To answer whether native Salesforce or non-native Salesforce apps are best, let’s first start with a question.
What is a native Salesforce app?
A native Salesforce app means that instead of an app being built outside of Salesforce and having to integrate with Salesforce using the Salesforce API, an app is built 100% INSIDE of Salesforce itself using the Lightning Platform. A native app means there is no need to integrate with Salesforce because a native app lives within Salesforce.
Here’s an example. You have native and hybrid apps on your phone. The native apps are more closely interfacing with the operating system.
According to Techopedia: a native mobile app is a smartphone application that is coded in a specific programming language, such as Objective C for iOS or Java for Android operating systems. Native mobile apps provide fast performance and a high degree of reliability.
Native apps are written for the platform.
Are all native Salesforce apps the same?
Most Salesforce apps are not native, but many say they are which can add to the confusion in the marketplace. Sometimes if an app is partially built within Salesforce and partially built outside of Salesforce, companies will market the app as native. Some companies will also claim their app is native if they use Salesforce reports.
Going back to an analogy, it’s like food manufacturers that market their product as healthy by saying “Natural” or “Made with Whole Grains,” but then still have sugar listed as the first ingredient.
So how can you tell if an app is 100% native to Salesforce?
All certified native Salesforce apps have a “Native App” icon listed on their AppExchange product page. For example, take a look at our AppExchange listing for Fastcall:
If Salesforce doesn’t give its “Native App” seal of approval, it’s not 100% native.
Still not sure?
If you’re still not sure if the Salesforce app is 100% native, ask your sales rep three simple questions –
1. Is the app 100% or partially native to Salesforce?
2. Where is the app hosted?
3. Where is the app data stored?
If the app is hosted on or if its data is stored on an outside server – and not within Salesforce itself – then the app is not considered 100% native.
So why is a 100% native Salesforce app better than a non-native app?
We’re so glad you asked! There are a slew of benefits that come with a 100% native Salesforce app, including:
SECURITY
Because a 100% native app doesn’t need to integrate with Salesforce, all of your precious and private data stays within Salesforce and is not stored on a potentially vulnerable external server. The less places your data is housed, the less susceptible you are to a security threat. In addition, since your app lives within Salesforce itself, a 100% native application automatically adheres to the security settings you already established within Salesforce.
ACCURACY
A 100% native app means that all of your data is updated in real-time and is always 100% accurate and 100% up-to-date. This means that as you are creating tasks, logging calls, and taking notes, you will never need to refresh your screen to see recent work, you will never encounter databases not syncing, and you can trust that your reporting will not have any record conflicts or outdated results.
SPEED
Not only with your reports be accurate, but because there is no need to sync databases, a 100% native app also means that your reports will run faster. In addition, because there isn’t a need to integrate an external app into Salesforce, a 100% native app can usually be up-and-running more quickly than its non-native counterparts.
EXPERTISE
When an app is native to Salesforce, that means that an app is dedicated and committed to Salesforce. Non-native apps are more versatile in that they can typically integrate with a variety of different CRMs, but when you use a native Salesforce app, you work with a Salesforce expert. If you are using Salesforce as your CRM, do you need or want your apps to be versatile across a spectrum of CRMs, or do you want an app that is an expert in your CRM of choice?
TRUST
Because a 100% native app is built IN Salesforce, it needs to adhere to Salesforce’s best practices and security policies. Therefore, the trust you put in Salesforce is the same trust you can put in a 100% native app. In addition, you can be sure that when Salesforce is up-and-running, your 100% native app will be as well, since they will be running on the same server.
SIMPLICITY
A 100% native app is typically an easier solution than a non-native counterpart because there is no need for an additional user log-in. When a user logs into Salesforce, they automatically have access to the installed native app’s features. This also means that adoption rates and training tend to be easier because a team only needs to learn one interface – Salesforce itself.
Other helpful posts about Salesforce native apps
If have any questions about 100% native, native hybrid, or non-native apps, feel free to reach out to us at Fastcall, a 100% native Salesforce app and the #1 native Salesforce phone & SMS system. We can be reached at sales@fastcall.com.
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