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Hybrid Application (hybrid app)

 

A hybrid application (hybrid app) is a software application that combines elements of both native and web applications.

Native apps are developed for specific mobile platforms and devices. They must be downloaded from an app store and installed locally before they can be used. A disadvantage of native apps is that they require developers to write multiple versions of the same app in order to accomodate each platform. An advantage of native apps is that because they are installed locally, they can take advantage of whatever capabilities the mobile platform provides -- including access to the mobile device's camera, GPS or accelerometer.

In contrast, web applications are simply websites that have been optimized for mobile device use. Web apps are accessed through a browser instead of being downloaded and installed locally. An advantage of web apps is that they are platform agnostic. A disadvantage is that a web app is restricted to whatever capabilities the device's browser has.

A hybrid app combines the best features of both native and web apps. Hybrid apps are essentially web apps that have been put in a native app shell. Once they are downloaded from an app store and installed locally, the shell is able to connect to whatever capabilities the mobile platform provides through an embedded browser and its plug-ins. The browser runs on the back end and is invisible to the end user.

Hybrid apps are popular because they allow developers to write code for a mobile app once and still accomodate multiple platforms. Because hybrid apps add an extra layer between the source code and the target platform, they may perform slightly slower than native or web versions of the same app.

 

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