When it comes to application development, the first thing that strikes the mind of every entrepreneur is whether they should consider native app development or cross-platform mobile app development. Both native and cross-platform app development comes with some pros and cons, yet a slew of businesses consider cross-platform over native application development. The reason being is cross-platform applications offer a host of benefits including cost-effective development, low maintenance cost, loaded with powerful features, quick time to market, and many more.
For cross-platform application development, you have a host of libraries, frameworks, and programming languages to choose from. Amidst all, HTML5 has been stealing the thunder since its inception. Launched back in 2008, this free and open-source markup language is widely used by developers for HTML5 cross-platform app development.
Mobile applications developed using HTML5 run across all devices and browsers without any hiccups. In other words, HTML5 allows developers to write once and run anywhere (WORA), which in turn, reduces time-to-market. This may be one of the reasons why Startups, ISVs, and SMEs prefer cross-platform app development over native mobile app development. Some of the popular applications built using HTML5 include Facebook mobile app, Angry Birds, Zoho, HootSuite, Google Docs, Basecamp Mobile, Scribd, and more.
Let’s dive deep into the key benefits of HTML5 mobile app development for businesses
1. Multi-Platform Compatibility
Unlike native, mobile applications developed using HTML5 can run smoothly across all major mobile operating systems including Android, iOS, Windows Phone, etc. In fact, web-based HTML5 applications run across all the devices and browsers that support HTML5. Furthermore, the cost of developing an HTML5 mobile application is comparatively lower than developing dedicated native mobile apps for each mobile operating system (OS).
Some people have a perception that developing an HTML5 application takes longer than developing a single native mobile application. However, you should keep in mind that for native platforms, you have to develop multiple mobile applications, while in the case of HTML5, you need a single application for all the platforms.
2. Cleaner Code
Gone are the days when writing clean code was a nerve-wracking task. Today, it is feasible to write clean codes with HTML5. In fact, every developer strives to keep the codes clean during the development stage since it reduces time-to-market. One of the major advancements in the new iteration of HTML5 is that it enables developers to write descriptive and semantic code coherently. When you hire HTML5 developers from a reliable tech partner, they will write clean codes in your mobile application, which in turn, makes your mobile application easy to use.
3. Easy Learning Curve
When it comes to developing mobile applications at a faster pace, it is recommended to choose a programming language that is easy to learn and use. Since HTML5 has an easy learning curve over Swift, Objective C, C#, Xcode, and Visual Studio, you can easily find a wide pool of talent across the globe. Hiring seasoned HTML5 developers from an offshore region can help businesses cut down on high mobile application development costs.
4. Offline Use
Today, many mobile applications require an active internet connection to be accessible. This is somehow also applicable for HTML5 but not in all cases. One of the biggest advantages of developing mobile applications using HTML5 is that it supports local storage for both content and code. This simply means that HTML5 provides an offline application experience to users through cache. In simple words, users can still access your application content without having internet connectivity.
5. Low App Maintenance
Updating mobile applications using Apple's integrated development environment (Xcode) or Android Studio, and then resubmitting the application to the respective app stores for approval can be a time-intensive and challenging task. Fortunately, you can save all these efforts with HTML5 mobile app development. Being an open-source language, HTML5 is widely used by a strong community of developers. With HTML5, you can push an app update to all the mobile operating systems at once unlike native mobile applications wherein developers have to re-submit applications to each platform for app updation.
6. Cost Savings
Startups, ISVs, and SMEs often deal with budget constraints and when it comes to mobile application development, businesses are always on the lookout for cost-effective app development. Unlike native app development that requires a good budget, businesses can save big on the development costs with cross-platform applications. With HTML5, you can get a bespoke mobile application within your budget. The reason being is developers don't need to write codes from scratch or make too many modifications to target different mobile platforms. With HTML5 app development, you will save both your time and money.
Final Words
The above-listed reasons are strong enough to convince every entrepreneur that HTML5 is the go-to application for businesses both small and large in size. By choosing HTML5 for application development, businesses can reap a host of benefits.
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