What is a native app — and do you need one?
A native app is a dedicated iOS or Android application distributed through the App Store or Google Play. It runs directly on the device, has full access to hardware like the camera, GPS, biometrics and push notifications, and feels entirely at home on the platform. Native apps make sense when you need deep device integration, app store presence, or an experience that a web app genuinely can't match. The honest answer is that not every project needs one — but when it does, it needs to be done properly.
Why native over a web app?
Full Device Access
Camera, GPS, biometrics, contacts, Bluetooth, NFC — native apps get access to everything the device offers. No browser sandboxing, no compromises.
App Store Presence
Being listed on the App Store and Google Play adds legitimacy, discoverability and trust — especially for consumer products where first impressions matter.
Platform-native Feel
Native navigation, gestures, transitions and UI conventions. Users who live on their phone will notice — and appreciate — the difference.
Offline First
Native apps handle intermittent connectivity more gracefully than web apps. For field workers, remote locations or data-heavy use cases, that matters.
Pros
Best possible user experience on mobile. Full hardware access. App store distribution and discoverability. Works reliably offline. Trusted by users for sensitive actions like payments and biometrics.
Cons
Higher initial build cost than a web app. App store review adds delay to releases. Two platforms (iOS & Android) means more to maintain — though Hotwire Native reduces this significantly.
Best For
Consumer products where app store presence matters, field tools requiring device hardware, products where offline capability is critical, and B2C apps where polish drives retention.
Our Stack
We use Hotwire Native to build iOS and Android apps on top of your existing Rails backend. Native shells, native navigation — powered by the web views and API you already have.
Hotwire Native: native apps without the waste
Traditional native development means writing your app twice — once for iOS in Swift, once for Android in Kotlin — alongside your web backend. Hotwire Native takes a smarter approach: your Rails app does the heavy lifting, and lightweight native shells wrap it with genuine native navigation, gestures and device access. You get a real App Store app without rebuilding your backend logic from scratch.
Not sure which is right — PWA or native?
Choose a PWA if...
- You don't need app store presence
- Your audience primarily uses Android or desktop
- You want one codebase for web and app
- Budget and speed to market are priorities
- You're validating an idea before committing to native
Choose native if...
- You need App Store or Google Play listing
- Your app requires deep device hardware access
- You're building a consumer product where polish is everything
- Offline-first is a hard requirement
- You already have a Rails backend to build on
Ready to build your native app?
Tell us about your project and we'll give you an honest view of whether native is the right call, and what it would look like built on Hotwire Native.
Get in touch