Native App Development Services

The decision of the correct type of app for a project sometimes proves a difficult one for teams building new products. Some certainly benefit from a more hybrid approach for cross-platform compatibility. However, native apps built specifically for one operating system prove useful for a variety of cases.

What is the difference between each of these types of apps, and how do they differ in terms of cost, timelines, resources required, and overall project goals? Companies should take the time to weigh the pros and cons of a native app, and they should also go through a discovery phase to learn about native app development versus other types to make the most well-informed decision possible.

What Is Native App Development?

A native mobile application is one built for a specific operating system, such as iOS or Android. In many cases, native apps are the preferred option as they offer a superior experience and performance on the specific operating systems they’re designed for. However, some companies prefer cross-platform apps because it means the project requires only one codebase to develop an app for multiple platforms. Dev teams also enjoy cross-platform apps because there’s no need to learn different languages in order to use them.

Differences Between Native Apps and Hybrid Apps

As with any tech choice, there are definitely pros and cons for each type of app. Native apps are “native to” and built specifically for a single platform. Native apps are always developed as their own independent product. Native apps perform better on the operating system they’re built for than a web or hybrid app typically would due to data download speeds alone.

A cross-platform (hybrid) app runs on multiple platforms by design. They live on a mobile device and function as independent programs. They frequently even rely on the hardware of the device on which they’re installed in order to work.

Though hybrid apps are sometimes slower than their native counterparts, they offer more flexibility as they can support various types of operating systems as well as desktop browsers. Hybrid apps allow developers to reuse code across platforms, which reduces the time it takes to develop an app but also limits the feature sets included in an individual app. With the rise of mobile, there is also a greater demand for improved performance from web applications; some even believe that web applications could eventually overtake native apps.

Benefits of Native App Development

Native apps offer both companies and consumers many benefits compared to other types of apps, including:

Native apps are more secure because they don’t run on a browser open to internet threats such as malicious sites and malware.
The responsiveness of a native app is faster than a mobile website because the user interface is specifically for the device and doesn’t require rendering to work.
It's easier for developers to test and debug a native application, which means fewer bugs or crashes occur when the app goes live.
A native app accesses a phone's hardware features, like the camera and GPS locator, which means that it performs tasks faster and with less battery usage than web-based applications.
Native apps often offer offline capabilities by saving data locally so they're accessible even without an internet connection.
They take advantage of push notifications to send alerts to users even if their devices are off or in sleep mode. Push notifications are powerful tools for maintaining consumer interest in a business. Utilizing mobile apps, businesses can deliver personalized messaging to consumers and more compelling promotions to boost conversion.
Users benefit from a quick and responsive experience with native apps. The mobile-first strategy is always a priority and requires the optimization of the material shown on various screen sizes.
The ability to publish on app stores is one of the main benefits of developing mobile apps. This means that companies have access to a larger pool of mobile consumers. This is an incredible benefit in and of itself, as the number of total mobile apps downloaded globally reached around 230 billion downloads as of 2021. As a result, releasing an app through the app store may significantly boost the number of prospective customers.
The use of native apps allows companies to request the user’s consent before accessing certain parts and data, including age, gender, location, photographs, and other details. Teams then utilize this access to thoroughly study and comprehend user activity, thus making it considerably simpler to build the ideal strategy for enhancing customer satisfaction.
As native applications work by design on only one operating system, they function much more effectively and seamlessly on these systems than a web or hybrid app. The navigation, design, and features are all mobile-friendly to enhance the user experience.
Since native apps have access to advanced features on mobile devices like fingerprint readers and facial ID, they are also typically more secure than alternatives.

Disadvantages of Native App Development

Every technology comes with its own drawbacks or disadvantages, which is why it’s so important for companies and dev teams to do their due diligence before deciding on a type. While native apps come with many benefits, they also have some negative aspects as well, such as:

Comparatively Higher Costs of Development and Maintenance – Unfortunately, programming a native app is a bit tricky even for the most seasoned veteran developers. Also, developers specializing in this field are quite scarce due to both the global talent shortage and the niche field. Thus, native app development typically requires a longer development timeline, which means higher costs for the hiring company.

Although absolutely critical, maintenance is also not a cheap thing to handle when it comes to a native application. Maintenance for apps in general is typically around 15% to 20% of the total development cost, but, due to the factors stated above, costs related to a native app may go even higher.

Time-Consuming Development – It takes between three to four months of development time, not counting research, planning, technical development, testing, and review, to develop a mobile app. However, in the world of native apps, that development time only accounts for one type of operating system.

When companies want to release such an app on different operating systems or platforms, that development time doubles or even triples. This, of course, also depends on the complexity of the application itself and its functionalities.

Complex and Frequent Updates – It takes a lot of work to maintain and update an app on one operating system alone. Maintaining one app that’s native to multiple operating systems is much more complex and requires much more time. When dev teams fix a bug or create an update for native applications, they must first submit said updates to the app store relevant to each operating system for approval.

Then, they have to keep the faith that users will actually take the time to update their apps to the newest version to see their hard work. When such users don’t update their native apps, whether due to a lack of storage space or simply not visiting the app store, they may experience glitches or bugs. This inevitably causes app abandonment and deletion from mobile devices. Developers and their companies live in fear of a loss of their customer base for this reason.

High Storage Demand – The more powerful and multifunctional an application is, the more storage it takes up on the hardware of a device. Good apps require high-quality materials along with innovative features and regular updates. This puts quite a demand on a phone’s storage and sometimes turns customers off from ever even downloading the app. Without enough storage, users might not have the ability to download it even if they wanted to.
Long Download Process – Normally, end users only purchase or download apps once they’re available in the app store relevant to their operating system. In most cases, this involves quite a few steps, including going to the app store, searching for the application and verifying that it’s the correct one, agreeing to terms and conditions, and then completing the actual download process. Many people simply lose the patience to go through all of these motions to get the application on their phone.

To get past these disadvantages, there are many alternatives to developing a native mobile application. One alternative is a hybrid app, which is a combination of web and mobile code accessible on both types of devices. The major advantage of this type of application is that devs build them for multiple platforms and devices at the same time, such as Android, iOS, or Windows Mobile. They’re relatively inexpensive thanks to the fact that they require the developer to program the application to run on any type of operating system at the same time.

Another alternative to developing a native mobile application is designing and creating a responsive website. With responsive websites, teams design a site so it responds to various screen sizes on smartphones and tablets from the very beginning of the process. For example, with responsive websites, designers place navigation links at the top of the webpage instead of at the bottom as with desktop browsers.

Is Outsourcing the Right Choice for Native Application Development?

Whether for gaming, social media, emails, project management, or any other purpose, apps are a must-have for any company looking for a way to stay competitive in today’s world. With so many types of apps available today, there is no shortage of options when it comes to choosing the right type for a specific business or project. The question, then, is how to go about creating one.

There are three main ways that companies actually develop applications: build it from scratch and code everything with an in-house team of developers, work with a freelance developer, or choose to outsource to a third-party outsourcing company to handle all development needs. Choosing the option that’s right for any business depends largely on the kind of app that they want to make, how much time and money they are willing to invest in building and maintaining it, and how long until the company requires the completion of the project.

While, again, there are definite pros and cons to each option depending on the company’s specific needs, outsourcing is a great solution for a wide variety of projects and companies. Outsourcing in general helps companies access experts in the field of development that they may not have access to otherwise. It also reduces overall development costs for companies, as the outsourced team doesn’t require the hiring company to pay for any hardware, software, recruiting, benefits, health insurance, and so on. The hiring company need only concern themselves with their monthly or hourly payment plans, and that’s all. This is a great benefit for companies not specifically involved in the tech world and looking to build a one-off native application for either themselves or a client.

How to Select a Native App Development Company

Choosing a company for an application development project is a daunting task, to say the least. Before companies sit down and choose a partner for such a task, they must do their own part of the agreement first. This includes some of the most important steps of the entire process.

Company leaders must first determine the budget of the project to get an idea of what they’re willing and able to spend on said application. If the budget looks tight, it is sometimes useful to tell potential outsourcing companies up front, to weed out those that are out of the budget range and to indicate the need for a more cost-effective option. Leaders should also keep in mind that not all companies provide free consultations. Companies should call each outsourcing provider company of interest and ask about their rates. It’s important to set expectations before engaging with any developer for a project so that both parties know where they stand from the beginning.

Companies must also know the ideal length of a development timeline required for their application project. Time to market varies from project to project, development team to development team; therefore, it’s important to have an estimated launch date to present in initial meetings to get an idea of whether the outsourcing provider can meet those needs.

Leaders should also do their research on the native mobile app development company themselves by asking for resources to verify their work experiences, such as a portfolio, previous clients, and case studies on their work.

Working With BairesDev on Your Native App Development Project

No matter the field, it’s undeniable that technology is taking over nearly every industry and vertical of the modernized world. In addition, as more people use mobile devices for everything from socializing and shopping to finding information and doing their jobs, there’s no question about whether or not a business or brand must have a mobile presence. Native apps are one of the best ways for companies to make their products available on smartphones so that they increase their customer reach and keep up with changing trends in technology.

For businesses thinking about developing a native app for their company, there are a lot of factors that require consideration before they ever even start brainstorming design concepts or mapping out features. However, there’s no doubt that outsourcing helps companies achieve their goals while staying on budget with on-time delivery in most cases.

BairesDev strives to make outsourcing a streamlined and efficient solution for any and all clients. For businesses in need of one or only a few developers to add to their in-house team, staff augmentation services help fill these roles without any of the traditional costs of hiring attached. These augmented team members simply work with the in-house team to get the job done or for however long the company requires their services, and that’s it.

BairesDev also offers clients the opportunity to outsource their entire development team for a project or as a dedicated team. This helps companies gain access to specialized talent if needed or even large teams of developers to get a specific job done in a rushed timeline. These teams also offer expertise and insight to help companies and their projects succeed in the long run thanks to their experience in the field.

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Start Building a Development Team With Bairesdev Today!

There’s a reason why native applications are a favorite among developers, companies, and consumers, even with their disadvantages. These applications are typically fast, reliable, and work better than any other type of application when downloaded on their specific type of operating system. These applications aren’t always the cheapest or the fastest to develop, but companies won’t regret putting their name behind a native application once it’s in the hands of their end users.