Learn/Foundations
What all these words actually mean, in plain words.
The vocabulary, before the shopping. Native, hybrid, cross-platform, no-code, vibe coding: most of these words exist to sell something, which is why no two tools define them the same way. These pages define them, and say what each one costs you.
Start hereWhat is a native app?Twenty versions of the same question answered in a sentence each, including how to tell a real native build from a web page in a wrapper.29 guides, grouped by what you are trying to find out.
What kind of app am I building, and what does it ship as?
Native, web view, cross-platform: the first fork in the road and the one tool marketing is least clear about. The tell is what the build produces, not what the homepage claims.
What are React Native and Expo, and why does every tool mention them?
Two names you meet whichever builder you pick, because most of them output the same thing underneath. Ten minutes here makes every comparison afterwards shorter.
What does no-code actually mean, and where does it stop?
No-code is a claim about who can build, not about what gets built. The useful question is what happens on the day you need something the platform does not do.
What is vibe coding, and who started calling it that?
A term coined in one post in February 2025 that now sells software. It describes a real way of working and it hides a real set of problems, and the pages below separate the two.
What does it mean to let AI write the app?
Somewhere between autocomplete and a finished build, and the gap is where the surprises live. These draw the line: what the model does, and what is still yours to do.
Who owns the code once a tool has written it?
The question to ask before you pay anyone, because the answer decides whether you can ever leave. Two pages, which is fewer than the question deserves.