Advantages & Disadvantages of Hybrid App Development

What is a Hybrid App Development?

Hybrid mobile apps are mobile applications that are built for multiple app platforms such as iOS and Android, utilising a single code base. Using a single code base enables app development costs to be reduced and saves you money in the long term. However, hybrid application development does have its disadvantages. The hybrid app has, in recent years, been more popular as technological enhancements have enabled businesses and developers to capitalise on cross-platform technology. When mobile apps came into existence, native-specific apps were the only option for development. In this article, we will be going through the advantages and disadvantages of hybrid mobile apps and how they’re developed.

Advantages of the Development of Hybrid Apps

Reduced Development Costs

In comparison to native apps, developing a hybrid app can prove up to 30% cheaper. To follow the hybrid app approach, you only have to produce a single codebase for both iOS and Android. Although, this increases the need for extra customisation and the fees for looking after the app on both platforms increases.

Rapid Development

The hybrid app framework allows the mobile app developers to reuse a bulk of the same code, therefore the development process is much faster in comparison with native app development.

Reaching Your Target Audience

When thinking about whether you should build your app for Android or iOS, take into consideration where your target audience is. However, no matter how much time you put into your market research, you’ll always miss some potential users. Using a hybrid approach enables you to capture a larger audience and allows you to reach users on both platforms at the same time.

Cheaper to Build Hybrid Apps

Due to having a single code base, the hybrid app running on both iOS & Android can be developed in the same time it would take to build one native app on a single platform. The time it takes to develop the app has an impact on the final cost of the app development.

Disadvantages of the Development of Hybrid Apps

Inconsistent Performance

Performance is what everyone looks for in a mobile app, and it is measured by several things. When comparing the performance of native mobile apps and hybrid mobile apps, when both have the same functionalities, the native app is likely to perform slightly quicker. However, the difference in performance tends to be small, particularly if the app is simple.

New Features Take a Long Time

Each time Google & Apple release a brand-new feature for the Android and iOS platform, it takes a long period for a hybrid app developer to add support to a new feature. Native apps are supported with new SDKs that are much quicker than the hybrid platform frameworks.

Contact Appoly for Hybrid App Development

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