React Native and Flutter handle the majority of greenfield mobile work well. They let you ship to both platforms with one codebase and iterate quickly on features. For most business applications, cross-platform is the right default.
But some things still require native development: heavy animations, low-level hardware access, or performance-critical paths where every frame matters. Our approach is practical. Start cross-platform to validate the product. Once you have usage data, move specific screens or features to native code where the metrics justify the investment.
## The real cost of cross-platform
You save roughly 40% on initial development by shipping one codebase to both platforms. But you trade that savings for occasional platform-specific bugs, performance ceilings on complex animations, and dependency on the bridge layer.
For business apps with forms, lists, and data entry, this trade-off is overwhelmingly positive. For games, AR experiences, or hardware-intensive features, it is not.
## Our recommendation
Start with React Native. Ship your MVP. Collect real usage data for 90 days. If performance metrics show specific screens underperforming, move those screens to native code. This approach costs less than building native from day one and gives you actual data instead of assumptions.
## When to go native from the start
If your app is primarily camera, GPS, or sensor-driven. If sub-16ms frame timing matters for your core interaction. If you need deep OS integration that the bridge does not support. These are clear signals for native development.