Responsive Vs Adaptive Web Design – Which is better for your website?
responsive design
A responsive web design allows a page to fit the screen resolution of the user’s device. Images will grow larger or smaller to fit the space, while text and other elements will also adjust to fit as the space grows or shrinks.
advantages
Fast development time – Since a site can adapt to multiple devices, this reduces development time.
Low maintenance: Responsive sites are naturally less complicated than adaptive ones. If something needs to be changed on the site, this only requires one change. When it comes to responsive sites, you need to make changes in more than one place to ensure changes carry over to mobile devices.
Currently, Google recommends a responsive web design.
Future Proof – Although nothing is future proof, since responsive sites are flexible by nature, they will be able to adjust to more screen resolutions. Most responsive sites are made to fit both desktop and mobile, but many do not include tablets and offer only a desktop or mobile version. A responsive web design will allow the site to register well on a tablet like an iPad.
Cons
Since Responsive redesigns require additional work, they are more expensive than Adaptive ones. However, when completed, responsive sites require less maintenance compared to responsive sites, presenting overall long-term savings in terms of web development fees.
When choosing to make a responsive site, this requires redesigning the entire site and not just adding a mobile template. This can be an advantage, as the website will look good on both desktop and mobile devices, providing a consistent user experience.
adaptive design
A responsive site is comparable to having two different websites, one designed to fit on a desktop and one designed to fit on a mobile device. With the use of JavaScript plus other elements, users receive different versions of a site, depending on the type of device used.
advantages
With responsive design, a mobile site is built separately from a desktop site and therefore logos, images, as well as resource and bandwidth intensive processes can be excluded on the mobile version of the sites or better optimized for mobile use, providing a faster site. It is important to consider the assets that meet the needs of the users.
The current desktop site does not need to be redesigned. If you are satisfied with the current site, you can leave it as it is and develop a second mobile version.
A link to the desktop version of the site can be provided so that users can choose which version of the site they want to view.
Such a design can be made to adapt to mobile devices. A responsive web design allows a design to work with all types of devices, while with a responsive design, a design can be made especially for mobile phones.