Native VS Cross-platform Development: Which One is The Best Option In 2023?

Our daily lives have become increasingly reliant on digital assets as technology advances. You should all agree with me that all of our essential business and personal decisions are made via the Internet or mobile applications. With this never-ending love for developing apps for smartphones, there have been a plethora of concerns and a sea […]

Updated 11 March 2024

Omji Mehrotra
Omji Mehrotra

VP - Delivery at Appventurez

Our daily lives have become increasingly reliant on digital assets as technology advances. You should all agree with me that all of our essential business and personal decisions are made via the Internet or mobile applications.

With this never-ending love for developing apps for smartphones, there have been a plethora of concerns and a sea of uncertainty regarding Native vs Hybrid vs Cross-Platform app development methodologies, particularly among rookie programmers.

According to the research, revenue from mobile apps hit $133 billion last year. Mobile gaming was the most profitable category, with $89.6 billion in sales in 2022. According to the study, the gaming sector will expand in the next few years, both in terms of revenue and player spending: by 2023, there will be 3.7 billion mobile gamers worldwide.

As we can see, mobile game creation is one of the most promising sectors for investment in the globe, accounting for 21.07% of the industry. The second most popular category in the Apple Store, with a share of 10.07%, is business apps. 

categories-in-apple-app-store-graph

As a result, we are publishing this blog to clarify the differences between Native apps vs Cross-platform apps and to dispel any misconceptions about the three. Make sure to read all the way through.

What is Native App Development?

This method of app creation uses a specific collection of programming languages and frameworks that are only available for a single platform. Simply expressed, iOS and Android apps development will be developed independently since the first requires Java or Kotlin, whilst the second requires Swift and Objective-C.

Developers work with operating system-specific coding languages. For example, Objective-C or Swift is the preferred language for iOS apps development, but Java is used for Native Android apps.

As react native app development services are preferred by developers because they provide superior performance. Organizations, on the other hand, are put off by the high expense of native development.

Native Development Offers a Wide Range of Features

  • Sturdy performance with simpler codes
  • Stable functioning
  • High API usability
  • Customized UI
  • Improved user experience
  • Easy bug prevention
  • Unique layout
  • Complements the screen ratios.

Benefits Of Native Apps Development

Broad Functionality

You’ll have access to all of the APIs and tools available on the platform you’re working on. There are no technical constraints on how programmers may use the new app.

Better Store Support

You’ll have access to all of the APIs and tools available on the platform you’re working on. There are no technical constraints on how programmers may use the new app.

Increased Scalability

Because of the freedom in resource management and the variety of tools available, apps created for the native environment are also more scalable.

High Performance And Great UX

High performance is achieved by direct contact between the code and the underlying resources. Furthermore, native app prototyping tools for UX design offer a superior user experience that is consistent with the platform.

Cons Of Native App Development

Costly

When you need to launch for both iOS and Android, building native apps might be expensive. It will need the deployment of two teams, each working on a distinct platform.

Time Consuming

The work done for one platform cannot be repeated for another, hence native app development takes time. To work on the other version, a different team is required.

When To Consider Native Development?

If you consider using Native development for your project, and a local database for react native app development the team should be prepared for the twofold team, cost, and time. Therefore, if you are not in a rush to launch your business app and have no budget issues then you can choose the Native app.

However, one thing is for sure, Native apps are like a future investment. They are more secure, user-friendly, and brisk than other apps.

Best Native Apps

  1. Google Maps
  2. Artsy
  3. Pinterest
  4. Spotify

What is Cross-platform App Development?

Unlike the previous method of app creation, which required developers to use a particular set of technologies for each OS, this method entails creating mobile apps that can be used on several platforms. Flutter was the most popular cross-platform mobile framework in 2022, according to Statista’s Research Department, with 42% of software professionals favoring it. React Native takes second place.

Programmers can develop cross-platform software using the most common programming languages, and once it’s written, they may reuse it in new ways. Even though the cross-platform app development framework was originally used to produce basic mobile applications and games, it is now the most popular alternative to the previously described technique.

Benefits Of Cross-Platform Apps Development 

Less Costly  

To construct a cross-platform program, you’ll just need one team of developers instead of two. As a result, you’ll save money on development.

Faster Development

To design an app that operates on various platforms, only one development cycle is required.

Single Code Base 

Only one code base is built because the program is developed with a single cross-platform development tool.

Cons Of Cross-Platform App Development

Slower App

The cross-platform software is slower than its native equivalent due to the necessity for an additional abstraction layer and rendering process.

Limited Functionality

Developers may find it challenging to access smartphone features such as the microphone, camera, and geolocation in the same way that a native app can.

Limited UX 

Native user interface components are not available in cross-platform programs. As a result, it won’t be able to provide the same UX that users have come to expect from the platform.

However, UX mistakes to avoid when designing apps and opportunities do not stop there. You may also explore hybrid app development, which, as you might expect, combines elements from many forms of development.

Native vs Cross-platform Development: What you should choose?

It is critical to analyze your business to determine which application is best for your project: target audiences, financial resources, time availability, software functionality that you require, and the application’s integration with the user’s device are the main factors that influence your decision.

A multitude of factors must be considered while deciding on a certain growth strategy. Consider your company’s aims and objectives for native apps vs cross-platform apps, as well as the programming languages and technologies that your staff is familiar with. Let’s take a deeper look at the native vs cross-platform development primary arguments for picking one development style over another.

Top reasons to choose native development

  1. If you want to develop a stable, reliable application with the best performance.
  2. You need an application that uses location services, video, location, payments, cameras, and fingerprint scanners.
  3. You have carte blanche to work on the project. Technically, there are no limits on how the programmers could work regarding the technology choice.
  4. If you have a big project and could afford to wait a few months for deployment.
  5. If easy and effective interaction between users and the app is essential.

Top reasons to choose cross-platform development

  1. To test a product concept and analyze its validity, you construct a sample version of the app.
  2. Only front-end engineers with minimal abilities are on your team.
  3. You want to shorten the time it takes for your product to reach the market.
  4. You want to create apps that can operate on a variety of platforms.
  5. Budget constraints

software-developers-worldwide-graph

What To Consider When Choosing An Approach To Build A Mobile App?

Application Complexity

Cross-platform development is a fantastic choice if you’re designing an app that just displays information retrieved from the internet. You should choose native development if your application requires a lot of processing or access to low-level APIs like Bluetooth.

Cost

Native programming delivers high-performance programs, but it might be expensive to develop. Cross-platform development is the best option if you have a restricted budget to work with. How much does it cost to build an app you’ll save 30% to 40% since you’ll just have to write one codebase for an app that runs on both Android and iOS.

Development Time

In some cases, you’ll want to get an MVP app up and running as quickly as possible. This is where cross-platform development comes into play. You do not need to work on two different versions of the software. Instead, for an app to be deployed for Android and iOS, just one development cycle is required.

UI/UX

Native development is the way to go if you want amazing visuals and an immersive experience. When working in a native environment, developers have access to UI/UX design components. The mobile app prototyping tools for the UI/UX portion of the software will be severely limited if you choose cross-platform.

How Appventurez will help you in choosing the platform for developing the application?

Mobile applications are a trend that will only continue to expand at an exponential rate, thus it’s critical for developers to understand the differences between native vs cross-platform development for mobile applications.

We’ve previously established that not every program can be developed using a cross-platform solution, vs native development isn’t always the best option. While determining which strategy to choose when developing an app, it’s vital to consider the goal of the software you want to create, the resources you have available, and your target audience.

Appventurez a mobile app development company developers are available to assist you in turning your concept into a market-ready product. We’re a cross-platform app development company here to provide you with best practices, knowledge, and skills, whether it’s a mobile app, a website, or a complicated software solution.

FAQs

Q. Which is better native or cross-platform?

Native programming delivers high-performance programs, but it might be expensive to develop. Cross-platform development is the best option if you have a restricted budget to work with. You'll save 30% to 40% since you'll just have to write one codebase for an app that runs on both Android and iOS.

Q. What is the main benefit of cross-platform development?

You may design an app and deploy it across several platforms, including the web, by utilizing the whole cross-platform strategy. It simply implies that you may target both Android and iOS platforms with a single software, therefore expanding your reach.

Q. What is cross-platform development?

The construction of software applications that are compatible with several mobile operating systems is known as cross-platform mobile development. Initially, the difficulties of designing a backend that functioned across various platforms added to the complexity of producing mobile apps.

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Consult our experts

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    Omji Mehrotra
    Omji Mehrotra

    VP - Delivery at Appventurez

    Expert in the Communications and Enterprise Software Development domain, Omji Mehrotra co-founded Appventurez and took the role of VP of Delivery. He specializes in React Native mobile app development and has worked on end-to-end development platforms for various industry sectors.