Native vs Cross-Platform
Cross-platform frameworks (React Native, Flutter) let one codebase serve iOS and Android, cutting cost and time — the right choice for most apps. Native (Swift/Kotlin) wins for the most demanding performance, deep platform features or where the app is the core product.
| Criterion | Native | Cross-Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Cost & time | Higher — two codebases | Lower — one shared codebase |
| Raw performance | Best | Very good for most apps |
| Latest OS features | Immediate access | Slight lag / bridging |
| UI consistency across platforms | Per-platform work | Shared by default |
| Team & hiring | Two skill sets | One team |
| Heavy graphics / AR / games | Strong | Limited |
| Time to market | Slower | Faster |
Choose Native when
Performance-critical apps, heavy device/AR/graphics use, or when the mobile app is the core product and platform polish is a differentiator.
Choose Cross-Platform when
Most business and content apps, MVPs, and teams that want one codebase, faster delivery and lower cost across both platforms.
The verdict
Default to cross-platform — for the majority of apps the cost and speed savings outweigh the small performance gap. Go native when performance or deep platform integration is the point. Lazlo builds both and recommends based on your app, not a house framework.