All You Need To Know About Native and Cross-Platform App Development

December 11, 2020

Author: Nicolas Thomas

Over 4 million applications are available on the Google Play Store and App Store that caters to the needs of more than 14 billion smartphone users in different parts of the world. Organizations seeking to launch their mobile applications find it difficult to choose between cross-platform mobile app development and native development. Several long term implications come into action. It depends on which framework you prefer in terms of time, cost, and functionality. This article talks about both types of app development frameworks, along with their pros and cons.

Native App Development

Native app development focuses exclusively upon developing applications for a single platform. Cross-platform app Development Company makes use of specified programming languages and tools for the targeted platform. A Java-based application developed for iOS will not be compatible with any other operating system.

Native applications are known for their exceptional performance and efficiency. The end-user also gets unmatched experience as the designers can easily tweak the visual elements and tailor them as per the application's requirement. However, small businesses and startups do not prefer this application development model due to its complicated process and high cost.

Reputed app development agencies offer native app development services based on Java, Kotlin, Objective C, or Swift.

Pros of Native App Development

1. Wide Range Of Functionalities

Native app development frameworks provide access to a wide range of API tools supported by the target platform. Programmers have an endless choice of plug-in and tools that they can integrate into the new application.

2. Better scalability

Applications built using native app development frameworks offer better scalability than others due to the availability of resource management and a wide variety of tools.

3. Enhanced Store Support

Applications developed using a native framework is more comfortable to publish and have higher rankings in the App Store due to its exceptional speed and performance.

4. Outstanding UX And Performance

Native applications interact directly using the source code and underlying resources, which results in exceptional performance. Native applications are known to offer a better user experience for the targeted platforms.

Cons Of Native App Development

1. Time-consuming

The process of native app development is quite a time-consuming process as one can use the targeted platform's applications. Moreover, each version requires a separate development team.

2. Expensive

Developing applications in the native environment is quite expensive, mainly when launched for two separate platforms. The development process is extensive, but it also requires two respective teams to make the application compatible with different platforms.

Cross-Platform Mobile App Development

Cross-platform mobile app development is the process using which apps are developed to be compatible with multiple platforms. It includes using tools like Xamarin, Flutter, and React native to developing applications for popular mobile platforms like Windows, Android, and IOS.

Cross-platform application development saves a lot of time and cost, but quality and performance are compromised in some cases. Configuring applications to run optimally on every platform is quite challenging. It requires additional abstraction layers when the app is being run on a specific forum or device, lowering its performance.

Usually, startups and small businesses prefer to use cross-platform application development to save both time and cost. However, in the long run, customizing the application can become problematic as it only permits changes as per the framework.

Efficient application development teams with several years of experience in the field provide comprehensive cross-platform app Development Company that offer good performance and efficiency.

Benefits of Cross-Platform App Development

1. Cost-effective

Organizations do not require maintaining two separate teams of developers for a single application. The source code needs to be in just one to use for multiple platforms. Cross-platform app development frameworks reduce the development cost significantly.

2. Quicker Development Process

It requires only a single cross-platform development cycle to create and release an application compatible with multiple platforms.

3. Single Reusable Code

Applications created using cross-platform development frameworks require only a single code base.

Cons Of Cross-Platform App Development

1. Restricted Functionality

Developers might find it challenging to access some of the features and functionalities on the platform's specific devices as it is available on native apps.

2. Reduced Performance

The cross-platform application requires a separate abstraction layer to facilitate the rendering process, which affects the application's performance and efficiency.

3. Limited UX features

Cross-platform applications lack the features and functionalities available with native UI components. The UX experience is reduced to some extent when the app runs across multiple devices and platforms.

Things To Look For When Choosing A Framework For Building A Mobile Application

Development Cost

Native application development frameworks deliver applications with better performances, but the development cost is relatively high. Organizations that work with limited budgets mostly prefer cross-platform app development as it helps them save around 30 to 40% on the development cost.

The Complexity Of The Application

An application built for simple tasks like displaying data, cross-platform network development is the appropriate choice. However, applications that require the processing of bulk data and access to low-level API must be built using a native app development framework.

Development Time

It is an essential element in the mobile app development process, and sometimes businesses to release applications as soon as possible to keep up with the competition. In such circumstances, cross-platform app development is the most suitable option as there is no need for developing different applications for each platform. The process requires a single cycle, which makes the application compatible with multiple platforms.

UX/UI

If the developer is looking to integrate visual elements to create an engaging experience, native development is the most suitable option. It gives designers and developers access to a wide variety of UI components to integrate into the application. The cross-platform development framework provides access to a limited UI element, reducing the performance of the application.

Choosing Between Native And Cross-Platform Application Framework

The decision of app development plays a significant role in terms of cost time and user experience. If you consider all the factors mentioned above, it will surely help make a more effective decision before beginning the development process. Following are some of the critical factors that to take into consideration during the selection of a particular framework

One should choose Native development frameworks if the application requires the support and access of a specific platform and device's features and functionalities. It facilitates the development of a more responsive and efficient application capable of making the most of the device's hardware. Tasks like updating the application and inclusion of additional features are also relatively more straightforward in applications built upon a native development framework.

On the other hand, cross-platform app development frameworks function best for applications that do not require heavy processing. They do not include complex regional elements or operational logic. It gives a concise scope to work around and understand the target audience's idea, hypothesis, and market.

Conclusion

Both native and cross-platform development frameworks have their benefits. Still, the final choice depends on the projects' requirements and the designer and developers' abilities. Native applications are undoubtedly a better choice over cross-platform applications as they offer a richer experience and performance, but the cost of development and time is higher.

Cross-platform applications are much easier to build and take relatively lesser time. Although, developers need to put in more effort to integrate similar user experience and performance like native applications. Businesses must consult with a professional cross-platform app Development Company to use the right framework for app development.