Native vs. Cross-Platform Apps: The Startup Dilemma

There is no doubt that the biggest fight in mobile application development in 2021 is “Native vs Cross-platform app development” after “iOS vs Android”. The majority of big organizations, such as Google, Facebook, Airbnb, and Skype have already developed hybrid applications using hybrid platform technology such as React Native and Xamarin.

A majority of developers and entrepreneurs fail to make informed decisions when it comes to cross-platform solutions because they are either oversold or undersold. Our take on the Native vs Cross-Platform debate. Here are some points to consider before diving deep into the nuts and bolts of deciding what type of development is most appropriate for what kind of situation:

Fasten your seat belt!

What is a native APP?

A native mobile app is an application developed specifically for a particular mobile platform. Accordingly, it fully meets the requirements of mobile operating systems. Moreover, a native app can utilize all of the phone’s features.

A mobile developer creates native apps by using platform-specific programming languages. There are two main players in the mobile OS market today: Google and Apple. The most common languages for developing a native application are Java/Kotlin for Android or Objective-C/Swift for iOS.

Strengths of native apps

1. High Performance and Great UX

The native apps work smoothly on the OS. Developers tailor native apps to the specific platform, which means that they strictly follow quality guidelines or HMI guidelines. It results in a native app offering great UX and integrating seamlessly with the platform.

2. Broad Functionality

Mobile native applications have access to all the features of their devices and to their native APIs. Other native applications and services can be used in this application. For instance, it can open a weather app or a calendar if that is needed. In addition, native apps work well across all Google and Apple devices. Plus, the native app doesn’t require an Internet connection. Because of this, native app development is best suited to creating complex mobile applications.

3. Store’s Support

Platform manufacturers are incentivized to build native apps for their respective operating systems. On the virtual stores of both Apple and Google, native apps predominate. Any startup would dream of being featured in the App Store or Google Play Market. The Apple App Store can boost downloads by 800% when it’s featured.

Deficiencies of native apps

1. High Cost

It is important to be aware that native app development can be very expensive. The reason is that you will need to develop native apps for at least two major mobile operating systems. In addition, you’ll need more than one development team. Also, native mobile developers are hard to come by and charge more than cross-platform ones.

2. Difficulties with Updates and Maintenance

The lack of a single mobile development team can make feature updates and support challenges. Managing several builds on different platforms is a challenge.

3. Slow Development Speed

Thus, native apps take longer to develop than cross-platform ones. Because native code is not reusable, you need to create an app from scratch for mobile.

What is a cross-platform app?

Cross-platform applications work on different mobile platforms. It usually refers to web applications and hybrid applications that use web technologies. As an alternative, you could use a more sophisticated tool like Flutter or React Native to create a cross-platform app.

Strengths of Cross-Platform App

1. Lower Cost

It is obvious that cross-platform development is cheaper than native development. There is only one mobile team creating one app for multiple OS platforms. It is more affordable to develop cross-platform applications than native apps.

2. Faster Development

Furthermore, reusing code is faster than writing it from scratch. Cross-platform development is exactly what it is all about. The same code can be used for devices across multiple platforms, which is remarkable. The speed of cross-platform development makes it helpful if you are trying to get into the market quickly.

3. Easy App Support and Maintenance

Plus, since there is only one codebase, everything can be changed easily. Multi-platform updates are a breeze to roll out. This will allow you to introduce new features or patches quickly for both Android and iOS version apps.

Deficiencies of Cross-Platform App

1. Low App Speed

There is a lot of talk about the poor quality of cross-platform applications. This is no longer true. Cross-platform apps like Facebook, PayPal, or Uber Eats are widely used. Is their performance poor? Certainly not! There is a real issue with cross-platform apps being slower than native ones.

2. Limited Functionality

Too bad, cross-platform applications don’t have access to all the native APIs. Also, they have limited access to OS features and often don’t work without an Internet connection.

3. Limited UX

There is no comparable UX in cross-platform apps with native apps. Some native elements may also be missing from cross-platform apps. Thus, it’s vital to plan your cross-platform UI (user interface) early in development, since changing it later can be quite challenging.\

Comparison Table

As we have seen so far, we have looked at both Native and Cross-platform methods in detail with pros, cons, and so on. Now let’s take a look at the thorough comparison of all of them.

Final takeaway

Both Native and Cross-platform app development have perks and perils of their own. Thus, before zeroing in on an app development framework, it comes down to the specific business requirements. Before choosing the app development framework, IT business owners should consider what they actually want. A decision should take into account both the current and the future perspectives.

Are you worried about selecting the right technology for your app? Putting your trust in the skilled team of web developers at Wings Tech will ease your worries. Each business has its own particular challenges that need to be addressed. In order to craft the perfect mobile application, we offer our clients services in both native and cross-platform technologies.