Native, Web, And Cross-Platform Mobile Apps All Have Their Place

In clients' inquiries regarding mobile app development, the most common question is: "Should we go with a native development approach, use HTML5, or use cross-platform tools?" Our answer: It's not either/or; application development pros should use the approach that best fits the app in question. The choice depends upon the target users, business objectives, and strategies employed to achieve those objectives. Answering these questions, and sizing the available investment for app development and maintenance, will help developers select the right approach. This is an update of a previously published report; Forrester reviews and updates it periodically for continued relevance and accuracy. We revised this edition to factor in new data, examples, and ideas.