Terminology » Other Wireless » Native App vs. Web App vs. Hybrid App: Key Differences Explained

Native App vs. Web App vs. Hybrid App: Key Differences Explained

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This article compares native apps, web apps, and hybrid apps, highlighting their differences, how they work, and their respective advantages and disadvantages.

What is a Native App?

how native app works

Figure 1: Interactions of a native app with a mobile device.

A native app is developed using programming languages like C, C++, C#, Java, and Objective-C, specifically for a particular platform (e.g., Apple iOS, Android, Windows, or Blackberry).

Native app development requires platform-specific tools:

  • Xcode (for Apple iOS)
  • Android SDK (for Android)
  • BB Java Eclipse plug-in (for Blackberry)
  • Visual Studio (for Windows)

Here are the key characteristics of a native app:

  • It is a binary executable image file.
  • It is downloaded and stored on the file system of the mobile device.
  • The app can be executed directly by the operating system (OS).
  • The app can be launched from the home screen and doesn’t need a container app to run.
  • It makes direct use of operating system APIs.
  • Once installed, the app can directly interact with hardware components through the OS using APIs. This includes the microphone, speaker, camera, GPS, various sensors, connected networks (Wi-Fi, GSM, etc.), touch screen, and keyboard.
  • It allows for storage management, both internally and on the cloud.

Pros and Cons of Native Apps

Pros:

  • Ultra-smooth experience.
  • Best user experience.
  • App icon is available on the device’s home screen.
  • Can receive push notifications.
  • Runs inside the operating system (OS).
  • Can utilize platform APIs (camera, audio, network, GPS, storage, etc.).

Cons:

  • Developers need to know the specific languages for each platform.
  • The source code only works on the targeted platform (Windows, iOS, Android, etc.). This makes supporting all platforms costly.
  • Slower market penetration due to the need for multiple source codes, each with its own unique project code.

What is a Web App?

how web app works

Figure 2: Interactions of a web app with a mobile device.

A web app utilizes internet-based web technologies. It is written using programming languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Unlike native apps, which have complete control over all the hardware components of a mobile device, web apps have limited or sometimes no direct access to these components (microphone, camera, etc.). This is changing as HTML evolves.

Native apps directly interact with the OS, while web apps do not. Instead, a web app is executed by the browser, and the browser’s rendering engine converts the HTML/CSS/JS code into real-life APIs that interact with the OS components. All smartphone manufacturers use the same rendering engine, known as Webkit, an open-source project developed and maintained by Google/Apple.

Key characteristics of web apps:

  • Code is executed by the browser (Google Chrome, IE, Safari, etc.) and not by the OS.
  • It does not have direct interaction with the hardware components of the OS.
  • The web app uses a rendering engine to interact with hardware components.

Pros and Cons of Web Apps

Pros:

  • Works across all platforms.
  • Single code base.
  • Faster production due to less development time.
  • Low development cost.

Cons:

  • Sluggish performance.
  • Requires loading time.
  • Requires internet connectivity.
  • Usually not available in app stores.
  • Extremely limited API access.
  • Does not have an application icon on the home screen.

What is a Hybrid App?

how hybrid app works

Figure 3: Interactions of a hybrid app with a mobile device.

A hybrid app combines the benefits of both native and web apps. It uses embedded HTML, and selected parts of the app are written using web technologies. The web portions are either downloaded from the web or packaged within the app itself. Examples include Facebook, Morgan Stanley, and Bank of America.

Key characteristics of hybrid apps:

  • Full access to APIs.
  • Available in app stores.

Pros and Cons of Hybrid Apps

Pros:

  • Single source code.
  • Access to all platform APIs.
  • Less time for deployment.
  • Web parts can be updated automatically on the fly.
  • Available in app stores.
  • Has an application icon on the device.

Cons:

  • Depends on middleware such as PhoneGap or Cordova.
  • Middleware updates can be slow.
  • More prone to bugs.
  • Some bug fixes require middleware updates.
  • Some bug fixes are outside of your control.
  • Slower performance compared to native apps.
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