All you need to know about Native vs Cross-Platform App Development
Mobile app development practices are growing at a rapid pace, and it is a consequence. Starting from the most delinquent trends to pop-culture icons, we are all together in this. You’ll find numerous approaches for developing a mobile application, but choosing one of the best approaches depends on your project requirements. With the increasing demand for native app or mobile web, developers need to know what direction they should take before getting started.
There are over 4 million applications available on Google Play and App Store, targeting more than 15 billion mobile phones across the world. So if you’re planning to build and launch an app, one of the most important factors to consider in choosing a reliable app development company and a development platform.
Since there is a discussion on which type of application development method will be most advantageous – native or cross-platform? The purpose is a clear insight into which type of solution is appropriate for your project, whether that’s native or cross-platform.
So to ease your task, we’re here to discuss in detail about the best development method that you might choose for your project. In this post, we’re going to compare Native vs Cross-platform app development, including its advantages and disadvantages. But before we move ahead, let’s know what exactly native and cross-platform app development means.
What is Native app development?
Native app development is a process of developing applications using a native language and APIs that are specially designed to access the features and functions of the system. Basically, it implicates coding for a particular operating system that will only work on one device.
When building an app for Android, you can choose Kotlin or Java, and for iOS, Swift or Objective-C. Most developers prefer to choose native app development because it gives the best user experience. When developing a native app to develop a live video streaming service, developers can access all the features across multiple devices, which means the solution here is more stable, high-performing, and secure.
In short, native app development means building a mobile app that is designed especially for a single platform. They are known to deliver outstanding user experience, and not only this; these apps are generally high performing. However, if you’re a startup, you must be concerned about the high expenses of native app development because you need to run concurrent development for both platforms, and hence you might need to invest more in it. But the features and advantages it offers are worth the money you invest in it.
Advantages of Native app development
+ Reliability and Security
The benefit of working with a native platform is that it offers a wide variety of features for hybrid applications. There are multiple layers, technologies, and languages associated with your system which are more likely for vulnerabilities to creep in. Compared to cross-platform, it provides more security features and is reliable.
+ Broad functionality
If you choose native development for your project; you can access all the APIs and tools provided by the platform that you’re working on. There are no restrictions on how the developers can work while developing a new app.
+ Interactive and intuitive
Applications developed on a native platform runs much smoother as compared to cross-platform development. Also, it provides a superior user experience and aligns it with the specific operating system. It has a gentle learning curve that makes it easy to learn who are beginners and allows them to interact with apps they’re already familiar with.
+ Easy to update
If you’re a developer, you might need an easy way to update the software over time. And native apps are easily updated and can take advantage of features like AI/ML, IoT, and much more, over the product’s lifetime.
+ Seamless Operation and Compatibility
As we all know, apps built on a native platform can be easily integrated with the device’s hardware as it makes sure that it offers seamless operation. You’re not required to worry about the apps working with hardware as it automatically works with hardware such as touch screen features, calendar, camera, and more.
Disadvantages of Native app development
– Separate codebase
As we discussed earlier, you’re required to create a separate codebase for both Android and iOS. This means developers are required to implement each feature twice before integrating it into the app. Not only this, but the essential tools and even the specific programmers need to accomplish these tasks will be distinct across operating systems.
– Costly and time-consuming
Creating a separate codebase for Android and iOS takes a lot of time and effort. Also, it is expensive as compared to cross-platform development. You need two separate teams to work on different versions of the project.
– Time to market
Native app development is a time-consuming process, so you need more time to develop and test the system before it is launched. There is more complexity in native apps, so you might need to hire two different teams to develop one app so that the quality of the software can be maintained by the time the app launches.
What is Cross-platform app development?
Cross-platform application development is the process of building an app that works on multiple platforms but shares a single codebase. Such apps can run at the same time on various devices without affecting the performance and speed of the software. This can be done by using several tools such as Flutter, React Native, and Xamarin, where the apps are deployed on both Android and iOS. It saves a lot of time and effort for developers, as they are not required to develop two separate codebases for iOS and Android, you’ll only need one that works on both.
As a cross-platform application developer, you’re not required to write the same code again because the same code can be deployed for both platforms. And as a startup, you might find this approach suitable as it saves you money and still develops a fully-featured application.
Advantages of Cross-platform app development
+ Reusable code
As I mentioned earlier, more than 70% of code can be similar and the rest should be performed natively which makes the development process simple and faster as compared to native app development. Here developers are not required to maintain two separate codebases because one single codebase can work for both Android and iOS.
+ Lower cost
Instead of hiring two separate development teams, a single development team can operate on both Android and iOS. Because one project can work simultaneously on both platforms, so you’ll save on the development cost.
+ Easy implementation
Numerous technologies offer cross-platform solutions that help web developers to make changes in just a few clicks. For example, while working with cross-platform app development, one can write code in HTML and later convert it for different platforms. However, cross-platform allows easy implementation, and developers can convert them according to their convenience.
+ Faster time to market
Since there is no requirement of making two separate applications for Android and iOS, developers can create and publish the apps on multiple app stores at the same time. This means you can reach your audience quickly in the least time possible.
Disadvantages of Cross-platform app development
– Limited UX
Applications developed using Cross-platform don’t have the same user experience that native apps provide. Several native elements may be restricted on cross-platform apps. Due to this reason, it is necessary to plan out a cross-platform UI at an initial stage of development, as it can be quite tough later on.
– Slower app
While working with cross-platform application development, you might need an extra abstraction layer and the rendering process makes the system slower as compared to its native counterpart.
– Harder code design
Lastly, the drawback of choosing a cross-platform app development is that it creates extra work for developers and makes it more complicated for them to handle specific expectations of a variety of platforms.
Summary: Which is the best choice for mobile application development?
So that’s all you need to know about Native vs Cross-platform app development. You might be wondering who is the winner here, but fortunately, there is no clear winner in this battle. Choosing a mobile app development platform is entirely dependent on the type of project and its requirements. If you choose the right platform that is well-suitable for your project, you can easily get success. But if you don’t invest a good amount of time in choosing the best platform for your project, then even after investing much effort you’ll not be satisfied with your product. So make sure to choose a reliable and right platform for your project to reduce future pitfalls.
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