Cross-Platform vs. Native: Choosing the Right Approach for Your Mobile App!

• By Mamta Rana
• 13-09-2024
• Mobile App Development

Are you stuck in the unending debate between cross-platform and native? Keep reading to find the best fit for your next app project through an in-depth comparison between these platforms!

In 2023, mobile users globally will spend up to 16 billion hours using different apps, which is 24.4% higher than in 2022. This figure indicates an increasing demand for mobile apps.

We have stepped into a highly digitized era where mobile apps have become a crucial part of a business's success. Using a dedicated business app, a company can offer quick access to products and services to their target users.

If you are thinking of developing a mobile app for your business, congratulations! You have taken the first step to propel your business growth.

The only catch is that when you embark on a new app development, you will come across terms like cross-platform and native. Additionally, picking one between these platforms has many implications in terms of functionality, time, and cost. Plus, both platforms have their own set of benefits and risks.

In this post, we will compare, weigh, and thoroughly analyze the pros and cons of both options to help you choose the best-suited approach for your upcoming project.

Let’s get started!

What is cross-platform development?

Mobile app development has different approaches to building an application, such as cross-platform, native, hybrid, web apps, and progressive web apps. Let’s start with cross-platform development and its pros and cons.

Cross-platform development is the process of developing an app using a single codebase that seamlessly runs across several platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows, and more.

This program enables developers to write code once and run on different platforms, saving effort and time. Slack, Skype, Bloomberg, etc. are a few examples of cross-platform apps.

Here is a list of popular cross-platform app development frameworks:

• Flutter
• React Native
• Xamarin
• Ionic
• Node.js

Pros of Cross-platform Development

Code Re-usability

Developers can reuse code across multiple platforms, which not only reduces development time but also saves significant efforts in the process. It allows coders to make changes in the operating system immediately with little or no modification.

Maintenance Ease

Updating and maintaining a single codebase streamlines the app development process. As the changes in the apps are made universally, it saves resources, time, and money. For developers, releasing the app after making updates in functionality and features will be more simplified.

Rapid Development

As cross-platform app development includes a single development cycle to employ on different platforms, the development process becomes rapid. If a company follows this approach to build apps, they will hire only one developer to work on all platforms, which expedites app deployment in the market.

Cost-effective

The idea of cross-platform development is ‘write once, run everywhere’. This means cross-platform apps have a single code base to run on various platforms, which reduces overall development costs. You can build one app and distribute it on multiple application stores easily.

Cons of Cross-platform Development

Large Digital Footprint

Cross-platform apps are usually larger in size. Developers are required to pay significant attention to the optimization options.

Performance Issues

The performance of cross-platform apps is comparatively lower than native applications. Plus, it requires an extra abstraction layer and rendering process that reduces the app’s speed.

Integration Difficulties

Cross-platform frameworks don't integrate all specific features of each platform. For example, hardware-specific integrations like GPUs (graphic processing units) require native app development skills.

What Is Native Development?

Native development is building an app for a specific platform, such as Android or iOS, rather than working across different platforms. These applications offer outstanding user experience as they use precise software programs for specific platforms. Native apps are specifically designed for particular mobile platforms.

This enables developers to utilize all the possible options to the fullest potential without making compromises for other gadgets. Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Google Maps, etc. are a few examples of native apps.

Here is a list of popular native-app development tools:

• For iOS: Xcode, Swift, UIKit, and Objective-C.
• For Android: Java, Android Jetpack, and Kotlin.

Pros of Native Development

Top-notch Performance

Native apps are designed and optimized for a particular platform, like iOS or Android. Additionally, these apps are installed on the device, which enables programs to take advantage of a mobile’s operating system to the fullest. This results in higher performance and adds to the productivity of the app.

Advanced Security

Compared to cross-platform apps, native applications are less likely to face security issues. Native app development does not rely on several programming platforms or web pages. Also, these apps offer comparatively more improved encryption technology and protection.

Low Risks of Bug

Unlike cross-platform apps, the native app code operates on the operating system directly. This significantly minimizes the risk of errors and bugs. This means no layer of independent software slows down operations significantly. Features like a camera, microphone, and GPS can be used effectively and quickly.

Fast Updates

Native apps can quickly gain access to recent updates on Android and iOS. However, developers must wait for add-on tools to introduce different cross-platform app features. This means cross-platform app users cannot access the most recent version immediately.

Best User-Experience

Native apps offer top-notch user experience as compared to cross-platform applications. Also, a native application can leverage the platform’s components like UI (user interface) and UX (user experience).

Plus, it is easier to optimize the density of pixels, screen resolution, and dimensions of native app UI. Native applications can mimic the look and feel of iOS platforms, leading to a good user experience.

Visually Appealing

Native development apps are comparatively better than cross-platform in terms of visual appeal. Native apps are designed with specific operating systems and leverage each detail to augment overall visual appeal. So, apps native to Android or iOS have their own features and visual appeals.

Cons of Native Development

More Efforts Needed

If a business seeks to reach a huge audience, native app development might not be the best solution. This is because native apps are built for specific platforms. However, if you want to reach diverse platforms with your native apps, you need to create programs separately.

You need to create code bases for multiple operating systems. Each app development for a specific platform goes through the same creation process, which needs more effort to make all applications similar.

High Cost Involved

The recovery phase of native apps increases the overall development costs. Although most tasks are completed during the maintenance stages, updating and maintaining various native apps on different platforms can add up costs, making it more expensive.

Time-consuming

Apps designed for specific platforms perform comparatively better. However, each phase in the native app development project requires significant time. Furthermore, if you are developing native apps for each device, the time required to complete each will be twice as long.

Cross-platform Vs. Native Development: Head-to-head Comparison

By now, you have understood what cross-platform and native development is and what benefits and pitfalls each platform consists of. Let’s compare both platforms thoroughly and identify which development strategy suits your business goals and needs.

Reusability of Codes

Cross-platform development with a single codebase that runs seamlessly across all platforms is the core benefit of this program. The code reusability offers ease of maintenance and rapid app development.

Native app development is done for specific platforms only like Android, iOS, Windows, etc. This means there is no usability of codes in native development.

In this clash, cross-platform is undeniably a winner. However, if you require native features for your apps (especially e-commerce solutions), you should opt for native plugins to make your app more interactive.

Development and Maintenance Costs

As far as development and maintenance costs are concerned, cross-platform development is the clear winner. This is because, with a single codebase, developers can create apps for multiple platforms and maintain them easily. The overall cost of cross-platform development is half the price of native.

On the other hand, the native approach is expensive as you require a dedicated team for Android or iOS. However, if we compare both platforms in the long run, cross-platform development costs will go up if your app needs native-like features.

Market Time

Cross-platform development has comparatively faster market time than native. Their creation takes less time due to the code reusability factor. However, if your app has no native-type functions (which is very rare), then the cost of cross-app development is less than native platform.

Native development, on the other hand, takes time, impacting the market time. However, this program is more predictable and builds at a more steady pace.

Also, in native app development, you don’t have to go through unexpected improvisations as iOS and Android platforms offer inclusive SDKs (software development kits) for building highly functional native mobile apps.

Security

Cross-platform development frameworks allow you to build applications for various operating systems. However, your team has to provide security certificates and create platform-specific bundles for each platform to sign the application for release to the App Store and Play Store.

As far as security is concerned, native development is considered to be more secure. However, the security of your apps depends on the best practices your development team follows rather than the choice of a platform.

Performance and Functionality

Earlier, cross-platform mobile app development encountered glitches in performance and a lack of hardware integration features like Bluetooth, GPS, microphone, camera, etc. But now you will find a plethora of libraries and plugins to enhance cross-platform solutions.

User Experience

Cross-platform mobile applications cannot provide the appearance and feel of native apps. Platform-independent applications depend on integrated designs that might lead to unfamiliar scenarios that irritate users' habitual of specific operating systems.

For instance, iOS app users expect a pull-down menu, which is a core principle of iOS. Whereas cross-platform apps include a drop-down menu that needs different methods of interaction.

When developing a native application, engineers follow Human Interface Guidelines for iOS and a Material Design Approach for Android to provide a smooth fit and flow of the app in a particular user’s mobile.

If we compare both platforms in terms of user experience, native apps are much better. Developers can take full advantage of specific platforms' design capabilities.

Key Aspects to Consider While Choosing Between Cross-platform and Native App Development

Here are a few vital factors to consider when choosing one platform for mobile app development.
Purpose

Understand what you are building, including its purpose and features. Does your app require particular hardware functionality? Are you looking for appealing visuals or UI is not that important? For instance, a complex app with several features needs a lot of programming.

Team’s Experience

The developers in your team should have the expertise and experience to work with specific frameworks. Understand what programming languages and skills the tool requires. For example, Swift or Objective-C is required to build native apps for iOS and Java or Kotlin for Android.

Viability

Before selecting any framework for app development, research the vendor to gauge its long-term viability. Check the size of the community, details about the provider, and the adoption rate.

Budget

Both cross-platform and native development come with different costs and expenses. Understand your budget and its flexibility to pick the perfect solution.

In Conclusion: Cross Platform Vs. Native Development

Both cross-platform and native development have their own set of features, pros, and cons.
You should pick native development if:

• You are creating a solution with hardware-related features.
• You are building apps for advanced video and audio editing.
• You are developing AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) based applications (use cameras, accelerometer data, compass, and gyroscope).

You are creating machine learning ML-powered software (interpreting gestures, understanding speech, and insightful images in real-time)

You should opt for cross-platform development if:

• You are building a solution that doesn't require hardware integrations.
• Your app is relatively simple.
• Your software is non-scalable by design.
• You like the convenience of building and maintaining apps.

Choosing one between these two platforms is not that easy. However, with the information outlined in this blog, you can evaluate each platform, understand its features, and analyze key factors that will help you pick the best-suited platform for your business.