Native vs. Hybrid vs. HTML5: Which Mobile Application is Ideal for Your Business?

We, humans, tend to roam around distributing suggestions for free without even knowing the dept of that topic at times. But when it is about making our own decisions, we may fall behind. 

One such decision is deciding which technology to pick out of so many available out there. 

Choosing one for your project is quite a challenging job!

Should you go all Native or stay with Hybrid mobile app development, or try HTML5 applications?

While the choice might be tough to make, it is not impossible!

There are a few factors that define which one is the most suitable for your web development project. And these factors are the advantages and disadvantages of a particular type of mobile application. 

Every type of mobile app development method has its own advantages and disadvantages. If anyone’s gains go with your needs or weaknesses, go against what you need, you know who you have to go with!

To let you have a clearer idea of Native, Hybrid, and HTML5 mobile app development, we have distinguished between three based on their pros and cons in this article. 

So, without waiting any further, let’s dive right into the details!

Native Mobile Applications

Apps that are platform-specific, i.e., either Android or iOS, and do not work on any other platform are referred to as the Native apps. 

As the name suggests, Native apps belong to the platform they are meant or built for. 

These apps tend to have a particular development environment in which they are being created. A simplified environment is what you get with Native apps for various development functions, including debugging, project management, etc.

Several popular development tools for Native app development include XCode for iOS development, Google Android Studio for Android, and Visual Studio for Windows. 

Pros

• Native apps can be downloaded instantly from any app store such as Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store by the end-user. Due to their native nature, managing them is pretty simple. 

• Native apps can access mobile device features consisting of the camera, location, phone book, and more. They can also combine with other apps to provide additional functionalities.

•  The security in terms of Native apps is more. 

• Native apps being developed in the respective environment, profit from the upgrades in the individual platforms.

Cons

• Restriction to the usage on a particular platform can prove to be a drawback sometimes. 

• With the need for different resources as per the platform, the Native apps ask for more investments. 

•  In order to do any update, the developer has to repeat the process with respect to every platform. This is a task of enormous hassle. 

HTML5 Mobile Applications

Using an integration of several programming languages such as CSS, Javascript, and HTML5, the HTML5 mobile apps hold the ability to run on different platforms. In simpler words, an HTML5 mobile application can be described as a web page. 

What’s required and needs to be taken care of in the case of HTML5 applications is to apps adaptable to multiple screen sizes. On the good side, HTML5 apps save ample time and effort by just writing once and using on various platforms. 

The list of tools for HTML5 app development consists of AngularJS, Ember.js, React, Backbone.js, JQuery, Meteor Bootstrap, and Bootstrap Javascript. 

Pros

• Less costs and time required for the development

• Consistency over all platforms

• Easier to develop and maintain than native apps

Cons

• HTML 5 apps do not tend to get benefit from the platform’s upgrades. 

• The development of large and heavy applications in HTML5 format is tough.

• No offline usage.

• HTML5 apps run on a browser, which reduces the user experience quality. 

Hybrid Mobile Applications

The name Hybrid gives an idea of what hybrid apps actually are!

Hybrid mobile app development is a mixture of both the Native and HTML5 methodologies. 

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that hybrid applications possess the qualities of both the Native apps and HTML apps. 

The native part involves using a native container while the programming languages used include CSS Javascript and HTML5 for the development of a hybrid application. 

These apps can perform on multiple platforms after being downloaded from different app stores. And to serve a broader segment of users, the businesses are rapidly turning towards the use of this technology. 

With code reusability, Hybrid apps have agile development with remarkable user experience. 

Some development tools for hybrid app development are Apache Cordova, Adobe PhoneGap, Alpha Anywhere, Ionic Framework, OutSystems, Kony, Xamarin, and Appcelerator.

Pros

• They can be updated even when they are in use. 

• Ability to perform equally well across all platforms.

• The usage of standard web analytics tools is possible.

• You can save time, efforts, and costs to a great extent. 

Cons

• Hybrid apps don’t get any benefit from a platform’s upgraded features. 

• The Hybrid model is not very good at supporting heavier and complex applications. 

•  The quality of user experience is not as-good-as the Native applications. 

Conclusion

As a product or business owner, you must conduct thorough research and think it through before finalizing on to any particular type of mobile app development. 

Whether you need Native services, Hybrid mobile app development services, or HTML5 development, the decision besides their pros and cons also depends on your project’s needs and how suitable a particular method is with your project. Evaluate the business requirements and go through resources before choosing any methodology.