Mobile Apps: Its Types and How to Choose the Best One?
You wake up in the morning with an alarm, check your social media like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, read news, watch YouTube videos, and a lot more, all on your mobile phone.
At this point, mobile phones have become an integral part of our daily lives. Today, the market is full of mobile apps and the demand continues to increase. Even businesses that never previously needed an app are getting into the game.
If you also have to build a mobile app for your business, you’ll come across a most asked question. That is, which type of mobile app should you build?
Confusing enough? Don’t worry. Today, I will introduce you to the three types of mobile apps as well as their pros and cons so you can make the right decision.
What are the types of Mobile Apps?
On the basis of the technology used to code, mobile apps are divided into three types.
Native Apps
Native mobile apps are designed to be ‘native’ to a specific platform such as Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android, or Microsoft’s Windows Phone. Since they are developed for only one platform, they work better and fast.
This type of app uses different programming languages for different platforms. For instance, if the App is for Android, it will use Java. If it is for iOS, it will use Swift or Objective C. Whereas, it will use C# for Windows phones.
Pros
- They are faster and more reliable when it comes to performance
- They have access to multiple device features such as Bluetooth, NFC, camera roll, and more
- Such apps tend to optimize the overall user experience
- These apps work even if there is no internet coverage
Cons
- It requires efforts to code differently each time
- These apps require frequent updates
- They take more time and resources to develop
- The reach is limited to a particular group of audience
Web Apps
Web apps are the type of mobile apps that run via a web server instead of a local server. They are responsive websites that adjust their user interface to the device the user is using. In addition, when you see the option to “install” a web app, it usually just saves the website URL to your device.
Web apps are developed with the most basic programming languages, but they cannot use hardware on mobile devices or sold in app stores. Developers create them with HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, Ruby, and other web-related programming languages.
Pros
- Unlike other apps, they don’t take up space in your device's memory
- You don’t have to download or update them from the App Store
- User-friendly on a variety of platforms and screen sizes
- They run on every operating system
- Does not require a separate code base for every platform
Cons
- They are likely to run at a slower speed than one hosted on a local server
- The feature of a quality control system is missing from web apps
- It is entirely dependent on the website, therefore if the website goes down, so does the app
Hybrid Apps
Hybrid apps are web apps that have the feel and appearance of native apps. These possess the capabilities of both types of apps. For instance, they are similar to native apps in that you can download and install them on devices but they run via a website.
Also, these are created with a single code base for multiple platforms such as Android or iOS. Web technology and native APIs are combined in hybrid apps. They’re made with Ionic, Objective C, Swift, HTML5, and other technologies.
Pros
- Requires less time and resources to build
- Since they use a single code base, they are easy to maintain
- You can target audience from different platforms at the same time
- You can easily fix bugs,errors, and update to the latest app version
Cons
- Unlike native apps, they function a lot slower
- Poor user experience such as glitches
- This approach may lack 3D support
How to choose the right type of Mobile App?
As you read above, each type of mobile app has its own set of pros and cons.
So, if you’re going to have an app built and launched, how will you choose the right type for your business?
To pick the right one, you need to keep several factors in mind. I’ve discussed those factors below.
- The overall cost of the app development process
- The audience you aim to target and also which platform they use more
- The type of features and specifications you wish to incorporate in your application
- The resources available as well as the app development timeline
- The user experience, speed, and flexibility you intend to offer
Before you decide on any type of mobile app, these factors must be researched thoroughly.
Final words
Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The type of mobile app that best meets your business requirements is fundamentally the best for you.
I hope you’ve figured out which type of mobile app will work best for your business by now. Do you have more to ask? Watch this space for answers to all of your queries.