3 Main Types of Mobile Apps Compared

Mobile app trends increase the potential of the mobile app market for business owners. Variance between desktop and mobile internet usage is increasing, more and more people are using mobile internet and tools while desktop internet usage is going at a plateau. The number of mobile apps downloaded continues to increase, projected to have a 45% increase in a 5 year period – reaching 178 billion in 2017 and is estimated to grow to 258 billion by 2022. Involvement in the mobile market has the potential to increase sales and revenue for businesses. Revenue from mobile apps is estimated to reach around $188.9 billion by 2020.

However, before you go on to hire a mobile app developer, you should consider all types of mobile app development available out there. For example, if you are to build a hybrid mobile app, you would eventually get into Ionic development as it’s one of the best and most popular options on the market.

In any case, once you decide what kind of technology is the best fit for your project (you can also get some help with this decision from outside), you would also need to find and hire the right specialists using the right model, if you really want to get the desired results within your budget and timelines. If you’ve been reading this material carefully, you are probably wondering if it’s really possible to get a consultation and any other help by simply choosing a dedicated development team provider from a country with a solid tech talent pool like Ukraine. But first things first, let’s dig a little into the major types of mobile apps in today’s world.

Types of Mobile Apps

Despite the ever-improving mobile app trends and large market, mobile apps can still be broken down into specific types. Currently, there are 3 major types of mobile apps being developed or are available in the market – Native, Hybrid, and Cross-platform mobile apps.

Native Apps

Native mobile apps are applications developed using the selected language of the selected platform or device. Using the 2 major mobile app markets Android and iOS as examples, native Android mobile apps are developed using Java of Kotlin, while native iOS mobile apps are developed using Objective-C or Swift. Native mobile app developers are, more often than not, specialized in either Android or iOS, since mobile app development will require an expert understanding of the platform language and tools.

Pros:

• Full access to tools and features of the operating system or device.
• Allows for the utilization of the advanced tools and libraries of the system in enhancing the mobile app, its features, performance, and speed.
• Use of the language that is most compatible with the device, and is able to optimize the use of the features.

Cons:

• Native mobile app development requires developers to be well-versed in the language and APIs native to the chosen platform.
• Limited to devices using the platform selected; Android apps only work for Android devices and iOS apps for Apple devices.

 

Examples: Pokemon GO, TechCrunch, Facebook, Pinterest

Hybrid Apps

A lot of native vs hybrid app discussions have happened. The need to develop separate versions of mobile apps for different platforms pushed forth the idea of hybrid app development. Hybrid apps are web applications that render web pages that can be anchored to native mobile apps. The web app is developed using a combination of JavaScipt and HTML5 and can be used alongside native platforms such as Android and iOS. One of the most popular tools to build Hybrid apps is the Ionic framework.

Pros:

• Majority of the code reused in different versions and platforms of the mobile app.
• Web app tools and libraries can be utilized to further enhance the customer experience, UX, and overall performance of the app.

Cons:

• Part of the mobile app will still need to be re-coded to fit the native platform used.
• Speed and performance of the application can be affected since transactions are controlled by the web app.

 

Examples: Instagram, Uber, Untappd, Evernote

Cross-platform Apps

Cross-platform mobile apps are good alternatives to native apps and hybrid apps. Cross-platform mobile app development focuses on building apps using a language that is not native to the device’s OS,  such as JavaScript. As the name suggests, cross-platform apps are mostly, if not fully, usable in any device platform. Cross-platform mobile apps differ from hybrid apps in that they are mostly (80%), if not wholly, developed using a non-native language. Most cross-platform mobile apps are developed using JavaScript, React Native, Xamarin, Appcelerate, or NativeScript.

Pros:

• Cross-platform apps are mostly, if not fully, usable in any device platform.
• Controls perform akin to native tools, which can help improve user experience and the overall performance of the app.

Cons:

• A small portion of the code may need to be coded using the native language.
• Translation or processing of some tools or features in the third-party language may impact performance.
• Dependency on the framework or plugin used to access native features.
• Customization is highly dependent on the tools and support provided by the framework used.

 

Examples: MixRadio, ZipCar, Facebook Ads Manager, Skulls of Shogun

Cross Comparison

Aside from the pros and cons of each type of mobile app, it will also be helpful to see how well each type performs against essential mobile app development aspects.

 

	Native App	Hybrid App	Cross-platform app
Cost-effectiveness	Hiring developers specializing in native platform language and tools can be costly.	The most cost-effective since will not require highly specialized developers but will only require developers highly skilled in HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, and/or Ionic.	Will not require highly specialized developers, but will need developers well-versed in third-party languages and framework.
Performance	Streamlined overall performance since will be fully supported by the native functions and tools used.	Can leverage both features and tools of the web development framework used alongside the tools provided by the devices’ native platform.	Mostly utilizes the tools and features of the third-party framework selected, but could leverage the features of the native platform when used.
Usability	Limited to devices and environment specific only to the selected platform.	Web app interface can be used across platforms and are scalable, although support and some of the essential functions may be dependent on the native device platform.	Can be used across mobile device platforms, but it is dependent on the compatibility of the framework used to the device environment.
Code Reusability	Low code reusability since the code can only be used in specifically identified native platform.	Majority of the code is reusable, especially the user-facing web app code. Some work on tailoring the native functions to the new platform may be needed.	The non-native code of the mobile app is reusable in any compatible platforms. Though some code may need recoding to fit the new platform or environment.
Target Audience	Limited to users with devices using the operating system or platform selected.	Larger target audience since hybrid apps can be used by users with devices utilizing different operating systems.	Larger target audience since cross-platform apps can be used by users with devices utilizing different operating systems.

 

A way to make the process easier is to collaborate with a mobile app development company. However, the mobile app development costs and quality of customer support when working with a software development company will need some consideration, especially if you are just starting out. There are definite advantages to each type of mobile app. What you choose will greatly depend on what you want your app to be and the tools necessary for it to be developed.

Change is also constant in mobile apps. You start with one type of mobile app, but, as mobile app trends change and technology evolve, your mobile app also evolves and its requirement shift towards a different type. What is essential is you know the mobile that your business needs and the necessary tools and skills to develop it.