I would like to believe that there is an ideal technology that will allow you to make an application with high quality, without high costs, and already tomorrow. But there is no such technology. We don't think it's worth getting upset about. The mobile development market offers solutions that suit the needs and capabilities of a specific business. You just need to understand the pros and cons of technologies and choose the one that will save your budget, time and at the same time help you implement a product that can achieve your goals.
Native VS cross-platform development - what is it and what is the difference
What is native and cross-platform development? Approach, technology, framework - you can call it different things. But it is wrong to pit them against each other and talk about them as two competitors. After all, one application can be made cross-platform, and it will be responsive and fast, while another will work well only if it is native.
How native applications are created
Native applications are developed using programming languages native to the iOS and Android platforms:
Native VS cross-platform development - what is it and what is the difference
What is native and cross-platform development? Approach, technology, framework - you can call it different things. But it is wrong to pit them against each other and talk about them as two competitors. After all, one application can be made cross-platform, and it will be responsive and fast, while another will work well only if it is native.
How native applications are created
Native applications are developed using programming languages native to the iOS and Android platforms:
How cross-platform applications (kp-applications) are created
Unlike native applications, cross-platform products are written on the same code base. The common code makes it possible to install KP applications on iPhones and any other smartphones.
A cross-platform application seems like a magic pill: we take one developer, make one application - we spend half as much money. But that's not exactly how it works.
Unlike native applications, cross-platform products are written on the same code base. The common code makes it possible to install KP applications on iPhones and any other smartphones.
A cross-platform application seems like a magic pill: we take one developer, make one application - we spend half as much money. But that's not exactly how it works.
Most cross-platform apps are hybrid apps. They combine CP technologies with native code, which allows the application to “bond” with the platform. The more complex the application and its functionality, the more native code is required.
To create a KP application you need a full stack developer. To put it simply, this is a specialist who can master all programming languages at once (or at least several). According to the Lucky Hunter agency, full stack developer ranks 3rd in the list of the most popular IT professions. It is difficult to find such specialists on the market. Instead, companies often hire native developers, which increases the cost of cross-platform development.
To create a KP application you need a full stack developer. To put it simply, this is a specialist who can master all programming languages at once (or at least several). According to the Lucky Hunter agency, full stack developer ranks 3rd in the list of the most popular IT professions. It is difficult to find such specialists on the market. Instead, companies often hire native developers, which increases the cost of cross-platform development.
Cross-platform technologies differ from each other in complexity, implementation method, and sophistication. The quality of a cross-platform product will primarily depend on what technology the studio works with.
Pros and cons of native development
When it comes to the disadvantages of native development, the professional community unanimously says: expensive and time-consuming. After this, a discussion of the pros begins, because there are no more cons.
Minuses
For each platform you need to develop your own version - at least two developers will work on your project: iOS and Android. But this almost never means that native development will be more expensive than implementing the same functionality on a KP framework.
The development time for a native application is from 3 months - the deadline “should have been done yesterday” is not suitable for a native application. Native development is thoughtful. Developers are trying different options for using the application, minimizing bugs and making a product that will work to increase business KPIs.
pros
Repetition of all the features of the platform - native applications have access to all the capabilities of the operating system, so they are familiar to users: any action is predictable, understandable and safe.
Implementation of functionality of any complexity - native technologies “pull” truly complex functions, which means they can be useful for any business.
Dream design and unique animations - in a native application you can implement any animation, any design elements in order to adapt the appearance of the application to the interests and needs of the target audience.
High performance - native applications are responsive, they practically do not make the user wait. This affects a person’s attitude towards the application and the return metric.
Cool team of mobile developers - write to us if you are ready to develop a native application.
What is right for your business: native application or cross-platform
Not every business can afford a native app, but not every business needs one. It all depends on your goals and scale. If you analyze which business chooses a native application and which chooses KP frameworks, you can see a pattern.
For which projects is flutter development suitable?
MVP versions - to test your hypothesis and try your product in action, you can start with cross-platform development. If the audience response is positive and you want to scale the project, switch to native technology.
Monofunctional applications - Flutter allows you to harmoniously implement projects that have only one main function. The performance is enough to complete it quickly and responsively.
Non-commercial projects - KP applications have a fast time-to-market (the time from the implementation of the application to its entry into the market). From a business point of view, non-commercial projects that do not involve monetization and that are not aimed at making money are more profitable to do on Flutter.
Business: media, news feeds, taxis, delivery services.
When it comes to the disadvantages of native development, the professional community unanimously says: expensive and time-consuming. After this, a discussion of the pros begins, because there are no more cons.
Minuses
For each platform you need to develop your own version - at least two developers will work on your project: iOS and Android. But this almost never means that native development will be more expensive than implementing the same functionality on a KP framework.
The development time for a native application is from 3 months - the deadline “should have been done yesterday” is not suitable for a native application. Native development is thoughtful. Developers are trying different options for using the application, minimizing bugs and making a product that will work to increase business KPIs.
pros
Repetition of all the features of the platform - native applications have access to all the capabilities of the operating system, so they are familiar to users: any action is predictable, understandable and safe.
Implementation of functionality of any complexity - native technologies “pull” truly complex functions, which means they can be useful for any business.
Dream design and unique animations - in a native application you can implement any animation, any design elements in order to adapt the appearance of the application to the interests and needs of the target audience.
High performance - native applications are responsive, they practically do not make the user wait. This affects a person’s attitude towards the application and the return metric.
Cool team of mobile developers - write to us if you are ready to develop a native application.
What is right for your business: native application or cross-platform
Not every business can afford a native app, but not every business needs one. It all depends on your goals and scale. If you analyze which business chooses a native application and which chooses KP frameworks, you can see a pattern.
For which projects is flutter development suitable?
MVP versions - to test your hypothesis and try your product in action, you can start with cross-platform development. If the audience response is positive and you want to scale the project, switch to native technology.
Monofunctional applications - Flutter allows you to harmoniously implement projects that have only one main function. The performance is enough to complete it quickly and responsively.
Non-commercial projects - KP applications have a fast time-to-market (the time from the implementation of the application to its entry into the market). From a business point of view, non-commercial projects that do not involve monetization and that are not aimed at making money are more profitable to do on Flutter.
Business: media, news feeds, taxis, delivery services.
