Native Apps vs Web Apps - Which is best?

Since the launch of the Apple AppStore, mobile apps have become big business. However there is still a lot of uncertainty in the developer community about the best way to deliver apps to mobile devices. I recently read a great article that breaks down the thought process when starting out in mobile app development. Although, before I share the link, it's important you undersand the main two mobile app development options.

Native - Native apps are where you code using the platforms native language, for example Apple uses Objective-C and Cocoa Touch. Native gives you direct access to the devices hardware, which generally allows for better performance when undertaking complex tasks and the ability to use features such as the camera, accelerometer, proximity sensor, etc. The downside to Native is that it won't be platform independent, for example an app running on the iPhone can't run on Android or Windows Phone 7 without first being ported. Also you are directly tied in to the platforms native app delivery model, which in Apple's case is the notorious AppStore.

Web - Web apps use the device browser to run and are therefore coded using the web standards supported by that particular browser - for example Apple iOS and Android both have a webkit based browser that supports HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Modern iterations of these standards (for example HTML5) allows for complex web apps to be created that can be used both online and offline. There are also techniques that allow the web app to run as if it is a native app, removing the browser URL and search bars. The main advantage of using the web is that you get better cross platform compatibility (although not always perfect) and are not tied in to the platforms app delivery model (no Apple approvals required). The downside to this is that the apps lack some of the power features of native apps (hardware accessibility) and are generally more difficult to find as they have no official AppStore.

Now we have a basic understanding of the main two development options I suggest you check out the great article by Craig Hockenberry over at A List Apart, called Apps vs. the Web.