Deciding Between Responsive Web or Native Apps
Deciding Between Responsive Web or Native Apps
Business nowadays is well aware of the need for mobile adaptability. With more than 4 billion mobile users in the world today, t is very necessary for your website to be adaptive for mobile devices. We should know that how to do the adaptiveness of mobile properly. While choosing mobile adaptiveness, the first thing that you should figure out is, if you should choose a responsive web or Native app.
Both responsive web and native apps have some advantages and disadvantages. It is very necessary to understand the difference between these two in detail before choosing any particular development path. In this article, we will explore both paths and learn about their pros and cons. Responsive web means that a website design that can adjust to different screen sizes so that a website looks great on any size of the screen.
Pros of responsive web design:
- It lowers the overall production cost. If you build a product from scratch, a responsive website will be less expensive than a mobile app. Using responsive, lightweight frameworks like Foundation or bootstrap makes it very easy to create a web app that goes great with a screen of all sizes.
- In a responsive web design, you have access to cross-platform. In a responsive website, languages like HTML and CSS are used to display pages. These can be accessed very easily with any browser. As a result, a website with responsive design works well on various devices and platforms.
- For a responsive website, there is no need to install anything on your website. For starting the app, you only need to type the URL of the website in the browser address. All the devices that are connected to the internet can access the website.
- The content is more shareable. In a responsive web app, it is easier for the users to share and link to your content by sharing URLs.
Cons of responsive design
- Responsive design requires an internet connection. A responsive web cannot work offline, so you need constant connectivity of the internet to make a website.
- In a responsive web, you need to optimize your content for mobile. Fancy animated effects and high resolutions should be adjusted for mobile devices. Otherwise, users will have longer page load times, and poor performance. It will ultimately lead to an increase in bounce rates.
- Responsive websites have limited support of mobile device features for example access to microphones, cameras, and push notifications.
Native apps:
Native apps are developed to access on particular mobile operating system. Native apps are created in OS language.
Pros of native apps-
- It has better performance.- Well-written codes that run faster than the responsive web.
- There’s consistency with OS design. Native apps will spend less time learning how to use your product.
- Native apps can access all the functions of the chosen device, such as a microphone, camera, and Bluetooth.
- It offers more personalization. The native app makes it easier to track users’ interactions. In this way, you can customize the user experiences according to their needs.
- It can work offline. Once the app has been downloaded, the data is stored on the device which can be accessed later without the internet.
Cons of Native apps:
- Native apps can’t run on a device with a different operating system.
- It is expensive to build as compared to a responsive web app. The biggest disadvantage of building native apps is the type of coding they need.
- It’s harder to acquire new users. Users need to be motivated to install your app.
Conclusion:
When it comes to making a decision to choose between a responsive app and a native app, it is important to remember their advantages. Choose those which satisfy the needs of your users. Specify your business goals and find the right way to achieve your goals using native apps, responsive web apps, or both as a combination.