Native vs Cross-Platform: 9 Factors to Consider

If your company needs mobile apps, you’ll almost certainly be faced with a choice when implementing an app project : which app development model to use. The fact that you have to choose indicates that there are several models for mobile app development. Today we’ll focus on two: native and cross-platform app development.

The difference between these two types of development lies in which and how many platforms the future app will run on.

• When it comes to native app development, an app is programmed for a specific operating system iOS or Android. If you want your mobile app to run on both operating systems, you’ll need to invest your resources in two app projects to create two separate native apps.
• When we talk about cross-platform app development , the word “cross-platform” reveals that it is about creating a platform-independent app that is written once and can run on different platforms.

It’s clear that each implementation option has its strengths and weaknesses. To illustrate the comparison process, we’ve selected nine influential factors to provide a comprehensive overview of three popular tools for cross-platform app development, such as Cordova, Xamarin.Forms, or Xamarin.iOS/.Android, and native app development.

9 Factors to choose:

1. Platform-specific user interface, high frames per second (FPS) rate

No matter how well cross-platform app development mimics the native look and feel which is possible through the use of native UI components cross-platform apps are still not native apps at their core. Only 100% native apps for Android and iOS have the highest FPS and feature a platform-specific UI. Developing separate user interfaces for iOS and Android with Xamarin.Android and Xamarin.iOS makes it possible to improve the user experience.

2. Video/Audio Processing

Video/audio channels are probably one of the most unusual features in any mobile app. To ensure that apps behave properly and securely, it is recommended to choose either native app development or cross-platform app development with Xamarin.iOS/Xamarin.Android.

3. Access to certain hardware functions

While native apps have access to all the features of the respective device, such as the camera, GPS, microphone, sensors, and others , cross-platform apps face a significant challenge in interacting with platform-specific hardware components. But Xamarin has managed to do it: apps developed with Xamarin.Forms or Xamarin.iOS/Android can also access platform-specific hardware features.

4 . Extended network access

In this respect, too, Xamarin manages to keep pace with native app development and poses strong competition to native apps. Thanks to this framework’s powerful libraries and the principle that cross-platform apps developed with it can also run outside of the browser, Xamarin apps, unlike Cordova, have no restrictions regarding network access.

5. Integration with maps

For a map to function smoothly, an app must support image processing and GPS connectivity. Our experience developing apps with Xamarin shows that this framework is just as suitable as native development tools for creating mobile apps with perfect map display.

6. High performance

In terms of performance (as well as UI/UX), native apps offer the best possible experience. However, cross platform development with Xamarin creates mobile apps that perform well and can compete with native apps. If performance is the highest priority, Cordova is not a good choice as a framework for cross-platform development. Cordova apps run in their own invisible browser, which imposes a number of limitations.

7. Integration with ERP, CRM

If your mobile apps are integrated with ERP or CRM, your options aren’t limited. In fact, you shouldn’t worry: easy integration with third-party software and systems is guaranteed when using different development tools, both native and cross-platform.

8. Cost savings

The open-source Cordova framework is considered the most cost-effective option for developing simple mobile applications. However, if you want to build more complex apps at a lower cost, cross-platform development with Xamarin would be advantageous. With Xamarin, you have more freedom and can create platform-specific interfaces for iOS and Android. Native app development is associated with high costs. If you plan to have an app built that runs on multiple operating systems, you will have to accept the development of separate apps, which is a significant effort.

9. Long-term investment protection

These and other figures are convincing enough to convince you: investing in mobile apps is worthwhile. The question is which type of app development should be chosen. Opinions differ as to which apps companies should focus on. On the one hand, native apps have gained the trust of mobile users in the mobile market. On the other hand, there is an opinion that the future belongs to cross-platform app development for various reasons. When making a decision, all of the factors mentioned above and there are several more must be considered. Practice shows that app requirements and the market situation are constantly changing. Therefore, it is also advisable to find a reliable app development partner who can offer advice and support at any time.