versatile improvement by building, testing, and sending your applications in the cloud, contact Silver Touch today, we are leading mobile app development company in Canada. We have skilled developers who can help you develop robust mobile apps for various platforms as per your business requirements.
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Native vs Cross Platform FAQs
Swift or Objective-C is used for developing Native iOS apps. Developers also use JavaScript with React Native framework for developing cross-platform iOS apps. There are multiple options to create cross-platform apps which involve a wider range of languages like Flutter, and Xamarin.
If you need to develop an app for Android and iOS platform, React Native is the best option. It helps to reduce the codebase, save time and money for about 95%. Above that, React Native has various open-source libraries of pre-built components which can help in increasing the speed of the development process.
React Native is the best option for cross-platform app development. It provides a sleek, smooth, and responsive UI with significantly reduced load time. It also helps in building apps much cheaper and faster. React Native is much better than building natives ones without compromising on the functionality and quality.
While cross-platform mobile development is ideal for getting the app to launch faster, native apps provide superior security, scalability and stability of apps. Cross-platform apps will have less cost due to reusable code as you can use the same code for Android and iOS. It also helps to reduce the time.
Having the ability to create single code between two platforms is one of the key benefits of cross-platform. It helps the developers to save their time and deliver the project as per the given timeline. In Native applications, code is different for each platform and must be written separately which will consume more time and resources.
