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When having an app developed, there are many aspects you need to take into account. Often, one of the first steps of a professional app is choosing the type of app.The ultimate app success depends heavily on your choice: will you have a hybrid, native, or web app made? Take the selection guide and get an idea within 3 minutes!
Bij het laten ontwikkelen van een app zijn er veel aspecten waar je rekening mee moet houden. Vaak is een van de eerste stappen van een professionele app de keuze voor het type app.
To make a choice for the technology of your app, we first look at the different advantages of native, hybrid, and web apps. For example, native and hybrid apps are both specific to mobile devices, whereas web apps can also be used from a desktop computer.
Our selection guide gives you global advice within a few minutes. Would you like tailored advice? Send your answers and we will contact you!
Web apps are also called web-based applications. Web apps are very user-friendly because they are available on almost any device and only need a browser to work. A web app is a program that runs on a web server. Often, a web app is written in HTML. You can compare a web app to a mobile-optimized website. In some cases, the app can be downloaded via an icon, which you can then install on the mobile device. Because of this, it can strongly resemble a mobile app with some unique components. Want to know more about web apps? Then watch this video in which what web apps are is explained based on some of our projects.
Web apps are user-friendly because a user does not necessarily have to download an app. A working internet connection is often sufficient to use the app. Also, the threshold to use the app is lower for the user. A web app can be directly implemented on smartphones, laptops, desktops, and tablets. Furthermore, device storage space is saved and you can integrate a web app with various hosting and web services. It is also possible to realize a web app that works largely offline via an icon; these are Progressive Web Apps (PWAs).
Partly, the word 'native' already betrays the meaning a bit. Native namely means 'birth' or 'inborn'. A native app is platform-specific, which means it is an app that has been developed specifically for a given model or operating system. The most famous platforms are iOS and Android. These two platforms work in a completely different way. A native app is developed (also called: 'born') for a specific platform, so either for Android or for iOS.
A native iOS app can never be directly implemented as a native Android app. When you have a native app developed, you will therefore have to choose on which devices you want your app to work. Native apps are developed in one programming language for the specific platform. For instance, we write iOS apps in Swift or SwiftUI, and a native Android app is written in the programming language JavaScript (Note: according to text) / Kotlin.
If you want a native app that works on both iOS and Android devices, you will have to have two separate native apps built in two different programming languages. In some cases, a native app is the only possibility if you want to integrate specific hardware or features. Sometimes the app needs the camera and performance of the smartphone, for example, like a product scanner.
In addition to the different programming techniques behind Android & iOS applications, there are also differences between, for example, the app users. It is good to know that there is a difference between iPhone (iOS) and Android users. Before you have an app developed, it is therefore wise to do a target audience research: are your (potential) app users iPhone or Android users? Many studies have been done on the different characteristics per platform. For instance, iPhone users are said to be willing to spend more on an app, are predominantly loyal app users, and attach a lot of value to the design of the app. Android users, on the other hand, are in an emerging acceleration. For example, more and more Android devices are being sold and more people switch from Apple to Android than vice versa. This can be something to take into account when you have a native app made.
Native applications bring a number of advantages compared to other types of apps. The biggest advantage of native apps is that they are user-friendly. After all, they have been developed specifically for the platform, so they are also tailored to it. By making optimal use of the native elements of the phone, the app is experienced as more pleasant by the app user. You use the full capacity of the phone. Think of the memory, (design) standards, and mobile-specific functionalities.
Hybrid apps are applications that strongly resemble native apps. Just like a native app, they can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. The big difference between hybrid and native apps is that a hybrid app does work directly on both Android and iOS. So you don't have to build two separate apps.
In the past, hybrid apps were a kind of mobile website with a native shell. This meant a hybrid app did work directly on multiple platforms and devices, but did not feature the optimal performance of a native app. Nowadays, however, the development of hybrid apps is in full swing, and it shows. Often, a hybrid app no longer works as a webpage but as a hybrid solution with native components. With us, a hybrid app is written in the programming languages Flutter or React Native.
The biggest advantage of a hybrid app compared to a native app is the cost consideration. Because the app (with some minor adjustments) works directly on both Apple and Google devices, you do not have to build two separate apps. This saves development hours and is often more advantageous. Also, you do not have to choose between an iPhone user or Android user as a target audience: you can directly approach both. Because the technology of hybrid apps has developed further and further in recent years, user-friendliness has also greatly increased. In some cases, it is barely noticeable to the user whether it is a native or hybrid app.
Below you will find an overview of the pros and cons per technology. This way you can use web apps directly from your smartphone or desktop, native apps offer the best user experience, and hybrid apps ensure fast development.
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