Native vs Hybrid app development - which one is better for your business? Android, iOS or cross-platform app? Find out with RST-IT.com presentation.

1. Native vs Hybrid App
Development

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While working with many different clients I have learnt
that choosing between a hybrid and a native app is very
often not an easy task.
Which one should you select and why? As usually in
these cases, there is no straight answer.

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NATIVE VS HYBRID APP DEVELOPMENT

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The Introduction
First of all some stats:
● 79,4% of all mobile devices use Android
● 16,4% of all mobile devices use iOS
Source: Forbes.com

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NATIVE APPS
Native apps are smartphone and tablet applications
developed precisely for a specific mobile operating
system. For iOS we usually use Swift and for Android we
use Java or Kotlin (trending solution right now).

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PROS OF NATIVE APPS
● GREAT PERFORMANCE - native apps are
developed specifically for a given operational
system (according to its guidelines), so they are
faster and more refined than their hybrid
counterparts, making them a perfect match for
high-performance applications and games

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PROS OF NATIVE APPS
● BETTER UX - both Android and iOS apps have
some individual characteristics, which feel natural
for their users. Long-time Android/iOS users
probably won’t have any problems with finding their
way around the app which follows platform specific
UI standards - just like other apps they already use
(navigating, interface etc.).

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PROS OF NATIVE APPS
● EASIER ACCESS TO BUILT-IN CAPABILITIES -
native apps have no problem tapping into all the
device’s functionalities, such as: camera,
microphone, calendar, GPS etc. while hybrid apps
grant only a limited access to them.

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PROS OF NATIVE APPS
● INTERNET CONNECTION IS NOT ALWAYS A
MUST - depending on the functionality, native apps
don’t necessarily require internet connection to
work (when it comes to hybrid apps, it is usually a
must)

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EXAMPLES OF NATIVE APPS
● elGrocer - el Grocer is an Android and iPhone app
which allows users to shop from grocery stores
nearby in Dubai (by both “shopping by items” and
“shopping by stores”) with no changes in price.

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EXAMPLES OF NATIVE APPS
● WonderWoof - Wonderwoof is a mobile Android
app, integrated with WonderWoof BowTie device. It
allows users to create personalized profiles for their
dogs, track their activity (with badges as awards)
and connect with other users.

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EXAMPLES OF NATIVE APPS
● EasyTalQ - Easy TalQ is a natively developed
Android and iOS app that connects interpreters and
their clients. The app allows people around the
world to book interpretation services in any
language for a specific time.

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HYBRID APPS
Hybrid apps are web apps hidden behind a native app
shell. They are cross-platform and can be immediately
distributed between app stores without the need to
develop two different versions for Android and iOS.

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PROS OF HYBRID APPS
● The cost - the lowered cost of developing a hybrid
app instead of a native application is one of the
biggest pros of this solution. You don’t have to
create two separate versions for Android and iOS,
instead you get an app ready for both platforms
(assuming you don’t care about getting a native-like
interface)

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PROS OF HYBRID APPS
● Lower requirements - one language can be used
on all available platforms (assuming you are using
Cordova or PhoneGap wrapper). Xamarin might
also be a very interesting alternative here.

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EXAMPLES OF HYBRID APPS
● fTrack Go - fTrack Go is a cross-platform project
management app available both on Android and
iOS. It allows users to track production process and
time, involve clients in ongoing projects and much
more.

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EXAMPLES OF HYBRID APPS
● Eduvee - Eduvee is the brainchild of engineering
graduates who wanted to bring education into the
digital age. Exposed to all kinds of new technology
every day, they want to make it accessible to
students and teachers alike to help support what is
being taught in class.

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NATIVE VS HYBRID MOBILE DEVELOPMENT
Right now you should have a general idea of the
qualities of both native and hybrid apps. When to choose
which then? There are two main, deciding factors -
available time and money.

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NATIVE APP CONS
● Money - the cost of maintaining multiple code
bases will be much higher than in the case of a
single code base.

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NATIVE APP CONS
● More developers - usually more developers will be
needed, due to the specific knowledge required to
develop for both platforms.

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HYBRID APP CONS
● UX - A hybrid app will never give users a fully
native experience. Native apps use system
interface components which are well-known by
users and also allow developers to create
meaningful, descriptive transitions and
transformations which help maintain the work flow.

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HYBRID APP CONS
● Lack of some native features - both Android and
iOS have some features that are only available for
their native apps. A good example is Render Script,
computation engine that operates at the native
level, allowing you to accelerate your app when it
requires extensive computational power (it’s used
in many photo rendering apps).

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HYBRID APP CONS
● Efficiency - hybrid apps are usually a lot slower
and less refined than the native counterparts, so
running high-performance apps and games can be
a frustrating experience.

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HYBRID APP CONS
● Design - even if the design is good, it still won’t
have the native feeling, because you are trying to
match one version to two platforms.

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HYBRID APP CONS
● App Store approval - if your App Store experience
is a rookie one do not be surprised the app
submission may be a bumpy road and a seemingly
trifle mistake can result in app rejection and lots of
time lost if you are not careful and violate any of the
App Store rules - some of the most common app
rejection reasons can be found here.

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WHAT’S THE ANSWER?
In my opinion, choosing whether to go native or hybrid
should depend not only on your current need, but also on
the future plans. Let me focus on two very popular
scenarios:

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WHAT’S THE ANSWER?
1. You have a very simple app that will not really
need any complex functionalities in the future (for
example a cinema ticket booking app).
In this case, when there are no large functionality
updates on the horizon, hybrid app may be a reasonable
choice

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WHAT’S THE ANSWER?
2. You want to develop an MVP, but already have a
list of extra features you’d like to add in the future
In this case, when the application is expected to be
getting more functionalities based on the feedback from
your early adopters, a native app is the way to go.

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WHAT’S THE ANSWER?
As you can see, there are situations when both hybrid
and native apps can be a viable solution. Nevertheless, I
am of an opinion that native is overall a better
alternative, mainly because it gives you much wider
options for post-MVP development.

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WHAT’S THE ANSWER?
I hope this article will help you make the right decision. If
you are facing the native vs hybrid dilemma and would
like to share your thoughts or get some additional advice
feel free to leave a comment in the comments section or
write us using the contact form, I’ll definitely try to help!

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Confidental info
Presentation by Krzysztof Marszałek
Contact me at
krzysztof.marszalek@rst-it.com
if you find the idea interesting

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Also contributed to the article:
Marcin Przepiórkowski - RST-IT Mobile Department Team
Szymon Półtorak - RST-IT Frontend Department Team
Adam Szeremeta - RST-IT iOS Developer

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