A review of the top cross-platform development frameworks

Cross platforms development frameworks have many unique advantages that attract developers. Over the years, many frameworks that support cross-platform development have emerged. Chances that you’ll get overwhelmed with multiple options when researching a cross-platform development framework for your app project. This article helps you review the top cross-platform mobile development options for your app project. 

Before we start reviewing the top frameworks, let’s introduce cross-platform development to the beginners.

Introducing Cross-Platform Frameworks

Developers make use of special tools and libraries to handle app development assignments quickly. These resources are packed together in special programs called frameworks.  Many of these frameworks are platform-specific. That is, they can only create apps for a single platform.

On the other hand, cross-platform mobile development frameworks can create apps for several platforms from a single codebase. For instance, a developer can use it to create an app for Android and iOS. This feature brings immense value for developers who can achieve more with less coding. 

The Advantages of Cross-Platform Mobile Development Frameworks

Here are some of the advantages of using cross-platform mobile development frameworks. 

• The building of hybrid apps: apps made with this type of framework looks the same across various hardware devices due to consistency in backend functions. These types of apps are called hybrid apps.

• Easy Code Management: Since a single code can be deployed for creating apps on multiple platforms, code management is more manageable.

• Faster Development: Integrated tools allow developers to create apps faster and more efficiently.

• Cost-Efficient: The cost of an app development project lowers significantly with cross-platform mobile frameworks.

The Best Cross-Platform Mobile Frameworks

The following is the list of the best cross-platform mobile frameworks today.

React Native

The most widely used cross-platform development framework at the time of writing is React Native.  It works excellent for creating and deploying apps for the Web, Android, and iOS. The platform was converted as an opensource framework in 2015. It is popular among developers and enjoys the support of a vibrant developer community.  

The Benefits of React Native

• Saves Cost:  App development is considerably cheaper with a cross-platform mobile app development framework like React Native. This reduced cost is associated with code reusability that minimized development hours significantly.

• Vibrant Community: The vibrant community of React Native offers several values such as technical support, documentation, sample codes, training, tutorials, and many more. 

• Excellent Performance: Some features such as native controls, modules, and distinct threads for UI and APIs enhances the performance of React Native apps. Besides, the framework can communicate directly with Native functions without an interpreter. This feature saves lots of processor power.

• Very Stable: React Native uses a unique data binding technology that segments a child component from its parent data. This feature enhances stability because a child component cannot degrade the performance of its parent.

• Third-Party Plugins: Plugins such as Native Modules and JavaScript Mobile can enhance app development and add impressive functions such as maps.

Flutter

Flutter was created by Google and released as an opensource cross-platform mobile framework. It has several tools for developing apps in Android and iOS, such as frameworks, SDKs, and UI element toolkits.  The platform only supports Dart language presently.  

The Benefits of Flutter.

• Saves Costs: Allows developers to save costs by creating apps quicker and more efficiently.

• Impressive Performance: The fact that Flutter does not use an interpreter but talks directly to the machine code makes its performance impressive. 

• Can Create Web app: Although Flutter creates impressive wen apps right from time, Flutter Web version was released in 2019 with enhanced web app development features. 

• Dart Programming: Flutter’s support for Dart makes it a useful development framework for experience and new developers. Dart is relatively easy to learn with its simple syntax.

Cordova

After the 2011 acquisition of Cordova from Nitobi, Adobe assumed ownership of the famous framework that creates mobile apps with simple HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Cordova leverages APIs to interact with native app functions. In essence, Cordova combines hybrid and native app functions. 

The Benefits of Cordova

• Media Management: Offers tools for inserting CSS to codes and for handling media-related tasks without hassles. 

• Add-Ons: Access to add-ons such as libraries, frameworks, and other useful tools for creating apps. 

• Easy to Use: An average developer can get up and running creating mobile apps because the platform uses simple scripting and markup language for app development. If you know JavaScript, CSS, and HTML, you do not need to learn a new language to use this framework.

• Multiplatform Development: This allows you to create an app that works on iOS, Android, and the Web with a single code.

Ionic

Ionic used to be an AngularJS frontend to Apache Cordona, but that is no longer the case. The framework has been revamped to a robust web component allowing the developer to choose a framework between React, Angular, and VU,js. Recent updates enable using ionic without a UI.

The Benefits of ionic

• Supports AngularJS: The support for several frameworks, including AngularJS is a significant benefit for this platform.

• Multi-Platform Installation: It can be installed and used from Windows, Android, and iOS platforms.

• Third-Party Plugins: Supports the integration of several third-party plugins in am ap development projects. 

• A single language can be used to create apps for multiple platforms. Learning an additional language is no longer necessary to develop apps for Android and iOS.

• Easy to Use: Since ionic supports basic languages such as CSS, HTML, and JavaScript, it is easy for new developers to use. 

Xamarin

Unlike many other cross-platform mobile frameworks that use CSS, HTML, and JavaScript, Xamarin uses C# for developing cross-platform mobile apps.  Xamarin uses a runtime environment that works on iOS, Android, and Windows operating systems.  The best part is that the Xamarin code can query the native functions of Android and iOS. That explains why Xamarin apps are similar to native apps in appearance and functions.

The Benefits of Xamarin

• Development Resources: Offers a wide array of development tools such as controls, UIs, charts, and lots more. 

• Test Cloud:  The test cloud functions allow the developer to simulate multiple mobile devices in realtime. It is an excellent tool for testing and debugging. 

• Readymade Components: Provide several beautiful readymade layouts that allow you to kickstart your mobile app project.
• Integrates with Visual Studio: The support for Visual Studio allows developers to use the top-notch ID to create quality codes faster than before.

• Multiple Code Deployment: The app logic sharing function allows developers to use a single code to create apps on various platforms.

Conclusion

Cross-platform mobile frameworks are beneficial for developers in several ways. That is why many developers are researching for the best cross-platform mobile framework. This article gives a broad overview of the best frameworks in this category today. New and experienced developers can use this information to select the best cross-platform mobile framework for their app development project.

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