What is cross-platform framework and how to choose it?

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For many years, mobile application companies are looking for tools that can give them the flexibility to develop apps that different operating systems support. With cross-platform app development framework, developers get the ease to create apps and optimize them for various platforms. The article explains what cross-platform frameworks are and how you can choose the best tool for your next app-development project.

What is a cross-platform framework?

Developers use cross-platform app development frameworks to build native applications that can run on multiple platforms such as iOS, Android, Windows, etc. With the look and feel of native apps, the cross-platform applications are intuitive and integrate full-fledged innovative features. These apps are developed using a single codebase.

Cross-platform apps enable developers to Save time and effort as they do not require building separate apps for each operating system. This accelerates the overall application development process.

What is the difference between Native vs Cross platform apps?

Native mobile applications are built keeping in mind one operating system. These apps are developed specifically for iOS or Android. Depending on the operating system you want to target, the native apps are created using one programming language.

On the other hand, cross-platform applications are meant to work flawlessly on almost all the operating systems available so far. Since these apps focus on multiple platforms, they are designed using multiple programming languages ranging from Java to Python.

Pros and Cons of Cross-Platform Mobile Development

The constant need to develop mobile apps gives birth to the idea of cross-platform apps. Unlike any other technology, cross-platform development tools have advantages and disadvantages too. Let’s have a look at them.

Pros of Cross-Platform App Development

  • Faster Development: Cross-platform apps are built for one project and support different devices. A single codebase is used which saves time and accelerates development.
  • Cost-Saving: In comparison to native application development, cross-platform apps are cheaper since a big volume of codes and other data can be reused.
  • Wider Audience: With a cross-platform app, the app owner doesn’t have to think about the operating system and gets access to a wider audience base – Android and iOS together.

Cons of Cross-Platform App Development

  • Code Difficulties: Cross-platform applications face the challenge of not only optimizing their design for specific devices but platforms too.
  • Lower Performance: Native apps are developed for a single OS and perform better; however, cross-platform apps are slower since they are developed to perform on different platforms.
  • Long Wait Times: When developing cross-platform applications, the developer has to wait for new features to launch which is quite time-intensive

How to choose a cross-platform app development framework?

Selecting a cross-platform development tool that meets your functional applications might be daunting. The tool your select is based on your specific business needs, budget, and functional requirements. Contacting an experienced app development company can guide you in choosing the best cross-platform tool that fits your development needs.

At Scalo, we help clients all over the world step out on the digital market. We currently hire over 600 software developers, located in 4 development centers. For the last 15 years, we have been delivering reliable software to help our clients scale their growth with top-notch technology.

Most popular frameworks for hybrid mobile app development

Plenty of tools and frameworks are available to help developers streamline and optimize their cross-platform app development projects. Some of the best tools for hybrid app development are enlisted below.

Software Developer

React native

React Native allows developers to write original code using JavaScript. This cross-platform tool adds a native feel to the cross-platform applications to make them capable to run over Android and iOS. It combines React.js and JavaScript and allows developers to program in Java, Swift, and Objective C.

React Native is an open-source development framework based on React. Apps that are built using React Native display excellent UI/UX. The tool has the best JavaScript libraries and is compatible with third-party plugins including Google Maps.

Node.js

Developed on the Chrome V8 JS engine, Node.js is a JavaScript runtime framework that supports server-side development of highly-functional networking programs. Node.js framework works on JavaScript, C, C++, and CoffeeScript.

Node.js is non-blocking due to asynchronous APIs which means that the servers do not wait for API data to proceed with the development process. It uses a single-threaded model for creating flawless apps that are easy to scale.

Flutter

Flutter is developed by Google and comes with a graphics engine that helps simplify the development of web and mobile apps for different platforms including iOS, macOS, iPadOS, Linux, and Android. Flutter uses its proprietary programming language called Dart for developing apps.

The cross-platform web development tool integrates libraries, custom widgets, documentation, and tools that simplify usage. It eliminates the need for using a bridge to communicate with the operating system. The speed and cost-optimization capabilities empower developers to develop top-tier products.

Xamarin

Xamarin tool uses best-in-class APIs for building apps that have a native-like feel and an excellent aesthetic appearance. As far as a programming language is concerned, Xamarin uses Objective-C, Java, and C++ to enable developers to reuse external codebases.

Moving on to Xamarin attributes, the tool eliminates hardware-specific compatibility issues. Native libraries allow developers to achieve native-level customization seamlessly and flawlessly. Xamarin reduces the cost of app development while accelerating the mobile application development process.

Ionic

Ionic is based on Angular JS. It is one of the widely used and highly acceptable cross-platform app development frameworks that is used globally for building enormous apps. The tool is developed using high-level programming languages including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

The basic attribute of Ionic is that it is an open-source frontend framework that allows developers to modify the code structure. It streamlines the process of building top-tier apps quickly while saving time. Moreover, the infamous Cordova plugin allows accessing device features such as camera, GPS, etc.

What challenges cross-platform development faces?

When developing cross-platform applications, developers have to master different tools and languages which is quite challenging. Platform integration with different local settings, notifications, and preferences has to be done carefully for better app optimization.

At Scalo, as a software development company we know perfectly how crucial seamless app performance is and how great an influence it has on the final user experience. If you plan to build cross-platform app, our top-notch experts in Node JS or React native frameworks are here to help. Simply contact us, and let’s kick off a new project together.

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