White Paper Native vs Html5

Native vs. HTML5Mobile App DevelopmentWhich option is best?appcelerator.com

APPCELERATOR WHITEPAPER NATIVE VS. HTML5 MOBILE APP DEVELOPMENT: WHICH OPTION IS BEST? Introduction: The Native vs. HTML5 DebateWhile there are far more native than HTML5 Native applications in production todaymobile applications in the market today, the By most estimates, there are roughly 1.25 milliondebate rages on regarding what is the better native applications used in production today.approach: go native or go HTML5. This paper This total is largely made up of iOS, Android andwill explore the benefits of each. It will show Microsoft applications deployed through theirthat while HTML5 applications have a place respective application stores.for a segment of applications, the standardsbody governing HTML5 will never evolve fast iOS – 650,000enough to match the constantly rising bar of Android – 500,000user experience delivered via native operating Microsoft – 100,000systems. HTML apps in production todayExploring this debate requires discussing the It is difficult to determine exact numbers asimportance of a rich, high performing native there is no single way to track browser usage.user experience versus the cost benefits Given the difficulty, this can be best estimatedassociated with \"write once – run anywhere.\" by identifying leading indicators. In the largestTo underscore this point, let’s determine how survey of its kind for mobile development,many native versus HTML applications are in Appcelerator/IDC’s Q2 2012 survey of 3,600+production today. This baseline will show us developers found that 6% of applications werecurrent user preference. targeted for development in HTML5. With this Native Apps by Platform© 2012 APPCELERATOR, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2

APPCELERATOR WHITEPAPER NATIVE VS. HTML5 MOBILE APP DEVELOPMENT: WHICH OPTION IS BEST?statistically relevant sample of the developer The promise of \"write once - run anywhere\"community, we can estimate that of the 1.25million native apps in production roughly expect HTML5’s promise of \"write once – run6%or 75,000 are mobile web or HTML5 based. anywhere\" to play a bigger role in the debate.Another data point to check is the number ofHTML5 applications listed within the Facebook In addition to cost, a successful mobileapp store. One of the biggest proponents of application requires a beautiful and engagingHTML5, Facebook now claims to have about user experience that leverages the rich features20,000 applications in their app store. Given this on the device. Natively built applications providedata point, the 75,000 total HTML5 applications the best user experience. HTML5 applicationsin the production estimate appear reasonable. promise to have parity with native applications while eliminating costs given the \"write once –1.25 million native applications versus 75,000 run anywhere\" benefit. To better decide upon aHTML5 applications in production today in mobile strategy, it is key to dive deeper into thepublic app stores: these are telling statistics. pros and cons.They clearly underscore user preferencesfor a rich, high performing user experience.However, costs can be prohibitive whenbuilding native applications on every requiredOS. In the same developer survey referencedabove, 80% of developers expressed the needto deploy their applications on more than oneoperating system. Development team costsneed to be doubled or tripled to deliver thisnative experience on multiple OSes (if thosedevelopers can even be found and hired). Ifcosts were the only consideration, one wouldNative and HTML5 Applications DefinedA native mobile app is a device-specific of the HTML language and provides the basicprogram designed to run on a mobile device buildingblocks of web pages. It’s the first HTMLand its associated OS. Native apps can come version to support multimedia without plugins.preinstalled on smartphones or tablets, but The HTML5 standard was created so web appscan also be downloaded from a public and can be accessible and used on any device viainternal/enterprise app stores. Native apps a browser. HTML5 apps also have the abilityare developed to leverage mobile device for offline access and usage via the applicationcapabilities directly from the operating system, cache, which means working without a networksuch as the camera, geo-location, animation connection is now possible.and more. These device-specific functionalitiesadd to the richness of the user experience and Creating a successful mobile app that realizesare a prime differentiator between native and the promise of \"write once – run anywhere\"HTML5 applications.HTML5 is the fifth version doesn’t come from the specification itself but© 2012 APPCELERATOR, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3

APPCELERATOR WHITEPAPER NATIVE VS. HTML5 MOBILE APP DEVELOPMENT: WHICH OPTION IS BEST? Native and HTML5 Applications Definedfrom the implementation of the standard by User Experienceeach browser vendor. It’s questionable how User experience is all about how users feelmuch incentive Apple and Google have to when they interact with an app in a specificdeliver timely standards-based support in their context. It is about utility, ease of use andbrowsers with the latest and greatest APIs. By its efficiency. While positive UI is subjective innature, the standard puts at risk traffic to these nature, a user knows it when it is there andlarge commercial app stores and marginalizes recognizes when it is not. To be fair, thethe unique capabilities of their devices. HTML5 standard has delivered more native-like capabilities such as access to the GPS locationStrategic decision-makers for successful apps or accelerometer for mobile web applicationsshould weigh the importance of the following: and more as of late. However, these still fail to deliver the same user experience on different 1. User experience devices and perform slower when compared 2. Performance to a native implementation on the iPhone or 3. Monetization Android. More importantly, HTML5 capabilities 4. Cross platform deployment costs only represent a small number of the new native 5. Fragmentation features. For example, Apple introduced 1,500 6. Availability of programming expertise new APIs in iOS 5 for developers to leverage, 7. Importance of immediate updates including access to iCloud Storage, Newsstand and Twitter. Both Apple and Google continue to and distribution control deliver new releases each year with thousands 8. Timeliness of new OS innovations of new APIs. HTML5 is actually falling farther 9. Security behind native versus the popular belief that it’s catching up.© 2012 APPCELERATOR, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4

APPCELERATOR WHITEPAPER NATIVE VS. HTML5 MOBILE APP DEVELOPMENT: WHICH OPTION IS BEST?Performance Performance can be slow withA central part of user experience is performance many graphics in HTML 5of the application on the mobile device.Performance comes in two forms: rendering Monetizationand loading. Slow rendering and loading can By distributing new versions and updates tomean death to an application's usage and hence applications via the browser, HTML5 apps areits success. With the increased computing not dependent on an app store. Apple’s Apppower on today’s mobile smartphones and Store represents the most vibrant ecosystemtablets, the tolerance for delays from rendering on the planet, with 400 million accounts withand loading is at an all time low. credit card information stored for each user. This is the largest number of participants for aNative applications have set the standardfor transactional site on the Internet. Consumerswhat a user expects from a performance have downloaded 30 billion apps and Appleperspective and reflect the best possible has written checks for over $5 billion toapproach to delivering seamless and immediate developers. The store is now available in overresponses to user actions and requests. Thisis 155 countries around the world. HTML5 lacksclear when comparing the performance of any monetization model similar to Apple’s orloading the application locally to serving it up Google’s app stores. More importantly, it has nothrough a browser where data connectivity can ecosystem of developers. Although applicationsbe weak or missing. Once the app is launched, can be directly distributed by a developerperformance can be measured against device organization via a browser in HTML5, promotionactions and operating-system-specific gestures of those apps to a public or private enterprise islike scrolling, swiping, rotating, and clicking. not available without an app store platform.The performance gap between HTML5 andnative is so great that even non-technical users 5easily notice the difference. For example, it isunacceptable to use a calendar as part of amobile app and have it take 4 seconds to loadand then be slow to the eye and touch whennavigating from one day to another.© 2012 APPCELERATOR, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

APPCELERATOR WHITEPAPER NATIVE VS. HTML5 MOBILE APP DEVELOPMENT: WHICH OPTION IS BEST? Android and iOS FragmentationCross platform deployment costs FragmentationDriven by the desire for a cutting-edge app with With multiple releases of the Android OS overbeautiful user experience, many developers'and the past few years and over 28 implementationsorganizations' first choice is to develop a native by multiple manufacturers (e.g. HTC, Samsung,iPhone and iPad app. The next step for most Motorola, Kindle, Google itself, Sony and more),businesses is to build the same app on the the pains associated with writing an applicationAndroid platform. But building out another team for Android deployment are well documented.to create the same application for all versions Unfortunately, the promise of \"write once – runof Android phones is problematic in most cases anywhere\" is not real today for HTML5 either.and can double or triple overall costs. The Web applications were touted to be the unifyingadditional costs of each new development team factor for mobile devices. But this assumes thatare easy to quantify. In comparison, building all mobile devices access web applications ina mobile web application that includes a rich the same way. There are not only many differentexperience based on HTML5 and that can run browsers in existence (including Interneton all browsers would seem to significantly Explorer, Safari, Chrome and Firefox), but alsoreduce development costs and time. many different versions of those browsers.Truly understanding the cost benefits and write- The level of support offered for HTML5 variesonce-run anywhere claim ofHTML5 contrasted widely across those different browsers. Thereagainst a native user experience requires are 200+ different types of available browserunderstanding two types of fragmentation interpretations of HTML5. And the pace ofchallenges. The first is driven by all the various browser updates is increasing, which adds toAndroid variations. The second highlights the the challenge. Over the past two years, Androidlesser-known but equally critical problem of has had 21 updates to their browser.mobile web browser fragmentation.© 2012 APPCELERATOR, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 6

APPCELERATOR WHITEPAPER NATIVE VS. HTML5 MOBILE APP DEVELOPMENT: WHICH OPTION IS BEST? Browser FragmentationBrowser fragmentation and the varied support desktop world. In the desktop era, the mainof HTML5 motivated Facebook to create issue was massive browser fragmentation,butRingmark as well. Ringmark was designed to be with only one operating system. Whata testing suite for those mobile web browser makes the mobile browser issue even morecapabilities. It helps developers know whether challenging is the additional variable of multipletheir app can or cannot run on any given mobile operating systems. Considering all thesebrowser. obstacles, \"write once, run anywhere\" quickly becomes \"write once, optimize everywhere.\"HTML5 as a standard has a long way to go.The fragmented support for HTML5 in different Availability of programming expertisebrowsers drives the user experience to an An important factor in any development projecteven lower common denominator. The only and especially a mobile app project is havingway around this is to have development teams access to developers with the right skills. It’simplement multiple web app versions, thus widely believed that there are far more HTMLeliminating the cost-benefit argument for multi- and JavaScript than Objective-C developers.platform deployment. Enterprises have spent the last 15 yearsbuilding up internal developer expertise in webMobile browser fragmentation rivals the technologies. The ranking of projects in GitHubchallenge presented by Android device and the number of questions in StackOverflowfragmentation. We have seen the browser support this belief. In a recent study, JavaScriptfragmentation issue play out before in the and HTML5 held 2 of the top 4 rankings of 18© 2012 APPCELERATOR, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 7

APPCELERATOR WHITEPAPER NATIVE VS. HTML5 MOBILE APP DEVELOPMENT: WHICH OPTION IS BEST? Programming Language PopularityPOPULARITY RANK ON STACKOVERFLOW POPULARITY RANK ON GITHUBdifferent programming and markup language the developing organization. This can shortenframeworks. The web development community upgrade, change and release cycles.by most estimates represents one of the largestdeveloper segments today. As the demand Timeliness of new OS innovationsfor traditional websites declines, any mobile Standards bodies are not known for speed ordeveloper project that requires HTML and innovation. W3C is the main governing body ofJavaScript skills has a greater pool of developers the HTML standard to date. While W3C works tofrom which to choose when compared to the deliver new OS support from the manufacturerspool of Objective-C programmers. Due to with every release of the standard, the OS andhigher demand, Objective-C developer skills handset developers like Apple and Android areusually cost more as well. in control of when and how fast they implement new capabilities in their operating systemsImmediate updates and distribution control for developers to play with. As mentionedOne of the biggest benefits to IT organizations above, HTML5 does not keep pace with thedeveloping mobile applications in HTML5 is multiple new releases of Android per year orthe ability to deploy those apps and updates annual iOS releases. It has taken five years todirectly to the user community via the browser. ratify the standard in its current form. Slow-No third party or extra step is needed for evolving standards force browser vendorsdistribution. Complete control is governed by to innovate ahead of the standard. Straying© 2012 APPCELERATOR, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 8

APPCELERATOR WHITEPAPER NATIVE VS. HTML5 MOBILE APP DEVELOPMENT: WHICH OPTION IS BEST?Native vs. HTML5 Comparisons Native HTML5 Rich user experience LOWPerformanceApp store monetizationCross platform deployment costs HIGHFragmentation challengesAvailability of programming expertiseImmediate updates and distribution controlTimely access to new OS innovations Securityfrom the standard will further complicate apps, more of the logic and data can now bethe aforementioned browser fragmentation executed and presented in the HTML formatproblem. on the mobile client itself (this is also true of most hybrid “container” based apps). HybridSlowing the innovation in the HTML standard container-based apps that run in a nativefurther is the recent news that the standards shell also store and present their data in thebodies for HTML5 have now split. The Web very open HTML format. Whether the appsHypertext Application Technology Working are HTML5 or hybrid in nature, there are fourGroup (WHATWG) and the World Wide Web key security concepts to evaluate for yourConsortium (W3C), the two bodies workingon organization.HTML5, are parting ways, with WHATWG takingcharge of an evolving, “living standard” and 1. App source codeW3C working on a more static “snapshot.” It 2. Data at restis debatable how splitting the standards body 3. Data in transitdriving HTML will speed the release of more 4. URL security issuessupport of mobile OSes. Application source code for HTML5 is freelySecurity available on the mobile device. Anyone usingHTML5 presents unique security risks when the application can follow a simple set of stepscompared with native apps. In HTML5 based (e.g., routing the mobile URL to a desktop) to© 2012 APPCELERATOR, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 9

APPCELERATOR WHITEPAPER NATIVE VS. HTML5 MOBILE APP DEVELOPMENT: WHICH OPTION IS BEST?examine the source code. With the right tools, a When does using HTML5 make sense?developer could then insert malicious code into Given the above advantages and disadvantages,the application and it would execute along with when does it make sense to use HTML5? Thethe rest of the app or run in the background short answer: When the information is alwaysdepending the nature of the injected code. updating; you don’t want Apple or Google asWith compiled native applications, it is much intermediaries, or if the user doesn’t want tomore difficult for anyone outside the application download an application.developer to access this source code. Today’s mobile users care deeply about havingHTML5 now offers the ability to cache data a rich and interactive mobile applicationwithin the browser. Since both native and experience. This native experience is driven by aHTML5 applications manage data on the device, personal connection with the device and how itthis data should be appropriately secured and has become a part of our everyday lives.encrypted while at rest. iOS and Android deliverdata security for native apps in ways above Today’s smartphone and tablet have becomeand beyond HTML5 apps. First, Objective-C the modern day encyclopedia, dictionary,and Java API data encryption calls are readily navigator, camera, personal assistant andavailable for native applications. There is no communicator for our workplace and beyond.equivalent capability in the HTML5 world. We haven’t yet begun to leverage suchSecondly, MDM and MAM vendors provide capabilities as geographic location, camera,another level of security for native apps. voice-activated search, and Bluetooth to theirNone of these vendors can affect data on the full potential. Therefore, it stands to reason thatbrowser’s cache so therefore, they cannot the class of applications best suited for HTML5secure or manage that data. would be those with more traditional forms- based requirements or those built for access toSecure Socket Layer (SSL) is the most common and consumption of information. An exampleway that both native and HTML5 apps secure of this would be the mobilizing of a websitetheir data in transit. For additional security, many where rich and alphanumeric data can easilyorganizations also implement Virtual Private be input, requested and retrieved from a webNetworks (VPNs). While VPNs can support both and app server. Other examples of this that arenative and HTML5 traffic, they typically are not heavily internet-reliant are information-basedimplemented for HTML5 due to significant applications such as Wikipedia, Facebook,performance overhead. When it comes to data Twitter, Yelp, and OpenTable.in transit, HTML5 forces a tradeoff betweenperformance and greater security. Creating forms-based applications or mobilizing websites leverages the device more as anURL security vulnerabilities are unique to web extension of the desktop, much like in theapps. Techniques such as cross-site scripting traditional client-based computer model. This(XSS), cookie manipulation, and SQL injection minimizes the need for using the smartphone orcan be used to gather sensitive data from the tablet's computing power and their frequentlyback end servers as well as from the mobile improving device capabilities whether they aredevice itself. These attacks are not possible in online or offline.the native app world.© 2012 APPCELERATOR, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 10

APPCELERATOR WHITEPAPER NATIVE VS. HTML5 MOBILE APP DEVELOPMENT: WHICH OPTION IS BEST? A Smoother Path to Successful App DevelopmentWhat if you could leverage the low cost of create apps built in JavaScript with access toHTML5 development and deploy on multiple over 5,000 APIs and parity across platforms.platforms? What if you could not only build rich, Appcelerator’s development environment alsoimmersive, high performing native applications includes a broad set of cloud-based servicesbut also produce HTML5 apps from that same for push, email, photo sharing and more. Noenvironment when needed? knowledge of IaaS, infrastructure provisioning or server programming languages such as RubyIntroducing Titanium or PHP is required. If there are any native APIsAt Appcelerator, we build Titanium Studio and we don’t cover, our ecosystem of over 270+our Cloud services to deliver cross-platform partners in our marketplace will.(iOS, Android and mobile web) applications atafraction of the cost without sacrificing a high Many customers, such as NBC, Zipcar, PwCperforming, rich mobile experience. A single and Safeguard, have delivered rich, nativeteam with JavaScript experience can build an applications with Appcelerator while loweringapp for iOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows their cost of development and time to market.(coming soon), and HTML5, with up to 90% If you are interested in realizing the samecode reuse. The result is significantly lower cost benefits for your mobile strategy, pleaseand faster time to market. No Objective-C or contact us.Java skills are required. We do this by deliveringa mobile platform that allows developers to Find out more at appcelerator.comAppcelerator is the #1 Mobile Cloud PlatformAppcelerator is the leading enterprise-grade, cross-device mobile development solution on themarket today, with over 350,000 mobile developers worldwide and 40,000+ cloud-connectedapplications used on 50 million devices every day.The company’s flagship offering, Appcelerator Titanium, is the only platform to enable fully native,cross-device development from a single codebase for iOS, Android, Blackberry, and HTML5 mobileweb apps. Appcelerator’s Cloud Services enable easy integration of compelling features such as pushnotifications, user logins, and photo uploads.Appcelerator’s customers include NBC, Zipcar, eBay, PayPal, and LEGOLAND. These companiesdevelop their mobile applications on Appcelerator products so they can decrease time-to-marketand development costs, increase customer adoption and revenues, and enjoy greater flexibility andcontrol. Download Titanium for free at www.appcelerator.com.© 2012 APPCELERATOR, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 11