Ten years ago, we never imagined the internet era where we could order things online in minutes. Today, regardless of the time and place we are, if we are hungry or want to buy something, the first thing we do is go to the Internet, search for a website or an application and buy food or something else on it.
Consumers are so used to buying things online from the comfort of their homes that providing a seamless experience regardless of the platform they use has become the need of the hour. Today, businesses need to develop a responsive website and app with a unified design and experience. However, providing this seamless experience is difficult and expensive for companies due to native application development.
Many companies have opted for cross-platform app development considering the complexity of native app development and high investment. If you’re wondering what cross-platform app development is, you’ve come to the right place. Here I will guide you all about it, its framework, benefits, etc.
What is cross-platform app development?
Cross-platform app development involves developing a single application that runs on multiple operating systems instead of having different versions of the same application. Developers can start mobile app development using a single code base compatible with any operating system and work seamlessly.
Cross-platform app development uses a “write once, go anywhere” approach to building mobile apps; removes Android and iOS app development versions. Code reusability and a single codebase are one of the main reasons why most startups choose cross-platform app development. This type of development is compatible with various mobile operating systems and thus reaches a wider audience. It features fast development, and turnaround time, and is cost-effective, making it a suitable choice for everyone.
There are two types of development i.e. cross-platform development and native application development. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but most people are interested in the difference between native and cross-platform app development. So let’s take a look at the main differences between them
The difference between cross-platform development and native applications
With cross-platform app development, users don’t have to write code multiple times; a single codebase allows developers to write code once and run it anywhere. Here, regardless of the platform, you are developing the app for, the app will run and support different operating systems. While developing native apps will require you to code specifically for multiple platforms, it will also require you to invest in dedicated staff for each of the technologies.
Native app development is expensive compared to cross-platform app development, and with increasing demand for apps, the market is competitive. To meet these growing demands, companies are shifting their focus to cross-platform application development.
Moving on, let’s look at some of the benefits of cross-platform app development
Advantages of cross-platform application development
Increase audience engagement
With cross-platform apps, you can deploy an app to multiple platforms at the same time. You can target iOS, Android, and web platforms with a single app. This will help you reach a wider audience and attract the right audience from around the world. Since your app will be available on a large number of devices, it is obvious that you will reach a larger audience.
Code Reusability
Code reusability is one of the main benefits of why companies and developers prefer cross-platform app development. Developers can easily reuse and rewrite code thanks to a write-once, run-everywhere approach. They don’t need to create new code for each platform and as a result, it helps them save time and money.
Faster development time
Cross-platform app development uses a single code base, making the development process faster and easier. Developers only need to write code once on one of the cross-platform frameworks, and when compiled, the source code will run natively. Once the app is deployed and more updates are needed, such as new features, security patches, feature enhancements, etc., you can write the code once and push platform updates.
Uniform design
Cross-platform app development helps you develop an app that is responsive and has a unified design. Regardless of the platform a user accesses your app on, it will be responsive. An application developed using a cross-platform interface easily recognizes UI elements and responds accordingly. This allows designers and developers to have a unified UI/UX across devices and provide a better and more consistent user experience.
A consistent design across all platforms is essential as it helps businesses have their brand voice and marketing strategy. It will help you stay ahead of your competition, rank in various search engines, and keep customers on your website.
Experience similar to native apps
An application built using cross-platform technology feels and runs like a native application. Take any technology in which you want to develop an application, you will have to write the code once and after compilation, it runs as a native application. With the latest tools and advanced frameworks, the entire process of eCommerce mobile app development becomes easy. Today, various frameworks make it easy to write code, run it, and convert it to source code, which helps apps behave like native apps. When an app runs as a native app, it loads faster and is more responsive. As a result, it helps in better customer experience.
Cost-effective development
When developing native apps, businesses need to hire multiple developers for each platform, which increases their investment costs. While with cross-platform app development, businesses don’t need to invest in hiring multiple developers. Since multiple platforms use a single codebase, developers are skilled in cross-platform app development. Hence, cross-platform app development can help businesses save time, and money and increase ROI.
Easy update
Updating your app is easier with cross-platform. Let me explain how – with native app development, you will have to write the same code multiple times for different operating systems; further, you will need to test, review, evaluate and update several times. Additionally, based on different devices and operating systems, you may face different challenges and will need to make changes accordingly. All these things end up being extremely difficult and time-consuming.
On the other hand, updating with cross-platform app development is easy. You don’t need to write the code multiple times, evaluate, make changes according to different platforms, etc. Just write the code once, review, test, evaluate and send updates. Based on the platform, the code will work accordingly and provide better performance.
There are no limits when it comes to the benefits of cross-platform app development. Over the years, frameworks have become more robust and help the development of communities and businesses. However, with advantages come disadvantages, so let’s take a quick look at some of the challenges of cross-platform app development
Challenges of cross-platform app development
Switching platforms
Most cross-platform frameworks use JavaScript, and this creates problems with reusable code. In such a scenario, finding the problem in the entire code becomes a difficult task and consumes time, which increases the cost of mobile application development.
Third-party application integration
It is difficult to integrate third-party applications in cross-platform app development. The integration process becomes difficult and tedious as application developers will have to make certain changes to the code based on each operating system and its interface.
Slow code
Cross-platform app development is not easy, especially for junior developers. During the development process, they need cross-matching, which leads to lengthy code and leads to slow application. Cross-platform app development is a perfect solution for SMEs as it requires less investment and has a higher return on investment.
There are plenty of tools available in the market that make it easy to develop e-commerce mobile apps. The growing demand for applications has given rise to powerful framework tools that facilitate the development of complex applications. Nowadays, many frameworks have become confused about which ones are ideal for cross-platform app development.
If you too are wondering which platform is ideal for mobile app development, you are in the right place. Here I will share with you the best frameworks useful for cross-platform app development.
The best framework for cross-platform app development
Flutter
Flutter is a popular framework for cross-platform mobile application development. Flutter’s official programming language is Dart; its open-source nature makes it accessible for development. Today, Flutter is the second most used app development platform due to its speed, native performance, rich user interface, and Hot Reload. These features make application development easier; developers can also edit the code and see the results in real-time.
React Native
React Native is an open-source, cross-platform framework built with Facebook that supports the JavaScript codebase for developing high-quality applications. The React Native development approach helps build high-performance mobile apps quickly and makes the framework robust and reliable. It is changing the way cross-platform applications work today.
Native script
If you are thinking about other alternatives to Flutter and React Native, NativeScript is your answer. It is a free and open-source cross-platform framework that is useful for application development. NativeScript lets you build an app in TypeScript, JavaScript, XML, and CSS using Angular and Vue.js. When working with NativeScript, you don’t need to install any plugins to access the camera, GPS, or other features because they are built-in. This makes coding in NativeScript easier and provides better performance.
Corona SDK
Corona SDK is an open-source cross-platform framework ideal for creating applications for desktop computers, mobile phones, tablets, etc. The framework is reliable because it offers a back-end framework language called Lua; it is a lightweight application development language. Corona SDK primarily focuses on important parts of app development such as portability, scalability, and ease of use.
PhoneGap
PhoneGap is also one of the well-known development tools platforms that supports various languages like HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. These tools make app development easier for web and app developers. If a business is looking for cross-platform Mobile app development in New Jersey, PhoneGap is the perfect choice as it develops apps for all major platforms and adds features like add-ons. In addition, developers can also use this framework without having any hardware limitations.
Xamarin
Xamarin had an open-source mobile app development platform that was taken over by Microsoft. Similar to other frameworks, Xamarin uses the same codebase for Android and iOS apps. Xamarin uses the C# programming language, eliminating the need to learn Swift or Java, and is preferable to React Native as it provides a native app-like experience.
Ionic
Ionic is one of the popular cross-platform app frameworks that use Angular and Cordova. This framework helps developers to create a user-friendly application interface. It is an open-source framework that allows developers to change the development process according to their unique project ideas. It is a framework for developing hybrid mobile applications using JavaScript. It also has Ionic React, which uses React to build hybrid mobile apps.
Conclusion
Cross-platform app development is NOW in app development. Nowadays, there is a massive change in the way we work with technology. Apps have made everyday tasks easier for users. The increase in the use of mobile applications is driving the development of applications. Today, there is an app for almost everything that makes our lives easier.
In addition, cross-platform apps are revolutionizing app development. It constantly pushes the boundaries of development and simplifies the whole process. If you are interested in how to develop an app, you can contact us.
Moon Technolabs have experienced technical experts to help you with the entire app development process. We have helped many customers build their great cross-platform app development products.
Also Read: The Advanced Guide To Cross Platform Mobile App Development (Tools + Framework)
