Mobile applications are becoming more and more in demand: on the one hand, the number of smartphone users is growing every day, on the other hand, companies are releasing mobile products that effectively solve customer issues, leaving competitors without applications far behind.
At the same time, it is important to satisfy the needs of both iOS and Android users. How to create applications so that they can be used on both platforms? In this article, you will learn about the features of native and cross-platform development, the services of which are provided by the bespoke software company JoinToIT.
Pros And Cons of Native And Cross-platform Development
Today it is no longer enough to have a website. The application performs many more functions, and to use it you do not need to go to the browser, remember and type the address, and perform many additional actions. Applications strengthen the company's image, they are reliable, simplify user interaction, and allow for analytics, not to mention increasing conversion and increasing customer loyalty. For application development, native and cross-platform development is used. Let's look at the features of each of them.
Native Development
Native, or, in other words, platform-oriented development means that the original language and tools of a specific operating system are used. This can be compared to speaking to a person in your native language. At the same time, you not only understand each other perfectly, but you can also express any shade of meaning.
Advantages of native development:
- Improving application performance. Since the language of the native system is used, the high performance of the program is ensured without additional layers.
- You can create an application of any complexity. The native environment allows you to write code without restrictions and fully implement all your ideas.
- It's easy to update the code and add new features. By using native tools, the developer can make the most of the potential and advantages of the chosen platform - this will allow him to improve the application and release new updates without any problems.
- Separate interface for each platform. This makes the application as convenient as possible for users, since only familiar elements and scenarios are used.
- Higher status in the market due to compliance with the requirements of the App Store and Google Play.
Thus, native development is a convenient and powerful means of creating applications, since the development environment and the entire set of necessary utilities are tailored for a specific platform. Now let's see what pitfalls there are.
Disadvantages of native development:
- Platform dependency.
- An application developed for one system can only be run within that system.
- Hiring more programmers.
- A larger team can lead to difficulties in communication, difficulty in recognizing differences between platforms, lags in updates, and desynchronization in features.
- Higher cost.
In order for the program to be used by both Android owners and iOS fans, you will have to hire two teams of developers - the budget in this case can increase by about 20% compared to cross-platform development.
Cross-platform Development
This type of development allows you to create an application that can be used on both iOS and Android. Imagine that you speak German and your interlocutor speaks Japanese. You don’t know each other’s language, but you speak English. This is not your native language, but an intermediary language. In this case, you will understand the other person, but at the same time, you will lose the opportunity to express subtle nuances of meaning.
In cross-platform development, frameworks such as React Native, Flutter, and KMM are used.
- React Native is based on the Java Script programming language. React Native detects errors on the fly, reduces debugging time, provides pre-built components, and allows for significant code reuse, which helps reduce development and launch time.
- The Flutter framework is developed by Google using its own Dart language. The built-in Hot Reload feature allows you to make changes to the backend and instantly see changes to the frontend, reducing the need to frequently reload the entire application. This functionality allows teams to save development and compilation time.
- KMM is a multi-platform framework based on Kotlin, which allows you to reuse the business logic of an application on different platforms while leaving the application with a native UI and UX. Thus, KMM takes advantage of both cross-platform and native development.
After creating the structure and logic of the application, the code is integrated into a native launcher based on the XCode or Android Studio environment.
Advantages of cross-platform development:
- You need a smaller budget than with native development.
- Less chance of errors occurring during development.
Choose cross- platform development if:
- you will be satisfied with the low performance of the application;
- you need a simple application with a simple interface;
- in the future, the application will not actively develop and become more complex.
If you are in doubt about what type of development to choose, then the bespoke software firm you have chosen will help you make a choice.
Disadvantages of cross-platform development:
- Low efficiency. To process code in different languages, the application requires more resources, which results in faster battery drain.
- Knowledge of native code is required. Cross-platform development does not mean abandoning the language of the original platform. In any case, you will need to use native languages to implement complex functions and correct the code of some components.
- Problems with the update. Features that appear in new versions of mobile platforms cannot be built into the application until they appear in the framework. This can take time and negatively affect users' experience with the application. Moreover, some functions cannot be implemented at all.
Wrapping It Up
Cross-platform development allows you to create projects for iOS and Android while maintaining the same application logic. This saves time and money to some extent but makes it difficult to refine applications and add new features.
In the native approach, a project is created for each system separately. At the same time, original, native development tools allow you to compile code that will be optimal for a specific platform. If you are looking for a reliable bespoke software agency to develop an application for iOS or Android, we recommend contacting JoinToIT, which specializes in both approaches.