The area of app development is characterized as disruptive and quite unpredictable. That is why businesses need to have a clear guide on how to manage the uncertainty and keep their digital presence ongoing efficiently.
The digital reality of todays’ world provides numerous opportunities for business development. These opportunities lie in many operational systems that run all over the globe. Digital presence for businesses is very often crucial when the leads and customer engagement is generated digitally. Using cross-platform app development services for business is driven by the need for decisions on how to properly move further. These decisions can make or break.
Cross-platform app development is helpful when there is a need to spare the costs to create an app for each operational system separately. For that money are required, special skills, special tools, and very often unique specialists.
iOs and Android are valuable platforms for many nowadays. This is where various types of businesses want and have to be present in order to keep running. Both platforms on the rise are also the reason why we need cross-platform app development.
What is what: cross-platform and native app development?
To develop native or to cross-platform? That was the question for many businesses that would like to have and run their own app. Every and each business that wants to be represented through an app has to decide on this before developing it.
Naturally, both ways of app development have their own pros and cons, as well as reasons why using it. However, there are requirements of the time and this is where some options may not conquer. That is why native and cross-platform app development is in continuous revision and update.
Cross-platform development is aimed to make it easier to create mobile apps, and also mobile games, for example. With the lapse of time, the process of developing apps over platforms has been made even more simple. It also has been made more affordable. In addition, it gave an opportunity for the businesses to be adaptable and be able to be present for their customers at different app platforms. So, this option is less time and money-consuming.
Advantages of developing apps for different platforms
There are several benefits for businesses and for developers, which make cross-platform app development harder to compete. Namely:
- Money matter.
When it comes to cost-speed-functionality matters, cross-platform development wins it all. In the development process, developers are applying reusable codes and experiences. It is also one of the most agile ways of app development. For business, it means they cut their expenses and receive an agile product, for developers it means they can create with less effort.
- Audience and customers.
It allows reaching maximum customers and users of different platforms. So, one can target and reach any kind of customer. For developers, it means they can create products that are valuable for their clients.
- Running smoothly
Hence the apps are used on different platforms and for their creation, one is using repeatable components and parts of codes, it means it is easier to maintain these apps, debug, and improve their functionality when needed.
- Integration and use
Cross-platform apps are easily adjusted and integrated within clouds. In addition, necessary plugins are also integrated easily.
- Faster to market reach
First of all, cross-platform app development using any framework allows creating apps quite fast. Secondly, not only the process of creation helps the app to reach the market, but the businesses using it. With proper apps, enterprises, businesses or organizations are able to reach their customers faster and more conveniently.
- UX/UI
User experience design and user interaction is crucial for mobile apps. Cross-platform development allows the creation of uniform designs that are user friendly and recognizable by users.
Best development frameworks
In this regard, it is necessary to get you acquainted with the best cross-platform development frameworks. Each of them has necessary advantages and cons, just as drawbacks.
- Xamarin. One of the top-performing frameworks.
It began its life in 2011 in order to cover the gaps of native development. Mainly drawbacks such as cost. It was later purchased by Microsoft. This purchase provided Xamarin with more reliability on the market of frameworks.
Advantages:
- works quite well for iOs and Android due to C#
- provides the possibility for an app to be in AppStore
- open-source framework with lots of supporters
- they have more than 70% of codes, that’s why cross-app development is written once but runs anywhere
- perfect functioning and performance (because of plugins)
- ability to customize
- uncomplicated maintenance
Drawbacks:
- businesses have to purchase a license. However, individuals use it for free.
- not designed for much graphics in the app.
- access to libraries can be limited
- React Native. Hybrid framework.
Created in 2015 by Facebook. One of the best in its niche on the market.
Its advantages:
- most of the code is shared
- easy to preview/reload the creations
- easy for high-quality UI unlike other frameworks
- provides options for testing
- good library
- speedy development process
- nice performance results
Drawbacks:
- partially native framework
- not speedy in debugging and maintenance processes
- requires additional code writing (in some cases)
- Flutter. Framework providing native interfaces.
Flutter, which was originally launched in 2018 by Google, is an open-source framework launched.
Here are its advantages:
- Google 🙂 (one of the top three best frameworks)
- suitable for iOS and Android
- instant preview of changes made
- looks as native in terms of UI
- contains ready-made solutions for apps
- nice performance level
- easy for developers to learn it
Drawbacks:
- no options for Android/Apple TV
- creates heavy apps
- limited library
- limited availability for iOS
- Ionic
Hybrid app development framework that does not require engaging developers for creating native components.
Advantages:
- various creation tools
- large library
- developed documentation
- prototyping abilities
Drawbacks:
- limited performance on iOS
- amendments are complicated to do
- heavy apps
To sum up
There are two big platforms in the world around which app creation is concentrated: Android and iOS. Cross-platform app development frameworks are widespread. In their application, one should concentrate on the needs of business, customers, demographics, and many other things.
One has to take into account different features of each cross-platform framework and approach, and consider how easy and affordable it is going to be to use any of them. One also has to consider creation complexity, debugging, UI abilities, everything matters.
Nevertheless, cross-platform app development is on the wave of app development. In the professional world of app development services, it helps to reach the market quickly and interactively. It helps to constitute great apps that function well, as well as they cover the need of enterprises to their digital presence.
