When someone wants to have an app built, one question comes up early: should it be native, or built with a cross-platform framework? Both ways are legitimate. Here I explain the difference and why, for my client projects, I rely on the Apple ecosystem with Swift and SwiftUI.
What “native” means
A native app is built in the language and with the tools that the maker of the system prescribes. For Apple, that’s Swift and SwiftUI. The app uses the system’s building blocks directly: controls, animations, notifications, widgets, files, photos.
With cross-platform frameworks such as Flutter or React Native, you write most of the code once and get apps for several systems from it, for example iPhone and Android.
What speaks for cross-platform
- One codebase for several systems. If you need iPhone and Android from the start, you save effort.
- The same look everywhere, if that’s what you want.
- Smaller teams can cover more platforms.
These are real advantages. If roughly half of your users are on Android, that’s a strong argument.
What speaks for native
- The app feels like an Apple app. Controls, gestures and animations behave the way users know them from the iPhone.
- New system features are available right away. When Apple releases a new iOS, a native app can use what’s new immediately, instead of waiting for a framework to catch up.
- Fewer layers in between. There are fewer places where something can go wrong when the system changes.
- One ecosystem, several devices. With SwiftUI, a lot can be reused across iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Why I stick with the Apple ecosystem
I build my own apps natively: FamilyManager, GymBo, Track4Kids and StarTune. That’s where my experience with Swift and SwiftUI comes from, and I pass it on to clients. I deliberately stay with what I do well instead of offering a bit of everything.
That doesn’t mean Android is ruled out. I build Android on request. Whether that makes sense in your case, and by which route, we’ll talk through in the first conversation.
How to decide
A few questions help:
- Where are your users? If almost all of them have an iPhone, you don’t need Android to get started.
- How much does the feel of the app matter? The more the app is used in everyday life, the more native behavior pays off.
- Which system features do you need? Widgets, notifications or a connection to Apple Health are most direct in a native app.
- What’s your budget for the first version? An app for one platform costs less than the same app for two.
My advice for many ideas: build for one platform first, see whether the app is needed, and then decide whether a second one should follow.
What this means for the price
An app for one platform costs less than the same app for several. My fixed prices for the first version start from €999. What the price depends on is explained in the cost guide. How I work and what the starter package includes can be found on the page Hire an app developer. If you have an app built by me, you can also use Roadlight for free, my feedback board for user requests.