Over time, making apps that work on various devices has become really popular. With cross-platform app development, developers can create apps that run well on various types of phones. Choosing a cross-platform tech solution for a project can confuse everyone due to the abundance of frameworks available.
In this blog, we’ve covered some important factors, like how well they perform, how fast they are, and how easily they can grow with your project.
We’ll share the cross-platform app development frameworks making the most successful projects in industries and the best for your future projects.
Reading through this guide will aid your research and help you determine which framework is best for your future project.
What Is a Cross-Platform App Development Framework?
Earlier, mobile app development was complicated by the need to create a backend that worked across multiple platforms.
Developers usually choose to develop native apps for every mobile OS, even though it takes more time and money. However, the primary hurdle was the inability to repurpose code from one operating system to another.
Cross-platform app development is the process of creating software applications that work on multiple mobile operating systems, including Android, iOS, and Windows. Creating separate apps for each system took a lot of time and money because the code could not be reused.
However, with cross-platform development, some or all of the code can be shared between platforms. This means that developers can write code once and reuse it, saving both time and money.
Plus, because of a combination of shared and original code, these apps continue to feel and look like they belong on each Platform.
Native vs. cross-platform application development
For developers, choosing between native and cross-platform mobile app development is crucial. Every choice has advantages and disadvantages of its own.
Native apps are designed specifically for one operating system, like iOS or Android, using languages like swift, Objective-C for iOS and Java, kotlin for Android.
They frequently run faster and more reliably because they are designed for that specific Platform and take full advantage of its features. Building native apps can be expensive, especially for startups.
That’s why cross-platform app development is so popular.
In cross-platform app development, developers write code once and have it run on multiple platforms.
This saves both time and money because you don’t have to create separate versions for each Platform. While there were concerns about performance in the past, cross-platform development tools have significantly improved.
Nowadays, there are many tools available that can create cross-platform apps that perform almost as well as native ones.
When deciding between native and cross-platform, consider your business’s needs and budget.
Here, we introduce you to the 10 best cross-platform app development frameworks that suit your different project requirements.
Our research and industry experts recommend the 10 Best Cross-Platform App Development Frameworks. We chose this Platform based on its flexibility and development experience.
What Are The Best Frameworks For Developing Cross-Platform Mobile Apps?
Flutter
In 2017, Google unveiled Flutter, a remarkable cross-platform app framework.
Flutter is the most popular cross-platform framework with nearly 46% of developers using it worldwide according to statista.
This software development kit (SDK) is designed to simplify the development of Android and iOS applications. It also works as a foundational framework for developing Google Fuchsia apps.
Flutter stands out on its own, providing applications that run smoothly across multiple platforms while remaining consistent and dynamic.
With many flexible development options, our expert has also added this cross-platform to this list of the best cross-platform app development frameworks.
Features
- Flutter uses a portable GPU, which helps it create powerful user interfaces that can run smoothly on the latest devices.
- With Flutter’s reactive framework, developers don’t need to update the UI contents manually. They need to change the variables, and the UI will update automatically.
- Flutter is an excellent choice for creating Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) because it speeds up development while saving money.
- Developers can easily rearrange the widget tree and understand code adjustments quickly.
- Flutter comes with its own graphics engine, so developers don’t need to create separate interfaces for Android and iOS.
React Native
React Native holds roughly 38% of developer usage according to surveys according to Statistia.
React Native is a strong platform that combines the flexibility of JavaScript and React.JS with the ability to write modules in languages like Objective-C, Swift, and Java.
This combination enables developers to make full use of native modules and libraries in cross-platform applications.
These native modules allow for the execution of resource-intensive operations such as image manipulation, video processing, and other tasks that go beyond the capabilities of the framework APIs.
React Native has a thriving community that offers extensive support and resources to developers.
Code editors made especially for the React Native framework are also widely available, making it easy to modify and improve apps in the future.
With the help of this strong ecosystem, developers can utilize React Native’s efficiency and flexibility to create dynamic, feature-rich apps.
Features
- It’s great that React Native and Ionic are both open-source frameworks for making apps that work on different platforms. But React Native has a big community of people who can help fix problems, make improvements, and add new features.
- With the Fast Refresh feature in React, developers can instantly see the changes they make to their components.
- Another neat thing about React Native is that it works well with other tools, like Google Maps. This means you can easily add features from different sources to your app.
- Plus, React Native is really good at making user interfaces (UI) that respond quickly. This means your app loads fast and feels smooth to use.
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Xamarin
Xamarin’s unique approach distinguishes it from the other cross-platform app development frameworks we’ve covered.
Unlike frameworks that rely on JavaScript libraries and HTML, Xamarin uses C# and.NET to simplify app development for Android, Windows, and iOS.
One of Xamarin’s primary advantages is its ability to reuse up to 90% of shared code across multiple platforms, significantly reducing development time and effort.
Because of Xamarin’s wide range of APIs, developers can also use it to create applications that have a native-like aesthetic.
When comparing Xamarin to alternatives such as React Native, developers frequently face difficult decisions.
Features
- With plugins and targeted APIs, Xamarin reduces hardware incompatibilities and gives developers native-level functionality. One of its main advantages for developing Android apps is that it can link with native libraries, which enables customization and native-like features.
- It supports the direct integration of Objective-C, Java, and C++ libraries, allowing developers to reuse existing codebases written in these languages, making it one of the best cross-platform frameworks available.
- Xamarin reduces the time and cost of mobile app development by supporting Write Once, Run Anywhere (WORA) and providing a large number of class libraries.
- With robust compile-time checking, Xamarin helps developers catch errors before runtime, resulting in well-functioning apps.
Ionic
Ionic is a strong and widely appreciated cross-platform application framework that AngularJS heavily influences.
Ionic Platform is the greate choice because of its unique combination of top programming languages, including HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS, in addition to the Cordova wrapper for native platform functionality.
With these cross-platform app development frameworks, developers can easily build user-friendly features and create stunning user interfaces.
Ionic is a great option for both traditional app development and Progressive Web App (PWA) development, as demonstrated by the outstanding interactivity and native-like feel of the final products.
This framework leads modern app development frameworks because of its efficiency and versatility.
Features
- This front-end framework is open-source, allowing developers to modify the code structure according to their needs, thus saving significant time. This makes it a strong competitor against React Native in the ongoing debate between Ionic and React Native.
- Ionic is based on a SAAS UI framework that was designed specifically for mobile operating systems. It offers a wide range of UI components to facilitate the development of robust applications.
- Another notable feature is its integration with AngularJS, which simplifies the addition of extensions to HTML syntax and core functionalities. This enables the integration of useful and attractive features and components into the application.
- The framework makes use of Cordova plugins, which give users access to built-in device features like the camera, GPS, and audio recorder. This feature is a significant advantage of cross-platform development tools.
- Developers appreciate that Ionic provides a native-like feel to applications. It aids in the development of cross-platform apps that perform well across various platforms, ensuring a consistent user experience.
NativeScript
NativeScript is an open-source framework for creating truly native mobile apps with JavaScript, TypeScript, or Angular.
Progress created NativeScript, a technology that allows developers to develop cross-platform iOS and Android mobile apps with native style and appearance.
Developers can directly access native APIs using a single codebase, resulting in high performance and seamless integration with device features.
NativeScript provides developers with freedom and efficiency by supporting current JavaScript frameworks such as Angular and Vue.js.
Its robust ecosystem includes plugins and extensive documentation, allowing developers to build feature-rich, visually appealing, and high-performance mobile applications.
Features
- NativeScript creates stunning, accessible, and platform-specific user interfaces without using WebViews. Developers only need to define the UI once, and NativeScript automatically adjusts it to work on any platform. They can also customize the UI for different devices and screen sizes.
- Unlike React Native, NativeScript comes with a comprehensive set of plugins for various solutions, reducing the reliance on third-party tools.
- NativeScript allows developers to easily access native Android and iOS APIs without needing to learn additional native development languages.
- It uses Angular and TypeScript for programming.
- NativeScript supports platforms like Cocoapods and AndroidArsenal and integrates local strategies from libraries.
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Node.js
Node.js is a flexible framework for developing cross-platform apps.
The Chrome V8 JavaScript engine powers it and provides an open-source environment for creating scalable server-side applications and networked apps.
Its strength is its ability to manage multiple concurrent connections efficiently while remaining responsive.
Node.js has a large library of JavaScript modules, which makes developing online applications easier.
Its popularity stems from its ability to handle multiple tasks at the same time, making it easier to create fast and efficient apps, whether they are small websites or complex apps.
Node.js, backed by a thriving community, allows developers to construct robust, scalable solutions that operate flawlessly across several platforms, making it a popular choice in the development scene.
Features
- All Node.js APIs are asynchronous, which means they do not stop servers as they wait for data from APIs. Instead, they proceed to the next API request instantly and use a notification mechanism to get results from prior calls.
- Because it is based on Chrome’s V8 engine, the Node.js library is famed for its lightning-fast code execution.
- Node.js cross-platform programs do not buffer data; rather, they emit it in chunks.
- Node.js uses a single-threaded paradigm with event looping to ensure that applications run smoothly and efficiently. This enables servers to reply non-blockingly, making them scalable.
- Node.js applications reduce response time for slow requests and allow developers to execute multiple information inquiries simultaneously.
Appcelerator Titanium
Appcelerator is a useful tool for developing mobile apps that work across multiple devices.
With Appcelerator, you can create apps for both iOS and Android with a single set of code.
It’s all about making app development simpler and faster.
The great thing about Appcelerator is that it allows you to leverage the built-in features of every device—all while writing JavaScript code.
So, you don’t need to learn a bunch of different programming languages. As per our experts, it’s a really great choice for developers who want to save time and effort while creating awesome apps for multiple platforms.
Features
- Appcelerator includes a number of tools for rapid application development, making it simple to create prototypes and assess user interaction with the user interface.
- It comes with ArrowDB, a schema-less data store that makes data model deployment easier and requires less setup.
- Among the current continuous delivery systems that Appcelerator facilitates integration with are SCM programs and others.
- Developers can easily integrate multiple services into their applications as it provides pre-built connectors for MS Azure, MS SQL, Salesforce, Box, and many more.
- Appcelerator has powerful analytics features that enable developers to acquire insights into user behavior, app performance, and usage patterns. This allows for more informed decisions about optimizing and improving the app’s overall user experience.
PhoneGap
A great framework for creating apps that function on various phone types is PhoneGap, also referred to as Cordova.
It uses common web technologies like CSS, JavaScript, and HTML5, which many developers are already familiar with.
One advantage of PhoneGap is that it allows developers to easily share their apps with others during the development process, allowing them to receive feedback and improve their work.
It’s great because it allows you to use all of your phone’s features, such as GPS, camera, and storage, directly within your app.
That means you don’t need to pick up a lot of new skills to create apps that do a range of interesting things.
Overall, PhoneGap is an effective tool for quickly and easily developing awesome mobile apps.
Features
- PhoneGap is well-known as a high-quality cross-platform framework that allows developers to create apps using familiar web technologies such as HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript.
- PhoneGap is a cross-platform framework that allows developers to write code once and deploy it across multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, and others.
- PhoneGap has a modular architecture that allows it to be extended with plugins. This implies that developers can expand access to native device APIs in a flexible and modular manner, improving the functionality of their apps as necessary.
- PhoneGap includes support for popular JavaScript frameworks such as jQuery Mobile and AngularJS, making the development process easier for developers who are already familiar with them. This enables the quick construction of feature-rich and visually appealing cross-platform applications.
Sencha Touch
Sencha Touch is a web-based cross-platform application development tool that was first released nearly a decade ago.
It is well-known for creating fast and efficient apps due to its use of hardware acceleration techniques.
With Sencha Touch, developers can build user interfaces and libraries that are well-tested and securely integrated.
It is particularly useful for developing large business apps because it is simple to maintain and update.
Many companies can rely on Sencha Touch to effectively develop and manage their apps, ensuring that they meet their current and future requirements.
Features
- Sencha Touch is known for its native-looking themes for popular platforms such as Android, iOS, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone. It has an efficient backend data package that allows for seamless data source management.
- Cordova integration is a noteworthy feature that provides access to native APIs and packaging. It ensures code interoperability across multiple versions.
- With over 50 customizable built-in UI widgets and a variety of rich UI components like lists, carousels, forms, menus, and toolbars, Sencha Touch offers a comprehensive toolkit specifically designed for mobile platforms.
- Sencha Touch has detailed documentation and extensive community support that makes it easier for developers to learn, troubleshoot, and collaborate on projects.
Corona SDK
Corona SDK is a software development kit that allows programmers to create mobile applications, especially 2D games, for various platforms like iOS, Android, Kindle, and Windows.
App development can be completed much faster than other methods due to its well-known efficiency and speed.
The Corona SDK is based on Lua, a popular scripting language known for its simplicity and adaptability.
Lua’s focus on speed, portability, and ease of use makes it a perfect fit for mobile app development. Corona SDK is free to use and compatible with both Mac OS X and Windows operating systems, which is one of its many advantages.
Features
- Corona SDK includes over 1000 APIs that allow developers to build sprite animations, audio, music, Box2D physics, object tweening, texture management, native elements, and other features into their apps.
- It responds in real time to code changes, providing instant previews of app performance that are comparable to real devices.
- The Corona SDK improves app functionality by supporting nearly 200 plugins, including in-app advertising, analytics, media, and hardware features.
- Corona SDK is known for being a quick and reliable framework in part because it depends on the Lua programming language to guarantee speed and power.
Among these 10 best cross-platform development frameworks, you can go through them with anyone depending on your project’s requirements and the included features.
You can take our expert guide or contact us for project-related inquiries; we will help you choose the best framework for your specific needs.
Our team of experienced developers can provide personalized recommendations based on your project goals and objectives.
What Are the Benefits of Cross-Platform App Development Frameworks?
With the advancement of future technology, cross-platform app development makes your development easy for multiple platforms and saves you development time.
With its robust single-code technology, take your development process to the next level and make your application accessible to a wider audience.
Maximum Exposure to the Target Audience
Using cross-platform app development frameworks helps you reach more people with your app effortlessly.
With cross-platform development, your app can be accessed by users across multiple devices and platforms, allowing you to get a larger audience.
Reduced Development Cost
Building an app can be expensive, but with cross-platform development, you save money by using the same code across different platforms.
Easier Maintenance and Deployment
Keeping your app up-to-date and running smoothly is simple with cross-platform development. You can make changes once and have them reflected across all platforms, saving time and effort.
Quicker Development Process
Time really matters, especially when it comes to bringing your app to market. Cross-platform development speeds up the process by allowing you to write code once and deploy it everywhere.
Reusable Code
With cross-platform development, you can reuse code across different platforms, saving you from writing the same thing over and over again.
It helps save you the time and energy of loading multiple times for other platforms.
Easy Integration with the Cloud
Cross-platform development allows you to leverage cloud services such as data storage and analytics, increasing the scalability and power of your app. So you can easily save, share, and access your data from anywhere.
Cross-platform app development frameworks make building and maintaining your app easier, faster, and more cost-effective.
So why wait? Start your cross-platform app development and make your application stand out in the market.
Challenges in cross-platform app development frameworks:
Cross-Platform App Development Frameworks also sometimes raise difficulties in your development process. Let’s see how it makes you irritated during development.
- It can be tough to make sure that the app works properly on all devices because they are all unique.
- It is difficult to make the app look and feel the same on every Platform because each has its own set of design rules.
- It can be not easy to ensure that every feature works flawlessly across all platforms.
- Integrating the unique features and tools of different platforms while keeping everything in sync can be difficult.
- Making updates for all platforms can take time because each requires unique changes and testing.
- Some frameworks may not allow you to use all of the features of a device because they limit the capabilities of your app.
- It can be difficult to find good tools to assist with app development, and getting assistance when things go wrong can also be difficult.
The future of cross-platform app development
After extensive research, we’ve identified a pressing question: What’s next for cross-platform app development? A significant number of brands have shifted to cross-platform technology to take advantage of its benefits.
Looking ahead, it’s clear that the vast majority of apps will use cross-platform tech stacks. Cross-platform development frameworks and tools will probably continue to progress as a result of this change.
Developers will need to innovate and adapt to meet the growing demand for smooth user experiences across multiple devices.
Concluding Thoughts
We now have the best cross-platform app development frameworks, which can ensure smooth development and give you the best application for multiple platforms.
Every platform has unique features and development methods, which can help you choose according to your flexibility in development.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What is a cross-platform framework?
- Cross-platform app development is the process of creating software applications that work on multiple mobile operating systems, including Android, iOS, and Windows. Developers can save time and effort by writing code only once and having it deployed across various platforms thanks to these frameworks.
- What is the best cross-platform framework?
- The best cross-platform framework depends on various factors, such as project requirements, development preferences, and desired features. However, some popular cross-platform frameworks include Ionic, React Native, Flutter, Xamarin, NativeScript, and PhoneGap. Each framework has its strengths and suitability for different types of projects.
- How do you make a mobile app cross-platform?
- Making a mobile app cross-platform involves using a cross-platform development framework or tool that allows developers to write code once and deploy it across multiple platforms. You can choose from a variety of cross-platform frameworks, such as Ionic, React Native, Flutter, Xamarin, NativeScript, PhoneGap, Sencha Touch, Node.js, and Appcelerator Titanium, depending on your project requirements and preferences.
