Cross-Platform App Development Guide: Facts, Pros and Cons in 2021

Introduction

Do you want to develop a mobile application at an affordable price? Are you looking for an application that reaches to masses? For all these queries, there one single answer, i.e. cross-platform app development. In this blog, I am going to talk about how cross-platform saves money? What are its advantages? What are the advanced features and functionalities of cross-platform app development?

Cross-platform app development makes the entire development process easy and highly used among the programmers.

In this digital-driven world, the life of human being revolves around smartphones. Mobile phones aren’t just about making calls, texting loved ones. Now it’s much more than that. Additionally, it plays a significant role in the daily activity of humans. From reminding about the basic slight tasks to booking tickets, paying bills, one can perform many tasks with their smartphone. This is the reason mobile phones are the need basic need of the hours. The reason mobile phones are so important for us is because of the advanced applications. The many application developed for the mobile phone make human life easy. With these applications, several operating systems are launched for mobile applications such as Android, iOS, Blackberry, etc.

These are the major operating systems of the mobile phone industry. Whenever a company thinks to start their business in the digital world, they try to fetch the attention of almost every platforms’ users. Developing an application is their primary audience to reach the targeted audience at an affordable price.

A company needs to develop applications for all major platforms to cover all the audience. This enhances the overall development cost and adds hassle in the coders’ works in integrating features and functionalities in the application for different platforms. With the emergence of Cross-platform app development, it simplifies the complete process. One can now write codes and run them on all major operating platforms. The technology has solved many development problems.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Cross-Platform Mobile App Development

Every technology has its advantages and disadvantages? No matter how much the technology is famous. It always has some disadvantages. Let’s talk about some pros and cons of cross-platform app development.

Advantages of Cross-Platform Mobile App Development

• Plugin Customization

• Smooth Integration

• Easy to maintain

• Reduce the time and development cost

Cons of Cross-Platform Mobile App Development:

• Its update does not include all the supporting features

• Timely update which doesn’t integrate features and functionalities

• Inefficient codes

• No-remarkable UX

• Business Benefits of Cross-Platform App Development

Code once runs multiple times: Coder needs to write code one time and can run the same code for all major platforms. Hence, it requires a few customization with the type of platform which is being used.

Quick and less cost: The developers don’t need to invest a lot of time in writing codes for each platform. This reduces the entire development time and is considered as the major benefit of cross-platform app development as it enables developers to use the same code a lot of times. It enhances the growth of business.

Cloud storage: The platforms offer enhanced security and top-notch authentication. These platforms make the application accessible across the world. It is quicker than loading native applications.

Auto updated: Whenever a company launches its application updates, they need to ask for the app permission. Cross-platform enables automatic application updates, a company can release the updated version without asking for permission.

Same UI elements: Developers need to make a change in UI design of application in different platforms which reduce the audience interest. While cross-platform app development has resolved this issue, thus showcasing the same UI elements on different platforms.

Top Cross-platform Mobile App Development Tools Frameworks

The tech-driven world is using cross-platform app development for developing business for their business. With the prominent tools and framework, this technology helps developers create a cross-platform application most quickly. Each tool and frameworks come with its features, which helps the developers. Let’s talk about some cross-platform mobile application tools and frameworks.

React Native

React framework enables coders to use the same code again and again, which eventually reduces the development time. It uses JavaScript to build web and mobile applications. React Native is an open-source framework and integrated with numerous plugins offered to programmers. Famous mobile applications such as Facebook and Instagram are built using react-native.

Ionic

Ionic works on HTML and CSS technologies, an open-source platform. MIT institute holds the Ionic license, and it is integrated with AngularJS and offers several tools and components.

Flutter

Google owns Flutter, an open-source platform, which enables developers to write code one time and run it on several operating systems. The framework uses Dart programming language, which diminishes the human efforts. Flutter framework develops on-demand application which have high engagement and many people show interest in building that applications.

Cross-platform Application Development Editors and IDEs

Cross-platform app development has seen a huge upsurge in its popularity. The reasons are its IDEs and app editors.

IntelliJ

Open-source app editor, which helps in developing commercial application. Although, IntelliJ standards work the same for cross-platform development like the Java development in Android. With its ergonomic design, the Intellij offers enhanced productivity and robust static code analysis. The framework offers enhanced fast performance along with eminent tools and code-completion.

Cocos2D

It’s a game development tool that helps in developing cross-platform mobile game applications and other interactive, intuitive programs. It built an application with the help of a single codebase and brings JavaScript, C++.

RubyMotion

RubyMotion lets you build applications for multiple operating systems such as Android, iOS, and OS. The platform showcase compiled Ruby language statistics, which is designed for native mobile platforms. You can personalize the development process by utilizing the command-line-based tools.

AppsMoment

This is a code-less platform developer for people who don’t have knowledge related to programming languages. AppsMoment help develop applications for Android, iPad and iPhone, and Kindle. The platform offers numerous templates, features and functionalities, which let them build application efficiently.

Visual Studio

Microsoft Development IDE is specially developed for professional-grade app developers. It helps develop web applications, websites, computer programs, and mobile applications. Visual Studio uses several software development platforms like Windows Presentation Foundation, Windows API to create native codes.

MobinCube

One can use this app builder without writing any codes. Therefore developers opt for these platforms. The platforms provide an innovative user interface that enables simple yet attractive drag-and-drop features.

Qt

Fortune 500 companies use these interface-based tools for developing cross-platform applications. It enables developers to build, design, and maintain the software at an affordable price. QT offers an advanced user experience with its intriguing user interface.

Dropsource

This app builder platform builds data-driven and robust iOS and Android applications conveniently. You can develop applications, run them and upload them on several operating platforms. One doesn’t need to write code with this Dropsource although coders can utilize the editable source code.

How Much Does Cross-Platform Multi-Platform App Development Costs and Factors?

Companies always need to keep their finances in their mind while developing mobile applications. Cross-platform app development has gained so much popularity in recent years. What’s the cost of developing the application with the help of cross-platform technology? There are so many factors that developers need to keep in mind while preparing a financial budget for developing a cross-platform application.

• You need to do the proper research about research related to the app industry. Though doing excellent research is not related to high prices. Well, it mostly depends on the data collection techniques and the way the company conducts the research. The primary data collection is expensive compared to the secondary data collection.

• Another important aspect that can make a change in the cross-platform app development is the human resource. Skilled people are expensive, but offers amazing result. In-house developers, designers are economical, outsourcing to an agency can be expensive.

• Regular up gradation, maintenance can be expensive. Usually, the project development and maintenance can work simultaneously.

• Testing is a significant aspect that plays an important role in cross-platform app development pricing. Companies must perform app testing before launching the application in the public domain.

Future of Cross-Platform Mobile Development

Earlier developers used to make native mobile applications for specific audiences. With the emergence of cross-platform applications, they can now share the applications with a vast audience which eventually enhances their target audience. Cross development mobile platform has brought some tremendous change in the app development industry. You can understand with the example of Flutter by Google, which has earned so much popularity. Let’s just talk about the role of flutter in the app development industry.

• The cross-platform app development helps in attaining native app features and build them utilizing the components.

• Users have resources integrated with packages, plug-ins available on the Flutter.

The cross-platform applications remove the hurdle of developing an application for individual platforms. This also reduces the overall development cost. As a result, the applications can fulfill the requirement of a large number of people at an affordable price.

Final Words

Cross-platform mobile application development has gained so much popularity because of its single codebase functionality. It has reduced the development cost by 80% as cross-platform app developers can build the application for both Android and iOS. The app builder platforms enable developers to applications for any business in less time. Interesting user-time, faster loading time, smooth customizing helps the cross-platform technology to rank above other technology. In the upcoming years, we will witness the replacement of many existing technology with cross-platform technology.

Author Bio

Rahul Mathur is the founder & Managing Director of Arka Softwares. Graduated from Harvard Business School, he is a driven leader and technology enthusiast who takes pleasure in helping modern startups and enterprises to grow with the help of future-ready IT solutions such as, next-gen mobile apps, web and marketing solutions, IoT, full stack development, Cloud, ewallet app development solutions, etc.