Web App vs. Native App

What is a Web App?

To me, a web app is basically a web site that is specifically optimized for use on a smartphone. The site content could be anything from a standard small business brochure site to a mortgage calculator to a daily calorie tracker–the content is irrelevant. The defining characteristics of a web app are that the user interface is built with web standard technologies, it is available at a URL (public, private, or perhaps behind a login), and it is optimized for the specifics of a mobile device. A web app is not installed on the phone, it is not available in the Android Market, and it is not written with Java.

 

What is a Native App?

In contrast, native apps are installed on the Android phone, they have access to the hardware (speakers, accelerometer, camera, etc.), and they are written with Java. The defining characteristic of a native app, however, is that it’s available in the Android Market–a feature that has captured the imagination of a horde of software entrepreneurs worldwide, me included.

Pros and Cons

Different applications have different requirements. Some apps are a better fit with web technologies than others. Knowing the pros and cons of each approach will help you make a better decision about which path is appropriate for your situation. 

Here are the pros of native app development

    * Millions of registered credit card owners are one click away
    * You can access all the cool hardware features of the device

Here are the cons of native app development

    * You have to pay to become an Android developer
    * Your app will only run on Android phones      
    * You have to develop using Java
    * The development cycle is slow (develop, compile, deploy, repeat)

Here are the pros of web app development
    * Web developers can use their current authoring tools      
    * You can use your current web design and development skills
    * Your app will run on any device that has a web browser      
    * You can fix bugs in real-time
    * The development cycle is fast

 Here are the cons of web app development
    * You cannot access the all cool hardware features of the phone      
    * You have to roll your own payment system if you want to charge for the app
    * It can be difficult to achieve sophisticated UI effects