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Which way to go – Hybrid vs Native Apps?

If you have just started researching about app development, then the terms “Hybrid” or “Native” apps might not mean much yet.

Native Apps simply mean apps that have been developed in the native programming language of the operating system. So for Apple (iOS) it would be in “Swift” and for other brands like Samsung/Huawei (Android) it would be in “Java/Kotlin”.

About 3 years ago, we would have highly recommended app development using native technologies. They were faster, more responsive, easier to maintain and overall had a much superior user experience. The downside to developing native apps is that they took twice the time to develop, as we were developing two completely different apps for the Apple and Android systems. This in turn meant the cost of developing apps were high.

Fast forward to today, about 70% of all apps we develop are hybrid/cross-platform. This means using one programming language to develop both Apple and Android apps at the same time. The programming language for hybrid/cross-platform apps has advanced to a point where they are no longer sluggish and unresponsive, and it saves our clients a significant amount of time and money.

Below are a few examples of apps where we would recommend developing in Native vs Hybrid. You can also read more about the difference here:

If you have any other questions, we would be more than happy to answer. Shoot us an email or just give us a call anytime to chat about app development right here in Melbourne.

App TypeRecommendation
GamesNative

Games are typically more CPU intensive and can benefit more from a native app.
Social MediaHybrid

Social media apps are usually content heavy and would be quicker to develop on a hybrid platform.
GeolocationHybrid/Native

Most hybrid platforms support geolocation. However depending on the actual use-case of the app, either hybrid or native development would suit.
Bluetooth / BLEHybrid/Native

Most hybrid platforms support Bluetooth/BLE. However depending on the actual use-case of the app, either hybrid or native development would suit.
Apple Watch / Android WearNative

Wearable technologies are typically more CPU restrictive to improve battery life and native apps are more suited because of this.

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