There are many factors to consider when choosing a cross-platform mobile app framework. In this article, we will discuss the best cross-platform mobile app frameworks based on our research and experience.
What is a Cross-Platform Mobile App Framework?
A cross-platform mobile app framework is a type of software that allows mobile engineers to develop apps that run effectively across multiple platforms – such as iOS, Android, Blackberry, and Windows – using only one codebase.
Writing code takes a lot of time, so building a codebase for each operating system increases the number of hours and resources spent on app development. Furthermore, it makes it more difficult to fix bugs or add new features if the developer has to do it multiple times on different platforms.
A cross-platform app framework eases the pain of creating apps separately. Employing intermediate programming languages, such as JavaScript and HTML, app developers create native-looking apps with a single code for the project foundation. Developers write the code and then reuse it, which speeds up the process. That allows them to dedicate more time to the success and efficiency of the apps.
This approach is one of the most popular methods to develop mobile apps today. And with high demand, comes a significant offer of new tools that help engineers develop their best work. Keep reading to find the 5 best cross-platform mobile apps that everyone in the field is talking about.
The 5 best cross-platform mobile app frameworks
Flutter
Flutter is well-known to cross-platform developers. It is currently the most preferred platform by app creators and is gaining a stronger presence than React Native in the app development realm. It was launched in 2015 by Google, but it was only after a few years that Flutter began to increase in popularity. Currently, it is one of the most used cross-platform frameworks.
- Open-source tool
- Free for public use
- Written in C, C++, and Dart language
- Dart allows developers to work with complex apps without affecting performance
- Native widgets
- 2D graphics library
- Allows applications to remain compatible with current operating system versions
React Native
React Native is one of the most popular tools available. Not long ago, it was the most popular platform, but it lost ground to Flutter. It comprises several practical features and is very simple to use.
- Open-source tool
- Free for public use
- For iOS and Android systems
- JavaScript, Java, Python, C++, and Objective-C as programming languages
- Modules in Objective-C, Swift or Java
- Allows video processing and image editing
- Special focus on UI
- Compatible with third-party plugins
- A large and strong community that makes it beginner-friendly
Xamarin
Xamarin is a Microsoft framework that has seen better days. Its several performance issues led developers to seek other cross-platform frameworks. Now, it’s close to become obsolete as one of its major components, Xamarin Forms, got replaced by .NET MAUI (multi-platform App UI).
- Open-source
- Free for public use
- C# as the programming language
- MVC and MVVM architecture compatibility.
- Applications work offline
- Need to jump between operating systems and .NET frameworks
- Need to be familiar with distinct programming paradigms
- Large file sizes due to the combination of Xamarin and native code
Ionic
Ionic is a popular cross-platform framework thanks to its wide range of useful features. However, inadequate performance (especially in comparison with Flutter and React Native) due to the use of JavaScript as a programming language, has damaged the reputation of Ionic.
- Open-source
- Free for public use
- Built on AngularJS, making it easy to include extensions to HTML’s syntax, core functionalities, and features
- Allows combined use of HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS
- Specifically designed for mobile operating systems
- Contains plugins that allow access to in-built features such as the phone camera
- Compromised performance
Cordova
Cordova (often called PhoneGap) was released in 2009 by Nitobi. This platform’s popularity has been decreasing, despite having been used to build famous company apps, such as IBM. The reason behind the falling out between developers and Cordova are also the performance issues related to the use of JavaScript.
- Open-source
- Free for public use
- JavaScript, CSS, and HTML as programming languages
- Easy to build and deploy
- Plenty of library options
- Compatibility issues with plugins
- Performance issues
Conclusion
These 5 cross-platform frameworks are currently the best and most used. But the spotlight is on React Native and (mainly) Flutter, whose popularity has grown exponentially. They are the 2 best platforms thanks to their superior performance. So if you are thinking of developing your app for multiple operating systems, go with Flutter or React Native for the best results.
