What is Hybrid App Development? A Short Guide!

Quick Summary: With individuals using mobile phones everywhere, organizations must focus on developing top-notch mobile apps. And due to rapid tech advancements, we now have the privilege to create and use an app across different platforms. Well, yes – they are Hybrid apps. And to learn more about them, you need to follow our blog. Happy reading!

You can see people using mobile phones everywhere. And with the significant hike in mobile phone and app users in the last few years and understanding the need of the hour, every company now opts for mobile application development. Imagine an app developed once and can be utilized across different platforms like Android, iOS, tablets, and laptops. Isn’t it unique and cost-effective? Won’t it make every company’s work a little easier?

Hybrid app development is a sizzling topic in this digitization world. It’s becoming increasingly popular because it allows the developing of mobile apps quickly, cost-efficiently, and functions on different operating systems and platforms. It helps integrate the best of both web and native app development worlds. However, there are still times when businesses get confused when choosing between hybrid apps vs native apps.

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At Radixweb, we understand that native and hybrid solutions have advantages and disadvantages. Still, most businesses choose hybrid apps because of their pros. As stated by a Forbes report, 37 of the Top 50 retail apps in America are hybrid. Furthermore, prominent platforms like Instagram, Uber, Twitter, Gmail, etc., use hybrid applications.

So, what is hybrid app development?

Well, Congratulations! You’ve landed at the perfect place. This blog is all about hybrid apps. So, before taking more time, let’s dive directly into the A-Z guide on hybrid app development.

Come on, tighten your seat belts, and ride this guide with us.

What is Hybrid App Development?

Hybrid app development is the process of developing mobile apps by integrating features of both native and web apps. Hybrid mobile apps are written in JavaScript, CSS (Cascading Style Sheet), and HTML 5. They are also highly compatible with different operating systems, including Android and iOS. They are perfect for accomplishing cross-platform needs and providing impactful cost-efficient solutions for business growth.

The hybrid app framework promotes a seamless, high-quality user experience with the help of its top-notch performance, functionality, and interface. Moreover, Instagram, Twitter, Uber, and Gmail are some of the best examples of these apps. Why? As they help these huge organizations to deliver remarkable user experiences.

However, hybrid apps also come with some limitations. Yes, it is the perfect option for some businesses but not for all. Hence, to understand whether it’s the perfect fit for your software solutions, you must thoroughly research the advantages and disadvantages of hybrid mobile app development.

So, before we delve deep into the detailed analysis of hybrid app development and learn about some significant aspects of hybrid mobile apps, let’s quickly go through the fundamental difference between two important types of mobile apps - hybrid apps vs native apps.

Hybrid vs Native: A Brief Comparison

Let’s now compare – hybrid apps vs native apps. This will help you better understand which type of mobile app development can be ideal for your company.

Native Apps

Beginning from Native, these apps are developed from the ground up and for a specific operating system. Their purpose is to provide complete functionality. As they are created for a particular environment, native applications tend to have high security and fast performance. However, these apps are not cross-platform compatible. Native apps are developed using different programming languages, such as Swift or Objective-C for iOS and Kotlin and Java for Android.

Hybrid Apps

Coming to hybrid apps are developed using web technologies, including Python, JS, CSS, and HTML. HTML, CSS. Moreover, hybrid mobile apps are proficient in supporting different operating systems, allowing for cross-functional compatibility. They can accomplish native security and performance, all with the help of efficient frameworks. Developers often prefer Hybrid application development to achieve more efficiency and better product offering.

That was all about a brief comparison between hybrid apps vs native apps. However, to have a more detailed knowledge of several types of mobile apps, you can also visit our blog – web vs native vs hybrid apps. We bet you’ll love it!

How Do Hybrid Apps Work?

Wondering how do hybrid apps work? Let’s look.

Hybrid mobile applications are web apps that are in a native shell. Once you download it from an app store or play store and install it, the shell connects to the different capabilities of any mobile platform; a browser provides that are integrated into the apps. The browser and its various plug-ins execute on the backend and are inaccessible to the end user.

They work similarly to Web apps but are directly downloaded to the device like native apps. Also, like Web apps, hybrid apps are developed in HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript. Moreover, HTML, JavaScript, and native APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) use the device’s browser engine to access device-specific hardware.

Though a hybrid mobile app shares the same navigation components as a Web app, it depends on the functionalities of whether the apps can work offline. Therefore, an app can operate offline if it does not require any support from a database.

Let’s now move ahead and learn about some of the noteworthy features of hybrid app development.

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Key Features of Hybrid App

The following are the best features of hybrid app:

• It operates whether the device is connected or not.
• Easy integration with the file system of different mobile devices.
• Integration with additional web-based services.
• An embedded browser to enhance access to dynamic online content.
• It supports portability; it is like one source code, and you can utilize it on multiple platforms.
• You can easily handle some software and hardware functionalities by using different plug-ins.
• Cost-effective mobile application development for businesses for all stakeholder types.
• A quick and effortless way to develop mobile applications with multiple features.

Every coin has two sides. Do you agree? So, coming to the critical part of our blog, we’ll discuss hybrid development’s pros and cons. To know both sides of the coin is only fair play.

Let’s start with the advantages of hybrid apps.

Advantages of Hybrid Apps

Hybrid mobile app development is affordable, takes less time, and is more seamless to manage than native apps. Following are some of the best advantages of hybrid apps any organization would love to experience:

• Better Scalability - Since hybrid mobile apps use a single codebase, they can easily be deployed across different devices. For example, when you want to build an app for iOS, you can quickly launch them on Android. Hybrid can be apt for both Android and iOS app development.

• Faster Build Times - Since you only need to manage a single database, it takes less time to develop hybrid apps than native apps—another reason hybrid wins in the hybrid apps vs native apps debate.

• Minimal Development Cost - That’s known that hybrid app development is more affordable than native app development. Wondering why? Because developers only need to write one code for these apps, lowering initial and maintenance costs.

• Single Codebase Management - Unlike developing native apps, where you need to build two different apps, with the help of hybrid software mobile app development, you only need to develop a single app, so you only require managing one database. Whoa!

Here’s the other side of the story.

Disadvantages of Hybrid Apps

Hybrid app development has a few disadvantages as well, including:

• User Experience - The user experience might not always be positive because there is only one codebase for different platforms. Here, we are talking about other operating systems, so it can sometimes be challenging to customize an app based on a single platform.

• Features Availability - Hybrid software consists of new modern features unavailable for few platforms or operating systems. Moreover, some native app development features might not even exist in hybrid app development.

• Low Performance - These apps load in a web view that can be complex to reach up to the native performance mark, and this is one of the most significant limitations of hybrid apps.

• Prone to Errors - Hybrid software sometimes has hidden loopholes and errors.

That was all about the advantages and disadvantages of hybrid apps.

You’ll need some of the best hybrid mobile app frameworks to build seamless hybrid apps. Well, that’s the critical part. But don’t worry! We’ve made this part a little easier. How? In the following section, we’ve shortlisted some of the top hybrid app frameworks every custom application development company prefers and loves.

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Top Hybrid App Frameworks

Following are some of the best hybrid app development frameworks:

1. React Native

React Native is a popular hybrid app framework that uses React to develop cross-platform mobile apps. Facebook released this framework in 2015. In React JSX, user interface elements are designed for multiple platforms and linked to native code. Then it transforms to native iOS and Android views, becoming an open-source JavaScript language. And the views are native elements that talk to JavaScript logic with the help of a bridge. Examples of hybrid apps developed with React Native include social media apps like Instagram, Skype, Facebook, etc.

2. Flutter

Flutter is an open-source framework developed by Google in 2017. It uses Dart programming language for both iOS and Android app development. Hybrid developers quickly develop apps using only one codebase. Moreover, due to Google’s involvement and Flutter’s versatility, it has been in high buzz since its birth. It is proficient in app development for desktop, mobile, web, and embedded platforms. Flutter development is getting increasingly popular due to its capability to use different widgets and competitive development speed. Examples of hybrid apps using Flutter development include Google Ads, Hamilton, etc.

3. Ionic

For front-end developers who know and understand AngularJS, you may know about Ionic too. Ionic is an open-source UI (User Interface) toolkit based on Angular and Apache Cordova. It is an easy-to-use, robust, and prebuilt framework for building seamless hybrid mobile apps. It uses JavaScript, CSS, and HTML to build these apps and is entirely compatible with the AngularJS framework. Therefore, Ionic is one of the best hybrid app frameworks.

These were some of the best hybrid app development frameworks developers love working with; our Radixweb experts also prefer them.

Let’s now come to another critical and exciting topic – the best examples of these apps. In the following section, we’ll learn about the best and most popular real-time examples of these apps. We bet it’s something exciting!

Best Examples of Hybrid Apps

Here we’ll discuss some remarkable and famous examples of hybrid apps that have taken businesses to the next level leaving a mark in their industrial sectors. These popular hybrid apps have also helped create enthusiasm in the market, streamlining and enhancing the adaptation of hybrid app development. They are:

• Amazon App Store

Amazon app store is one of the best examples of hybrid apps. HTML5 powers this hybrid app and streamlines the users’ experience while operating it. It has a mind-boggling user interface that makes it shine among end users and makes the app highly aesthetically appealing.

• Evernote

Evernote is one of the prominent productivity applications. This hybrid app has a rich design and robust performance that provides it an upper hand over other apps in the same category. The multi-device sync capability of this hybrid app makes it much more unique and seamless. Evernote provides its user with an effortless and native-like experience, making it more delightful among users.

• Instagram

You must know that Cristiano Ronaldo is the most followed person on Instagram, but do you know that the United States has the second highest Instagram users worldwide? According to a Statista report, it’s approximately 143 million. Magnificent, isn’t it? So, it’s quite a fact that Instagram is one of the most famous examples of these apps. It is a leading social media platform powered by HTML5 and can manage rich media and offline data.

Last but not least, the best time to learn the best practices for hybrid app development. Isn’t it?

Tips and Tricks for Scalable Hybrid App Development

Regarding hybrid mobile app development, a few tips and tricks exist to consider building a scalable, cost-effective, and feature-rich app. Following are some best practices for seamless hybrid app development:

• Follow Best Security Practices - Adhere to best security practices when developing your application, such as using secure authentication methodologies and encrypting data.

• Use Top Hybrid App Framework - Opting for a top-notch hybrid mobile app framework is significant to ensure the scalability and security of your hybrid app. You’ve read some popular options above.

• Focus on Basic and Clean Design - Focusing on a simple app design will reduce development time and expenses.

• Use Existing Web Technologies - Using existing web technologies wherever possible will help minimize your development time and costs.

• Performance Optimization - Performance is an essential factor of hybrid apps, so perform code optimization for better speed and productivity.

• Use Open-Source Libraries and Components - Different open-source components and libraries can help you save a lot of money on development expenses.

• Thorough Testing – Before launch, you can follow test management techniques for testing your app thoroughly. These tests are essential to check its stability and whether it’s free of errors and bugs.

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ConclusionDeveloping mobile apps for each platform independently can be costly and require a lot of effort, time, and resources. Therefore, hybrid apps are gaining immense popularity due to their advantages, like shorter time to market, cost-efficiency, and cross-platform compatibility. However, opting for the ideal option to develop seamless applications is essential. You need to consider factors like your target audience, time, and development cost to make the apt decision. Hence, opting for top-notch hybrid app development services can significantly benefit your business in several ways unless you target end users using a specific mobile platform.So, if you want to take the burden off your head, you can think of hiring the right development team for your project. Is it that easy to find the perfect dedicated development team? Considering the high demand in this fast-tech world, finding expert engineers can be challenging, but why fear when Radixweb is here.Radixweb is a reputable software development company that can help you and your business to employ the world’s most expert hybrid app development team. We help provide excellent value to your end-users with features and functionalities such as offline access, which saves them data and gives a smooth user experience across multiple operating systems.Contact us today to learn more about the hybrid apps and services we provide..