Hotwire vs. Fully Native Integration
When building mobile experiences for your web application, you often choose between the Hotwire-based (Hybrid) approach and Fully Native development. This guide explains why the Hotwire approach is often the best choice for modern web storefronts.
At a Glance: Comparison Table
| Feature | Hotwire + Bridge | Fully Native (Swift/SwiftUI) |
|---|---|---|
| Development Speed | 🚀 Very Fast (One codebase for web & mobile) | 🐢 Slow (Rebuilding all UI in Swift) |
| Maintenance | 🛠️ Simple (Update web, app updates instantly) | ⚙️ Complex (Must update Web, Android, and iOS separately) |
| App Size | 📦 Small (approx. 5-10 MB) | 🐘 Large (often 50-100+ MB) |
| Experience | 📱 Native Feel (Native navigation & UI components) | ✨ Premium Native (Full hardware control) |
| Updates | ⚡ Instant (OTA updates via webview) | ⏳ Slow (Requires App Store review for every UI change) |
Why Hotwire is Faster and Better
1. Unified Logic and UI
With the Hotwire approach, your business logic, styling, and complex state management are handled in your Next.js or React project. The iOS app acts as a powerful container that "borrows" this UI. You don't need to write Swift code for every UI element.
2. Instant Over-the-Air (OTA) Updates
In a fully native app, even a small text change requires a new build and 24-48 hours of App Store review. With Hotwire, any change you deploy to your web project is immediately reflected in the iOS app without an update from the App Store.
3. Native Navigation Performance
Hotwire isn't a "simple iframe." It uses a Hybrid Navigation approach. When you tap a link, the native app intercepts it, generates a native transition, and pushes a new native view controller. This provides smooth, native-speed navigation throughout your app.
App Size Comparison
One of the biggest advantages is the footprint of the application on the user's device.
- Hotwire App: Since the majority of the UI is delivered over the network (with efficient caching), the binary contains only the "Bridge" logic and core navigation. This results in a tiny app size that users can download instantly.
- Native App: Requires bundling all icons, fonts, and complex layout logic into the binary, leading to significant storage consumption.
When to Choose What?
TIP
Use Hotwire Architecture if:
- You want to launch fast.
- You have a small team or want to maintain one codebase.
- You want to update your UI/UX content frequently.
IMPORTANT
Use Fully Native if:
- Your app requires high-performance gaming or 3D rendering.
- You need deep, constant background processing (e.g., fitness tracking).
- You want to build an Offline-First application.