Several aspects determine whether applications are robust and well-performing. Cross-platform functionality is one of those. With customers using devices based on different operating systems, it’s important that business applications cater to all of their requirements in one go. Thus, curating cross-platform Development solutions is one of the best strategies. 

We decided to give you a sneak peek into cross-platform development and the best tools you can leverage for the same. So, if you are seeking cross-platform application development as a one-time business solution, keep reading. There’s a lot you might want to know.   

Contents

1. What is Cross-platform Development? 
2. Best Tools For cross-platform Mobile App Development 
   1. 1. Flutter 
      2. React Native
      3. Ionic
      4. Xamarin
      5. Adobe PhoneGap
      6. Sencha
      7. Appcelerator
3. Leverage the Best of cross-platform Development 

What is Cross-platform Development?

The cross-platform application development approach allows creating apps that are compatible with multiple operating systems. As a result, the developers don’t have to code separately for native platforms. This saves up a lot of time and resources. 

• When creating cross-platform apps, 70-80% of code can be reused. Unlike native applications, it saves a lot of time that will be taken in writing fresh codes separately for each platform. 
• It saves cost since you don’t need to hire individual developer teams for different OS. 
• As said a few times earlier, these applications are easier to deploy, maintain, and update. Thus, you don’t have to worry about future changes.
  

Best Tools For cross-platform Mobile App Development

The existing market offers a lot of SDKs, toolkits, and frameworks to let developers come up with powerful cross-platform apps. However, you just need to know about the topmost choices to incorporate in your upcoming projects. Dive down through the page to see what are the most reliable tools that can be used for your cross-platform business apps. 

1. Flutter

Flutter is a free, open-source SDK for cross-platform development offered by Google. It’s one of the best tools for creating native interfaces for iOS and Android. Besides, there are several reasons that Flutter deserves its name on the list of topmost cross-platform development tools. 

First, it’s maintained by Google – the same company that develops Android native frameworks. Secondly, it led to the decreasing popularity of React Native. As per a survey by Stack Overflow, Flutter was listed among the top 3 most preferred frameworks. 

Pros of Using Flutter For cross-platform Development

• Flutter is great for MVP development. It can help you get an application that’s native to both iOS and Android in less time. 
• Its “Hot Reloading” feature reflects any changes in the code within a few seconds. 
• It’s based on an object-oriented programming language – Dart. So, you will easily find developers with excellent skills regarding the same.  
• There are various ready-made tools that let developers work with other continuous integration platforms like Jenkins and Travis. 

2. React Native

Another most popular, robust, and lightweight cross-platform development tool, React Native was introduced by Google in 2015. Since then, it has brought about a transformative wave within the cross-platform frameworks’ market. It lets you develop applications for Android, iOS, Windows, and UWP. You can expect cross-platform applications with native-like effectiveness. 

Pros of Using React Native For cross-platform Development

• Around 80% of the codebase is shareable across different platforms. Not to mention, this significantly speeds up the entire process.  
• You can preview the results immediately and use the ready-to-apply elements to make them even better. Thus, everything becomes a lot more sophisticated. 
• Just like Flutter, this one too has the Hot Reloading feature. Therefore, you can track the changes in codes within a few seconds. 
• It is known for creating high-quality, responsive user interfaces with native-like functionalities. 

3. Ionic

Ionic is another great cross-platform mobile development tool that can be leveraged to make apps that are faster and have a smaller footprint. These applications are based on the “write once and run anywhere” principle and are more scalable. 

Pros of Using Ionic for Cross-platform Development

• It comes with various out-of-the-box UI components that ensure better results. 
• With hardware-accelerated transitions, the applications offer a better user experience. 
• Integration with frameworks like Angular and Vue. 

4. Xamarin

Xamarin was one of the first tools launched as a solution to the problem of disjointed technology stacks. It simplified cross-platform mobile app development which was earlier too complex and costly. This development platform is based on C# and .NET. It can help build applications for Windows, Android, and iOS. 

Pros of Xamarin for Cross-platform Development

• It uses C# for programming. Thus it can run seamlessly on most platforms specifically, Android and iOS. 
• 75% of the code is shareable across platforms, following the “write once, run anywhere” principle.  
• Moreover, it has a single tech stack which helps in faster development. 

5. Adobe PhoneGap

This one’s an open-source, robust cross-platform development framework, based on the Apache Cordova project. It helps to develop reliable web/mobile applications using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Just like its fellow tools on this list, Adobe PhoneGap has a clear record of creating native-like cross-platform applications for various requirements. 

Pros of Using Adobe PhoneGap for cross-platform Development

• It comes with a wide range of UI libraries that help in improving the overall user experience. 
• Adobe PhoneGap is a flexible framework that’s a great aid for creating excellent applications faster and with less effort. 
• It has no hardware restrictions therefore, developers can come up with feature-rich applications. 

6. Sencha

It’s yet another cross-platform development framework based on HTML-5, CSS, and JavaScript to build robust mobile/web applications and impressive UIs. Sencha is an enterprise-level SDK and development solution, used to develop excellent applications for Android, iOS, and blackberry with native-like features. 

Pros of Using Sencha for Cross-platform Development

• This framework comes with the ‘Touch’ feature and is easily navigable. 
• With a large collection of UI widgets, developers can make highly customized applications. 
• It’s based on HTML, CSS, and JS. Therefore, developers find it easier to use. 

7. Appcelerator

This Titanium SDK framework is used for both native and cross-platform mobile app development. Additionally, Appcelerator can work with various technologies and platforms. You can get its monthly and yearly subscriptions. 

Pros of Using Appcelerator For Cross-platform Development

•  It can be easily integrated with Vue and Angular. 
• With JavaScript components, it’s easier to learn and leverage for development. 
• Appcelerator lets developers create prototypes quicker since it requires less coding. 

Leverage the Best of cross-platform Development

There are many more resources and tools to come up with outstanding cross-platform mobile apps. However, the ones mentioned above are the topmost picks. Besides, just the knowledge of these tools may not help unless you can use them in the right manner. 

As an experienced mobile app development company, we understand the peculiarities involved in the making of successful applications. Therefore, our team of proficient and skilled developers can help pave the way through all challenges. In case you are looking for similar services or answers to your queries, feel free to contact us.

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