It is not always easy to make sense of the world of Web applications. Indeed, not only there are Web applications that perform different tasks and functions, but there are also three different types of apps.
Should you build a native application, a Web application, or a hybrid application? Each type of app offers different kinds benefits to their customers. The choice mainly depends on your needs and understanding of the difference between these three types of applications. To assist you in your Web application development, let’s go through each type of app one by one before diving into the comparison between them.
What is a Web app?
While all three types are sometimes incorrectly (and rather confusingly) called Web applications, Web apps are essentially applications based inside a Webpage, which are accessed through a Web browser on either a mobile device or any computer. The application is not downloaded into the device and generally uses HTML5 technology in order to meet the requirements of cross-platform compatibility and user interactivity.
Updating a Web app can essentially be done at any time, which would automatically provide new content throughout the userbase. The main downside would be, of course, that this seemingly cookie cutter approach may not make use of all the device features that would be much appreciated by the end users.
What is a native application?
A native application differs from a Web app in that it actually needs to be downloaded onto the user’s device or computer from a central location, such as the Apple App Store or Google Play. While the need to download something may make some users suspicious or less enthusiastic, a native application would be the fastest of the three types, as well as making the most use of the features and abilities of a particular device. For the highest level of interactivity and customization for a specific platform, it is the native application that is required - albeit this is also the type of app that takes the most effort to create.
Hybrid applications
To try and get the best of the two worlds, hybrid applications pretend to be native based while actually continuing to be Web browser based. One of the advantages of such an approach is getting additional presence in the centralized apps directory or store. However, just as the Web app, the hybrid app is usually unable to make use of all the features of a particular device.
How can I choose?
The parameters that will guide your choice would be the cost factor, the time factor, the user experience factor, the updatability factor, and the wow factor. In other words, you will want to create an app that makes the best use of your resources while being the most attractive and interesting for the end users. For all questions about these different types of Web applications, feel free to contact our team at Thoransoft - we will be more than happy to assist you.