Cross-Platform vs. Native Mobile Development: 6 Business Examples

The choice between cross platform and native mobile app development can significantly influence your project’s success. With the global mobile app market projected to reach $935 billion by 2025, making informed decisions about development approaches is essential.

Cross platform development tools, such as Flutter, React Native,.net MAUI and Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP) let developers reuse up to 95% of their code, offering faster development cycles and reduced costs. This has made cross platform development the go-to choice for businesses prioritizing speed and budget efficiency. In contrast, native development, tailored for specific operating systems like iOS or Android, offers unmatched performance and deeper integration with hardware features. That’s why apps like Spotify and WhatsApp rely on native approaches to deliver optimal user experiences.

Dive into the article and explore six real-world examples showing how different industries have approached app development to meet their unique goals and challenges.

Cross Platform and Native Mobile App Development – What are the Differences?

When deciding how to build your mobile app, you must weigh the differences between cross platform and native mobile applications development. Cross platform app development simplifies the process by using one codebase to work across multiple mobile operating systems, including Android and iOS. React Native and Flutter, which are cross platform frameworks, make it possible to save time and money while maintaining consistent functionality across devices. If speed and budget are top priorities for your project, this could be the perfect solution.

However, if your app needs to deliver exceptional performance, take advantage of advanced device features, or provide a tailored experience for various platforms, native is often the better choice. The platform-specific tools like Swift for iOS or Kotlin for Android make the native apps perfectly responsive and easily integrated.

What are the Development Costs of the Native and Cross Platform Approach?

Would you like to compare which of the software development approaches takes less time and requires less money? In the following table, we have prepared a clear summary of the most relevant aspects of cross platform and native mobile app development. Take a quick look and make the best decision for your business!

Choosing Between Native App and Cross Platform Solution – Get Inspired by Valuable Cases

When is it worth choosing cross platform mobile apps? In what cases is a product with native features a better choice? Read 6 valuable examples of developing various applications for different industries. Each of them will help you understand the key differences between these two approaches and point out the significant benefits of choosing the right model.

Case 1: Proof of Concept (PoC) of the Mobile App

Cross platform benefits:

• Cross platform mobile development is significantly faster. It often reduces time-to-market by 30 to even 50%.
• The initial cost of preparing a cross platform application is lower than the native way by 30-40%.
• PoC prepared through cross platform development lets easily present core functionality across multiple platforms.

Native considerations:

• Native app development will be time-consuming, but it’s a good choice if the product is built for a particular platform.
• Native approach would be better if the future concept relied on platform-specific features.

Business impact: Ultimately, the startup chooses cross platform software development. Using Flutter, they quickly build a PoC that showcases essential features on iOS, Android, Web, and desktop. This decision allows them to significantly reduce development time and initial costs.

Case 2: Initial Release of the MVP

Cross platform benefits:

• MVP prepared as cross platform mobile app launches on the leading platforms simultaneously. A single codebase reduces time-to-market and making changes.
• Development costs are reduced by up to 40%, resulting in cheaper market viability testing.
• The initial returns from cross platform MVP preparation are quicker, but costs can catch up with gains when the application needs extensive customization.

Native considerations:

• A native app will have better performance for intensive processing or high-quality graphics.
• The native app development results could delight early adopters who expect platform-specific design and functionality.

Business impact: After analyzing the pros and cons, the startup prepares a cross platform MVP with Flutter. This choice lets them collect feedback from both Android and iOS users after 3 months. Building two separate native applications would have extended the work to 5 months.

Case: A B2B Cross Platform App with Uniform UI/UX

Cross platform benefits:

• All customers have the same interface regardless of the device they use to access the app.
• A single codebase reduces development and maintenance costs.
• Updates and bug fixes need to be implemented once for all users to receive them.

Native considerations:

• Native app development will be better if the company depends on third-party integrations with enterprise systems specific to iOS or Android environments.

Business impact: The company opts for a cross platform development process. Software built in Flutter guarantees consistent UI/UX across all client devices. A unified interface is simple for novices and supporting staff. The company estimates 40% savings on long-term maintenance costs compared to updating and fixing bugs in separate native apps.

Case 4: Mobile Apps Using the Specific Device’s Hardware

Cross platform considerations:

• Cross platform apps may struggle to use hardware features fully.
• A cross platform framework may receive device-specific updates late, limiting positive user experience.

Native benefits:

• Native app development can immediately support the latest hardware features.
• The native mobile app uses the phone hardware directly, which increases performance.
• Native mobile development can adjust software solutions to specific platforms, raising user experience for devoted Android or iOS fans.

Business impact: Due to the use of AR, the company is opting for native mobile development. This will ensure that, for example, LiDAR Scanner, which creates 3D maps on iPhones, seamlessly maps rooms and adds realistic virtual elements. A high-quality AR experience will be delightful for customers, who are more likely to reach for a native solution with high performance than less capable cross platform solutions.

Case 5: A Product App with Continuous Development

Cross platform benefits:

• A single codebase accelerates app development, reduces costs, and lowers the amount of code to manage.
• Codebase shared for several platforms can be supervised by a single developer.

Native benefits:

• Native apps do not depend on third-party solutions (see how Netflix did it).
• Applications developed within native ecosystems get guaranteed updates and long-term support.
• Native mobile apps scale easily while not losing high performance (confirmed by the Airbnb case).

Business impact: The company decides to combine native and cross platform approaches. User interface and crucial features, such as using the camera in the app, are developed in a native way, ensuring the best experience for each platform. Data processing and network communication are based on code shared across both platforms. Mixing the two styles of app development saves much time and helps use the resources efficiently. Get inspired by the example of cross platform hidden costs in Dropbox.

Case 6: An Integrated Solution for Smart Devices Management

Cross platform benefits:

• Cross platform development guarantees short time-to-market.
• A shared codebase can easily support a wide range of smart home products, saving time and human effort.

Native considerations:

• Native software development product integrates better with Bluetooth and other connectivity protocols.
• Native app is more responsive for real-time device control.
• Native solutions communicate with IoT devices with lower latency than when using cross platform applications.

Business impact: Despite the undeniable advantages of using a native app development platform, the company chooses to create cross platform app using React Native. It significantly reduces development time and resource costs. The team can support over 50 smart devices in just 6 months. The faster launch allows the company to gain a competitive advantage in the market and generate revenue ahead of schedule.

Key Factors to Consider During the Mobile Development Process

Choosing between cross platform and native development involves evaluating several factors to ensure the final app aligns with business goals and user needs.

1. Time-to-market requirements. Tighter deadlines may favor cross platform solutions due to their streamlined development process.
2. Budget constraints. Native apps often require separate teams for each platform, potentially increasing costs.
3. Required app’s performance and user experience. Native mobile app development may be better for apps needing high responsiveness or complex animations.
4. Need for platform-specific features. Device hardware integration can heavily influence the choice.
5. Long-term scalability and maintenance. Cross platform apps might simplify updates, but native mobile apps may offer more robust future-proofing.
6. The target audience. Prioritize the development strategies on their platform preferences (e.g., iOS or Android).
7. The team’s skills and hiring plans. Leveraging the current expertise can reduce costs and speed up the process.

Analyze the above factors carefully, so you can make informed decisions that set your mobile projects up for success.

Have questions about mobile app development or wondering which approach fits your business best? Let’s talk! Share your project details with us through the contact form below, and we’ll explore the best solution together.

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Conclusion

Choosing between native mobile applications and cross platform app development depends on your product needs and goals. Cross platform offers speed, cost savings, and consistency. It’s perfect for POCs, MVPs, and business apps. Native is better for advanced hardware integration, top-tier performance, or strict security. Startups can benefit from cross platform efficiency to test ideas or launch quickly, while performance-intensive apps may require the tailored experience native provides.

Ultimately, the decision should align with your app goals, target audience, and long-term business strategy. Use these insights as a foundation for discussions with your development team and stakeholders to ensure the best approach for your project’s success.