Have a close look at what is hybrid app

To start with, a hybrid app is a mobile app that can be used and functionals well on multiple mobile platforms and web and includes elements of native apps. Hybrid apps use popular technological frameworks and languages (JavaScript, CSS, Swift, HTML5), and they also have lightweight native app containers in their core. From a user’s or even a customer’s perspective, the difference between a hybrid and a cross-platform app is usually invisible. We will mention some in-development differences between cross and hybrid apps. In this article, we will pay more attention to the difference between native and hybrid app and web solutions.

Make the difference visible. Comparison web VS. native VS. hybrid app

The first thing to start this comparison with is understanding of native and web applications. Native applications are those that are designed and run only on a specific platform, can have unique functional or visual solutions that distinguish the operating system for which the solution is created. Websites, or PWAs, are those applications that look like a mobile solution but are opened through a web browser. They are independent of the operating system on which they are used.

Key aspects of native, hybrid and web app

Aspect	Native Apps	Web Apps	Hybrid Apps	Cross-Platform Apps
Target platform	A single mobile or desktop operating system platform using platform-specific languages	Built with web technologies and run online in browsers	Built with web technologies and wrapped in a native container	Built with a single codebase
Programming languages	Swift/Objective-C for iOS, Java/Kotlin for Android	HTML, CSS, JavaScript	HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and	C#, Dart and .Net as cross-platform app
Performance	Highest performance; direct access to device hardware	It depends on network connection quality	Good performance; some overhead from WebView rendering.	Near-native performance;
User Experience	Platform-specific UX and UI patterns	Cannot fully match UI/UX experience, some features can be limited by browsers.	Can mimic specific UI and UX elements
Device Features Access	Full access to all device features and APIs	Limited access to device features (improving with PWA capabilities)	Good access to device features through framework APIs, plugins or bridges
Distribution	Through app stores (App Store, Google Play)	Accessed via URLs	Through app stores and web*
Installation	Requires download and installation	No installation required (PWAs can be “installed” to home screen)	Requires download and installation
Updates	Requires users to download updates (if automatic update isn’t enabled) from app stores	No user action required	Requires users to download updates (web content can be updated without app store approval)
Development Cost	Highest; separate codebases for each platform	Lowest; single codebase works across all devices	Medium; single codebase for multiple platforms with platform-specific adjustments
Development Time	Longest; separate development for each platform	Shortest; one version for all devices	Moderate; reusable code across platforms
Offline Functionality	Full offline capabilities are possible	Limited offline capabilities	Good offline capabilities through native container	Full offline capabilities are possible
App Size	Varies; typically larger for complex apps	Smallest	Medium
Best For	High-performance apps, games, AR/VR apps	Content-heavy applications, simple tools, extending web services	Business applications, content-focused apps	Medium to complex apps, enterprise apps

*hybrid apps can be reused or rebuilt as web apps, but they are not automatically available as web apps just because they are hybrid. Cross-platform apps are not available via web, except Flutter (framework) Web.

As the table above shows, PWA vs native vs hybrid solution have a tangible difference for the customer and the user, and are able to satisfy different business needs.

Cases to use hybrid solution

To best demonstrate cases where hybrid development is effective, recall the well-known hybrid apps examples, for instance, Instagram, Uber, Evernote and Spotify. While – Microsoft Office mobile apps, Shopify, Discord – are best examples of cross-platform apps. As you can see, Instagram, which is saturated with content refers to hybrid applications, so thanks to the hybrid app development service, you can create effective and functional solutions for your business.

Spotify and SoundCloud are the best examples of hybrid apps with load names. In all cases, these content-focused applications can work offline. Also, Server-side processing handles complex recommendations, and updating the applications themselves does not require frequent updates. That is why these hybrid multimedia examples indicate that a hybrid development can be safely chosen to create the content of the cited solutions.

This development service is often found when creating commercial applications. Web technology allows you to reduce the weight of content-heavy products. Users can have one app on different operating systems at the same time, and, accordingly, synchronize the account and make purchases at any time. Also, hybrid solutions offer rapid deployment of seasonal features. In such applications, an important component is recommendations. Server-side processing handles complex recommendation engines. Walmart and Etsy are the best examples of apps in this field. PNN Soft offers hybrid e-commerce app development. If you are interested in a custom build of a hybrid application, fill out the form below.

When use hybrid solutions

We finished with the part of what is native and hybrid app. Now we offer to dwell into the issue of how hybrid solutions can evaluate your project.

You have a limited budget but Need to launch on multiple platforms with minimal cost
You need to build content-centric application
You are looking for a solution that does not rely on hardware
You have the need to quickly enter the market (trends or seasonal market). You can also run the solution MVP. This is a vivid example when the difference between native vs hybrid mobile app development is noticeable and has a strong meaning.
Your app needs frequent content updates (but not app hardware itself)

Top five hybrid mobile app frameworks we are experienced with

PNN Soft pays special attention to the choice of specialists. Our expert teams have experience using various hybrid mobile app development tools. We create solutions that meet the needs of the business and allow us to achieve results in the best way. By aligning our development process with each client’s business model, we deliver custom hybrid applications that are not only functional but scalable and maintainable.

Apache Cordova

A veteran among frameworks, the proven option also provides native app features as needed. The mechanism is precise: developers can run SPA (single-page application) using an integrated mobile web browser.

Ionic

It adapts the traditional web approach for building hybrid platforms. It is one of the most popular frameworks of that kind: web-based code is embedded in a web view that, for its part, interacts with exposed native APIs through various plugins.

These two frameworks are classic for hybrid development and use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and run inside a WebView. The frameworks below use native components and offer better performance. They are widely used for hybrid mobile app development.

React Native

It provides developers with native views (instead of utilising the traditional web view). Technically, it is cross-platform but demonstrates multimedia capabilities. That is why a multitude of hybrid apps use this tool to comply with their codebases into native code. As code reusability works only on mobile platforms, web solutions require slight modifications to port over to mobile. It requires JavaScript and React technology stack.

Xamarin

Microsoft’s solution is distinctive by a higher learning curve compared to previous frameworks. Developers are code in C# and take full advantage of the .Net development ecosystem. Thanks to C# wrappers, you can achieve a native performance, which nonetheless won’t lead to sacrificing the reusability of your code.

Flutter

The youngest framework in the hybrid app development landscape, many companies implement Flutter to optimise the development cycles of dynamic and static languages. Just-in-time (JIT) and ahead-of-time (AOT) compilations are crucial to obtaining faster cycles of dynamic languages and the stability and reliability of static languages, respectively. It uses Dart and is considered as an excellent native performance solution.

Reasons to choose hybrid mobile app development and enhance cross-platform compatibility

So hybrid and cross-platform apps are the same almost. The difference is lies in development level. So, we include reasons when to select a hybrid app development services for project realisation. Hope, it will guide you in this huge area of custom digital solutions.

An integrated approach to development, with using a single set of code that for multiplatform.
The solution is available on application markets and the web, and hybrid applications can be accessed on a variety of devices.
In dependence of technical aspects of realisation, your project offers high and good performance. Hybrid native app – it’s all about one word, “universality”

The ideal approach depends on your specific project requirements, budget constraints, timeline, and the expertise available within your development team. In many cases, hybrid apps provide the optimal balance of development efficiency, cross-platform functionality, and user experience for business applications.

By understanding the distinctions between native, web and hybrid apps, entrepreneurs can make informed decisions that align with their business objectives and technical requirements.

Empower cross-platform compatibility with PNN Soft

PNN Soft has been delivering programming products for 20 years, and we utilise our skills to put our ideas into reliable services. We created a wide variety of apps for Windows/Mac OS X and mobile OS. In this process, special attention is paid to hybrid app security by implementing robust data encryption, secure APIs, and comprehensive user authentication mechanisms. Our team continuously monitors emerging threats and integrates up-to-date security protocols to ensure the resilience of each solution. We focus on achieving an in-depth understanding of individual companies’ goals and needs. That is why our clients prefer long-term cooperation.

PNN Soft prioritises Agile, Scrum, and RAD methodologies to communicate with clients effectively, satisfy customers’ expectations and obtain more flexibility. Our Agile teams of experts include software developers, GUI designers, testers, technical writers, and managers. Hope, now there are no issues according “what is hybrid mobile application“ question. However, if you still have doubts about what kind of solution is needed for your commercial or corporate digital solution, our technical team will provide advice and evaluate your development project. To accomplish this, leave your request with a description of the project and technical data (if any) in the form below.

What is a Hybrid Application?