Since the introduction of cross-platform app development, a debate has become important in the mobile app development industry. The debate is about native app development vs cross-platform app development.
These approaches have been used by a lot of developers and businesses to develop advanced applications and satisfy user’s needs. If we look at the stats, the mobile app market was valued at $289.17 billion in 2024 and it is expected to reach $1,103.48 billion by 2034. (Source: Precedence Research).
These stats show the growth of mobile apps which inspire businesses to launch their own application and achieve success. Android and iOS are the most used operating systems for smartphones so businesses need to launch their applications for these platforms.
That’s where business owners get confused. Should they launch a native app or a cross-platform app? If you’re facing the same confusion, then you’re at the right place. This blog dives deep into native app development vs cross-platform app development.
After reading this blog, you will be able to make an informed decision and choose the best approach between native and cross-platform app development for your project. But before that, we need to understand:
What is Native App Development?
Native app development is the process of building mobile applications for specific platforms. iOS or Android are frequently used platforms for this. Developers need to use platform-specific languages to build native applications. Java, Kotlin, and Python are used to build Android applications, while Objective-C and Swift are used to build iOS apps. Popular examples of native applications are Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Google Maps.
Advantages of Native App Development
- Since native apps are platform-specific, codes for native apps cherish direct access to the host’s operating system and functionalities. This results in improved performance and reduced crashes.
- Native apps are efficient in providing a smooth interface to the users.
- With high performance and easy-to-use features, native applications can hold a better position on the App Store.
- Native mobile development provides full hardware support without any hurdles because it works with the phone’s hardware elements.
What is Cross-Platform App Development?
As the name suggests, cross-platform app development is a process of building apps that can run on multiple operating systems. It is also known as Hybrid app development. Cross-platform development includes various development frameworks that make it easy to create smoothly and quickly running apps. Popular examples of cross-platform apps are eBay, Alibaba, Google Pay, and ByteDance.
Benefits of Cross-Platform App Development
- The ‘write once, run everywhere’ approach allows mobile app developers to reuse the same code on various platforms. It results in cost-saving and time-saving.
- This approach allows us to build applications quickly and easily without requiring deep knowledge.
- Building a cross-platform mobile app provides a wider reach to a broader range of target audiences.
Understanding The Difference Between Native App Development and Cross-Platform App Development
Now that we know about native app development and cross-platform development along with their benefits. It’s time to choose which development approach is better – Native vs Cross-platform. Here, we are doing a detailed comparison and understanding the differences between these approaches.
1. Development Time
Development time is the complete timeframe that is required in building a mobile app. When it comes to native app development, the development time can exceed because it includes building apps dedicated to Android or iOS.
Building separate applications for both platforms takes time and money because the team will aim to build an advanced product. On the other hand, cross-platform app development eliminates the need for building separate apps for both platforms. Its ‘write once run anywhere’ approach helps you build applications for both platforms without consuming a lot of time.
2. App Performance
Looking at app performance makes it easy to unfold the cross-platform vs native development debate. When it comes to performance, native apps have a huge advantage because they are built specially for the platform. On the other hand, it’s not the case with cross-platform app development. However, there will be no issues with performance but native overtakes cross-platform in the performance category.
3. User Experience
Cross-platform is taking the lead in user experience because popular cross-platform frameworks are helping to build advanced solutions. In the future, cross-platform will come closer to native and end the comparison by providing flawless experience.
On the other hand, native applications perform faster and lead to a better user experience. Some experienced mobile app development companies use a native approach to improve the UI/UX element of the app.
4. Technology Stack
Both cross-platform and native app development approach require their technology stack expertise to craft advanced solutions. For instance, native app development demands Swift or Kotlin to build applications for iOS and Android respectively.
On the other hand, cross-platform app development requires frameworks such as React Native and Flutter which are based on JavaScript and Dart respectively. The tech stacks of cross-platform development are much more famous than native. Choosing the necessary tech stack is important to include essential features in the mobile app.
5. App Updates
Updating the application is also a major difference between native and cross-platform app development. In cross-platform app development, the single codebase allows faster updates because the changes show immediately. In native app development, it’s quite harder because you need to update separately for Android and iOS. Before app updation, businesses need to follow top app store optimization (ASO) tactics to achieve success.
6. Cost Saving
Every business owner tries to save money while building a mobile app so that money can be used for other resources. So, it’s important to find out which approach is budget-friendly for businesses. Native app development consumes more time and money because you need to build separate applications for both platforms (Android and iOS).
But if you choose cross-platform app development, then there are chances that you can save money. Cross-platform development has a single codebase advantage which allows developers to build a single codebase and run it on multiple devices. It saves money and time. Hence, cross-platform leads here from native app development.
After understanding native vs cross-platform in a detailed way, Let’s take a look at them in a nutshell.
| Factors | Native App Development | Cross-Platform App Development |
| Development Time | Slow | Fast |
| App Performance | Seamless | Performance Issues |
| User Experience | Better | Basic |
| Tech Stack | Swift, Kotlin | Flutter, React Native, Xamarin |
| Hiring Developers | Wider Availability | Low Availability |
| App Updates | Time-Consuming | Time-Saving |
| Offline Access | Accessible Without Internet | Accessible Through Internet |
| Cost-Saving | No | Yes |
What You Should Choose Between Native vs Cross-Platform App Development?
Now we come to the most important point. With the above information, we can surely say that you know enough information about hybrid and native app development. Now, it’s time for you to decide which approach is the best for you and we will help you with that. Your decision has a huge impact on the development process, cost, and time. We can tell you why you should choose either native or cross-platform (iOS and Android app development).
You can choose Native if:
- You want your application to have full access to all of the phone resources and services.
- You are looking to build the most responsive application.
- You are eyeing to take full advantage of the mobile phone’s hardware.
- You want your application to be easily updated and enhanced with new features in the future.
You can choose cross-platform app development if:
- You are ready to launch a less responsive app.
- You don’t want to deal with complex animation and complicated logic.
- You have a short timeline to test an idea and launch it in the app market.
- You want to spend less time & cost in building your mobile app.
Conclusion
It is indeed difficult to choose between native and cross-platform app development. The decision is based on the specific requirements of your project. These approaches have been used to deliver next-gen applications that have earned a reputation and popularity in the market. After choosing one of these approaches, you need to partner with an experienced mobile app development company to satisfy the needs of your customers. As you know everything related to native vs cross-platform app development, you can explore more insightful blogs at AppFirmsReview to boost your knowledge.