New ideas for old problems: Mobile development strategies - which is better, native or hybrid?

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Which solution is better, native or hybrid? This is an old problem that has troubled mobile developers. Through today's article, I believe you can find the answer that suits you.

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So: which is better? Native apps or hybrid apps? And if you’re planning to build a hybrid app, which framework is best for you?

Weeeell, it's not as simple as that. It's still a "each has its own strengths" type of question. And it's clear that frameworks such as Xamarin or Cordova, although powerful, are by no means able to surpass native applications in all aspects.

In the process of seeking answers, we might as well start from the following angles:

• Do you need a mobile-friendly website that reaches a wide audience? If so, then Cordova is a better choice. In fact, if you tweak it, you can use Cordova to build an app for iOS and a web-based Android version. Also, if you need to develop a response plan for a major event (such as a conference), then a mobile website is definitely better - after all, it can be used without downloading.
• Are you planning to build an app for internal users of your enterprise, and you control the specific devices it runs on? If so, then you should consider targeting a single native platform (i.e. iOS - if it does not incur additional costs for your enterprise - or Android - if you think device fragmentation is not an issue). CSS+JavaScript has very clear boundaries, so adding layers of abstraction on top of the programming model also introduces new layers of confusion. Therefore, if you can choose a mobile platform, then native apps are the best choice.
• In addition, if you want to create an absolutely perfect app, you must build at least two native apps. Any app that is not developed using the native SDK cannot fully match the target device. This means that you need to prepare two sets of code bases, two sets of bug copies, and even two independent teams (or even set up an additional backend team). But to achieve excellent results, the cost is necessary!
• If you only intend to achieve a certain degree of interactive effects on the device and do not want to create two independent code bases, then Xamarin or NativeScript can solve the problem well .
• Finally, you also need to consider the existing skills of your team. If you want a native look and feel and have a wealth of JavaScript developers, then NativeScript and ReactNative are more suitable. If you have a large C# development team, then Xamarin is the best option.

Original link: https://dzone.com/articles/what-mobile-strategy-is-best-native-or-hybrid

[Translated by 51CTO. Please indicate the original translator and source as 51CTO.com when reprinting on partner sites]