The ubiquity of smartphones has marked a tremendous influence on our way of living. Be it looking for a place to eat, finding a house or clothes to wear, collaborating with colleagues, or connecting with our loved ones, our dependence on our mobile devices has increased over time.

In light of this trend, business owners who want to promote their brand to mobile users should consider putting out a mobile app. However, it is no secret to them as well that mobile operating systems have made the market largely segmented;thus, when thinking of coming out with a mobile app, it’s all the more necessary to choose the right platform wisely.

It’s the dilemma that business owners face:Should he or she develop native apps for different platforms (i.e. Android, Apple, Blackberry, Windows Mobile) or make a hybrid app?

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Native app versus hybrid app

A native app is one that is developed through the use of the platform’s native language.This means using Objective-C, for instance, on iOS, and Java or on Android.

The reason why native apps are preferred by most businesses and developers is that it provides end users the best experience. Moreover, it is easy to navigate, is fluid, responds to multi-touch gestures, and loads immediately when a user taps on it.

Native apps don’t have a steep learning curve as well. “Native apps give you everything you’d expect from the company that built your device, as if it were simply meant to be,” Salesforce stated on its website.

On the other hand, a hybrid app is one that is developed for native browsers, according to Site Point. It is developed using HTML, CSS and Javascript, and packaged in an app building platform like Apache Cordova.

Developing hybrid apps is a breeze for programmers because it is easier to code and tailor to platforms. Site Point noted that oneadvantage is that you can simply add a line of code to create a new hybrid application for another platform, like when using Cordova.The downside of hybrid apps, however, is that they are slower in terms of performance becauseof their reliance on native browsers.

The nitty gritty on cross-platform development

Of course, there are situations when a native app seems more profitable. At last you can port your native app from iOS to Android.

But here I want to write in support cross platform app development. So, why cross-platform development? This type can be recommended when you face challenges such as:
– Limited resources;
– Vaguelydefined goals;
–Breaking through ahighly competitive market and need to embrace a large audience within short period.

In this case, cross-platform app development is reasonable.

If you choose cross platform development, you will get:

I. Improved reuse of code. Cross platform mobile app development means that the same single codebase is shared among apps and will be used on different OS.

II. Less duplicated work. You don’t have to multiply your code (i.e. amount of work) since the same codebase is used. It is easier to maintain and to revise codebase.

III. (Almost) same UX across all platforms. When you make native apps for different platforms you have to coordinate sequence of work, back-end, how features work, how to release them on other platforms and so on. With hybridapp, you have the pretty same back-end as well as the way it functions.

IV. Saved cost. Cross-platform appshave competitive rates due to minimized development time and effort.

V. Hybrid apps come quicker to market. You can start your presence simultaneouslyon all markets.

Unsure of what to do? Feel free to contact us to find out thebest suitedsolution for your case.Each project is unique, so contact us for a free consultation.

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