Native vs. Hybrid/Cross-Platform

Question

Except for the cost difference, what are the pros and cons of each native and hybrid apps? Mainly, what APIs are supported on hybrid types of apps and what are some examples of native and hybrid apps?

Answer 1

There are 3 types of mobile apps: Native, Hybrid and partially Native. Native comes at first with the highest performance and all apis are available but you need to have deeper understanding of android and ios platforms frameworks. Due to this reason, it takes a lot of time.

Hybrid is essentially an app that runs inside a web view on phones. It has some degree of api compatibility but hard to reach some of device features lets say light sensor of phone. But location or internet connection infos are not hard to reach inside their apis since app runs on a web container of your browser. It has the fastest development speed and cross platform but compatibility may suck when it comes to reaching file system, cameras and other sensors of phone.

Answer 2

Partially Native is the newest technology where it is supported by React Native, Xamarin, Nativescript and Flutter. They are easier to work with and aims the middle ground of native and hybrid. From api side you can reach more device information than hybrid ones and higher performance without changing your language and it is cross platform. However native apis are pluggable. Development speed is not slow as native apps but not fast as hybrid apps either

Answer 3

Hey, as a software enthusiast, I've explored both options and can share my emotions and knowledge on this topic.

Native apps offer a superior user experience as they are built specifically for a particular platform. They take full advantage of the device's capabilities and APIs, resulting in high performance and seamless integration. Examples of native apps include Instagram (iOS and Android) and Apple Music (iOS). More examples here: https://www.redmondpie.com/10-companies-offering-top-cross-platform-play-products/

On the other hand, hybrid/cross-platform apps are developed using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. They can run on multiple platforms with a single codebase, which saves development time and cost. However, hybrid apps might not always match the performance and look-and-feel of native apps. Some popular hybrid app frameworks include React Native and Flutter.

In terms of APIs, hybrid apps can access a broad range of device functionalities through plugins or native modules. However, they may not have access to all platform-specific APIs, which could limit their capabilities compared to native apps.

Ultimately, the choice between native and hybrid apps depends on factors like project requirements, budget, and time constraints. Both have their strengths and weaknesses, so it's essential to consider the specific needs of your app before making a decision.