Best Cross Platform App Development Frameworks and Tools

What else can be better for businesses than creating an app that runs on multiple devices? Sure, they love saving time and money by developing only one app for different operating systems. Cross-platform apps are a solution in this regard. Does this mean they have no limitations? Read this article to know more about cross-platform frameworks and the best cross-platform app development frameworks and tools.

What is cross-platform app development?

Cross-platform app development is the process when one single app is developed for both iOS and Android and sometimes even the web. Needless to say, it’s more convenient than native app development when separate apps are created for each OS. But is this always true? Are there any limitations connected with cross-platform app development?
In fact, there are. Most of all, they are connected with User Experience and sometimes with functionality as the same code is used for different operating systems. So, not all devices will get the same user experience. However, developers are trying to overcome this limitation. Sometimes they express the same code differently to provide a better experience on different devices.
There are also performance challenges. Cross-platform apps have integration problems with their target operating systems. The communication between the devices’ native and non-native components is poor and it affects the performance of the applications.
Cross-compliance during the development phase makes the code sluggish sometimes and developers need to use tools that are designed for a particular app.
Finally, there is no point in choosing a cross-platform app framework if the market is focused only on iOS or Android. For example, in the United States, the majority of smartphone users choose iOS. So, businesses in this area focus on native iOS applications to avoid cross-platform limitations.

Benefits of cross-platform app development

After speaking of some limitations of cross-platform app development, we should also give credit to cross-platform app development and mention the benefits. Here are the advantages.
Codes can be reused: this is something developers love. Instead of writing fresh codes for every platform, they reuse the same code for multiple platforms.
Less time: App development is much faster when a single script is used. This is a win-win situation for developers and businesses.
Easier to make changes: It is easier to sync updates across all mobile devices.
Code maintenance: It’s a time and resource-consuming to maintain two separate native apps. Instead of working on different fixes and updates, developers provide less complicated support for cross-platform apps.
Reduced costs: It’s simple mathematics. Fewer hours on development equals less money spent. Not only less time is spent on development but deployment and ongoing support.
Easy integration with the cloud: Cross-platform mobile apps integrate with the cloud easily and instantly. This means money saved that cloud hosting can offer.
Wider access to the audience: When you focus on only one platform, it means you are missing the customers that have a different device. Cross-platform solves this.

Popular cross-platform tools and frameworks

According to Statista, the most popular cross-platform app development frameworks are Flutter, React Native, Cordova, Ionic, and Xamarin. Let’s review some of the strong sides of these tools and frameworks and if you are thinking about what programming language to learn in 2022, this guide will help for sure.

Flutter

Flutter isn’t a framework. Instead, it is a software development kit (SDK). It is accompanied by various tools, APIs, and so on. Developers think Flutter apps are pretty heavy but this does not take away from the performance. This tool kit can be a good choice for social media solutions and animated websites. Flutter is also a perfect tool for MVP development.
Strong sides of Flutter: one UI design and powerful community.

React Native

The main benefits of this framework are speed and affordability. It comes with plenty of pre-developed and close-to-native UI elements. Bug fixing is almost instant. Since you deal with only one code base, the maintenance costs are rather low. React Native has a massive community. You don’t need to struggle with your issue on your own as they may already be someone who has solved the issues somewhere else.
Strong sides of React Native: simple UI and stable applications.

Cordova

Cordova is powered by popular technologies like HTML, CSS, and JS. It is also speedy and if you are tight on money and time, Cordova is a good choice. If you compare it with Flutter and React Native, this one is lacking in performance. It’s also weak in debugging and testing.
Strong sides of Cordova: easy to learn since most developers know JavaScript and HTML.

Ionic

Like Flutter, Ionic is an SDK and is based on Angular and Apache Cordova. It is a good choice if you are concerned about design consistency across the platforms. The developers say it should be the second choice if compared with Flutter and React Native as Ionic is less performant.
Strong sides of Ionic: Extensive choice of UI elements and quick prototyping.

Xamarin

Xamarin uses C# programming language that ensures code predictability and security. This framework can be used in some stages of native development. It allows for creating apps for wearable devices and IoT.
Strong sides of Xamarin: API integration since Xamarin allows the use of the same API for iOS, Android, and Windows applications.

Wrapping up

With all their limitations, cross-platform app frameworks and tools are the easiest and most resource-saving options for businesses. No wonder so many frameworks flood the market as the demand is high. Having said that, we should also conclude that cross-platform apps are not always a solution. If the application you are developing requires heavy processing, it’s better to use a native app development tool. So, your specific case will determine the type of framework to use. In this blog post, we presented 5 frameworks and tools that are most popular but your choice is a lot bigger. Keep on researching!