What is a Native App?
A native app is built specifically for one platform — Swift/Kotlin for iOS, or Kotlin/Java for Android — using each platform's own tools and APIs. It gets full, unrestricted access to device hardware (camera, GPS, sensors, biometrics) and typically delivers the smoothest, fastest experience possible, at the cost of maintaining two separate codebases.
Best for:- Apps that lean heavily on device hardware (camera, AR, fitness sensors)
- Products where performance and animation smoothness are core (games, media-editing apps)
- Businesses planning long-term, heavy investment in one or both platforms
What is a Hybrid App?
A hybrid app is built once — typically with frameworks like Flutter or React Native — and deployed to both iOS and Android from a single codebase. Modern hybrid frameworks have closed most of the performance gap with native, and for most business apps the difference is barely noticeable to end users.
Best for:- Most standard business apps — ecommerce, booking, service marketplaces
- Startups needing both platforms live without doubling the budget
- Products where faster time-to-market matters most
What is a Web App (PWA)?
A Progressive Web App runs entirely in the browser but behaves like an installed app — it can be added to a home screen, work offline in limited ways, and send push notifications. There's no app store approval process, and one build works everywhere, though device hardware access and app-store discoverability are more limited.
Best for:- Content-driven products, internal tools, and dashboards
- The fastest, cheapest way to get an installable experience live
- Testing an idea before committing to a full native/hybrid build
| Feature | Native | Hybrid | Web App (PWA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | Best | Very good | Good |
| Cost | Highest | Moderate | Lowest |
| Dev Timeline | Longest | Moderate | Fastest |
| App Store Presence | Yes | Yes | No |
| Device Hardware Access | Full | Most | Limited |
| Maintenance | Two codebases | One codebase | One codebase |
How to Decide
Choose the right path based on your goals
Define the Need
Does your app depend on deep hardware access or top-tier performance?
Check the Budget
Do you need both platforms live without a native-sized budget?
Test the Idea
Are you validating an idea where app-store presence isn't essential?
Pick & Build
Most businesses land on hybrid — both platforms live, fast, on one budget.
Not sure which one fits your project?
Tell us what you're building and we'll recommend the right approach — no obligation.