Types of Mobile Applications – Best 5 Different Categories

Mobile App

Mobile App

Needless to say – mobile apps have become an essential part of our everyday routine life. It has so much deep-rooted in our lives that we can’t imagine a day without using these apps. From ordering food to reading books or booking rides, we are completely dependent on these apps.

Due to rapid advancement in mobile apps, more and more businesses have started investing in building these apps. There are several types of mobile applications. And every other category has some benefits and pitfalls.

Let’s discover the most common five categories of mobile applications. So, the next time when you decide to build a mobile app for your business, you must have a clear idea of which type will be best suited considering your business needs. Nonetheless, mobile app development in San Francisco has a huge demand. So, you can consider San Francisco for your digital needs.

Ready to explore the different types of mobile development austin? Let’s first explore a lit bit about why it is essential to have know-how about distinct types of mobile applications.

So, without further ado, Let’s begin.

Why it is Crucial to Discover about Different types of Mobile Applications

Nowadays, every other user is entirely dependent upon mobile applications. And, with the speedy progression in technology, they are continually rising across the globe. Other than that, mobile apps give you an analysis of the mainstream markets. For instance, which products are trending, what are new services and technologies coming every other day in markets, and much more.

Also, these apps permit individuals to have simple, easy, and functional access to products and services. With the advancement in VR and AR technology, users can now easily examine products in real-time. Thus, it is essential to determine which type of mobile application you should go for.

There are serval types of mobile apps. However, we have covered the most common five types that are mainly used.

Most Common 5 Types of Mobile Applications

Here is a quick rundown on the top 5 variants of mobile apps. Every other type has certain pros and cons. So, choose the one that best fulfills your needs.

Native Apps

Native apps are specifically designed for a single platform. For instance, iOS, Android, and Windows. Hence, called “native.” And a native app that runs on iOS is unlikely to be operated on android or windows. This is because all three platforms make use of different types of programming languages. For instance, android writes codes by using Java or Kotlin. Similarly, iOS uses Objective C and Swift. And, windows apps are mostly written in C# or. NET.

Other than that, the compilation software for all these three platforms is also different. For example, iOS compiles code with Xcode. On the contrary, the android app assembles in android studio.

Undoubtedly, native apps have extensive functionality. Though, you need to write different codes for different platforms. This translates into hiring multiple app developers due to distinct interfaces on different platforms. Ultimately, native apps are time-consuming and require huge investments.

Benefits 

  • Excellent performance because a single unique code is written for a single platform.
  • Offer incredible user experience because native apps can easily be connected with hardware.
  • Better interaction opportunities and immersive UI/UX experience
  • Unlimited functionality, efficient, and independent

Pitfalls  

  • Time taking and needs multiple resources in order to develop a program.
  • Expensive because you need to hire multiple developers.
  • Apps updates and upgrades take ample time.

Hybrid Apps

Hybrid mobile apps are developed with web technologies that can easily run-on multiple platforms simultaneously. Technically, hybrid apps are similar to web apps. The only difference between the two variants is the different functionalities. In hybrid apps, the browser is integrated within the apps, unlike web apps. Additionally, hybrid apps are wrapped into native containers. Thus, appears similar to native apps. These apps rely on HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript technologies.

In a nutshell, hybrid apps are reliable, less time taking, and economical.

Benefits 

  • One code can be used for multiple platforms. No need to write different codes, particularly for different platforms.
  • These apps are straightforward to build as you don’t need to learn any hardcore expertise.
  • Delivers smooth and effective updates and upgrades timely and efficiently.
  • Easy integration of APIs. Also, a wide range of essential tools and equipment are available. Namely, geolocation, accelerometer, and gyroscope.

Pitfalls 

  • Slower performance, incompetent, poor design.
  • Limited functionality arises some flaws on different platforms.

Cross Platform Apps

There is a lot of resemblance between hybrid and cross platform apps. Though, the two platforms are entirely different. However, the only similarity between them is the code shareability feature. By using cross platform, developers don’t need to write multiple codes for several platforms. Though, a single code can be reused on different platforms.

All in all, cross platform apps are more responsive, robust, data-driven, and secure. Besides, they are easy to maintain, iterate, and organize. Furthermore, the UI/UX in cross platform apps are precisely close to native apps. Moreover, it’s a straightforward and cost-effective development approach. Hence, most effective than hybrid technology.

Benefits 

  • Sharable code for multiple platforms.
  • Easy to code, manage, iterate, and organize.
  • Cost-efficient and developer-friendly.
  • Supports essential plugins and tools.

Pitfalls 

  • Low-quality designs.
  • Updates are quite time-consuming.

Web Apps

Generally, web apps are usually software applications with similar patterns alike native apps. These types of applications use HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript and run within a single browser. With web apps, you can interact with your customers easily and send them to your site’s URL. In that way, your visitors will trust your brand.

Web apps occupy a minimum space of RAM. Overall, web apps allow visitors to keep records and search their databases from any device at any time. Only a strong internet connection is required in order to access the data. However, you cannot access data in offline mode via web apps. Additionally, web apps offer limited access to APIs for developers and designers.

All in all, web apps are an incredible option to consider. Though, a powerful internet connection is a must-have. Otherwise, you can face difficulties in retrieving your data.

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Benefits 

  • Web apps acquire less storage space on electronic gadgets.
  • Personal databases can easily be tracked from any device at any time. However, an efficient internet connection is all you need.
  • Web apps are easily accessible on both Android and iOS platforms.

Pitfalls 

  • Web apps are unable to cater to offline databases as progressive apps do.
  • Limited APIs that are similar to hybrid apps.
  • A poor internet connection will result in poor functionality and performance.

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

Progressive web applications are somewhat similar to web applications. The only difference is that PWAs can be accessible via offline modes, unlike web apps. Apart from that, PWAs support hardware devices that were primarily only available in native apps. Also, you may find push notifications in PWAs.

The most distinctive feature of PWAs is that you can reach the website directly just by clicking on the app icon available on the home screen.

The most compelling feature of PWAs is that it gets updated quickly and can efficiently run on different operating systems. Other than that, they are easy to install and deliver a seamless user experience. Furthermore, they are easy to install and are delivered by utilizing HTTPS.

Benefits 

  • URL linking and sharing are easy between different operating systems.
  • Automatic regular updates result in the most exquisite user experience.
  • PWAs, on the whole, is a simple website. You don’t have to install them in order to utilize them.
  • Faster performance due to reduceable storage feature.

Pitfalls 

  • Facebook and Google Apps aren’t able to perform via plugins. Also, a user needs to log in separately in order to access the web.
  • Unable to generate huge traffic and leads because of the limitation of Facebook and Google apps.

Final Thoughts

In the above write-up, we have mentioned different types of mobile applications. Besides, we have jotted down every type of mobile application’s benefits and pitfalls.

We hope with our article; now you have a clear idea which type of mobile app you should go for. And what are the limitations you should consider before deciding on the type of app for your business.

You can choose any type of mobile app based on your business needs. However, if you have a limited budget and you need to target multiple platforms at a time. You should go for cross-platform apps or hybrid apps. These kinds of apps have a huge demand, and you don’t need to invest a huge amount in order to hire expert mobile development companies.

Overall, follow proper channels and methodologies while deploying app development companies.