App Development

Native, web or hybrid?

Choosing the right app, while having regard to the various operating systems, is just one part of the app development process.
The guidelines issued by the various providers likewise stipulate a certain framework. Once you have developed a finished app and placed it in the store, you are confronted with the next question: how will the app be found? In a very rapidly growing market, in which now over 775,000 iOS apps and more than 800,000 android apps are on offer (as of February 2014), the challenge you face is to be found in the store in question. PlanetCreativ will therefore be glad to support you in your ASO (app-store optimisation).

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Native App

These are produced or programmed selectively for one operating system and can be used exclusively on equipment using this operating system.

Advantages:
Native apps are optimised for a particular operating system and for complex and/or research-intensive apps they are therefore the safe choice.

  • Equipment hardware such as cameras and acceleration sensors can usually only be used by native apps.
  • Native apps store data on the terminal to any amount desired.
  • Good native apps benefit from good evaluations in app stores and are then purchased more frequently.
  • Installation is simple and the app is then shown automatically as an icon on the home screen.=
  • Successful native apps appear on the top lists in app stores and can thus attain very high download speeds.
  • Direct graphic programming
  • Unlimited offline use possible

Disadvantages:
Separate development for various operating systems necessary

  • Resource heavy development
  • Need very high level of maintenance
  • Difficult multi-platform adaptation

 
Web App

Are (still) the most popular apps, since they can be used on every terminal which has a browser installed. Their production is based on specially programmed HTML5 websites and can thus be used both by iOS and android instruments.

Advantages:
Web apps work on all operating systems and all smartphones

  • Low development costs
  • HTML5 also makes it possible to store data offline
  • Web apps can be found via Google & Co and used directly without installation
  • Web apps can be published and upgraded in seconds and do not need to go through a licensing process
  • Fast updates possible
  • No download necessary

Disadvantages:
Can only be used online

  • No facility for in-app purchases
  • Slow operation, since buttons respond more slowly, the content has longer loading times

 
Hybrid App

Hybrid apps are a combination of native apps and web apps. They serve various cross-platforms such as iOS, android, Windows & RIM simultaneously and do not need to be developed for each platform. Moreover hybrid apps, depending on the development level, can access the telephone’s hardware.

Advantages:
Cover all mobile platforms

  • Combined advantages of web apps and native development approaches
  • Optimum usability
  • High speed
  • Can use instrument hardware
  • Can be easily expanded
  • Development using very widespread and well-known web technologies

Disadvantages:

  • Due to the platform-dependent realisation of hybrid apps, neither platform-specific interaction designs nor Look & Feel of the platform concerned can be processed
  • Performance loss when accessing web content online