Cross-platform and Native mobile development

In the article we tell you what cross-platform and native mobile development are, and for what projects each of them is suitable for.

Since the moment when smartphones have become a part of everyday life, the most comfortable contact with a product or service for consumers is through the phone. The overall impression not only of the product, but also of the company as a whole depends on the convenience and functionality of the application.

Application development starts with choosing which mobile platform will be used. The main ones for today are Android and iOS. You can develop two native applications for each of these systems or one cross-platform application.

Developing any application requires the use of certain programming languages and tools. For Android, the programming languages Java or Kotlin can be used. For iOS, you should write using Apple’s programming language: Swift for new applications or Objective-C for the previous generation.

A native application is created specifically for a particular mobile operating system. Using a native app gives access to the internal functions of the system, so they have more opportunities to optimize and interact with the device.

The OrbitSoft team has experience developing with both technologies. For example, we created a native VPN application in Kotlin and in Swift.

Cross-platform is the ability of an application to work in different operating systems without changing the source code. To develop a cross-platform interface, software platforms — frameworks — are often used. The most common ones are React Native and Flutter.

Thanks to the common code adapted for each OS, cross-platform applications can be developed quite quickly: it is more convenient to write one application that works on both platforms.

The choice of technology depends on the budget, time to product release, and functions of the application, whether it is a game or an online store. In many cases, the features that cross-platform frameworks implement are enough, as they can use native tools that allow you to realize your idea.

Pros of native development

• High performance.
• This is the main advantage that native development provides, because the tools used are clearly adapted for a particular operating system. This provides a stable mode of operation of the application.
• The possibility of realizing all the functions of a smartphone.
• The native application gives access to GPS, NFC-sensors, camera and so on. It provides more space for realization of the project goals.
• User-friendly interface.
• Native applications are characterized by the uniformity of the user interface. Which is not surprising, since the system is developed taking into account the peculiarities of the chosen OS, whether it is Android or iOS.

Cons of native development
The necessity for large financial investments and long development time. If there is no budget and time for two native applications at once, you can start with one — for the system that is used by more target users. However, this reduces the reach many times over.

Pros of cross-platform applications

Low cost.

• Compared to native development, a cross-platform application does not require large investments due to the simplicity and adaptability of the tools used.
• Speed of implementation. A single code allows using one set of tools that adapts apps for Android and iOS at once, so development is completed faster. Cross-platform apps are optimal for creating MVPs (minimum viable product), as they provide an opportunity to test the idea and study the audience response with little time and money. This allows you to understand in a short period of time whether the product carries potential profit.
• Opportunities for broad reach. Cross-development gives access to the application for carriers of not only Android and iOS devices, but also other OS. This multiplies the number of users, which, accordingly, increases the chances of the project’s profitability.

Cons of cross-platform applications
Among the cons of cross-platform apps, we can note a limited set of functions, slow loading mode and possible problems of interface adaptation. It is difficult to make an interface that will look as familiar as native in both iOS and Android. This can have a negative impact on user experience. Experienced developers can mitigate these disadvantages, as the OrbitSoft team did when creating the cross-platform POSiFLORA app.

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Which technology to choose?

The choice of native or cross-platform development format should be based on the peculiarities of a particular project.

Comparison of mobile development types depending on project features

Native applications enable the realization of complex projects for the long term. The creation of such applications is focused on stability, security, and an emphasis on a unique user experience. Famous examples of applications include the online bank Sber, social networks Vkontakte, Twitter and Spotify.

Cross-development is optimal for quick market entry with minimal investment and for wide audience coverage. Such applications are Slack, WhatsApp messenger, Skype. If the developer implements a clear and widespread set of functions for the majority of users, the cross-platform variant will be the most reasonable.

Results

Cross-platform and native technologies for iOS or Android are widely used for business projects. A mobile application is developed taking into account what platform is popular among the target audience, what level of feature development, whether support is planned, and other parameters of the project.

Cross-platform allows the idea to be realized quickly, but the user experience and capabilities of the app may be inferior to native development.