Native vs Cross-Platform Mobile Application Development – Take your pick

At BluEnt, we are often asked by our clients during the scoping process of mobile application development

"Should we explore cross-platform application or build a native one?"

There is no one clear answer if you're looking for it – I must tell you right now only. There are so many factors which help companies like ours in deciding which will be the right business mobile app development direction for your company. After facing this question 'n' number of times from my clients, I decided that a content piece would try to do some justice to help you choose what developmental side you want to go for – native or cross-platform.

Native mobile applications

What?

Native mobile applications are developed by using platform specific programming languages. You use Java for Android, Objective-C or Swift for iOS and C#, C/C++ and VB.NET for Windows framework. The native mobile apps are built from the scratch and rely solely on the platform they are intended for.

Why?

1. Native mobile applications integrate seamlessly with the platforms they were developed for. They make use of the innate features of the device to their full potential, giving positive user experience.

2. If you want to include humungous amounts of media such as AV and images along with extensive user engagement, then go for native apps. This is again because of their ability to communicate directly with the unique hardware components of the device.

3. Native applications usually have better visibility in app stores as they rank better among users for their seamless integration and enhanced user experience.

Why not?

1. Developing native apps is time-consuming if you want to create a native mobile application for multiple operating platforms. This is because the same code cannot be used for different platforms and you will have to spend extra time and resources in converting or tweaking the code.

2. Developing native mobile applications for business is expensive as well. Since there are multiple platforms with so many updates, you may need specialist designers for iOS, Android, and Windows app development. Combine this with the increased length of project development and your developmental budget will sky-rocket.

Cross-Platform mobile applications What? The cross-platform mobile applications work in tandem with codes that are customizable according to the operating systems they operate on. These are one stop solutions; allowing one application to scale to multiple platforms, without developing different versions for different platforms and frameworks. The cross-platform mobile application development for business is very popular if you want to save time and money.

Why?

1. Cross-platform mobile applications save your time. Unlike native apps, these use single codes for multiple platforms and save a business time and money spend on expensive customizations.

2. Cross-platform applications are affordable. If you are a business just starting out, cross-platform development might be your calling. Having a write once, run anywhere code makes project deployment across a variety of platforms efficient.

3. Since there is a single code repository, the cross-platform apps are easier to launch. These are easier to update too. You can create a single update which will affect multiple platforms.

Why not?

1. Cross-platform apps do not gel with hardware like the native apps. This can lead to delay in performance, freezing or inability to use the native components in the right fashion.

2. If you run a device that is customized, a cross-platform might be rendered useless. This is again because these applications do not integrate as seamlessly as their native counterparts.

I hope this clears up things for you. We do offer both native and cross platform mobile application development for small, medium and enterprise businesses. Before you decide to give your accounts department green light, consider your business requirements, your budget, the target demographics, services and products offered on the app and its functionalities. All these will help you decide the right way for developing either a native app a cross platform app or if you are really wealthy, both of these! Additionally, you can get in touch with me if you want further guidance into mobile application development.

Maximum Value. Achieved.