When you need to check the weather forecast, read a film review or order a pizza, do you wait for your laptop to turn on, or you just reach for your phone and do everything in a few taps?

Mobile experience is faster and more convenient, allowing us to do most of the actions on the go, in a queue, or during our ride home. A smartphone saves us time. And this is one of the reasons why mobile applications have become that popular.

If you have already decided to build an application to attract and astound more mobile device users, there is one more hard choice left: web app vs. native app vs. hybrid app. Let us make this choice a bit easier for you!

What are Native, Web, and Hybrid apps?

There are three essential approaches to creating a mobile application: web app, native app, and hybrid app development. Each has their advantages and disadvantages and none can say that one is better than another.

To choose the right approach, you must evaluate available resources and understand goals you want to achieve with the app release.

Native mobile apps – exclusive performance and solid budget behind it

Which platforms should your application support? Most likely you target Android and iOS users.

So, if you decide to develop for the two platforms, be ready to build two separate applications since each platform has completely different standards and requirements. As a result, you have to hire two development teams: Objective-C or Swift team for iOS app, and Java or Kotlin professionals to work on an Android app.

Advantages of native app development

• High-end performance
  Native applications perform better, especially in case of heavy graphics or complicated calculations (HD or 3D games, etc.).
• Native user interface
  An app is developed according to standards of a specific platform which results in smooth user experience.
• Access to platform-specific features
  A native app can access camera, calendar, contacts and other built-in features of the mobile device.

Disadvantages of native applications

• App stores availability only
  Such an application can be found and downloaded only in an app store. Also, any update must be manually approved by a user, which spoils user experience.
• Higher development cost
  A native app should be developed for each platform from scratch. Therefore, it requires more time and resources to complete. As a result, the development cost is quite high.

Obviously, the budget for native development is higher since the development cost is based on the time spent to build the needed functionality for each platform.

But the higher development cost is rewarded with better performance. Besides, a native app’s interface is perfectly adjusted to the platform, which feels right to the user and reduces the learning curve.

If you want to build an application but don’t have the necessary technical expertise, you can address an offshore software development company to hire to hire a development team for your project .

Still in doubt whether native app development can be the right choice for your business? Get in touch and have your questions answered by our consultant!

Web app development – one application for all screens and platforms

Web app is an application that works in the browser. However, it can be easily run on any type of device, be it a laptop, a tablet, a smart watch, a TV or even a screen of a smart fridge. The only prerequisite is – the device should have a browser.

Technology stack for web application development

Angular is a Model-View-Controller (MVC) framework. Three separate components enable you to write well-structured and easy-to-support code. Two-way data binding is beneficial for simple applications — any changes to the model will immediately be implemented to the view and vice versa.

React.js enables faster and easier implementation of changes. However, as React is a library and not a framework, which limits core functionality, developers are forced to work with third-party services.

Vue.js is a younger JS framework, but it has shown incredible popularity growth over the last few years. This is partially due to the fact that it is a lightweight solution. When compared to a monolith like Angular, it offers basic functionality out-of-the-box.

Flutter is a free and open-source mobile UI framework created by Google and released in May 2017. In a few words, it allows you to create a native mobile application with only one codebase. This means that you can use one programming language and one codebase to create two different apps (for iOS and Android).

Node.js is an application runtime environment, which is used to build server-side apps. Work with Node.js requires knowledge of JavaScript. For this reason, it is often used in stacks together with JS frontend framework

Django is a Python web framework. It can be used with basically any frontend framework (including the ones described above). It is also a good solution for any type of website due to a number of third-party packages available.

Laravel is one of the most popular PHP frameworks. Laravel works excellently with Vue.js. However, Angular and React are also a good match for web app development with Laravel.

Regardless the number of supported platforms, you build only one application. Sounds good, right?

Advantages of web app development for mobile devices

• Usage of widespread technologies
  Web app development is on peak popularity nowadays. This means that finding a development team won’t be an issue at all.
• Compatibility with any platform
  Once you create a web application, it is ready to be used on any device immediately. The development time is minimal, just like the price.
• Instant updates
  Users always access the latest version of your application. There’s no need to download updates
• Constant innovations on the web
  Google has introduced progressive web apps (PWA) and accelerated mobile pages (AMP) to make mobile experience smooth. With the latest developments, it is sometimes hard to say whether you are using a web or a native app.

Disadvantages of mobile web applications

• Basic performance
  This approach works perfectly for simple applications such as news publishers, online stores, etc. But some apps require better performance that web technology still lacks.
• Inability to support all web browsers
  There are dozens of browsers, and then tens of versions of each browser. A web application usually supports only the latest and most popular ones. Therefore, users with some exotic browsers are likely unable to use your application
• Limited access to platform-specific features
  A web app can’t access your camera, storage or contacts.
• Not available in app stores
  Web apps are accessed via link. This is easier for the user, but you have to think of some alternative ways to market an application.

Web app development is gaining traction. The introduction of WebAssembly may be another reason to boost interest to this type of apps. Being one of the main web trends of the year, WebAssembly enables code in any programming language to compile in the browser. This means that performance-critical features will soon be implemented in web apps as well. Can’t wait for this to happen!

Hybrid mobile apps – reduced budget and shorter development time

A hybrid mobile app is just what it sounds – an application that can be run on any platform with just slight improvements. Generally speaking, it is a web application in a native wrapper, which makes the app feel more native.

A hybrid application base on web technologies: HTML, CSS, Javascript, and a hybrid development frameworks (Ionic, Apache Cordova, etc.).

Advantages of hybrid apps

• Usage of web technology
  Hiring a web app development team is a no brainer. Moreover, a JavaScript application is easier to maintain even in a changing environment.
• Lower price, when compared to native
  A hybrid application is built once and is ready to run on any platform. This reduces the development time and therefore the costs.
• Better performance when compared to web
  Hybrid frameworks enable an app to access platform-specific features, contributing to better performance and usability

Disadvantages of hybrid app development

• Slower than native apps
  Hybrid approach won’t work for performance critical applications and heavy games.
• Need for third-party services
  Pure JavaScript won’t work until you use a hybrid app development framework, such as Cordova or Ionic. Both have a learning curve

The obvious benefit of this approach is the need to hire just one web development team. Also, the built application can be run everywhere, which cuts the development time. Hybrid approach is preferable when it is critical to reduce time-to-market of an application without exceeding the budget.

Hybrid development is often described as a compromise solution due to lower performance. However, in 2019 technologies are already so far, that you are able to deliver exclusive cross-platform experience without the user even noticing the difference.

If you still are not sure whether hybrid development is an option for your case – we are here to answer your querries. Just drop us a line!

Native app development vs Hybrid app development – comparison

We have compared the critical characteristics of hybrid and native mobile apps in the table below. Choosing the one that fits your use case better will be easier after reading this comparison!

There is one more option between these two approaches. It is called cross-platform app development. This technology combines the advantages of hybrid and native app development eliminating the disadvantages.

With cross-platform development, you are able to use only one technology stack for multiple platforms. At the same time, the user experience is native, and the performance is significantly higher. You can dig deeper into the topic by reading our comparison of cross-platform development frameworks.

Web app vs. Native app

Web and native app development are two completely different approaches. And here’s what you should pay attention to when choosing the one for your project:

Web apps are the top choice for startups and businesses that are not ready to invest a lot of money and wait for many months to launch.

Conclusion

When comparing hybrid, web and native app development, you can never say that one is better than the other. They all have advantages and disadvantages, and each of them can better suit in a specific business case.

Web app development is a must for startups and beginner businesses when time-to-market is critical. This approach is usually chosen for minimum viable product (MVP) development  when the time and budget is limited.

However, a web app is not just a temporary solution. Many companies adhere to it due to easy support and performance that can satisfy their customers.

When aiming for better performance and wider functionality with a limited budget, consider a developing a hybrid or cross-platform application.

But, if your company aims to deliver an exclusive experience to your clients choose native app development. Yes, it requires more expenses and more efforts, but faultless performance and consistent user interface are worth every cent.

The team of Clockwise Software is proud to work with various types of businesses helping to find the most profitable solution at each stage.

Still not sure which approach to choose? Is your case unique and hard to categorize? Drop us a line describing your business case and we will find the best suitable solution together!

Want to find out more about software development from the perspective of a business? Subscribe to our blog to receive only the high-quality content delivered to your inbox monthly!

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In search of comprehensive expertise, founders sooner or later consider collaboration with an incubator and/or accelerator. But the trouble is that those who are far from the venture capital market or start-ups often mistakenly believe that these organizations are almost identical (if they know about their existence in principle). This is a serious misconception that we will try to “eliminate” with this material.

First the Incubator

The first and most fundamental difference has to do with the stage of development of the accepted projects: incubators usually admit startups at the idea stage, when the project founders just begin to discuss the future business model, look for a team of like-minded people, study the market, and think through the architecture of the realized solution. In their turn accelerator take more mature startups-usually at the prototype or MVP stage or if they have their first users, preferably paying ones as well.

Most incubators are spaces where entrepreneurs get a workspace, mentorship support, access to private events and other valuable resources through which they learn how to build and grow a business from the ground up for a monthly fee.

Incubators typically do not charge for their services, but they do not provide funding either. Their main goal is different: not so much to give startups cheap office space, but to help aspiring entrepreneurs avoid rookie mistakes and thereby increase the survival rate of businesses at the earliest stage.

Once the funder(s) bring the startup to the incubator, they typically build a prototype or MVP, build a team backbone, and prepare to bring the MVP to market. Then the company grows and the value of the incubator starts to drop.

There is no universal algorithm for knowing if a project has outgrown the incubator level-usually it’s a story about how the founders feel. If you feel that the offered space is already too small for your growing company and mentors’ advice seems to be more and more banal, it is time to decide for the next step – to move to the first own office and to start free floating.

Then the Accelerator.

If, having made this very important step, the founder feels the need for further mentor support and assistance in further development and promotion, he should think about going through an acceleration program-study the local and international market and choose the most attractive options (as a rule these are either acceleration companies with a reputation, or narrowly focused acceleration companies offering very deep expertise in their industries).

Accelerator are programs that give the company individual mentorship and access to a network of partners during the course of the program. These programs typically last from 3 to 6 months and end with a demo day in which the projects pitch to investors, marking the beginning of a fundraising campaign.

Classic equity accelerator typically invest in selected companies at the beginning or during the program (usually amounts in the order of $50-100K) in exchange for a share (usually 3-10%). The exception is accelerator that work on the non-equity model – they do not give financing and do not take a share in the project, but startups have to pay for most of the programs (except for non-equity accelerator financed by the government and/or universities).

In fact, the main task of a accelerator is to help the project find the points of explosive growth and prepare it for institutional money: to find the right and scalable business model, to test the channels of attraction, to crystallize a plan for exponential growth.

The biggest and best-known accelerator are Y Combinator (among its outgrowths are Reddit, Airbnb (attracted more than $4.4 billion in investment), Dropbox (IPO at $9.2 billion) and 500 Startups (Twilio (IPO at $1.2 billion, valued above $18 billion as of July 2019), Behance (bought by Adobe for $150 million)). On their heels is Techstars (Rover.com (valued at $970 million), SendGrid (bought for $3 billion)).

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You don’t need to hire a lawyer for anything.
For the division of shares and responsibilities between the founders is better to draw up a simple agreement. This can be done without any legal training or experience. And if you can’t make such an agreement, you’ll never get the startup off your knees on the stool.

You don’t have to rent an office.
The modern world is such that you can easily find someone to build your product who can work from home with enough efficiency at first. Until you have your first customers, or at least a product release, it’s not cost-effective to bring your team together on an office basis.

You don’t have to write nonstop to foundations and investors.
A website or app is not a product. Until there are customers/users, you yourself as a startup worthy of attention does not yet exist in the universe. And probably never will. On top of that, you probably don’t know yet how to properly pitch your product to an investor, because the product doesn’t exist in nature yet. Do not irritate the funds and investors with your spam, it’s only a minus in karma.

Don’t ignore advice from experienced startups/businessmen.
You may not think so, but you, if you don’t have any startup experience, are probably still a grossly incompetent startup. You will constantly be given advice and told that you are doing something wrong, and it will seem to you that everyone is a fool and you alone have a billion-dollar epiphany. Well, you’re wrong. Listen carefully, give thanks, and self-reflect on the subject.

Don’t give sales to third parties.
Selling yourself is important to understand the feedback. If you know why you are rejected, how can you make the product better? The first money should be brought into the company by the founder with his own hands and not otherwise.

You don’t have to go to paid conferences and mitups.
You can go to free conferences all you want, but not to the detriment of the startup, everything else is just pulling valuable resources from you: time and money. You will find a team of employees and partners on the Internet, you won’t find 99,99% of investments at conferences at an early stage. No matter how you were enticed by the conference website and call a sexy manager, do not be fooled by “super price with access to the vip room with investors for only 99,990 rubles”! Just go to work. It will come out a lot more rewarding.

Don’t overwork and forget about rest and sports.
If you’re a workaholic, that’s good; if you’re a hard worker, your chances of building a successful startup go up by orders of magnitude. So do your chances of dying before the first normal investment. It is important to be able to rest (not drink!) and exercise 2-3 times a week. Efficiency is not measured by fatigue, as many people think. When a microstroke or “flicker” happens, believe me, you will regret it, and there is nothing to fix.

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Purpose: Monitoring of new product competitive ability.

Essence: Reproduce the layout of the original pages, which look identical to the original. Spin up traffic and look at performance depending on what you want to test. If you conceived the product in the “red” ocean, it makes sense to reproduce the main competitor’s page in any of the services, look at the Facebook Ads Library latest UA creatives and purchase your CA on them, getting the approximate data of this part of the competitor’s funnel. This will help you get a foundation for analysis and comparison.

To correctly interpret the results on small amounts of traffic, it’s best to test one thing at a time. For example, if you’re testing creatives, the page that gets clicked on is the same for all creatives. Conversely, if the effective creatives are defined, you can test different pages.

If you’re entering the so-called “red ocean” but don’t know the market environment and aren’t sure if you can compete in it, you can make a copy of a competitor’s page and also spin off traffic. This will help clarify CPI, CTR and other important metrics and thus help you plan your budget and economic model for the product.

2. Pre-order in App Store and Pre-register in Play Market

Purpose: Checking ASO. Lead generation for soft launch.

Essence: You start quickly “sawing” a software product based on ready-made solutions + crutches/sticks. You do the minimum set of features to be allowed in the application store.

This is a fairly non-trivial way to test product hypotheses for mobile. The only drawback is that the fee for such a test = development + paid developer account + traffic. The main goal of development here is to get a visual review from the store, overcoming Apple/Google guidelines: you can achieve this through a dummy wrap – no one but the reviewer will see it. If the hypothesis is not confirmed – take it off the market.

The bonus is that you have a few months of real page existence in the relevant app store. And that’s a little organics, and the ability to drive traffic to the existing page (albeit without campaign optimization), and collect pre-orders that will turn into installs at release. The drawback is that analytics from Apple / Google deliver info with a delay, i.e. quickly experimenting with UA will not work.

3. Zero-code (no-code/low-code) tools.

Purpose: Very fast and cheap testing of the hypothesis. Getting the first clients, adjusting the strategy.

Essence: Creating a template software product in visual interface. Roll it out widely → take metrics → decide on further development or develop the product, if we are not restricted by the zero-code toolkit.

Zero-code “movement” is growing dynamically, new tools and services are constantly emerging. By 2020 there is already a wide set of tools available, not only for testing product hypotheses, but also for creating MVPs to help understand if it’s worth spending resources on full-fledged development. In some cases, it allows you to create and develop full-fledged products. The advantage of the approach is that a digital product can be created almost without programming knowledge.

It is important to have information about most popular tools on the market, to know their features and possibilities. By combining zero-code solutions, it is possible to test product hypotheses very quickly and cheaply. Here are examples of services to explore:
Product Hypothesis Testing Tools

Fake product launch (Product Hunt/ Kickstarter/Landing)

Purpose: To test the viability of a product hypothesis without development.

Essence: Testing is done by presenting a nonexistent product to your target audience (or investors): you can do this with public speeches, presentations, prototype demonstrations. With digital products is easier, the main emphasis should be made on the visual part and marketing: quality promo, logo, identity, branding, etc. The finale of this story should be a milestone, for example, getting “Product of the day” on Product Hunt or completing a fundraiser on Kickstarter.

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