Overview
What is an APK?
Android Package referred to as APK (sometimes Android Package Kit or Android Application Package). Android distributes and installs programs using this file type. As a consequence, an APK has every component an app requires to successfully install on your device.
An APK file is containing all of the code, metadata, and resources for a software program. Developers that produces applications for Android devices must compile their program into the APK format.
What is an App Bundle?
The Android App Bundle (AAB) is the new official publishing format for Android in Google Play. Providing more effective way in creating and releasing an application. The Android App Bundle enables you to more easily deliver a great experience in a smaller app size, which can improve install success and lower uninstalls.
Because Google Play uses app bundle to simultaneously build and providing optimized APKs for each device configuration. Thus. guaranteeing that only the code and resources necessary in order to run your app.
Difference of APK and App Bundle
An Android application’s complete installation package is known as an APK. However, in order to enable Dynamic Delivery, developers can publish an aab file to Google Play. Play Asset Delivery is a Google Play option for distributing huge volumes of game assets that allows developers multiple delivery methods and good speed. Game developers that publish their games using app bundles can utilize this solution.
Primarily with App Bundle, Users receive smaller, more-optimized downloads and you no longer need to create, sign, and manage several APKs to optimize support for different devices. App Bundle also varies from APK in a sense where you cannot utilize it once it has been deployed to a device. It is really a publishing format that combines the resources and all the produced code for your app into a single build artifact.
Conclusion
Since the beginning of Android, APK has been the preferred method of app delivery. Heavy resources like images, music, and other program codes, as well as an app signing key created by the developer, make up the majority of an APK. AAB is a container that houses several split-APKs as well as a base APK. APK is the packaging format for Android apps that you install on your device, whereas AAB is a publishing format that a developer uploads to the Play Store.