Quiz Entry - updated: 2026.07.14
What are the three main categories of mobile applications?
Native apps are built per platform for maximum power, web apps run in any browser for maximum reach, and hybrid apps sit in between using web tech inside a native shell.
The trade-off running through all three is performance and hardware access vs. how many platforms one codebase covers.
| Native | Hybrid | Web | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology | Swift / Kotlin / Java | React Native, Flutter, Cordova | HTML, CSS, JS |
| Codebase | One per OS | One, runs on several | One, runs in browser |
| Installation | App Store | App Store | None — just a URL |
| Hardware access | Full | Most | Limited (Web APIs) |
| Performance | Best | Good | Variable |
- Native apps run on exactly one platform (iOS or Android) and use that OS's own APIs, so they feel fastest and reach every sensor — at the cost of writing each app twice.
- Web apps are pure web technology running in the browser, so one version works everywhere with no install. A PWA (Progressive Web App) is a web app that can additionally be "installed" to the home screen and work offline.
- Hybrid apps wrap web technology in a native container, aiming to get most of native's reach to hardware while keeping a single codebase.
Memory tip: Native = power, Web = reach, Hybrid = compromise.