Hybrid apps are becoming more and more popular along with the development of e-commerce. Enterprises can benefit from hybrid apps for e-commerce. With its adaptability across various platforms, the hybrid app is the considerable choice of hybrid app builder when choosing mobile apps.
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Overview of the hybrid app
A hybrid app is a single application that seamlessly works on different platforms. Further, hybrid apps make it faster to reserve a spot in the app store market.
Definition of a hybrid app
A hybrid app is a blend of native app and web apps. To normal users, a hybrid app is no less in any way than a native app. The main difference is language. While native apps use languages like Java (for Android), Objective-C, and Swift (for IOS), hybrid app programming language includes HTML5 and JavaScript. Hybrid app development technologies are a mix of web technologies and native app development. A hybrid app builder knows that a hybrid app is hosted inside the native application using the mobile’s web view. Also, features like accessing the device’s capabilities (camera, contact, accelerometer, proximity sensors, etc) are restricted for web apps but not for hybrid apps.
Benefits of using a hybrid app
In the inception of mobile app development, the number of hybrid app launchers and hybrid app makers has gradually increased due to the advancement of an open-source hybrid app. Hybrid app builder has watched hybrid application architecture peak as enterprises understand hybrid mobile app’s benefits. Following are some outstanding benefits of going hybrid:
App integration
The open-source hybrid app enables you to combine different techniques and resources to work on an all-encompassing codebase. That codebase invariably works on different platforms. This hybrid app toolkit enables many task supports and custom services to users.
Highly scalable
It is easier for a hybrid app builder to scale a hybrid app because it is applied to many platforms and operating systems. The hybrid app platform is flexible in nature and open to third-party plug-ins. Therefore, you can quickly adapt to contemporary market trends as well as propositions.
Low development and maintenance cost
A hybrid app creator can persuade enterprises to go hybrid because of its lower cost than a native app. The “one code for all platforms” facility will help a hybrid app builder save a significant cost. Hybrid app technologies use a single app running on different platforms. All updates and maintenance of the app will be implemented through all platforms.
>> Read more: Website maintenance pricing: How Much Does Website Maintenance Cost?
Larger reach
The hybrid app has access to many app stores such as App Store (IOS) and Google Play Store (Android). Thus, you can access a large audience of customers, which will increase your business drastically.
Top 3 frameworks for hybrid app builder
It is not too difficult to build a hybrid app. There are many frameworks to help hybrid app builders.
React Native
This is the offspring of a Facebook-organized hackathon competition. At first, it was built to improve the app experience for Facebook’s hybrid app. With its outstanding features, in 2018, React Native became the 2nd highest number of contributors for any repository in GitHub. React Native has been used by thousands of apps such as Facebook, Shopify, Tencent, Wix, Instagram, Uber Eats, Tesla, Walmart, etc. Below are some key features of React Native that gain the attention of a hybrid app builder:
Creating native apps for Android and IOS using React
React Native is considered a best-in-class JavaScript library for building user interfaces. A hybrid app builder can use it in your existing Android/IOS projects or create a whole new app from scratch.
Written in JavaScript and rendered with native code
React primitives render to native platform UI. It means that your hybrid app will use the same native platform APIs other apps do. Moreover, with React Native, a hybrid app builder can create platform-specific versions of components so a single codebase can share code across platforms.
Native development for every hybrid app builder
React Native provides a key set of hybrid application development tools that map directly to the native UI building blocks. With React Native, every hybrid app builder can create apps without compromising experiences.
Seamless cross-platformReact
Native uses native code and interacts with native APIs via React Native’s declarative UI paradigm and JavaScript. This will help hybrid app builders work as a team at a faster speed.
React Native has 2 plans for you to choose from:
– Free: $0, 1 user, basic support, and all core features.
– Starter: $19, 10 users, basic support, and all core features.
Iconic Framework
Iconic has been used by more than 5 million developers in over 200 countries around the world. It is trusted by many enterprises such as BMW, Nasa, NHS, Airbus, Sworkit, Instant Pot, Shipt, Untappd, etc. Therefore, Iconic has some key features as following:
Building fast hybrid apps
Iconic allows you to build hybrid apps and run fast on all of the latest mobile devices. To make this, Iconic uses hardware accelerated transitions, pre-rendering, touch-optimized gestures, and AOT compiling.
Building with your favorite framework
With Iconic, your hybrid app angular will be based on AngularJS meaning that a hybrid app builder can create complex and extraordinary apps. Iconic can integrate seamlessly with all high-quality frontend frameworks such as React, Vue, JavaScript. Therefore, you can easily customize your hybrid app design.
Simply and declarative UI component design
Iconic uses components written in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, making it easier to build modern and high-quality UIs.
Access core native device functionality
Iconic provides a rich library of more than 120 native device plugins for accessing Bluetooth, Camera, Location, and others, or dive deep into the native SDK when you need it.
Iconic has 4 plans for enterprises
– Hobby: Free. This is an easy way to start building with Iconic
– Launch: $42/month. This plan is for indie and freelance developers
– Growth: $102/month. This is for lean developer teams and professional developers
– Scale: Price is fixing. This is to enterprises to build mission-critical apps
>> Read more: 10 Hybrid App examples that creating values for business
Xamarin
This is a open-source development platform Mono. In 2006, Xamarin was acquired by Microsoft. Since then, Xamarin has been made into SDK open-source and become one of the most popular frameworks for every hybrid app builder. Xamarin is totally free and applicable to both Android and IOS. Xamarin is the partner of many enterprises such as UPS, Alaska Airlines, BBC Good Food, FreshDirect, BBVA, Olo, Taxfyle, etc. Below are some key features of Xamarin:
Native and performant
With Xamarin, you can design a uniform UI across platforms or build a native user interface. Xamarin offers the full spectrum of functionality including underlying platform, device, and leveraging platform-specific hardware acceleration.
Cross-platform
As a part of the vibrant .NET ecosystem, through Xamarin, your hybrid app can connect to millions of developers worldwide. You can use your favorite hybrid app development tools in Xamarin’s library.
Build stunning cross-platform user interfaces
Xamarin is an open-source UI framework for a hybrid app builder to use on IOS, Android, and Windows from a single shared codebase.
Mobile to cloud with Azure
Every application needs a scalable and versatile back-end. Xamarin provides Azure for enterprises to power their mobile front-end. Azure uses the same language, code, and tool to develop apps for mobile, cloud, and server.
Conclusion
The hybrid app is one of the customizable technology stacks that help enterprises pave the way to their success. Hybrid apps are more scalable at lower development and maintenance cost than native apps. It also has larger reach. That is the reason why hybrid apps are becoming more and more popular. There are many hybrid app frameworks for a hybrid app builder to choose such as React Native, Ionic, Xamarin, etc. Each framework has its own features in functionality and structure. Based on the budget and the nature of your e-commerce operation, you can easily choose the right one for you.
