A List of Best Cross-Platform Mobile App Development Frameworks for an Intuitive Mobile App

According to a report, about one-third of app developers prefer cross-platform app development to native app development. Owing to the multiple benefits of cross-platform apps like reduced development time and cost, code reusability, easy hosting, etc., this has become increasingly popular.

Moreover, there are several popular cross-platform app development frameworks available to developers. One can use any of them based on their requirements and preferences. In case you are puzzled about how to make the right decision, here we have created a list that can inform you about the pros and cons of using a cross-platform mobile app development framework. Go through the list and make an informed decision.

Top Cross-Platform Mobile App Development Frameworks

1.React Native

Out of all cross-platform app development frameworks, React Native is the most popular one with a constant market share of 42% for two consecutive years (2019 & 2020). Introduced by Facebook, this framework uses Javascript to develop a single codebase that works fine in both Android and iOS platforms. Renowned applications like Instagram, Skype, Pinterest, Bloomberg, etc. are developed with React native. Here, look at some of its advantages and disadvantages.

Pros -

• Code reusability.
• Allow mobile app developers to share a common codebase for both platforms with minimal changes (about 20%).
• Shorter development time.
• Access to native components thereby improving your app’s UI to a greater extent.

Cons -

• If you want to use native functions on your app, you will need to utilize native components for that which needs to be written separately for each platform.
• Inconsistent updates.
• Complex debugging.

2.Xamarin

Xamarin is one of the best cross-platform mobile app development frameworks used today as about 90% of the written code can be used across multiple platforms like android, iOS, and Windows. HCL, BBC Good Food, Alaska Airlines, and Fox Sports are some of the apps that use Xamarin. Furthermore, look at these benefits and drawbacks of using this mobile application development framework.

Pros -

• The common codebase you write can be run in any platform within the share range of 75% to 90% making it highly efficient.
• It has a widespread community with over 60,000 mobile app developers or contributors.
• Since the UI elements are platform-specific, its user experience is optimal.

Cons -

• Compatibility concerns with third-party applications.
• Developers need to have basic knowledge of native programming languages.
• Apps made on Xamarin are larger than native apps.

3.Flutter

Introduced by Google, Flutter is a cross-platform app development framework that works like magic to create apps using a single codebase. Despite being one of the youngest mobile application development frameworks present today, Flutter is capable of creating mobile apps that work on multiple mainstream platforms along with platforms like Fuchsia OS, Linux, etc. Google Ads, Alibaba, Tencent, etc. are a few examples of apps made with Flutter.

Pros -

• Availability of ‘Hot reloading’ functionality enables mobile app developers to see the changes within seconds.
• It is based on an OOP language Dart that makes it more accessible to developers.
• It requires less testing as the same code is used for multiple platforms.

Cons -

• No advanced features.
• Downloading Flutter and updating it is time-consuming.
• Flutter mobile application development framework isn’t optimum in the long run because of frequent modifications in Dart.

Ionic

It is an open-source cross-platform app development tool that is known for its speed. Since it inherits elements from both iOS and android, it is useful in creating cross-platform and progressive web apps. A few examples of Ionic applications are NASA, SAP, IBM, etc.

Pros -

• Quick development.
• Browser support.
• Several UI components and plugins are available with Ionic.

Cons -

• Difficult to debug.
• Necessary to know Angularjs.
• Not suitable for applications with immersive graphics and animation.

Cater to this list of best cross-platform application development tools and make sure you choose the appropriate one to develop your application. It will save you from choosing the wrong platform and wasting your precious time.

Furthermore, choose a professional mobile application development team that can help you with the development process. Auxesis Infotech is one app development agency that can aid you in this pursuit.