Developing a mobile app is an involved process that starts with a mobile app idea. Next comes planning, designing, developing, testing, and deploying the app to mobile devices. Early on, you’ll decide whether to develop a native app or a web app. We looked at the pros and cons of both to help you decide which is the best choice for developers.
Native Apps
- Work with a specific mobile device.
- The app is downloaded to a mobile device.
- Functionality is integrated with the device features.
- Often perform faster than web apps.
- The app store approval process guarantees security and compatibility.
- SDKs and other tools used by developers provide ease of development.
- Can be more expensive to create and maintain.
- The app store approval process can be daunting.
Web Apps
- The app is internet-enabled.
- Users access the app from the mobile device’s web browser.
- Easy to maintain due to a common code base across multiple mobile platforms.
- Can be made compatible with any older mobile device.
- Released at the developer’s discretion since there’s no app store approval process.
- Limited in what device features it can access.
- Safety and security aren’t guaranteed.
- More opportunities to monetize.
Native apps and web apps are useful tools for users and worthwhile endeavors for developers. A native app works with a device’s built-in features and is downloaded from an app marketplace. Web apps are accessed from the internet.
From a user perspective, native and web apps look and work much the same. A developer may focus on native apps if they want to create a user-centric tool. They may wish to focus on creating a web app if their app’s functionality is application-specific. Many developers create both native and web apps to widen the reach of their products and offer the best user experience.
Native Apps and Web Apps: Basic Differences
Native Apps
- Developed for one particular mobile device.
- Installed directly on the device.
- Downloaded from an app store or marketplace.
- Use the device’s native features.
Web Apps
- Internet-enabled apps.
- Accessible from a mobile device’s web browser.
- Don’t need to be downloaded.
- Limited in what native features can be used.
Native apps and web apps have some basic structural and developmental differences.
A native app is developed for a particular mobile device. It’s installed directly on the device. A native app is compatible with a device’s hardware and native features, such as an accelerometer, camera, and more. This way, a developer can incorporate these features into an app. Users download native apps from an app store or online marketplaces such as the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.
A web app is an internet-enabled app that is accessible from the mobile device’s web browser. Users don’t have to download a web app to their mobile device. Web apps access a limited amount of a device’s native features.
Source : Lifewire
