Mobile: Native, Hybrid or Web App For Your Business
Daria Lymanska
CEO & Founder
November 10, 2020
2
min read
With more than 2.7 billion smartphone users across the world in 2020, it’s no surprise that the mobile app industry is expended with no signs of stopping. Nowadays, smartphones have become a useful and convenient instrument that offers multiple benefits such as communication through emails and social networking, web surfing, entertainment, GPS and various other productivity apps.
In fact, studies show that the average American checks their phone every 12 minutes. 10% of people check their phones every four minutes.
We use our phones every day at work, at home, on the street, in bed, while we are eating, in our cars. You might be reading this article from a mobile device right now.
What are people doing on their phones? Well, 90% of mobile time is spent on apps.
According to these facts, many companies considering mobile apps are facing a common challenge — which app development approach to choose? Should we build a native, mobile web, or hybrid app? More importantly, which is the most appropriate app type for you and your business?
Let’s find out what are native, mobile web, and hybrid apps, analyze the differences between them, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each. After reading, you will be able to understand which approach will be the right one for your business idea.
Web Apps
A web app is a software program that uses web technologies like HTML5, CSS, JavaScript. It exists entirely within browsers such as Safari and Chrome and is essentially a mobile website. It is therefore not possible to download them from an app store.
Also, the web app is not connected with the device’s operating system and does not use its storage. Unlike an iOS or Android app, there is no software development kit (SDK) for a developer to work with. There are templates and frameworks for developing web apps like Angular, React, and Vue.js that you can use to get a quick start.
So, here are some pros of web application
Developing a web app can be simple and quick. So, web apps are a cost-effective way to put your product in the hands of a lot of users.
Web apps can be built for all platforms as long as they can run in an appropriate web browser.
The user doesn’t have to manage updates manually. The newest version always loads when a user opens a web app.
And some cons:
Searching for an app might be difficult because the user doesn’t find it in any app store.
A browser is required to run a web app. It means that users have to take more steps to use a web app, whether that’s searching for the page or typing in a URL.
Web apps can be slower and lack a lot of benefits. They only work online and they don’t have access to as many phone features like push notifications, contacts, etc.
However, as browsers and web apps become more advanced, PWAs (progressive web apps) offer a wider functionality like:
Sending push messages
Using some touch screen elements
Using some of the device’s hardware
So, If your startup is on a budget and doesn’t require complex functionalities or access to operating system features, then building a web app can be the most suitable solution.
Native Apps
A native app is a software application that is built for specific platforms and is written in languages that the platform accepts. For example, Swift and Objective-C for native iOS apps, Java or Kotlin for native Android apps and C# for the most part for Windows Phone apps. Native apps are also built using the specific Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for the selected operating systems.
Advantages of the native application:
Native apps offer the fastest, most reliable and most responsive experience to users.
Good integration with the hardware of the device (e.g. camera, GPS, phone, touch screen)
It comes with the push notification functionality.
Great design and user experience possibilities. For example, the implementation of sophisticated UI/UX design and animation.
These apps can be downloaded from app stores and installed on mobile devices, where they can be placed as a designated icon on the home screen.
Native apps are also more suitable for working offline.
Disadvantages:
Need more than one codebase. iOS apps will not run on Android and the opposite, so you will have to work with different codebases for every platform you choose to build in.
Native apps are usually more expensive in developing, especially for companies that need apps on multiple OS platforms. For both platforms, it will require two separate developers or teams.
A lot of time is spent on development. Also, it takes time to update the app for different platforms.
Require constant updates to keep with the current OS versions.
Expensive to keep your native app updated
Both Apple App Store and Google Play get a 30% commission from every in-app payment.
To sum up, a bigger budget is required if you want to build your app for multiple platforms (i.e. iPhones and Android) and to keep your native app updated. Native apps are not the best option for simple applications.
By offering a great user experience, better performance and accessibility, native apps are able to offer users a more personalized product.
Hybrid apps
Hybrid apps combine the power of native and web apps to reap the benefits of both. Actually they are made, so they look and feel like native applications, but like web apps, are built with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Also, there is a shell that is downloadable and loads the code using a WebView.
Advantages of the hybrid apps:
Hybrid apps don’t need a web browser like web apps.
With a hybrid app, you only have one codebase to manage. So, instead of building two apps like with native apps, you’re building one app, and it works on both platforms.
Hybrid app developers are often less expensive than native application developers. You will probably require half the number of developers two native apps would have required. Or, with the same number of developers, a hybrid app could be published in half the time.
Hybrid is a great option for developers that create visually intense applications, for instance, games
Hybrid apps let you retain the same ability to access device features as with native apps.
Easy to work with, maintain and upgrade
Because of their native infrastructure, hybrid apps can work offline.
Hybrid apps are easier to scale to another platform. Once you’ve built for one platform, you can launch on another, like Windows Mobile.
The downside:
Getting your hybrid app to run appropriately on each platform generally takes substantial work. Sometimes, the total cost might become comparable to that of fully native apps. It all depends on how close you want to get to the “native user experience” or how simple your app is.
Hybrid apps can be slower than native apps.
Need to customize to a large number of exciting browsers
Inability to implement complex features (e.g. in-app analytics, charts, diagrams)
These hybrid systems make bug fixing more difficult.
Hybrid apps load in a WebView, so performance can be worse than native applications.
Say you have an idea for an app, and you don’t know if people will like it or not. If you understand that a web app doesn’t really allow you to test this app, the simple version of the hybrid app will be a good solution for you.
You give to people to download and use the app on their device, although you are short on resources. Usually, a startup project is decided to create a hybrid app that in the startup world, this is called an MVP, or minimum viable product.
Conclusion
There are many different directions in which you can take your app, all of which have their pros and cons. The choice between web, native, and hybrid development is dependent on a number of factors, including business needs, app requirements, developer skill, budget and timelines. What’s important is to spend enough time thinking and analyzing before you start building because the apps are expensive enough. So, you may only have one go at getting it right. Find out the information as much as you can about the different kinds of apps and the development stages.
It depends on your needs. If you want high performance and can afford the cost, go for native. If you need a more budget-friendly option and cross-platform compatibility, hybrid might work. If you have a simple app with minimal features, a web app could be sufficient.
What are the advantages of native apps?
Native apps offer the best user experience, speed, and device integration (e.g., camera, GPS). They work offline and allow push notifications. However, they require separate codebases for iOS and Android, making them more costly.
Why are hybrid apps considered a good option?
Hybrid apps use one codebase for both iOS and Android, saving time and money. They offer access to device features, like native apps, but may not perform as well, especially with complex features.
Are web apps cheaper to build than native or hybrid apps?
Yes, web apps are generally cheaper and quicker to develop because they don’t need to be built separately for iOS and Android. However, they have limitations, like not being able to work offline and requiring a browser to access.
The future of healthcare is digital. In 2022 alone, the global patient portal market reached $2.9B, as the Grand View Research reports. By 2030, it’s projected to grow even higher—at a CAGR of 19.44%. This trend reflects how public and private healthcare organizations strive to digitize paper documentation and automate everyday business operations.
Indeed, the stakes in healthcare are high. Even minor errors can lead to incorrect diagnoses and worsen patients’ conditions. This is where patient portal software greatly minimizes errors, particularly those caused by human factors
Below, read on how to create a patient portal. We’ll analyze the target audience’s needs, dive into the most successful examples of its implementation, and examine the nature of the target audience's requirements.
What is a patient portal system?
An online patient portal is a web or mobile solution (usually for Android and iOS platforms) that gives patients access to medical records, helps schedule appointments in a few clicks, and easily communicate with healthcare providers at any time.
By automating the interaction between the parties via the patient portal, organizations can improve the quality of care while making their services more accessible and convenient for patients.
In particular, modern patient portal requirements are:
Fast and secure access to their medical data and records with guaranteed privacy protection.
High-quality medical services without the need to wait in long queues.
A clear understanding of the treatment plan and progress.
Healthcare organizations instead aim to:
Reduce their administrative costs – in particular, for maintaining paper documentation.
Maximize personnel efficiency without the risk of burnout.
Increase patient satisfaction through transparent interaction and remote patient monitoring.
Comply with the healthcare regulations.
Reach a new level of income by reducing expenses and attracting new patients.
That is why the patient portal system is the one-stop solution that, if implemented correctly, covers all the above-mentioned needs. This is typically achieved through the following features:
Access to medical records (including medical history and test results).
Appointment booking (with the option to select the date, time, and doctor).
Online consultations (for example, via video calls and chats with doctors).
Repeat prescription orders (automatic issuance of electronic prescriptions and reminders for refills).
Online bill payment.
Personal data management (including patient contact information).
Push notifications (reminders for upcoming visits, tests, vaccinations, etc.).
Educational materials.
Feedback tools (surveys for patient satisfaction and forms for submitting complaints, etc.).
Types of patient portals: Which fits your healthcare needs?
Generally, there are two global types of patient portals: integrated and standalone. The former is presented as a component of electronic health records (EMR/EHR) and is fully tied to the infrastructure of a healthcare facility. Integrated portals ensure uninterrupted data exchange between doctors and patients but, in the case of ready-made solutions, are limited by the functionality offered by the specific healthcare provider.
Standalone portals, however, come in two forms: SaaS and on-premise. The former are hosted in the cloud and are available by subscription, which is especially convenient for healthcare providers within small organizations. Their advantage is quick deployment and configuration. At the same time, their customization options are often limited.
As for the second category, these are software solutions installed on local servers of a specific healthcare organization. They provide comprehensive control over data but require significant infrastructure and support costs. They can also be difficult to scale and integrate with third-party solutions.
It is worth noting that every medical organization has its own regular processes and specific business tasks distributed among different departments. In particular:
The reception desk keeps track of patient records.
Laboratories collect, process, and store test results.
The finance department is responsible for payments and insurance processes.
Doctors and medical personnel work with medical records and appointments.
All the above processes can rarely be integrated into a single system, which makes it difficult to automate them using only one off-the-shelf patient portal. Moreover, medical institutions vary greatly in specialization (including clinics, dentistry, laboratories, hospitals, etc.), and ready-made products do not always meet their needs.
If we add to this the need to comply with regional security standards for patient data, it becomes clear that out-of-the-box solutions may not be viable. This is the main reason why healthcare organizations are increasingly resorting to custom healthcare portal development.
Patient portal requirements: Key features and functionalities
Now, let's check the main functionalities and features that should be integrated into a patient portal.
User authentication and access management system
This portal component uses OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect for secure login. It protects users' credentials and enables multi-factor authentication. Usually, developers provide multi-level access with restrictions based on user roles (including patients, doctors, administrators, etc.).
At the same time, when implementing role-based access, it is important to adhere to widely recognized patient data security policies, such as HIPAA and GDPR. Specifically, doctors and administrators should have full access to all patient data. In contrast, individual patients should only be able to view, edit, and delete their info.
Medical data storage
The storage is located on local or cloud servers using AES-256 and TLS 1.3 for data encryption. By the way, many cloud vendors have ready-made solutions for healthcare organizations that meet the standards of patient data privacy (including AWS HealthLake, Azure Healthcare, and others). It is also crucial to ensure that such storage is protected against data misuse and unauthorized access.
Integration with EHR systems
This integration is necessary for consolidating patient data. Thus, developers must adhere to FHIR and HL7 standards to ensure compatibility and data exchange. As for the integration itself, if we are not talking about legacy solutions, it is carried out through an API.
Finally, to ensure that the patient portal system complies with the requirements of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (particularly, the ONC's Cures Act), it is essential that the platform could get full access to the patient, with all the ability to edit and delete.
Appointment schedules, doctors’ cards, and telemedicine tools
The first two components involve creating a catalog with therapists’ information and a scheduling system where patients can book visits. This can be achieved through RESTful API to synchronize with hospital calendars. Also, integrating with trusted video communication platforms like Zoom Healthcare can facilitate direct communication between patients and doctors.
Automation of bill calculations and online payments
Online payments are processed through integrations with payment gateways like Stripe or PayPal. In general, they must support PCI DSS standards. As for the automated billing system, this is essentially a regular calculator that “pulls up” data on the cost of services selected by the patient and sums them up (minus insurance and benefits, if any).
Integration with wearable devices
This is necessary so that doctors can monitor the condition of patients in real time. To do this, developers use APIs to collect data from devices (for example, from Apple HealthKit or Google Fit, as well as more specialized IoT equipment). At the same time, they must also implement a mechanism for obtaining prior patient consent to collect personal data.
Messaging
It also makes sense to integrate a chat (with the ability to attach media files) for interaction with doctors, supporting end-to-end encryption (E2E) and using WebSockets protocols that provide real-time messaging.
User dashboards
The patient portal needs an interface for each user role. Basically, it should adapt the data and tools for doctors, admins, and patients. Among other things, it can also be enriched with advanced analytical tools. For example, Power BI or Tableau can be used to generate reports and visualize data (assessing attendance dynamics, treatment results, patient satisfaction, etc.).
How to develop a patient portal software: From concept to launch
When it comes to custom solutions, our telehealth website development services are provided in several subsequent stages. Let’s consider them in detail.
Ideation and requirements analysis
At this stage, our team consolidates the portal concept of custom healthcare portal development, according to your business goals, unique aspects of your internal business processes and IT infrastructure, the needs of the target audience, and an analysis of competitors’ strengths and weaknesses. Based on this blueprint, we create documentation indicating functional and non-functional requirements.
Architecture design
From now on, our patient portal development team has everything ready to define the project's technological stack (for the frontend, backend, and database) and choose a specific architectural approach. We also approve the necessary third-party Integrations (including EHR, payment gateways, telemedicine solutions, etc.).
Finally, we select tools and protocols to ensure our portal has a proper security level, including data encryption, user authentication/authorization methods, diagrams of interaction between components, etc.
UI/UX design
This stage involves building interface prototypes and gradually transforming them into a full-fledged design after usability testing. At the same time, our patient portal app development experts always take into account the requirements for the accessibility of the user interface. Basically, they are most accurately outlined in the WCAG 2.1 and ADA guidelines.
Development
Now, we can start working on the frontend and backend of the patient portal. Once individual functional modules are ready, we conduct unit testing to prevent hard-to-fix bugs at later stages of the project. This stage also involves the implementation of security mechanisms and integration with third-party solutions.
Testing and quality control
When the code base is ready, our patient portal development experts conduct rigorous testing, including functional, load, security, usability, etc. This stage ensures that the solution meets the best specs and software quality standards in healthcare.
Deployment and launch
Before launching the portal, we prepare all the necessary infrastructure, build a CI/CD pipeline, and set up a monitoring system. If needed, we can train your staff on how to use the portal. After all the previous stages are checked—we usually start deployment.
Post-release support and updates
To better understand its further optimization, our patient portal development experts regularly check the portal’s logs and metrics, collecting feedback. In addition, as post-release bugs are discovered, we fix them and, if necessary, implement new features.
Understanding the needs of your patients
A patient portal and medical website design should fully adapt to the target audience's problems. That is why it is essential to define them in advance. Based on our experience, we would like to highlight the following ones:
Long wait time when making an appointment. Patients often encounter long wait times in phone and in-person queues. A patient portal can help. It lets users book online appointments 24/7 and choose a specialist. In addition, it sends SMS or push notifications to remind patients about upcoming visits.
Lack of full access to medical data. Many patients are forced to visit clinics because healthcare organizations still document their test results manually. The patient portal gives access to electronic medical records, test results, and doctor recommendations, which can be easily downloaded or saved (for offline access).
Lack of understanding of the treatment plans. Patients may find it difficult to track their treatments' progress, which may result in forgotten, delayed, or canceled visits and procedures. To prevent this, portals display the treatment plan and the current status of therapy. In addition, patients get notifications about upcoming procedures, calendars, and recommendations, which is very smart.
Difficulties in paying for medical services. The need for patients to be physically present makes offline payments resource-intensive. Patient portals eliminate this headache with integrated payment systems, allowing users to view their payment history and current bills in just a few clicks.
Insufficient communication with the attending physician. In-person appointments to explain test results and treatment plans can be time-consuming for both patients and healthcare providers. Patient portals streamline this process with online chat and video calling capabilities.
Weak control over the treatment of chronic conditions. Patients with chronic conditions often lack convenient tools for regular monitoring. Portals can address this with real-time health data visualization, medication reminders, and appointment scheduling, as well as integrating with wearable devices for continuous data collection.
Low involvement in the treatment process. Since some patients find it difficult to understand how their actions affect treatment results, the patient portal development team can also add interactive tools to the portal to track patients' treatment progress or provide educational materials. Gamification elements can enhance the effect.
Patient portal development challenges and solutions
In this section, we will analyze the most typical challenges of patient portal software development and the most effective ways to overcome them.
Ensuring compliance with regulations. Telemedicine hugely relies on strong data protection, first—to comply with laws like HIPAA and GDPR, and second—obviously, it is for patient trust. End-to-end encryption, role-based access control (RBAC), and multi-factor authentication are key practices, along with regular system audits and penetration testing to ensure security.
Integration with existing solutions in the organization's IT infrastructure. Many healthcare providers still use older systems that don't easily connect with modern software. To solve this, developers can build 'middleware'—software that acts as a bridge—to automate data transfer between patient portals and other systems, ensuring everything works smoothly.
Ensuring high performance and scalability. Many portals frequently freeze when user traffic exceeds the original design capacity. To solve this, developers can host the portal in a cloud environment that scales as users grow and use a microservice architecture to balance the workload across the portal's services. Additionally, they can optimize a database through indexing and caching.
Ensuring intuitiveness. Since the target audience of patient portals is diverse (including the elderly, people with disabilities, and people with no technical literacy), there should be universal access to the full use of all portal functionality.To solve this, during the development of the patient portal software, the team should conduct user research and surveys to guide and optimize the software effectively. They should also adhere to the compliance of this software with the WCAG 2.1 guidelines.
Accessibility on mobile OSes. As patients increasingly manage their healthcare on digital devices, patient portals must offer a seamless mobile experience. Poor mobile optimization can lead to slow loading times and display issues. Developers can address this by building progressive web apps (PWAs) or cross-platform solutions, implementing offline access for key features, and optimizing content loading with techniques like lazy loading and data compression.
Patient portal software cost: What to expect
The cost of telemedicine app development depends on project complexity, the team involved in the patient portal software development process, geographic location, development timeline, and the scope of features. Let's examine each of the points that influenced the cost in detail:
1. Project complexity
Basic consultation apps with user registration, appointment scheduling, video calls, and messaging: $30K-$100K.
Advanced telehealth platforms with multi-user portals, integrated EHR, and health analytics: $100K-$300K+.
Telemedicine platforms with IoT/AI integration: $250K-$500K.
2. Team composition
A typical team for creating a basic patient portal usually includes:
2-3 developers: Where 1-2 are front-end developers, and 1 back-end developer.
The project manager: Tracks the project goals and wins.
QA specialist: Tests the app to make sure it works correctly.
3. Development timeline
The time it takes for patient portal software development also affects costs. Most telemedicine apps take between 2 to 6 months to develop:
Simple apps usually take about 2-3 months.
More complex apps may take up to 6-12 months.
4. Geographic location
American tech experts can be expensive. For example, a front-end developer might earn over $100K annually, about $8K monthly. He might charge between $70K-$80K for a three-month project.
Hiring remote developers can save you money. For instance, Eastern European developers or other regions often charge between $2,500 and $3,500 monthly. You can easily hire a similar team for about $30K to $40K for the same project.
If you want to find out the patient portal software cost in your case, please fill out this contact form.
Improving patient outcomes with data management: A case by Darly Solutions
From theory to practice—let's examine our relevant Darly Solutions experience through a top case from our portfolio.
In particular, we were approached by a HealthTech company specializing in consolidating unstructured medical data for organizations in the healthcare sector. They needed a custom digital solution to monitor clinical data.
Faced with a tight deadline and the need for high precision, we meticulously planned and assigned all the UX/UI design, web development, QA, and project management tasks. We also reviewed the team's work schedule, as some members had to work overtime. Finally, we carefully chose the technology stack. We settled on Angular, HTML, CSS, Docker, ngRx, TailwindCSS, NGX Pagination, and JSON.
Finally, our efforts paid off. We launched the product on time and met all design, functionality, and quality standards. As a result, the client has a competitive product with all the chances to thrive in the innovative telemedicine sector.
In general, the future of patient portal software development is closely connected with the fast development of modern technologies, such as:
Artificial intelligence and machine learning. These technologies will personalize the portal and related healthcare services. AI-powered chatbots, including ones with recognition of human voice commands, will assist with scheduling appointments and answering FAQs. In advance, machine learning can also analyze patient data and symptoms to provide preliminary diagnoses.
Blockchain. The introduction of blockchain technologies in patient portals can be aimed at more secure storage of their medical records and ensuring access to them only to authorized users. In addition, with its help, each interaction with data (adding, editing, and deleting) will be recorded, increasing the system's transparency.
Virtual and augmented reality. These technologies can form the basis of next-generation telemedicine solutions. In particular, in the future, patients will be able to interact with doctors at a distance without reducing the quality of service. AR interfaces will also help inform patients about upcoming treatment plans.
Internet of Things and integration with wearable devices. IoT solutions can provide end-to-end RPM in real-time (for example, portals will be able to collect and analyze data on the patient's pulse, blood pressure, oxygen level, and activity). Based on this data, doctors can receive instant notifications of critical changes regardless of patients' locations.
Big data and business intelligence. Examples of patient portals use big data to identify trends, such as tracking the rise in the incidence of a particular virus or assessing the effectiveness of treatments. Also, end-to-end medical data analysis ensures timely prediction of exacerbation of chronic diseases. Finally, doctors and administrators of healthcare institutions will be able to monitor departments' workloads and optimize appointment scheduling.
Biometric identification. Biometric mechanisms can give users access to the portal through fingerprint, face, or voice scanning, making the authorization process more secure and easier.
Conclusion
Now you know everything about patient portal development and can safely choose an off-the-shelf solution or search for a team to implement a custom one. If the second option is closer to you but you would not like to turn the search process into a real headache, you can contact us, and we will be happy to discuss the details of our future cooperation to implement your idea.
If you are looking for a suitable platform to implement your mobile solution in the most cost-efficient way and, thus, make it cross-platform, it can be a rather challenging task given the variety of different frameworks, libraries, and SDKs.
For example, according to Statista, Flutter and React Native (RN) were the world's two most popular frameworks for cross-platform development by the end of 2023. However, they cannot be called universal, and each is better suited to solving specific problems. Below, we will cover the difference between them in more detail and also conduct a comparative analysis of these two solutions.
What Is Flutter?
Flutter is an open-source framework from Google that first saw the light of day in 2018. It is designed for both front-end and full-stack development of cross-platform solutions with a single code base for iOS, Android, Web, Windows, MacOS, and Linux. Flutter uses the open-source Dart language, which is also a brainchild of Google. Now, it has 162k stars on GitHub.
One of the most significant benefits of Flutter is the ability to accelerate time-to-market: this is ensured by hot reload (which provides the ability to change the program code and check the results in real time), the built-in increased performance provided by direct compilation to native code, as well as the presence of a C++ engine for rendering elements and optimization. In general, according to the unspoken opinion of developers, about 95% of all development tasks can be covered by Flutter libraries and tools.
Benefits of Flutter
Flutter popularity is absolutely justified – it is loved by developers around the world for the following advantages:
Native-like performance. Due to the use of the Dart programming language, which is immediately compiled into machine code, applications created with this framework are unlikely to be inferior in performance to native analogs.
Uniformity of visual components. Flutter does not use platform-dependent visualization tools – instead, this framework refers to the Google Skia graphics library, which allows developers to provide a uniform look for UI components regardless of the platform.
Low entry threshold and a wide variety of available tools and libraries. Flutter is considered an easy-to-learn framework, and such built-in features as hot reloading, widget inspector, and a rich arsenal of tools for solving graphic problems (now, this framework already has graphics rendering at 120 fps) make the process of working on the frontend even more enjoyable and fast.
What Is React Native?
React Native is a cross-platform JavaScript-based framework created by the Facebook team in 2015 and introduced to the public as a solution for reusing the same code. Today, this platform can boast 116k stars on GitHub and the fact that it is at the heart of such world-famous services as Instagram, Facebook, and Skype.
An interesting feature of this framework is its basis on the Flux architecture, which is based on unidirectional flows. This approach allows data to be passed from one parent component to its child components, making it easier for developers to manage data flows in the application. Also, like in Flutter, there is the Hot Reload feature that simplifies the testing and debugging processes, as well as a rich set of built-in components to boost the development speed of high-performance and visually attractive mobile solutions.
Benefits of React Native
The main benefits of React Native are:
Ability to reuse code by up to 90% and reduced time to market. The reusability of code written in this framework can be up to 90%. In addition, the created assembly, for example, for Android, will require only minimal configurations in order to function properly on iOS. All these features of this framework speed up the launch of projects.
Fast update in app stores. Thanks to the CodePush function, applications can be updated within the repeated deployment process without an intermediate step involving uploading updates to the app store. In particular, when the update is ready, its version that has already been presented on the store uploads it itself, without the need for re-communication with Google Play or the App Store.
A wide variety of libraries and access to native components. While it provides access to native platform components, there are also internal libraries with well-developed documentation and, in some cases, even entire application templates, including Native Base, React Native Elements, and React Native Starter Kit.
Key Differences Between Flutter and React Native
Now it's time to start a more detailed comparison of React vs Flutter.
Entry threshold
Even though both mobile app frameworks are considered to be quite easy to learn, Flutter, due to its abundance of internal development tools, practically eliminates the need for developers to use third-party tools and libraries (unlike RN). This means that its entry threshold can formally be considered lower.
Performance
As for React Native vs Flutter performance, the second one has a lot of widgets based on its own high-performance rendering engine, which makes it suitable for developing applications with complex graphics. At the same time, despite the claims of RN creators, this solution can impose certain problems with the speed of work of resource-intensive projects.
Time to market
In our Flutter vs React Native comparison, RN gives Flutter a head start when it comes to developing applications with different designs for each of the platforms since the latter is aimed at building uniform interfaces.
Specifics for creating user interfaces
While Flutter offers developers a variety of ready-to-use widgets based on the Material (Android) and Cupertino (iOS) designs, React Native refers to the native components of the platforms.
Full list of supported platforms
Flutter supports development for Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, Google Fuchsia, Web, Tizen for Samsung Smart TV, LG webOS, as well as for embedded devices. As for RN, this framework is compatible with Android, iOS, Windows, MacOS, as well as Android and iOS TV platforms.
Conclusion
We hope that we have answered the essential question: “Flutter or React Native?” and it will be easier for you to choose the best of these two options. At the same time, we would like to note that the future of Flutter is uncertain, as Google has suspended its active development and significantly reduced its team. Therefore, we will keep our finger on the pulse and inform you about all upcoming changes.
Anyway, whichever framework you settled on, an equally important aspect will be the choice of an experienced team of developers. In particular, you can contact us for a consultation and also to find out the cost of development of your project.
In today's world, social platforms have become an integral part of our everyday lives. They provide the opportunity to communicate, share information and create communities, making them a powerful tool for business. Their popularity and influence on modern society have led many companies to realize the potential of social platforms in the context of B2B solutions.
Let's break down the process of implementing such social platforms step by step:
Defining goals and requirements
The first step in developing social platforms for B2B businesses is to define specific goals and requirements for your project. You need to be clear about what features and capabilities should be available on your social platform. These include user profiles, sharing features, instant messaging, community building, and more. Determine what specific goals you want to achieve, such as expanding your network, attracting potential customers, or strengthening customer relationships. Understanding your goals will further guide your overall strategy and implementation. Prioritize and develop an action plan to address all the requirements of your B2B business.
Choosing the right technology platform
The next step is to choose the right technology platform for developing a social platform. Many frameworks and tools can help you in this process. For example, you can use popular open-source frameworks such as Ruby on Rails, Django, or Laravel or choose ready-made social platforms such as BuddyPress for WordPress or Sharetribe for developing marketplaces. The appropriate choice of technology platform depends on your needs and your company's capabilities.
Designing the architecture and database
After choosing a technology platform, it is essential to design the architecture of your social platform. This includes creating the database structure, defining modules and system components, and establishing interactions. A modular approach is recommended to ensure the flexibility and scalability of your social platform. Divide functionality into modules such as authentication, user profiles, messaging, community management, and others. This approach will simplify your platform's development, testing, and support.
Designing the user interface
The user interface is a key element of any social platform. Designing an attractive and intuitive user interface will help attract and retain users on your platform. Remember your company's brand identity when designing and ensure user-friendly navigation and clear and attractive interface elements.
Implementing functionality
At this stage, you can start implementing the basic functionality of your social platform. Provide the ability to customize user profiles, set access rights, filter content, and other features necessary to ensure the platform's security and usability. Create modules for registering users, creating profiles, sending messages, forming communities, and other elements that meet your requirements.
Integration with external systems
Integrating with external systems is a crucial step when implementing a social platform in a B2B business. Enable data exchange between the social platform and external systems to provide a unified flow of information and improve the efficiency of your business. These can be CRM systems, electronic payment systems, analytics tools, and other applications your company uses.
Testing and launching
Conduct thorough testing before launching your social platform to detect and fix possible bugs and issues. Perform functional testing, compatibility testing with various browsers and devices, and security testing. Once testing is successfully completed, you can begin launching your social platform. Install the necessary server resources and configurations, and configure the security and scalability of the system. As you launch, monitor the process and ensure all components work correctly.
Support and update
Developing and implementing a social platform is just the beginning. It's essential to continue to provide support and updates to your platform as needed. Regularly release updates, fix bugs, and add new features and enhancements to meet the needs of your audience. Provide timely support to users, answer their questions, and guide how to use the platform.
Analysis and optimization
Integrating social platforms into B2B solutions provides an opportunity to collect valuable data and metrics. Analyze this data to understand which features are used most often, what issues arise, and what improvements can be made. Use analytics tools to measure the effectiveness of your social platform and make informed decisions to optimize it.
Summary
Incorporating social platforms into B2B solutions can significantly benefit your business. However, for this process to be successful, you need to properly plan, design, and implement a social platform, taking into account your company's technical aspects and requirements. By following the steps outlined above and paying attention to detail, you can create a powerful tool to help strengthen your business connections, expand your customer base, and make your company more competitive in your business domain.
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