The Mobile App Comparison Chart: Hybrid vs. Native vs. Mobile Web (2019 Update)

Summary: As mobile apps grow in the business world, companies face a problem: Misconceptions still surround mobile app development. Many businesses venture into mobile app development without truly understanding the difference between each approach. Others enter the mobile app world with false beliefs about the pros and cons of each method…that could cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars. To help clear up confusion, we’ve created a handy comparison chart to help you understand which mobile app approach is right for you.

**This post was originally published in 2016, and updated in 2019**

Native, mobile web, or hybrid? For companies considering mobile apps, that is the million dollar question. Which direction do you take?

The answer: It depends. There’s no single correct answer that applies to every situation. Each option (mobile web apps, hybrid apps, and native apps) has its own advantages and disadvantages.

The right path for your company depends on a variety of factors, such as:

• What are you trying to accomplish with your app?
• When do you need it?
• Which skills do you have in-house?
• How much can you spend on the app?
• What features do you require?
• How many platforms do you want to reach?

For instance, what if you need an app that lets salespeople access data while on the road? Or, what if you need an app that lets employees scan inventory with their smartphones? Or, what if you just need dashboards available on your executive’s tablets? Which option is best in each scenario?

To help you understand all of the options, as well as the pros and cons of each, we’ve put together the comparison chart below. It lists the differences between each approach and will help you get a better feeling as to which one is right for you.

A couple of quick notes about the chart:

• It is not an “either/or” choice. Even if you’re building native or hybrid apps, you can’t ignore the mobile web. After all, what if a user doesn’t want to download your app? Or, what if your app isn’t available on the user’s mobile platform? In the age of mobile, a mobile web app is table stakes. If you have or create web applications, they must work on any mobile device. The question is, do you also need a native app?
• Mobile app development options have come a long way since we published this chart back in 2016. We’ve seen an explosion of mobile app development frameworks, which deliver near-native performance with less development effort. I won’t get into all of the options, but here’s a nice article if you’d like to learn more. In this chart, we’ll be grouping these options in with the “hybrid” approach.
• Some points (like development cost), require more information than we can fit on the chart. For these points, we’ve included a link to outside articles that contain more info.
• (UPDATE) As a commenter pointed out below, distributing an app via an app store comes with its share of risks–which cannot be properly explained in a chart format. When placed in an app store, a native application is controlled by the app store’s owner (like Apple or Google). For instance, if Apple/Google decides an app doesn’t meet their terms of service, or if they decide the app isn’t right for their store, the app is removed. Am I saying you shouldn’t build a native app? Not at all. Just be aware that the app store model puts your app at the mercy of a third party.
• If you don’t want to read everything in the chart, we’ve included a list of “Key Takeaways” at the bottom that summarizes the most important points.

Key Takeaways from the chart:

• Native applications are very expensive. While cost varies dramatically depending on the application, surveys find an enterprise app ranges from $50k – over $1,000,000, with an average cost of $271,000.
• Native applications provide the best user experience: If your app requires a great user experience to succeed (like a consumer-focused app), create a native app. The native approach provides the most ability to customize your app to fit the device and provide the best overall experience.
• Mobile Web apps (HTML5) device access has come a long way. Mobile web apps can access almost every feature on the device.
• In most cases, a business will not need a native app, unless the app requires a great user experience (as explained above) or great graphics (like a game). The hybrid and mobile web approaches can handle most everything, at a fraction of the price.
• Don’t underestimate maintenance costs. As explained in this article, you should budget roughly 20% of the application’s development cost for maintenance.

Summary

As you can see, there’s no straightforward answer. But, hopefully, this chart sheds some light on the mobile app decision. What do you think? Feel free to share in the comments.