native vs hybrid - demystifying the technology dilemma
TRANSCRIPT
Native vs Hybrid App Development
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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.
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
NATIVE VS HYBRID APP DEVELOPMENT
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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).
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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.).
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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.
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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)
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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.
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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.
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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.
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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.
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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)
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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.
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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.
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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.
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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.
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
NATIVE APP CONS
● Money - the cost of maintaining multiple code
bases will be much higher than in the case of a
single code base.
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
NATIVE APP CONS
● More developers - usually more developers will be
needed, due to the specific knowledge required to
develop for both platforms.
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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.
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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).
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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.
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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.
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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.
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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:
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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.
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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.
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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!
RST-IT Sp. z o.o. Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
+48 71 723 40 [email protected]
Confidental info
Presentation by Krzysztof Marszałek
Contact me at [email protected] you find the idea interesting
Read more on startups an technology on www.howwedostartups.com
Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
RST-IT Sp. z o.o.
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
RST-IT Sp. z o.o. Wrocławski Park TechnologicznyDuńska 954-427 Wrocław
+48 71 723 40 [email protected]
Confidental info
Read more on startups and tech atwww.howwedostartups.com