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Summary: The key success rates of a Mobile App Development completely rely on its nature i.e. Native and Cross-platform App. Today's article can show you the proper comparison between the two said form. From that comparison, you can make the right decision to build a unique mobile app for your requirement. 

The mobile app industry is expected to generate around US$190 billion in revenue worldwide. The business of all types and sizes are trying to develop a mobile app that delivers the best user experience. When it comes to development, developers face the need to choose the two different platforms such as Native mobile app development or the Cross-Platform mobile app development. Which one is best and why? 

The two approaches differ in various ways from each other. Let's see the differences and make the right choice for your needs. First of all, take a look at their definition, advantages and disadvantages and user interface.  

Native Mobile Apps

Native applications commonly use programming language and Mobile App Development tools that are ‘native’ to one particular platform. They are seen in specific mobile platforms like Android, Blackberry, etc. Android app development, for instance, uses Java or Kotlin programming languages. Native mobile apps can be downloaded from their respective app stores, i.e., Google Play Store for Android. 

Advantage of Native Mobile App:

Features: A native app is an ability to make use of the native features of a device including Bluetooth, camera, microphone, etc.  

Less dependency on internet connection: Native apps do not require a permanent internet connection to perform. They are accessible in the offline mode too. 

Optimum performance: It utilizes the platform resources and capabilities to their full potential. They easily integrate with the hardware features of the device which allows them to perform much better. Native apps are fast, responsive, and are less likely to crash.

The disadvantage of Native Mobile Apps: 

Development costs are High: Native Apps development are not pocket-friendly. You will have to build separate apps for each platform. This means you will need to deploy two different programmers who excel in multiple programming languages. 

Upgradation issues: Another challenge is the frequent upgrades and updates. Often, there is no proper channel in place to inform users about new updates. Most users uninstall the app when they find a bug instead of updating it from the app store.

Well, now let’s see what is the Cross-Platform Mobile App development. The ultimate goal of this approach is to develop an app that runs on different devices and operating systems without much code change. It allows building an app that is compatible with multiple operating systems i.e.Android and iOS. 

Advantages of Cross-platform app development

A wider audience: It allows developers to reach a wider audience across different mobile platforms. They get a chance to expand their business irrespective of the operating system used by the customers. 

The disadvantages of cross-platform app development:

Reusable codebase: Cross-platform app development allows you to use the same codebase across various mobile platforms. It reduces the app development time, as you only need to build one app instead of two.

Design: The graphical elements of cross-platform apps automatically transform to match the platform’s framework, they might still face various design troubles.  

Performance issues: Cross-platform apps lack responsiveness and face frequent app crashes.

The clear scenario is given above. Now you have to decide what you need from an App. If you want to target prospects across a specific mobile platform then choose native Mobile App Development. However, if you’ve budget constraints and want the app to run on multiple platforms, cross-platform development is the way to go.

Johan Smith is one of the senior developers of Mobile App Development at GetAProgrammer, a leading Android and iOS app development company in Australia, that build apps for widespread categories and businesses to help them become digital and grow market reach.