The native apps have become a constant in our daily life, be it while we are using it in our mobiles or computers. A lot of new additions are being introduced to the native apps to make it as user-friendly as possible.

One of the recent developments that are stated as a replacement to the native apps is the cloud apps. Cloud apps are gaining popularity with the developers and users for all the right reasons. Instead of trying to integrate cloud to the native apps, the technology has taken us one step ahead by making the entire app available on the cloud.

How does cloud apps work?

Cloud apps are entirely stored and run on a third-party cloud server along with all the security aspects and the integrations needed with the app. These apps require a good internet connection on the user’s side to access the data and use the app smoothly. Cloud apps are highly responsive and is a lot less trouble for the users as well as the developers than the native apps for a number of reasons.

No separate development process for Android and iOS

With the native apps, the developers need to work separately for the Android and iOS version of the same application. The features, the characters and user experience may need to be changed according to the individual operating system it is run.

But with cloud apps, there is no necessity to do the same work twice. As cloud apps are directly connected to the server, only one version of the app is needed which can be launched in Android and iOS format simultaneously.

• Easy marketing: This will also help with the side of marketing to spread the word about the launch of the new cloud app for both the platforms instead of releasing the first one for one OS, marketing it specifically for those users and then doing the same thing for the next OS.

• Reduced development costs: When building two separate versions of the same native app, you will require almost twice the development costs of creating a single app. But with cloud apps, the cost of development will be cut down greatly along with the costs of maintenance. It has now become easier for small businesses with limited funds to launch their app confidently without worrying about the app costs.

• Fast time to market and scalability: Again, if you are developing two apps, then you will take a long time to get both the apps ready which isn’t the case with the cloud apps. Even if you are modifying the app with a set of new features, you will need a long time for execution to work with both the versions in the native mobile app development. But cloud apps give you faster time to market and update the new versions of the apps as soon as it is ready.

No issues of storage

The user needs to download the native app to their mobile phone, computer or tablet to use it. The data from the native app will be a part of the device’s storage and this can be one of the deciding factors for the user to use the app.

• No downloads needed: Cloud apps have eliminated these storage issues that make the user think twice about installing a native app. Cloud apps do not need to be downloaded specifically. The user can just open the app and use it directly from the cloud.

• Data security: Another advantage of using the cloud apps is that all the data will be stored on the server and not on the user’s phone which says a lot about user-friendliness. This eliminates the issues relating to loss of data, mismatched data or security risks as everything needs to be monitored and kept secure from only a single location.

• Data recovery: When using the cloud, the backup will be stored on multiple servers which becomes easy to recover. There will be no or less loss in the online time of the app even in times of emergency.

Integration of databases

Proper database integration is required for running multiple processes of business smoothly. Importing all the database information of your mobile application when developing a native app is a tedious and time-consuming process.

With cloud apps, it becomes simpler to add all the database to the cloud and access the required information from there. The database and the app can be synchronized to remove the longer loading time for the apps or the complex codes developers need to write to integrate databases in apps.

Developers are always on the search for the app development process that is less complex than the previous methods with an extended impact on usability. Cloud apps satisfy these two major criteria making it the next big thing in Android and iOS app development.