Skip to main content

As a business owner, you are thinking about getting a mobile app development service for your business. This is a good idea as a mobile app will help your business reach a larger group of audience. But before you start, it is better to understand the types of mobile apps available.

When you take the case of any mobile app, it will come under one of the three common types of mobile apps. You can learn more about these types here:

Types of Mobile App Development

When they engage in mobile app development, professional app developers will ask you one thing. It is that they ask about the type of mobile app that your business needs. Here are the three categories:

  • Native App – A native app will be created to work on a particular operating system or platform.

  • Web App – A web app is nothing but a responsive version of a website. This type of app works via a mobile browser. A web app can work on any operating system or mobile device.

  • Hybrid App – A hybrid app will be a combination of both native and web apps. It means that this type of app will be covered within a native app. But, it can also have its own icon. Also, it will be possible to download a hybrid app from the app store.

Pros and Cons of the Three Types of Mobile Apps

Now, before you choose a mobile app development type, it is better to understand the pros and cons of each type. With this knowledge, you can decide on the suitable type for your business:

Native Apps

Pros

  • Native apps are known for the best performance

  • When your app is native, it will bring a familiar feel and look

  • The native app brings better security

  • Lesser issues when it comes to compatibility

Cons

  • New features can be added only via a separate codebase

  • It needs longer release cycles to ensure stability

  • Time-consuming development

  • Built with tough-to-learn programming languages particular to operating systems like Swift and Java

Web Apps

Pros

  • Eliminates the need to customize to an OS or platform as it is web-based

  • Minimal cost of development

  • Won’t take up space on the device’s memory

  • Easier to maintain

  • Users need not have to download the update from the app store

Cons

  • Web apps are entirely reliant on the browser used in a mobile phone. So, if a browser has issues, the app will not show up properly.

  • These apps need constant web access

  • This type of app might not always integrate with the device’s hardware

Hybrid Apps

Pros

  • Hybrid apps are easy when it comes to mobile app development

  • This type of app can function offline

  • Sharable codes make hybrid app development affordable

  • Shorter time to market

  • Pushing new features is possible with a single code

Cons

  • Less interactive as compared to native apps

  • Complex functions can slow down the app

  • More expensive compared to web apps

  • Cannot perform tasks that are specific to an operating system

Conclusion

All these three types of mobile app development carry their own pros and cons. Based on the demand of your business, you will have to take a final call about the type of app development. A professional mobile app development service can help you decide the right type ideal for achieving your business goals.

J