So, have you been thinking about developing and launching a mobile app this year? Well, the opportunities and the tools are more plentiful now than they were about a decade back. There was a time when Objective-C and Java were the only two options you had to deal with. But now, you can explore a world of options based on the kind of app you want to develop and your goals.
All in all, there are five effective ways to develop mobile apps, and each has a different difficulty level. Read on to know more before talking to mobile app developers!
- Low-level coding
Using low-level coding makes the difficulty level pretty low. You will not have to be an expert developer with an understanding of the programming languages to create an app this way. The flexibility is pretty high, even with low-level coding. Thus, there are both pros and cons to this technique.
The biggest issue with this method is that you will need to have just basic know-how to create a mobile app from scratch using low-level coding. The maximum flexibility is definitely the biggest plus. It is usually the chosen option when you are trying to create an app where the frame rate for each millisecond is highly important, such as camera apps.
- Creating hybrid apps
JavaScript is the web technology that hybrid app development relies on, and it allows the developer to deploy the app on multiple platforms once it gets created. If you are trying to make a hybrid app, you can have a single codebase for any operational system.
It will work on both Android and iOS and also on other platforms. Some examples of tools for hybrid app development are React Native, Ionic, Cordova, Xamarin and Flutter. The method works well when you require one set of developers, and you plan to develop all the things at once. You can go straight to market with both Android and iOS apps.
The level of difficulty is low to medium in this case. You will need more specialization as a developer to develop hybrid apps than to use low-code services.
- Rapid App Development (RAD)
The third way to create a mobile app is with Rapid App Development. Some of the common RAD tools used by a mobile app development companies include Kony, Kinvey, and OutSystems.
It lets you create a mobile app through an intuitive interface. Generally, rapid app development platforms tend to claim that you do not have to be highly technical to use them. But you will have to lean towards technical aspects if you plan to do anything worthwhile with the project.
You will need to be more technical to make a hybrid app, but RAD is around the medium level. You will need to know what you are doing from a technical standpoint. However, you will not have to know the method to code all the things from scratch to create on these platforms.
- Progressive web apps (PWAs)
Progressive web apps are the webpages that utilize manifests, service workers, and other varied web-platform features, along with progressive enhancements to offer users the kind of experience that is almost similar to native apps.
Also, PWAs come with a number of benefits to users, which includes being enhanced, installable, responsive, discoverable, re-engageable, and network independent. It still needs more skills than making hybrid apps.
- Native apps for specific OS
Native apps, as you can guess from the name, are meant for the operating system on which they are running. So, you can talk to android or iOS app developersor both. One of the best things about native apps is that it uses the specific features, speed, and security of the device in full. So, the native code goes the fastest for processing data or on-screen interactions that get locally stored.
The user experience is better because the app looks and functions exactly like all the other inbuilt apps on the device. Furthermore, you get access to a varied range of APIs, and that means there is no limitation on app use. The debate of Android vs iOS development might be pertinent to consider at this point.
Of course, the cost is an issue with native apps. The developers need to create a different app for each operating system. You might need to get different developers for every platform that you plan to launch the app on.
The End Note
You now have a brief idea what options you have if you want to develop an application for your business. If you have queries about any of the ways mentioned here, you should get in touch with an experienced developer and let them consult you on the right path in your specific case.