Difference between Adaptive and Responsive design

Many questions are asked about the differences between Responsive and Adaptive web design. These two terms are widely used in web programming. So, what is the main difference between them?

Responsive Design: Presupposes the use of one flexible layout or component for all devices (computer, tablet, smartphone).

As an example, let's take the header part of your site. If the header automatically adapts to all screen sizes, it means that it was created based on the principles of responsive design. The image below shows this more clearly:

As you can see in the picture, the header is written with one code and works smoothly on all devices.

Adaptive Design: Means creating separate layouts for each device. In the header example above, you can create separate headers for mobile, desktop and tablet and load the appropriate layout for each device. For example, a special mobile header.

for mobile devices only

The main differences are listed in the table.

Which design to choose?

Adaptive design is preferable in the following cases:

• When it is necessary to create a customized user experience for specific devices.
• If you know exactly which devices your users use.

Responsive design is appropriate in the following cases:

• When you need a flexible solution for a wide range of devices.
• If you plan to adapt the site to new devices in the future.

Responsive design is preferred in most cases because it is flexible and easier to manage. However, adaptive design can be useful in some special cases.

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