The main reason behind the massive growth of mobile applications is the increasing number of users that access the internet via smartphones. Businesses look for solutions compatible with several mobile platforms, aiming to get as many customers as possible. That is why cross-platform mobile app development is gaining momentum.
Major platforms for mobile application development are iOS from Apple and Android from Google, possessing over 99 percent of the mobile operating system market share. Using the native development method implies writing individual codes for each platform. Hence, cross-platform mobile development is becoming widespread as its advantages over native development are evident. A cross-platform framework allows developers to build a single code that is simultaneously compatible with several operating systems and platforms.
By choosing the best app development frameworks, mobile application development companies can create opportunities for applications compatible with any operating system. In this post, we will take a closer look at the top cross platform application development frameworks.
Best Cross-Platform App Development Frameworks
Let’s learn about the top frameworks in detail.
1. React Native
No wonder React Native heads the list as it is considered one of the top cross-platform mobile development frameworks. Facebook created it in 2015 to develop hybrid mobile applications. React Native is extensively used for iOS and Android as it is a well-known cross-platform development entity.
It is based on React and targets mobile platforms. The great thing about React Native is that you can use a universal JavaScript language and Java, Swift, or C, i.e., languages specific for native platforms to build cross-platform solutions. Thus, web developers can easily use React Native to create mobile apps without obtaining new programming skills. The most significant unique selling proposition on this cross-platform app framework is that it combines the best features of React.JS and JavaScript. Moreover, the developers have the luxury of creating some parts using Java, Swift, or Objective-C.
The framework is built on JavaScript, and it does well to give a native-like feel for Android and iOS platforms. It is also more accessible for the developers to build intuitive UI interfaces using React Native.
2. Xamarin
Xamarin is a highly demanded open-source framework for building mobile apps. It writes excellent mobile applications for Android, iOS, and Windows operating systems and provides the same performance and user experience as native solutions.
Acquired by Microsoft in 2016, it is a universal tool that relies on the C# programming language complemented with the .NET framework and reuses up to 95 percent of the code, which altogether enables the work on server platforms.
Since its launch in 2011, Xamarin has been gaining popularity as the perfect tool for developers. It has been estimated that around 10,000 companies are already using this framework for their mobile apps, including such renowned customers as Bosch, Siemens, Slack, Pinterest, etc.
3. Ionic
Ionic framework’s app development platform may also be honored with the title of one of the most popular cross-platform frameworks. Why so? Free and open-source, Ionic offers a library of mobile-optimized UI components and tools for building feature-rich native iOS and Android applications.
Ionic’s most significant asset is letting the developers use UI elements in the application design: filters, forms, views, navigation menus, and actions sheets. The Ionic framework can use a single code base, provides a library of tools and components, and once combined with AngularJS, it delivers incredible results. Another important thing is that it is engineered to integrate with other frontend frameworks: Angular, React, Vuet. It also provides its customers with regular updates and resources from the development community.
Small companies or independent developers are more likely to use Ionic as it is rather suitable for creating a simple app. Larger companies may select Xamarin, Sencha, or other hybrid app development tools for more robust solutions.
4. Sencha Touch
Since its release in 2010, Sencha Touch has grown to be the leader in enterprise-grade application development. The reason for its success is that it allows developers to create apps that function on multiple operating systems and still offer native features, functionalities, and feel to the app.
Sencha Touch is based on CSS3, JavaScript, and HTML5. The apps developed with the help of this framework are supported by iOS, Android, Blackberry, Tyzen, and various other operating systems. Sencha Touch provides a layout manager to simplify planning the design and content display. The manager’s layout aims to work with different operating system layouts. Other features include animations, adaptive layout, and smooth scrolling for delivering a better UX
5. Flutter
Flutter app platform is an open-source and free cross-platform application development framework. It was designed to develop the native interfaces for Android as well as iOS in a shorter period.
Created and owned by Google, Flutter is an excellent UI toolkit for designing beautiful, natively compiled mobile, web, and desktop applications using a single codebase.
- It possesses a rich set of fully customizable widgets to build native interfaces in little time;
- Using this framework implies that testing efforts are reduced;
- Flutter is based on Dart, an object-oriented programming language that developers consider simple to master;
- Perfect for MVP development as both Android and iOS can be built quickly.
If the listed arguments aren’t persuasive enough to use Flutter as a cross-platform application development framework, look at the apps made using it: Google, Google Ads, Alibaba.
Summing up
The list of the top cross-platform app frameworks mentioned above will play a vital role in redefining the app development process. Having a clear understanding of their features may simplify picking the best platform for the application.
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