Web vs native — make the right choice in 2021

What platform should you develop for in 2021? Is Web the definite future and answer for everything?

As a web developer, I believe in the Web as a development platform. In fact, it’s my (and many other’s) go-to platform for creating amazing apps easily and quickly.

However, I do acknowledge the advantages of native development — especially from the user perspective. More advanced functionalities, better performance, and compatibility with the underlying platform — there’s certainly much to appreciate in native apps.

So the question is — when to choose which route? Now, as a web developer, I know my opinion might be a bit skewed, but I’ll try to do my best.

Usually, native apps are better in scenarios where web apps are worse, so we’ll start with the Web’s pros and cons while comparing it to native on the side.

Let’s get started!

Pros and cons of the Web

When compared to other platforms, the Web certainly has a lot going for it. Vibrant open-source ecosystem, ability to run across devices, and arguably easy development thanks to the very nature, simplicity, and maturity of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.