Which Cross-platform App Framework Should You Choose for Next Project?

Mobile app development becomes a new norm of modern business. We have witnessed a surge in the number of apps across various app stores in recent years. A survey of SensorTower has predicted that Apple’s App Store will have five million apps by 2020, which is more than a double of its current size. Here, it is fair to mention that though native mobile apps are visually appealing and offer a seamless performance, its cost may not fit in the budget of startups and SMEs.

The cost factor has given rise to cross-platform mobile app development. It enables entrepreneurs to kill two birds with one stone. They can come up with a customized app in a short time and save big bucks in developing a feature-rich app for both Android and iOS platforms. Cross-platform app development gains popularity over the period and technological advancements have made it possible that we have many cross-platform tools are available in the market.

Before we move to where some of the highly popular frameworks stand in 2019 and beyond, let’s have a quick review of the pros and cons of cross-platform app development.

• Reusability of code saves a lot of time and efforts of developers. As a result, you can get an app with desired features in a short time
• Lower cost of development as compared to native apps makes cross-platform app development a preferable option for startups and small companies
• Cross-platform apps offer excellent consistency in native UI components with uniformity in the look and feel across various devices
• Shorter TTM (Time to Market) makes cross-platform apps a good choice for businesses
• Cloud integration and easy hosting are possible with cross-platform apps

• As compared to native apps, these apps have limited support from Android and iOS platforms when it comes to features and functionality
• UX optimization across all the platforms remains a big challenge and at times, the app may fail to provide uniform capabilities for each platform
• The cross-platform app development framework needs to be updated in line with the updates in Android and iOS platforms

After having a brief idea on the pros and cons of cross-platform apps, let’s go through top five app frameworks so that you can select the most suitable one for your upcoming app project.

1. Xamarin–

   After launching in 2011, this platform was acquired by Microsoft in 2016. This open-source framework is aimed at solving the issue of differences in native technology stakes, thereby reducing the mobile app development cost significantly. Xamarin app development is based on C#, and it can seamlessly work on popular platforms like Android and iOS. By bringing updates more frequently than other platforms, Xamarin has gained popularity globally as a reliable platform. A report from Datanyze has revealed the market share of Xamarin is 31% to date in the US. This platform can easily resolve the limitation of other hybrid frameworks.

2. React Native–

   Facebook has released this framework back in 2015, and it has soon gained popularity among the developer’s community. React Native is the 14th most starred repository on Github. This framework enables the developers to write code in JavaScript, the coders’ favorite language. Code reusability, ready-to-use components, and massive support from ReactJS (a library) are a few of the major benefits of this robust framework. You can hire React Native developers to make high-quality, native-like apps that can seamlessly work across various platforms. Airbnb, Bloomberg, and Facebook Ads Manager apps rely on React Native.

3. Flutter–

   This Google-supported framework has created waves in the cross-platform app development domain soon after its launch in 2017. As an open-source, cross-platform framework, Flutter is based on Dart, an object-oriented programming language. This language has an easy learning curve and it offers a quicker app development. Flutter also enables developers to utilize hot reloading and a wrapping web view. It’s quick and adjustable gadgets can make the app more engaging and user-friendly. Coding is very fast and it reduces the time of the entire mobile app development process. It is an ideal platform for MVP development.

4. PhoneGap–

   A survey of iDatalabs has revealed that PhoneGap’s market share is 22.29% currently. It is a simple framework that uses HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS to build cross-platform apps. It is owned and supported by Adobe. The most distinct feature of PhoneGap that sets it apart from peers is an ability to share the application with the team. Developers can readily get the feedback from other persons thanks to this feature. It also provides a cloud solution to create an app directly. Developers can use the desktop to build mobile apps using PhoneGap, and then checks the app on the mobile devices connected to the desktop. Access to third-party tools, many plugins, and a large community are other major features of PhoneGap.

5. Ionic–

   SimilarTech has revealed that over 30 thousand websites are powered by Ionic in 2019. When you hire Ionic developers, you can leverage the benefits of the platform’s plenty of features and predefined elements to get an excellent business app. The Ionic platform is similar to AngularJS when it comes to structure and design. The platform allows developers to build native apps and progressive web apps. A rich library of tools and components makes this framework a preferable choice for developers.

Higher cost-efficiency and ROI are two major benefits of cross-platform apps. Cross-platform app development makes perfect sense especially for startups and small enterprises that want to get the advantage of a thriving mobile platform for expanding their business.

A robust, scalable, and engaging mobile app is all you need to expand your business across the world. We, at Semaphore, provide you end-to-end mobile app development services in a cost-effective way. We have in-house teams for development, maintenance, and marketing of your business app. Our focus on research and agile methodology can assist you to come up with a unique and user-friendly app. Feel free to contact us at info@semaphore-software.com for all your enterprise app needs.