Developing applications for multiple platforms can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. Cross-platform app development could also require developers to learn different programming languages and frameworks.
But there is a way to streamline the app development process and maximize the impact of your applications across various platforms.
Here are the top 10 cross-platform mobile app development frameworks that unleash excellence in app development, enabling you to create powerful applications that run seamlessly on multiple platforms with minimum effort.
Table of Contents
Cross-Platform Frameworks – A Quick Overview
Cross-platform frameworks enable developers to build apps that require little to no modification and can run on various platforms and operating systems. These frameworks offer a single codebase and development environment that helps developers write the application’s code just once and publish it to multiple platforms, including mobile devices, desktop computers, and web browsers.
Simply put, cross-platform mobile frameworks are used to create apps usable on a wide range of different end devices. Because of the simple portability and low cost of software creation, a single code is used across several platforms. The target audience may be most exposed to them with cross-platform mobile frameworks. For instance, a single software can support iOS and Android, maximizing its user base.
Market Share of Cross-Platform Frameworks
Statista has shared a list of the cross-platform mobile frameworks developers most widely utilized from 2019 to 2022. Flutter and React Native are the most popular ones among the lot. Based on the survey, about 46 percent of software developers use Flutter. Most mobile developers use native tools, with only about one-third using cross-platform technologies or frameworks.
Why Choose Cross-Platform Frameworks for Developing a Mobile App?
Cross-platform development frameworks are increasingly common in the world of mobile app development. Using a single codebase, these frameworks enable developers to create mobile applications operating on iOS and Android. There are the following reasons why cross-platform frameworks are preferred for creating mobile apps.
1. Cost-efficiency
Cost-effectiveness is one of the main factors to consider when selecting cross-platform frameworks for mobile app development. With cross-platform frameworks, developers may write code once and distribute it to various platforms, including iOS and Android.
As a result, there is no longer a need for distinct development teams, and development and maintenance expenses are decreased overall. Developers can use their expertise and experience using cross-platform frameworks, resulting in shorter development cycles and lower costs.
2. Faster Time-to-market
Cross-platform frameworks have made mobile app development easier and quicker for developers. Using a single codebase for various platforms allows developers to create and test an app simultaneously across various hardware and operating systems. Compared to creating unique native apps for each device, this greatly decreases the time needed to run the app.
In today’s competitive app development marketplace, a quicker time to market is essential since it enables firms to reach users sooner and gain a competitive edge.
3. Wider Reach
Cross-platform frameworks benefit from a bigger audience by enabling developers to target several platforms with a single codebase. Developers can make a single program that functions well on both iOS and Android rather than making separate apps for each platform.
Moreover, it allows companies to increase their user base and reach a wider audience. Businesses can tap into several market groups and boost their app’s visibility and success potential by concurrently targeting many platforms.
4. Consistent User Experience
Cross-platform frameworks help to ensure a consistent user experience on several platforms. By using a single codebase, developers can create and put into practice standardized user interfaces, interactions, and navigational patterns.
By being consistent, a brand may build a strong identity and increase user happiness. Users will have a consistent app experience regardless of their platform or device, creating a seamless and simple app experience.
5. Access to Native Features and Performance
Cross-platform frameworks offer access to native features and performance enhancements in addition to enabling code reuse. Native modules or plugins are provided by contemporary cross-platform frameworks like React Native, Flutter, and Xamarin to allow developers to access device-specific functionality. It allows developers to use platform-specific features like the camera, GPS, push notifications, and more.
Furthermore, cross-platform frameworks have been developed to enhance performance and offer experiences similar to native apps, guaranteeing fluid animations, quick loading times, and responsive user interfaces.
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Top 10 Frameworks for Maximum Impact on App Development
We can add examples of popular apps developed using each framework in every section.
Here are the top 10 frameworks that have made a significant impact on app development:
1. Flutter
Google introduced the remarkable Flutter cross-platform app framework in 2017. It is a software development kit created to aid in quickly developing Android and iOS apps. It is also a crucial and essential technique for creating Google Fuschia apps.
Flutter provides apps that operate quickly, efficiently, uniformly, and dynamically across various platforms. These outstanding qualities make Flutter a popular cross-platform framework among developers.
Some examples of apps created using Flutter are Google Ads, Hamilton, Alibaba, Topline, etc.
Features:
- Flutter encourages portable GPU, which renders UI power and enables it to function on the most recent interfaces.
- Flutter has a reactive architecture, therefore, changing the UI elements doesn’t need to be done manually. Only the variables need to be updated by Flutter app developers; the UI changes will follow.
- Flutter’s cross-platform software framework is ideal for creating Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) as it starts a quick and reasonably priced development process.
- The programmers can understand the changes to the code and effectively recreate a widget tree automatically.
- There is a built-in graphics engine in Flutter. As a result, the developers wouldn’t have to deal with the hassle of creating different interfaces for Android and iOS.
2. React Native
It is difficult to talk about cross-platform app frameworks without mentioning React Native. It is a JavaScript framework used to produce actual code and provide a native-like experience for mobile applications functioning on Android and iOS.
Due to React Native’s exceptional capabilities, corporations and developers favor it as the best platform for their apps. React Native combines the advantages of JavaScript and React.JS while allowing developers to write modules in Objective-C, Swift, or Java.
Additionally, by using native modules and libraries in the cross-platform React Native apps, developers can do time-consuming processes like video processing, image editing, and other operations not supported by the framework APIs. React Native has excellent community support, and the framework is compatible with several code editors that may be used to alter your projects in the future.
WhatsApp, Netflix, Dropbox, Discord, and Shopify are some examples of apps created using React.
Features:
- Depending on the program’s complexity, developers can share 80% of a codebase across many platforms.
- Developers may rapidly check all the changes with fash refresh.
- Developers may use some great native features like an accelerometer and camera.
- There are numerous integrated, community-driven components and APIs in the React Native framework. Developers can search the npm registry for the component if it isn’t already there or ask one of the thousands of React Native developers in the community for assistance.
- It places more emphasis on UI to produce a high-quality user interface.
3. Ionic
Ionic is one of the most outstanding and well-liked cross-platform app frameworks based on AngularJS. It enables programmers to access native platform controllers by combining the leading programming languages, including HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS, with the Cordova wrapper.
Ionic allows developers to design a brilliantly inventive user interface and incorporate user-friendly elements into the app. It is the perfect platform for PWA development as the apps made with it are so dynamic and native-like. Some popular apps developed using Ionic are Sworkit, JustWatch, Pacifica, etc.
Features:
- Ionic is designed explicitly for mobile OS and uses a SaaS UI framework.
- It provides several UI elements, fonts, paradigms, and themes to help you create high-quality applications.
- Ionic offers many Native plugins for native features like Bluetooth, HealthKit, FingerPint, Auth, etc. Developers can also use TypeScript extensions and Cordova/PhoneGap plugins to access additional native plugins.
- Ionic allows developers to produce an application prototype easily.
- With the help of its live reload feature, all items are quickly loaded in the server before being displayed in a browser or emulator.
- Ionic’s CLI benefits developers and can be launched, created, operated, and emulated with the command.
4. Xamarin
Xamarin is a free and open-source platform development framework with Xamarin 4.8.0 being the most recent stable release. Using .NET and C#, programmers may create native Windows, macOS, iOS, tvOS, WatchOS, and Android programs. It is made up of tools, frameworks, and programming languages.
Xamarin lets developers share 90% of the code between various platforms to speed up development. However, it depends on the developer’s complexity, features, experience level, and function.
Some examples of apps created using Xamarin are Microsoft Office, Slack, Pinterest, JustGiving, etc.
Features:
- Developers can integrate libraries for Objective-C, Java, and C++. It allows developers to repeatedly use codebases from third parties that are encrypted in Java, Objective-C, and C++.
- Xamarin provides reliable compile-time checking. As a result, developers create more completely functional apps with fewer run-time defects.
- The Xamarin framework is used to create mobile apps created in C#, an improved version of C++, and Java.
- The vast set of classes known as.NET BCL is available to developers. These offer a variety of features, including strong XML, databases, serialization, strings, and more.
- The framework has a compile-time checking function. With this functionality, developers may quickly identify and fix faults to create operational programs.
5. Swiftic
Swiftic lets individuals and businesses create their mobile applications without coding or technical expertise. Formerly known as Como, Swiftic provides a user-friendly interface and a range of templates, features, and customization options to build apps for iOS and Android devices.
With Swiftic, users can design and personalize their app’s layout, select from various pre-built features such as push notifications, in-app messaging, loyalty programs, and social media integration, and add content and branding elements. The platform also offers tools for app analytics, enabling users to track user engagement, downloads, and other metrics.
Expressions, Qups, Happy Chef, and My Fitness Journal are examples of apps created by using Swiftic.
Features:
- Swiftic offers consumers a simple drag-and-drop interface that makes it simple to build and adjust the look of their mobile app.
- The platform offers a variety of pre-designed templates catering to different industries and app categories. Users can choose a template as a starting point and modify it to suit their specific needs.
- Users can personalize their app’s appearance by adding their logo, colors, images, and other branding elements to ensure a consistent brand identity.
- It enables users to send push notifications to their app users, allowing them to communicate important updates, promotions, or other information directly to their audience’s mobile devices.
- Users can implement loyalty programs within their app, rewarding customers for their repeat business and encouraging customer retention.
- It provides in-app messaging features that allow users to communicate with their app users through pop-up messages or chat interfaces, enabling direct engagement and support.
6. jQuery
jQuery is a small and efficient “write less, do more” JavaScript library. It simplifies many complex JavaScript features, including DOM manipulation and AJAX calls.
jQuery is a JavaScript library for all platforms created to simplify the labor-intensive client-side scripting of HTML. It makes it easier for users to create UI-related function codes in as few lines as feasible and enhances an application’s speed.
A simple-to-use API that works on various browser types makes tasks like HTML document navigation and manipulation, animation, event handling, and AJAX quite straightforward.
Some examples of apps created by using jQuery are WordPress, Twitter, LinkedIn, Airbnb, and Pinterest.
Features:
- jQuery simplifies DOM (Document Object Model) manipulation by providing a concise syntax and a set of methods to easily traverse, manipulate, and update elements on a webpage.
- It provides an event handling system that allows you to bind event handlers to elements, such as clicking a button or submitting a form.
- jQuery simplifies making asynchronous HTTP requests using its Ajax (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) module. It provides a set of methods to send and receive data from a server without requiring a full page reload.
- jQuery includes a range of built-in animation effects that creates visually appealing and interactive elements on your webpage. You can animate properties like position, size, color, and opacity, as well as create custom animations and chaining effects together.
7. NativeScript
NativeScript is a fantastic free cross-platform framework based on JavaScript.It wouldn’t be inappropriate to recommend NativeScript to developers looking for WORA functionality.
Additionally, NativeScript provides access to all native APIs, allowing programmers to incorporate pre-existing plugins directly from NPM into their applications.
Some popular apps developed using Ionic are Strudel, Attendance2, BeerNava, etc.
Features:
- NativeScript provides various plugins, templates, and app samples on its marketplace.
- It gives them access to native Android and iOS APIs, they don’t need to have additional understanding of native development languages.
- Without relying on WebViews, it enables developers to build aesthetically pleasing, usable, and platform-native user interfaces. Once written, developers must let NativeScript take over. They can also alter the UI according to the displays and devices.
- The bundle methodology, which enables more effective source code bundling for app development, will be available to developers.
8. Node.js
The Node.js framework is fantastic for creating cross-platform applications. Node.js is a JavaScript runtime framework constructed on the Chrome V8 JavaScript engine. It is an open-source setting that encourages the creation of scalable and server-side networking applications. Cross-platform Node.js programs are inherently quick and responsive.
The framework can control numerous connections at once. It also contains a sizable library of JavaScript modules, simplifying building online apps.
Some of the apps, like PayPal, Uber, eBay, Walmart are created using Node.js.
Features:
- With Node.js, developers can rapidly execute all database queries and reduce response times for sluggish requests.
- Node.js uses a single-threaded approach with a far higher request capacity than conventional servers like Apache HTTP. Additionally, the approach aids in the creation of slick, effective apps.
- Applications built with Node.JS speed up responses to slow queries and allow each developer to process all information requests simultaneously.
9. Corona SDK
With the Corona SDK, developers may produce 2D mobile applications for all the main operating systems.
Mobile and game app development are 10X faster. The framework’s reliance on the portable, multi-paradigm programming language Lua enables it to deliver excellent results. The language’s key development considerations included speed, portability, flexibility, scalability, and ease of use.
Additionally, it is a free framework that supports real-time testing and runs on both Mac OS X and Windows. Some of the apps created using Corona SDK are Angry Birds Rio, Dots, Fun Run, Bejeweled Blitz, etc.
Features:
- It offers various APIs that programmers can use to integrate audio and music, control textures, etc.
- Corona SDK responds to updates promptly. Developers may thus see code changes in real-time as the performance.
- The fast response of the Corona Simulator to your code changes allows developers to see how the app will function and appear on actual devices in real time.
- Every fundamental aspect of Corona’s performance, from the lightning-fast OpenGL graphics to the simple Lua scripting language, has been optimized.
- For creating games or hybrid apps, the framework has a marketplace stocked with project templates, music/sound effects, and images.
10. Appcelerator Titanium
Appcelerator is one of the many cross-platform tools for building apps intended to make the process easier and more efficient.
It is an excellent method for creating cross-platform apps from a single code base. Its main objective is to speed up the creation of apps using native components contained in JavaScript language.
Some examples of apps used created using Appcelerator are GetGlue, Bebuzzd, FanFeedr, Pumatrac, etc.
Features:
- Faster app development is possible with the cross-platform application development framework. As a result, developers may quickly produce a prototype to study how users interact with UI.
- The framework’s Hyperloop feature enables developers to use third-party libraries and access native code embedded in JavaScript.
- To construct mobile apps, developers can combine this cross-platform framework with Angular or Vue.js.
- It comprises numerous already-built connections for Microsoft Azure, Microsoft SQL, Salesforce, Box, etc.
- It enables programmers to include SCM solutions and other continuous delivery systems.
How can PixelCrayons Help in Mobile Development?
PixelCrayons is a professional software development company that can assist in mobile development in several ways. We have skilled mobile app developers with expertise in building mobile applications for various platforms, such as iOS and Android. We help clients with the end-to-end development process, from design to development, testing, and deployment.
We can be a valuable partner in mobile development by providing expert developers, comprehensive services, and tailored solutions to meet clients’ mobile app requirements. Our expertise, professionalism, and focus on delivering high-quality results make us a reliable choice for organizations looking to develop successful mobile applications. You can contact us to hire mobile app developers for a better experience.
Check out some of the case studies related to cross-platform frameworks, which are the Health Tracking App, Expense Management App, and Precision Farming Website Development.
Get in touch with PixelCrayons professionals for all your project needs.
Final Call
The end goal of adopting a cross-platform mobile app development framework is to provide the optimum user experience across many platforms. Therefore, choosing the appropriate cross-platform framework for app development is crucial.
If you are still uncertain about the best framework for your project, contact us to experience our incredible mobile app development services.
As a premier cross-platform app development firm, we have provided numerous cross-platform apps to numerous clients. We determine your requirements before recommending the appropriate cross-platform framework for your mobile application development project.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are cross-platform frameworks, and why are they important for app development?
Using a single codebase, cross-platform frameworks are software development tools that enable developers to construct mobile applications operating on different platforms like iOS and Android. By making it possible to write code once and deploy it on various platforms, these frameworks eliminate the requirement for separate native development for every platform.
They often leverage web technologies like CSS, JavaScript, and HTML to build mobile apps that can be packaged and operated on many devices. Cross-platform frameworks are crucial for app development because they provide several benefits, such as quicker development cycles, lower costs, reused code, and simpler maintenance. They enable developers to target several platforms with a single development effort, expanding their audience.
2. Which cross-platform framework is best for building highly performant and visually appealing apps?
One cross-platform framework that is frequently suggested when it comes to creating highly effective and aesthetically pleasing apps is React Native.
Facebook creates it and combines native components with the effectiveness of React, a well-known JavaScript toolkit for creating user interfaces, to give a performance that is almost native and a user experience similar to native.
With React Native, programmers can create apps with a single codebase that is later translated into native code. It offers a comprehensive selection of pre-built UI elements, seamless connection with native APIs, and the capacity to use platform-specific hardware capabilities.
3. Can Unity be used for cross-platform app development?
Yes, Unity can be used to design cross-platform apps. Although Unity typically creates video games, cross-platform apps can also be created. It offers a strong rendering engine, physics engine, and graphic editor are just a few of the many capabilities. These characteristics make it easier to create interactive content. Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android are just a few of the operating systems it supports.
Unity allows programmers to write C# code and distribute their software across several platforms utilizing a single codebase. While Unity might be a good option for some kinds of apps, including games or apps that need intricate 3D graphics, it might not be the best option in all situations involving the creation of cross-platform apps.
4. How does PhoneGap (Apache Cordova) simplify cross-platform app development?
PhoneGap, or Apache Cordova, streamlines cross-platform app development by enabling developers to create mobile applications using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It offers a cross-platform environment that encases the app’s web code in a native WebView, allowing it to function on many operating systems.
Developers may access native functions like the camera, accelerometer, contacts, and more using JavaScript interfaces, enabling access to develop features and APIs. PhoneGap eliminates the requirement to write platform-specific code by allowing developers to leverage their existing web development abilities to create apps that work across various platforms.
