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Cross-platform app development offers businesses an opportunity to reach a wider audience faster. It also helps optimize budget and make the best use of their development resources. In today’s post, we offer an overview of the most popular cross-platform mobile development frameworks in 2025. We will explore their strong sides, find the differences between frameworks, and try to figure out which of them might be your top choice.

This guide will help you make informed decisions about the best framework for your next project, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each option. It will help speed up your time to market and enhance performance and user experience of your cross platform application.

At Stfalcon, we’ve been building effective software solutions since 2009. Our team specializes in creating high-performance cross-platform applications that meet our clients' business objectives. From ideation to deployment, we provide end-to-end solutions to ensure the success of your app.

What Makes a Great Cross-Platform Development Framework in 2025?

To define the best framework for cross-platform mobile development, we want to pay attention to the following criteria:

  • Performance & User Experience. A top-tier framework should deliver seamless, native-level performance. This ensures smooth user interactions, quick load times, and a delightful user experience. Also, a consistent UI/UX design across all platforms is important for business. If you are looking for a great framework, pay attention to what tools and libraries it provides. It helps maintain a consistent look and feel, regardless of the device.
  • Development Speed & Cost. Using the right tools for cross-platform application development can help you launch your product faster. This allows you to release your minimum viable product (MVP) sooner. When choosing the framework, opt for the one that will reduce the time and cost required to launch the app and start making a profit more quickly.
  • Scalability & Maintenance. It is wise to consider future perspectives from the very start. Look for systems that support more users and adapt to changing business needs without losing performance. Another crucial aspect is future maintenance. A well-structured codebase simplifies updates, bug fixes, and future enhancements.
  • Developer Ecosystem & Community. Some cross-platform mobile app development frameworks and technologies are more popular among developers or have a more accessible learning curve. Therefore, companies have access to a broader talent pool. Also, a strong developer community is a big advantage for a framework. It provides helpful resources, tutorials, and support forums.
  • Platform Coverage. A good framework works flawlessly on many platforms, including mobile (iOS, Android), web, and desktop. Still, most solutions show better performance on some of them. Keep your objectives in mind and choose a framework that performs best on the platforms of your choice.

By looking closely at these factors, businesses can choose a cross-platform framework that meets their goals and provides great user experiences.

Ivanna

Ivanna

Client Manager

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Best Cross Platform App Development Frameworks

The top cross platform app development frameworks provide the tools to build apps quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively. They also allow developers to leverage a common codebase for multiple platforms. Today, we're talking about six popular cross-platform development frameworks:

  • Flutter, best for social media apps, e-commerce, enterprise-level apps, startups needing fast MVP development
  • React Native for social media and messengers, mobile-first business solutions, apps relying heavily on native functionality
  • Kotlin Multiplatform for enterprise-level applications, complex apps with platform-specific UI needs
  • Ionic for Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), simple mobile apps with minimal native functionality, startups and small businesses needing cost-effective solutions
  • Native Script for apps with custom native integrations, applications requiring full hardware functionality, cross-platform apps where performance is critical
  • PhoneGap for simple apps like calculators, forms, or content-based apps, early-stage MVPs, apps with limited performance and native feature needs.

Flutter

Flutter is one of the most popular mobile app development frameworks in 2025, gaining even more popularity over time. Google created this platform to help developers quickly build attractive and fast apps for iOS and Android. There’s also a wide range of widgets and tools that come in handy when developing beautiful and responsive applications.

Apps built with Flutter show fast performance and are highly customizable. This framework is popular among developers because of its flexibility and simplicity. It helps shorten the development cycle while maintaining quality and functionality.

Stfalcon's developers prefer Flutter over other frameworks, and here's why:

  • Ability to create apps with a single codebase. It saves specialists a significant amount of time and effort.
  • Dart programming language. Dart is widely acclaimed for being fast, reliable, and easy to use.
  • Hot reload feature. The ability to see changes in real time makes the development process much faster and more efficient. You also don’t need to restart the app every time there's a change in the code.
  • Flutter's widget library. It provides pre-made functionality, which reduces overall coding time. The widgets are easily customizable, allowing developers to create unique UIs that match the app's look and feel. You can use widgets as building blocks to create complex and interactive user interfaces.

Flutter's best use cases: eBay, Google Pay, BMV.

One of Stfalcons most successful cases with Flutter is BingeBooks app. Our developers created a mobile application for iOS and Android that lets book lovers discover new works and exchange recommendations. Its main functions are content search, book browsing, and user list management.

Read the full case study

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.

React Native offers many components and APIs to create a native-like experience. These components and APIs enable developers to build various features into their apps. The features include user authentication, real-time data synchronization, push notifications, and more.

React Native framework was created by Facebook (Meta). The framework is constantly evolving to meet the needs of modern app development. RN is reliable for developers who want to build first-rate multiplatform mobile solutions.

Best use cases: Facebook, Skype, Shopify.

Kotlin Multiplatform

Kotlin Multiplatform is gaining recognition as a robust solution for cross-platform app development. JetBrains, the company behind Kotlin, developed this technology. It lets you write most of your app's code once and then use it on different platforms.

Kotlin Multiplatform has a major benefit: it works well with the Kotlin programming language. Its advantages include Kotlin's concise syntax, strong type system, and a rich standard library. Devepolers appreciate Kotlin for being simple and safe. It works well with existing Java code, making it a good choice for developers who are used to working in the Android environment.

The framework is flexible and has a modular design. This helps developers build customized and efficient applications. Kotlin Multiplatform is an excellent option for teams that want a consistent development approach. It helps create high-quality performance and user experience on various platforms.

Best use cases: Forbes, Cash App, McDonald’s.

Stfalcon’s case with Kotlin Multiplatform was creating an SDK for Android and IOS platforms for a crypto wallet. Our main task was to combine business logic and use the same code base on different platforms. Kotlin Multiplatform allowed us to use the same business models, processes, queries, internal data processing, and encryption on all target platforms.

Read the full case study

Ionic

Ionic is a popular, open-source, free mobile cross-platform framework based on Angular. Developers use JavaScript, HTML, and CSS to create applications with effective performance and appealing interfaces.

One of the reasons Ionic is so convenient is that it accesses native features like the Audio Recorder, GPS, and Camera via Cordova plugins. Due to this, developers can create hybrid apps with a native-like look and feel.

Ionic offers a great choice of UI components and tools that can be used to create native-like apps.

Still, the framework has its drawbacks, and the most significant one is security risks. Applications built on Ionic rely on web technologies and are packaged as hybrid apps. It presents such risks as data leakage and unauthorized access. To prevent that, developers need to implement robust security measures.

Best use cases: NHS, Bestinvest, Pizza Hut.

NativeScript

NativeScript is a cross platform framework that uses 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. Developers can access the code and make changes to suit their specific requirements. It makes NS an ideal choice for startups and small businesses that want to develop a mobile app but have limited resources.

Best use cases: Coursera, BitPoints, Strudel.

PhoneGap

PhoneGap is based on Apache Cordova. It uses HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This framework is easy to use, and its rich set of features and tools makes it an excellent choice for developers of all experience levels.

Developers often choose PhoneGap because of its simplicity. Specialists familiar with web development can quickly transition to building mobile apps. PhoneGap relies on web views to render the app's UI, sometimes leading to performance limitations.

Best use cases: Wikipedia, HealthTap, Pacifica.

Final Thoughts: Best Mobile App Development Frameworks in 2025

Choosing the right cross-platform development tools and frameworks is a major step to your project's success. The frameworks above are excellent options for developing a mobile app without breaking the bank or sacrificing quality.

The next crucial step is choosing a reliable cross-platform development company that will help you meet your goals. Stfalcon’s experienced team can help you develop high-quality, visually attractive Flutter apps. It offers a variety of UI components and tools to help you create a unique application. If this sounds appealing to you, contact us and let's discuss the details of your project.

FAQ

What is the most popular cross-platform mobile development framework?

All the frameworks described above are quite popular among mobile developers. However, as of the end of 2024, the most frequently used would be Flutter and React Native. Additionally, Flutter is becoming increasingly popular over time.

Is cross-platform the best choice for mobile app development?

The best choice for mobile app development depends on your needs, priorities, and resources. If you want to build a complex app with specific features or high performance, choose native development. But if you aim to shorten the development cycle, spare costs, or create consistent UX across different platforms, cross-platform app development can be your top choice. Think carefully about the pros and cons of cross-platform versus native development. This will help you make the best choice for your project.

What is the fastest framework for apps?

The definition of the fastest framework for mobile app development depends on a few factors. These include the complexity of the app, the developer's skill level, and what type of performance is most important. Yet, Flutter is often seen as one of the fastest frameworks available.