Creating a custom app for your company is an exciting next step in the growth of your organization. You probably have tons of ideas on what it could do, how it can help your customers and team, as well as helping you expand your business.
But, we know it can also feel like a daunting project that you may be unsure of where to start. Like the simple question of, “What kind of custom app is right for my company?”
There are many different types of apps and as you create your own, you need to understand the different options available. As with most choices in life, they all come with advantages and disadvantages, but choosing what works best for your organization is most important.
Let’s chat about the 3 types of apps, the pros, cons, and what might be the best fit for your company.
What Type of Custom App is Right for Us?
Native App
The first type of app that we’ll explore is a native app. This type of app is developed for a single operating system – iOS or Android. These apps can access all the functions on the device they are programmed to be used on.
Pros:
– They can be the best performing app, especially for graphically intensive apps
– UI is going to be the most consistent with the native platform.
– Accessing the functions of the device and gives you a lot of options to work with while creating a seamless experience for the user.
– The app is designed specifically for the operating systems, so it will follow all the built-in conventions.
Cons:
If you want to run a native app on several different operating systems, you will need to develop the app for each system. This can become time-consuming and expensive.
Responsive Website
A responsive website is not an app in itself but offers a lot of similarities to an app. Developers will use a “mobile-first” approach, and make the website easily accessible via your phone.
Pros:
– Can support use in browser on all shapes, sizes, and types of devices (ios, android, tablets, laptops, desktops, etc).
– Least expensive option.
– Still gives you the look and feel of an app, without the cost that a native or hybrid app can bring.
Cons:
– Can’t be downloaded, since it doesn’t live in the app store.
– Limited access to hardware functions (eg. camera, microphone, etc). Not no access, but limited access to some things.
Hybrid App
A hybrid app means it is a Hybrid between a web-based responsive app and a native app.
A hybrid app takes the benefits from both the native and web app experience.
Pros:
– Typically much less expensive to build and maintain support for iOS and Android.
– Can also expand support to the web with the same codebase.
“Users, as long as the development is done well, will not normally be able to distinguish whether an app is native or hybrid. In fact users, in general, don’t care about how your app is developed – they just care if it works on their device and does what they expect it to do.” — Interaction Design Foundation
Cons:
– Access to hardware-level functions (eg. camera, microphone, etc) is done through plug-ins, which require their own maintenance and upkeep.
So, What’s Next for Your Custom App?
The next part is deciding which is best for you and your company. Your needs, your wants, your budget, your timeline, and how you plan to utilize your app are all things that will go into this decision. If you need more help deciding or are looking for some additional direction, we can walk through these options with you. Schedule a free consultation at any time.
