What is a native app?

Native app definition

A native app is an app that allows you to use all the functionalities of a smartphone, such as Bluetooth and the camera. This enables the creation of complex apps like those from in-lite. These complex functions are possible because native apps are written in the platform's programming language. For iOS, this is the Swift programming language, and for Android (Google), it's the Kotlin programming language.

You might have noticed that some apps are only available for iOS and not for Android. This is the case, for example, with the app lovemetender. This is because the app was developed with Swift, which only works on iPhones (or iOS devices). However, this doesn't mean you have to choose. A native app can be developed for both platforms. Want to brainstorm about your project? For more information, you can contact us.

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What is the difference between native, React, and web?

Apps can be developed in various ways. The three most well-known are Native apps, Hybrid apps and Web apps. But what exactly is the difference between these three types of applications?

Native apps; these are apps developed for one specific platform. If you want the app to work on both platforms, you're looking at two separate development efforts (Swift and Kotlin).
Hybrid Native apps; these are apps that work immediately on both platforms. For this, we use the sustainable React-Native framework. This language is supported by both iOS and Android, meaning you only develop the app once. This is, of course, more cost-efficient; however, there are technical limitations compared to native apps.
Web apps: these are applications you don't need to download. They are directly accessible via the web. Many social media platforms often use a web app in addition to their native app. For example, you can go to Facebook (which is a web app) without having to download anything.

Below, we've created an overview of the differences between native apps, Hybrid apps, and Web apps. If you want more information about the differences, please visit the following page: differences between hybrid, native, and web apps.