In a world full of technologies, where mobile devices account for around half of worldwide internet traffic, it is overwhelming to see the impeccable opportunities for businesses to hop on the mobile bandwagon and get ahead of the competition by offering one-of-a-kind mobile experiences to their audience.

1. Native, Hybrid, or PWAs – Choose the Best
For Your Business
In a world full of technologies, where mobile devices account for
around half of worldwide internet traffic, it is overwhelming to see the
impeccable opportunities for businesses to hop on the mobile
bandwagon and get ahead of the competition by offering one-of-a-kind
mobile experiences to their audience.
Building mobile apps can be done using various methods. Each app
requires something other, so the approach constantly changes.
Thankfully, we have technologies that support all of them. As a result,
it’s essential to understand various technology’s capabilities to tap
into a platform. Now you might be wondering about the best option for
app development? Well, in this article, we’ll discuss three mobile
technologies for mobile app development: native, hybrid, and
progressive, to help you decide which best suits your mobile app.
Continue reading to learn about the key features and distinctions.

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The Fundamentals of Mobile App Development
Before we get on to the types of mobile apps developed, the primary
aspect of mobile app development that we need to consider is the
user’s preferences. To understand, here are a few key elements that an
enterprise should consider before going for mobile app development.
Mobile OS: According to Statista, there are currently around 6.3
billion smartphone users worldwide. Further, if we compare Android vs
iOS global market share, Android stands strong with 72.2% market
share and iOS: 26.99% market share. For businesses to create an app
aligned with their business strategy, choosing between Android and
iOS platforms is among the most critical decisions. Based on an app’s
end goal, decide whether the app will cater to Android users, iOS users
or both.
Time and budget: Another thing to keep in mind is estimating the
time and budget that has to be spent on the project. Each mobile app
development technology has different time and budget requirements,
so it is essential to estimate the projects’ needs wisely to ensure that
the app benefits your enterprise.
Technology: Choosing the right technology is crucial, depending on
the app that has to be developed. Though it’s not easy to decide upon

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the app development technology, thus one of the best ways is to
partner with an established mobile app development company to build
the app as per the business’s requirements.
Now that we have a fair understanding of the fundamentals let’s move
on to the actual topic: Native vs. Hybrid vs. Progressive Web Apps.
The Definition: Native vs. Hybrid vs. Progressive Web
Apps
Native Apps are among the most profound mobile apps built using
mobile OS-specific (i.e. iOS or Android) programming languages and
tools. These apps are installed from an app store directly on the
device (desktop or mobile) and run flawlessly without a browser
intervention.
Hybrid Apps are a combination of native as well as web apps. These
are essentially web apps that have been put in a native app shell. Built
with web technologies (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript), these apps
accommodate multiple platforms and connect to the mobile
platform’s capabilities through the app’s embedded browser.
Progressive Web Apps are essentially websites that load instantly
on any connection, regardless of whether you’re online or offline. They

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are designed to be responsive and can launch on any device,
including a desktop computer or a mobile device browser on a phone
or tablet.
Further, let’s dive in deeper to see what kind of app is best for your
enterprise.
Native Mobile Apps – A Detailed Overview
As defined above, Native apps are the most common form of mobile
application development. Known for their robust functioning, fast
performance and user experience, these apps are tailor-made for
specific platforms using languages that adhere to the particular OS.
Pros of Native App Development:
● Fast performance, maintenance and development stability
● Higher security and Robust functioning in an offline
environment
● Better UX/UI, custom APIs and components optimized for
different screen sizes and system versions.
● Faster to configure, easy to prevent bugs and technical
problems

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● Immediate implementations & non-dependence on
open-source libraries/third-party frameworks
Cons of Native App Development:
● The need for separate app development for different mobile
OS.
● Development and App Store Optimisation Takes longer than
hybrid and web apps.
● Adding new features requires separate codebases, and a
team of native language experts is needed.
● App Store approval process is time-consuming, thus
increasing costs and delays in updates.
● App Users are in charge of whether they update to the
latest version or not.
When to develop a Native Mobile Application?
● When you only need to code for one platform and use
specific hardware features
● It’s the first time your target audience will use your mobile
app, and you want to give the best user experience
possible, removing complex and unnecessary features.
● When you want a performant app with multiple features.

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● Best to use for 3D games or apps with many animations.
Native App Programming Language
● For Android: Java or Kotlin
● For iOS: Swift or Objective-C
Native apps examples:
Facebook and Twitter
Hybrid Mobile Apps: A Detailed Overview
As discussed above, Hybrid apps are essentially web apps wrapped in
a native app shell. They are installed via an app store but are usually
lightweight application that uses a web view to display an application’s
content. Developing hybrid apps consists of creating a backend
codebase that will be covered with a native shell that allows them to
be uploaded to Google Play or App Store.
Pros of Hybrid App Development:
● One codebase is used across all platforms, thus Lowering
development costs and a shorter time-to-market period
● Better cross-platform support than Native apps
● Easier to maintain, add new features and Integrate with
Web-based services

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● Access to native functionality (push notifications,
accelerometer, geofencing, sensors, Bluetooth, access to
other apps such as calendar, alarms etc.
● All users use the same version as you control when
updates are deployed.
Cons of Hybrid App Development:
● Performance is slower than native apps and might cause
problems with using certain features provided by iOS or
Android only
● Some customizations might make the codebase more
complex and increase cost and development time.
● App Store Optimisation (ASO) and App Store approval
process can be time-consuming and increase costs and
delays in updates.
● Rely on system browser security and update the base app
for system compatibility.
When to develop a Hybrid Mobile Application?
● When you have a simple project with no animations or
complex features
● Need to release on both iOS and Android

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● Have to develop a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to test
your project idea
Hybrid App Programming Language
● Web Technologies – CSS, HTML, Javascript
● Frameworks – Ionic, Flutter, Xamarin, Mobile Angular UI,
React Native
Hybrid apps examples:
Instagram, Gmail, Evernote
Progressive Web Apps: A Detailed Overview
PWAs are web applications written in JavaScript, HTML, CSS and
designed to work on any standards-compliant web browser on both
desktop and mobile devices. They essentially function like native
mobile apps well equipped with intuitive app-style gestures and
navigations.
Pros of Progressive Web App Development:
● Work offline and enables easier access on different
platforms and devices

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● Adaptability to different screen sizes with incredible
responsiveness
● Compared to native apps, web apps are cost-effective and
require low maintenance.
● Web apps don’t follow standard OS protocols and don’t
need approval from the marketplace. Therefore, they can be
launched at any time in any format.
● PWAs do not need manual updating, and whenever a new
version is available, it is rendered automatically.
● PWAs are comparatively smaller than native apps because
of their light architecture.
Cons of Progressive Web App Development:
● Web apps cannot leverage device features and have limited
access to the hardware.
● Limited interaction intuitiveness compared to native apps
● Weaker performance on iOS and less support for Apple
devices
● It needs more battery power, are slow and less responsive
compared to native apps

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When to develop a Progressive Web Application?
● PWAs are best for building a robust e-commerce
experience
● Best when the end goal is to attract traffic
Progressive Web App Development Programming Language
● CSS, HTML, Javascript, Polymer, AngularJS, VueJS, React
PWA Library, PWA Builder, Lighthouse
Progressive Web App examples:
Uber, Forbes, Tinder
It’s Time to Conclude!
Native mobile apps, hybrid mobile apps and progressive web apps
have distinct advantages and disadvantages. What will best suit the
requirements of your enterprise would undoubtedly depend on
numerous factors such as budget, timeline, audience, marketing
strategy and the end goal of the mobile app development.
With all of the aspects we discussed, you might now have a fair idea
of which kind of app will satisfy your brand’s needs. However, seeking
a partnership from an acclaimed mobile app development company is

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always a good idea, as it will help you pave the way for successful
mobile app development and deployment.