What Are Different Types of Mobile Apps & How Do You Choose Among Them?

Are you planning to build a mobile app? If yes, you might wonder which type of mobile app you should create.

You might have asked a few people, and each might've given you a different suggestion.

"Build a native app," someone might've suggested.
"No, build a web app," might've said another.
"Go for a hybrid app," a third might've chimed in.

But what do these terms mean? How do I choose between native, web, or hybrid app development? This blog answers all these questions. Grab a coffee and read on because you'll have a correct answer.

What are Native Apps?
Native apps run only on the operating system of the mobile device it's designed for. It means if you create a native Android app, it can only run on an Android smartphone, not an iPhone. These apps are typically coded in Java, Kotlin, Python, Swift, Objective-C, C++, and React.

WhatsApp, Soundcloud, and Spotify are examples of native apps.

Here are the advantages of native apps:
Native mobile apps are faster and have higher performance as developers create them with a singular focus.
These apps are more efficient as they use the device's native functionality, like Bluetooth, contacts, microphone, camera, etc.
Native apps use the native device UI, resulting in an optimized customer experience.

Despite all the incredible benefits, Native apps have the following drawbacks:
Since native apps only work on a single platform, you must create a different native app for each platform.
You can't reuse the code you created for one platform on another. It can lead to higher costs and difficulty in maintaining separate codebases.
User has to download and install the app before using it, leading these apps to take up precious storage space.

What are web apps?
Web apps behave like native apps, but users can only access them via their device's web browser. Unlike native apps, they don't have to download and install a web app on your phone.

All users need is to enter its URL and start using it. They can also save the shortcut of the web app on their device's home screen for quick access.

Developers use HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript to develop web apps. Google office suite and Microsoft office are examples of web apps.

Here are the pros of web apps:

You can significantly reduce development costs as you don't have to create a web app individually for each platform.

Web apps don't take up space on device memory like native apps because you don't have to download them on your phone.

However, web apps depend entirely on a web browser for use, which means that various web browsers can result in varying user experiences. Also, you can't use web apps if you don't have an active internet connection or the network is weak in your area.

What are hybrid apps?
Hybrid apps combine the features and functionalities of web apps and native apps. In layperson's terms, they're web apps that look and feel like native apps. They have a home screen app icon, responsive design, and improved performance. Users can even use them offline.

App creators use web technologies and native APIs to build hybrid apps. Ionic, Objective C, Swift, and HTML5 are the technologies used.

Gmail, Twitter, and LinkedIn are prominent examples of hybrid apps.

Here are the upsides of hybrid apps:
You can develop hybrid apps faster and at a much lesser budget than native apps.
Loading speed is fast in hybrid apps. Hence, you can have a great user experience even on a slow internet connection
You have less code to maintain, as hybrid apps only use a single code base.
However, you don't get the power and speed that native apps offer with hybrid apps.

Conclusion: How to decide between native, web, and hybrid apps?

You can use the following benchmarks to decide between these apps:

Benchmark 1: I need an app ASAP
If you don't have enough time and want an app in the shortest possible time, invest in a web app. Maintaining one codebase across all platforms would be more accessible, and you can develop the app faster.

Benchmark 2: I have limited resources
Don't have enough money and resources? Build a web or a hybrid app. This way, you can test the waters on both platforms with a minimum viable product before developing a fully-fledged native app later.

Benchmark 3: My app should perform efficiently
If you care about your app's performance, you must develop a native app. It will give you much-needed speed, stability, and customization features.

Hopefully, the blog gave an overview of native, web, and hybrid apps – and when to choose them. Now, it's time to go ahead and build it. Best of luck!