For a long time, native apps were the only solution for running applications on iOS and Android devices. The app had to be developed separately for both operating systems. But today there are many ways to develop a single app that runs on both systems. A distinction is made between Cross Platform Mobile Apps and Progressive Web Apps (PWAs).
The two operating systems iOS and Android are based on two completely different programming languages. Both manufacturers provide developers with their own tools for developing applications for their system. For this reason, developers used to have to program two different applications, one for each operating system. For some time now, however, technologies have been available that make it possible to write a single app for both operating systems. Most of the code can be used for both operating systems, and only a small part has to be written individually. This results in lower development costs and a consistent user experience on both operating systems.
Cross platform mobile apps are (almost) native apps that can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google PlayStore. These apps come with a small simultaneous translator that translates the programming language into the language of the respective operating system. This leads to minor performance losses compared to a native app, but is significantly more performant than a simple web app.
Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are basically web apps. They don't need to be downloaded from the App Store and PlayStore, but can be accessed directly from the browser. The difference with a normal web app is that these apps can be installed as an app via the browser. So the app does not feel like a website, but like a normal app. Compared to cross platform apps, PWAs are less performant, but sufficient for most applications. A key advantage is that developing a PWA is just an extension of a normal web app. This allows the app to run directly in the browser on all devices. Learn more about web apps in our article.
Whether a Cross Platform Mobile App, a Progressive Web App or even a Native App is the right solution depends heavily on your needs and is very individual. Feel free to contact us anytime, we are here to help you with mobile app consulting and development.