As there are different mobile platforms, app development is known to be native and cross-platform. The latter has excellent skills in generating accessible applications through various mobile devices. A single code is used across various platforms to provide portability, thus maximizing the app’s reach.
In this blog post, we will discuss the top 7 of 2024 that will allow you to achieve your development goals. But let’s first find out what the difference between native and cross-platform development is.
The Difference Between Native and Cross-Platform App Development
Native and cross-platform development is a never-ending debate that has made the IT community argue for several years. Some developers prefer native solutions, while others come up with cross-platform applications.
The continuously changing digital world requires new technologies, approaches, and solutions. No wonder, mobile app development is in a constant state of evolution. Still, what’s the difference? Native solutions are focused on one target platform. Most often these are iOS or Android, but others are also possible. Native applications offer better performance and access to platform-specific features.
Cross-platform applications offer faster development times and lower costs. They reach out to many followers of a certain brand, covering a wide number of devices. The code is created universally for different platforms. With the growth of cross-platform solutions' popularity, multifaceted tools and frameworks have entered the market of software development.
As we’ve mentioned above, cross platform mobile app development frameworks simplify the creation of these, in most cases, impressive software solutions. However, the process is full of challenges, let’s look at them in more detail.
Challenges in Cross-Platform App Development Process
A few years ago, cross-platform development mainly referred to basic mobile games and simple apps. However, the new technologies that emerged and advanced have made cross-platform solutions as well as the process of their development powerful, flexible, and adaptable.
Anyway, speaking about the challenges, we can’t but mention the following ones:
- Not stable performance. At times, performance hitches occur. It is due to differences in hardware and software. This can result in apps running slower or crashing on certain devices. So it is crucial to thoroughly test for compatibility and optimize performance for each platform.
- Cross-compliance maintaining. The specialists often experience difficulties with it, because the application runs across various devices and operating systems. And this may result in poor UX (user experience).
- Security concerns. Cross-platform development is a risky undertaking if it’s for corporate or commercial solutions. Managing and storing users’ data can be not 100% safe.
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Benefits of Cross-Platform App Development
The advantages of cross-platform applications outperform the challenges. So we are going to speak about them.
- Cost-effectiveness. Developing a single application that works on multiple platforms in most cases reduces the cost of development as compared to building separate native apps for each platform. However, this aspect should be evaluated individually for every project.
- Wider reach. Cross-platform apps can reach a wider audience as they can be used on multiple platforms such as iOS, Android, and Windows.
- Consistent user experience. Cross platform mobile frameworks offer a consistent UX across different platforms. It helps in building brand loyalty and increasing user engagement.
- Faster development. Cross-platform application development tools allow for faster development as programmers can reuse code across diverse platforms. It gives several benefits. You can reduce your time-to-market and release your MVP (minimum viable product) earlier. Thus, you will reduce the time and cost required to launch the app and start getting a profit more quickly.
- Easier maintenance. As developers only have to maintain a single codebase for cross-platform apps, it becomes easier to fix bugs, add new features, and update the app.
- Easier to scale. Cross-platform apps are easier to scale as they are built using a modular approach. It means that developers can add or remove features without affecting the overall functionality of the application.
- Straightforward cloud integration. Cross-platform mobile solutions can work on different operating systems. They can also use different plugins from the cloud. This means that the app's source code can be improved with various plugins and extensions to make it more scalable and functional.
All in all, developing apps for multiple platforms at the same time can save businesses time and money. This method also guarantees that the application will have a uniform look and features on all platforms. Finally, updates and maintenance can be more streamlined since changes only need to be made once for all platforms.
Best Cross Platform App Development Frameworks
The top cross platform app development frameworks below provide developers with the tools needed to create apps quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively. They also allow developers to leverage a common codebase for multiple platforms. As we said earlier, it saves time, effort, and money.
Flutter
Flutter is widely recognized as one of the most popular cross platform app development framework solutions available in the market today. Created by Google, this platform empowers developers to build visually appealing, high-performance apps for both iOS and Android. All this is using a single codebase. It also provides a rich set of widgets and tools that can be used to create beautiful and responsive apps.
One of the biggest advantages of Flutter is that it uses the Dart programming language. Dart is known for its exceptional speed, reliability, and ease of use.
Applications built on the Flutter cross platform framework are highly efficient and can be deployed on both iOS and Android platforms.
So is Flutter a framework you need? Decide for yourself. But apps built with Flutter are known for their fast performance and are highly customizable. Here are the apps developed with Flutter:
- Alibaba Group
- BMW
- Google Classroom
- Google Pay
- eBay
- PUBG Mobile
- Tencent
Because of its flexibility and user-friendliness, Flutter is a go-to choice for developers who value streamlined app development processes without sacrificing quality or functionality.
React Native
React Native is another favored cross platform mobile development framework. It is based on the React.js library used for web development. Through React Native, devs can craft high-performance mobile applications using React and JavaScript.
You may be wondering if React Native a framework offering enough features. Yes, It boasts a wide range of components and APIs that can be employed to create a native-like experience for users. These components and APIs enable developers to build a wide range of features into their apps. The features include user authentication, real-time data synchronization, push notifications, and more.
It is worth noting that React Native framework was created by Facebook (Meta). It is one of the world's leading tech companies. As such, the framework is constantly evolving and enhancing to meet the needs of modern app development. It makes it a reliable choice for developers who want to create first-rate multiplatform mobile solutions.
Xamarin
Let’s see, what is Xamarin framework. This exceptional cross-platform app development framework offers a great deal of flexibility to developers, enabling them to create native-like applications using C# programming language.
A great plus is that it has a strong community with many contributors. It also allows for code sharing across platforms, making development faster. However, the Xamarin framework can be expensive for enterprises. It’s not recommended for apps with heavy graphics. Additionally, certain important libraries may be limited. And creating the user interface with this framework is time-consuming.
Ionic
A popular Angular-based mobile cross platform framework, Ionic is open-source and free to use. Using JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, it can create visually appealing and effective applications.
One of the key advantages of Ionic is the ability to access native features like the Audio Recorder, GPS, and Camera, via Cordova plugins. Therefore, developers can create hybrid apps that have a native-like look and feel.
Ionic provides a rich set of UI components and tools that can be used to create native-like apps.
NativeScript
NativeScript is an open-source cross platform app development framework. Apps are built using JavaScript, TypeScript, and Angular. NativeScript has a rich set of tools and UI components to make great apps that look good and run fast.
The framework provides customization options for the user interface. Thus, devs can build unique and distinctive apps that stand out from the competition.
Moreover, NativeScript is free and open-source. Thus, developers can access the code and make changes as needed to suit their specific requirements. It makes it an ideal choice for startups and small businesses that want to develop a mobile app but have limited resources.
Node.js
The Node.js runtime environment is highly popular among JavaScript developers. It empowers them to create networking and server-side applications. It operates on a cross-platform basis and is based on the V8 JavaScript engine. Node.js is well-known for its event-driven and non-blocking I/O model, which provides an efficient and lightweight framework.
One of the primary selling points of Node.js is its ability to create scalable web applications and APIs. Node.js is also capable of handling large amounts of data and traffic. So it is an ideal option for high-performance applications.
PhoneGap
PhoneGap is based on Apache Cordova. It uses HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Its rich set of features and tools, combined with its ease of use, make it an excellent choice for developers of all levels of experience.
To conclude, these are some of the best cross platform app development framework solutions for creating advanced, visually appealing apps. Each of these frameworks has its pros and cons. Developers should choose the one that best suits their specific needs and requirements.
Why Flutter Should be Your Top Choice
Flutter has been gaining popularity among mobile developers lately. And there is no surprise here. Since the framework has a multitude of features to build scalable apps for both iOS and Android platforms. One of the main reasons for its popularity is its ability to create apps with a single codebase. It saves experts a significant amount of time and effort.
Another factor that makes Flutter framework our top choice is its hot reload feature. The development process becomes faster and more efficient when changes are seen in real time. This feature also eliminates the need for restarting the app every time there's a change in the code.
Flutter's widget library provides pre-made functionality, which reduces overall coding time. Developers can easily customize the widgets to create unique UIs that match the app's look and feel. The widgets are customizable and can be used as building blocks to create complex and interactive user interfaces.
Overall, Flutter's features make it an excellent choice for those who want to create high-quality apps visually stunning, efficient, and cost-effective.
Final Thoughts
Cross-platform app development is a prevalent choice today due to its numerous benefits. Among the outstanding advantages is the reduced development time. It’s because developers can create a solution that works on multiple platforms simultaneously. This approach saves both time and money. Since it allows businesses to launch their product faster and stay ahead of the competition.
The frameworks above are excellent options if you want to develop a mobile app without breaking the bank or sacrificing quality. Stfalcon’s experienced team can help you develop high-quality, visually attractive apps using Flutter. It provides a rich set of UI components and tools that can be employed to create a unique and distinctive application. Feel free to contact us and discuss the details of your project.
