Mobile apps play a vital role in today’s digital era, especially for startups. Mobile apps have become a centerpiece for almost every modern enterprise and the most dynamic tool to build your online empire. Mobile applications are continuously setting new standards for customer engagement and attraction today. As the number of active clients on the Play Store and Apple Store is increasing at a fast pace, entrepreneurs need to shift their focus on revolutionary startup app development for their revenue growth. According to research, the global mobile app download revenue is predicted to reach $258 billion in 2022.

Global mobile apps revenue by segment (in million U.S. dollars) 2017-2025

img src: Statista

However, being an entrepreneur if you think about startup app development, you need to fix the battle between native or hybrid mobile app development. Even if you have a complete plan to develop an app for your startup, you will face the dilemma of choosing the right mobile app development approach. As hybrid and native both offer a comprehensive range of benefits, it becomes normal to get confused between these two.

In this guide, we will address the affray between native v/s hybrid apps to reach the final conclusion for your next startup app development idea. Let’s begin!

What is Native App Development?

The term native mobile application refers to developing a mobile app solely for a specific mobile OS. Whether you go with iOS or Android app development, the native app will perform individually on each platform. For example, native android apps are coded in Java or Kotlin. On the other hand, native iOS apps are commonly developed using Objective-C or Swift. For native mobile app development, there are many versatile frameworks like Flutter, Xamarin, Ionic, or React Native app development available in the market.

What is Hybrid Mobile App Development?

As the name denotes, hybrid apps are a combination of native and web solutions. A hybrid mobile application is deployed in a native container that utilizes a mobile web view and own elements from native apps. Simply put, hybrid mobile apps are fundamentally websites that perform like apps but are not installed on devices and are accessed via the browser. Hybrid mobile apps utilize technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Mobile AngularUI, Onsen UI, etc. are some of the best frameworks you can use for hybrid app development.

Benefits of Hybrid App Development

1. Enhanced UI/UX

Hybrid app development gives a splendid user experience across Android and iOS platforms. These applications work for mobile devices by possessing web elements since they promote lightweight UI, fast content loading, and better graphics.

2. Improved Performance

In comparison with responsive websites or web apps, hybrid mobile apps offer faster performance. Since these apps do not depend on network communication, they can offer rapid performance with multiple users at a time.

3. Cost-Effective Development

Entrepreneurs do not need to invest a huge amount in developing multiple versions of apps for individual platforms due to the unified development of hybrid mobile applications. With single codebase writing for multiple platforms, hybrid app development allows developers to create a single version of apps that saves cost.

4. Multi-Platform Support

Hybrid applications have a strong ability to expand and support almost all platforms. The performance of the mobile application primarily depends on the framework used to build that app, and hybrid applications are compatible with all the latest OS updates.

5. Offline Support

Offline support is one of the most versatile features offered by hybrid apps. It is the biggest plus for those who live in rural areas with unstable internet connections. The device’s API helps users store desired data on local storage as offline storage.

Benefits of Native App Development

1. Intuitive and Interactive

Native mobile applications deliver seamless performance as they inherit the interfaces of the OS it is browsing through. It looks like the app is an integral part of the device itself. Since they are exclusively built for a particular platform, they are quite intuitive and interactive.

2. High-End Performance

Since, native mobile applications are developed for single platforms they compile using the platform’s core APIs and programming languages. This results in a responsive and efficient native app development that demonstrates top-notch performance.

3. Enhanced Security

Though hybrid applications rely on system browser security, native mobile apps are protected by various OS layers that prevent them from unauthorized access. They don’t rely on a third-party system and only use the well-encrypted APIs.

4. Scalability

Native apps can be configured rapidly because they offer great platform compatibility. With fewer limitations, native apps become easy to scale. In case you want to combine the benefits of both cross-platform solutions and native, you need to add extra code.

5. Offline Performance

Where there is no internet connection, going native is the best option. If you are stuck somewhere with less internet connection, native apps give you seamless accessibility.

Hybrid vs Native – Which One is Best for Your Startup App Development?

1. App Performance

The codes in native mobile applications for different platforms are written using different programming languages specified for the individual OS. This is the biggest reason that it offers remarkable performance on various operating systems since it’s designed exclusively for fixed platforms. Whereas, hybrid mobile apps have an extra layer between source codes and mobile targeted platforms. As a result, it leads to slow performance. However, the performance might vary from application to application.

2. User Experience

User experience is the key feature offered by mobile app development. Native mobile apps have become a pro in offering the ultimate user experience. These apps come with smooth scrolling, seamless navigation, and enhanced functionality with eye-catchy animations and visual effects.

3. App Speed

The native apps are optimized for Android and iOS, which makes them deliver high performance and higher speed. From using battery and memory to implementing advanced functionalities, native apps offer easy integration of everything. However, hybrid apps run on multiple layers, which causes the consumption of numerous computing resources and decreases the app’s speed.

4. App Security and Data Protection

Native mobile apps are facilitated with high-end security through its robust hardware resources. This case is not with the hybrid apps. This is due to the reasons that the hybrid container, which basically works as a web browser, can deliver the features of a hybrid application. It might lead to possible web attacks in the form of information exposure, HTML 5 related vulnerabilities, client HTML 5 insecure storage, etc.

5. App Development Time

The native mobile app development takes maximum turnaround time. Designing and developing apps across different platforms like Android, iOS, Pads, etc., takes longer time than usual. On the contrary, hybrid mobile app development with its single code base not only takes minimum time to develop but also comes with quick time to market. If you want to address your target audience’s needs faster, then going hybrid is the master approach.

6. App Development Cost

Native applications are platform-dependent. The app developers specialize in a specific platform, be it Android or iOS. Therefore native app development process includes separate code writing for each platform on which the app is developed. This increases the cost of app development, and also, making any updates will extract costs too.

On the other hand, hybrid mobile apps are developed through a single codebase that runs on multiple platforms like Windows, Android, and iOS. Businesses are not required to hire mobile app developers to develop apps for different platforms, which saves a lot of costs.

7. App Maintenance

Native mobile apps are pretty expensive to maintain as it takes separate efforts and costs to make changes in the app for different versions. Whereas, as we discussed before, Hybrid apps are fundamentally apps integrated into a native container. Hence it offers quick maintenance as much as you want. Maintaining hybrid apps is easier in comparison with native apps.

8. Offline Support

Native mobile apps can work flawlessly without an internet connection. It has the potential to integrate and store data on a physical device, even in offline mode. But this case does not go with hybrid apps. Though it supports offline work, the data cannot be updated while you are working offline.

Endnote!

As per our discussion, the verdict on Native vs Hybrid apps for startup app development is clear: If you have time and budget constraints and are willing to build minimum viable products, then opt for a hybrid app. In comparison, native applications are best when you prioritize user experience, customized features, and rapid performance.

To get your app developed by professionals, you can hire a mobile app development company with a pool of certified and talented app developers. An experienced developer can understand your vision and help you build your desired business solution. Making wise decisions is crucial to take your business growth in the right direction. Hence you must focus on your project goals and choose the option that best fits your project specifications.