Hybrid Frameworks - differences in HTML5 API access "standard" HTML5 vs. plugins - api

I'm doing some research right now, trying to figure out the core differences in accessing device API's using a hybrid framework like Ionic. As far as I know, there are two ways for accessing an API through HTML5:
via "standard" HTML5 API
via plugin
Since an access using HTML5 runs from inside the webview, I keep reading it is performing worse. That seems to depend on the fact, that you are actually running a webview inside a native app. That's why hybrid is slower than native, cause native does access directly from the context of the app. Where do i put plugins in that scenario? Are plugins designed like small API's to the devices libraries that do access the native features from outside the web view? And what are the benefits in terms of performance and why?
Or am I just getting stuff mixed up and the "standard" HTML5 API access works through a plugin as well?
Thanks in advance!
Kolja

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