What the two terms mean
A native app is written with each system's official tools: Swift and SwiftUI for iPhone, Kotlin and Jetpack Compose for Android. They are two separate apps, each with its own code and built for its own system.
A cross-platform app comes from a single codebase, written with a framework such as Flutter or React Native, from which you get both the iPhone and Android versions.
The advantages of a native app
- Consistency with the system: gestures, dark mode, notifications and sign-in with Apple or Google behave the way users expect.
- New features available right away: new iOS and Android capabilities can be used as soon as they ship, without waiting for a framework to support them.
- Fewer dependencies: over time there is less third-party code to keep aligned, which simplifies maintenance.
- Predictable performance, especially with animation, graphics and features that lean heavily on the hardware.
The advantages of cross-platform
- One codebase for two systems: the cost of the first release is often lower if the two apps are very similar.
- Updates in parallel: a change is made once and reaches both.
- A uniform look across iPhone and Android, if that is what you want.
Where cross-platform shows its limits
- You depend on the framework and its updates: if it changes direction or is late with a new feature, you feel it.
- Very system-specific features still need native code written separately.
- An unpolished interface can feel "not quite part of the system" to people who use the app every day.
How to decide: five questions
If what you need is a quick, identical presence on two systems, cross-platform is a reasonable choice. If user experience and longevity matter more, the native route is sounder.
- Do you need the app on both stores from day one, or can you start with one?
- How much do user experience and phone features (notifications, payments, camera, sensors) matter?
- Does the initial cost weigh more than the cost of keeping the app up to date over the years?
- Who will maintain the app after delivery, and with what skills?
- How much will the app change over the next two years?
What we do, and why
Our packages are for native apps: iOS from €4,500 and Android from €4,200, with public prices and the source code handed over to you. If you need both versions, the details are on the iOS app development and Android app development pages.
If yours is a case where cross-platform makes sense, you should know: write to us and we will assess it with you honestly. For the full picture of costs also read how much does an app cost.