The 4 most widely used cross-platform app development frameworks for 2024
Cross-platform app development has emerged as one of the top methods for creating mobile apps throughout time. By 2024, developers will be able to construct programs that function flawlessly across numerous platforms thanks to the cross-platform (also known as multi-platform) method. Using a single codebase for everything.
Many multi-platform tools have emerged as a result of the quickly expanding need for cross-platform solutions. It might be challenging to choose the best solution for your project when there are so many available. We’ve listed the best 4 cross-platform app development frameworks and described when each one’s features are most helpful to make things simpler. Continue reading to discover the best and most economical option for your app.
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The fundamentals of developing cross-platform apps
What do Instagram, Skype, Google Ads, Netflix, and Tesla have in common? Frameworks for cross-platform programming were used in their creation. Are you unsure whether your application might benefit from the same strategy? Of course. Let’s investigate the possibility.
Cross-platform app development: what is it?
Using a single code base, developers may create mobile applications for many operating systems, including iOS and Android, thanks to cross-platform app development. Native app development, on the other hand, need distinct codebases for every platform. It saves time, effort, and money by streamlining the development process, which appeals to businesses looking to expand their mobile solutions’ customer base. Additionally, it guarantees a consistent user experience across platforms and devices, which makes it a more effective method of application development.
What is a framework for developing cross-platform apps?
A specialized toolkit known as a cross-platform app development framework enables programmers to create mobile apps for many operating systems with a single codebase. Ionic, Kotlin Multiplatform, React Native, and Flutter are notable instances of these frameworks. In this essay, we will go into further depth about them.
Development of native vs cross-platform applications
In the field of mobile app development, there are two different methodologies: native and cross-platform.
Making distinct code bases for every target platform, like iOS and Android, is known as native development. This method may be expensive and time-consuming, even if it offers platform-specific capabilities and maximal optimization.
Cross-platform development ensures efficiency, cost savings, and a quicker time to market by using a single codebase for many platforms. For consistent user experience and native-like speed, it makes use of pre-built components and widgets.
The budget, the intended user experience, and the project needs should all be taken into consideration while choosing between these two approaches.
For what reasons are cross-platform solutions becoming more and more popular?
It’s no secret that cross-platform frameworks are becoming more and more popular in app development. They provide a number of strong benefits that are entirely consistent with the objectives of contemporary app strategies.
Because of these advantages, cross-platform solutions are becoming more and more popular in the rapidly changing app industry in addition to being a sensible option.
Performance: Flutter’s native code plus Dart’s ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation provide high-performance apps that can compete with natively built programs.
Open source and community-driven: Flutter’s open-source status allows it to take use of a large and vibrant developer community, which guarantees ongoing support, development, and the availability of a wide range of plugins and packages.
Platform-specific adaptation: To ensure a native look and feel, Flutter enables developers to modify the behavior and appearance of their apps to conform to the platform’s design specifications.
Access to native features: Flutter plugins provide developers access to native device capabilities and APIs, which makes it simple to include device-specific functionality into their applications.
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Native components: To guarantee that programs seem and feel like their native equivalents, the framework also makes native components accessible.
Huge community: With a multitude of libraries, plugins, and resources, React Native has a sizable and vibrant community.
Speed: React Native provides decent speed, particularly for the majority of common mobile applications, although it is not as fast as completely native apps.
Third-party libraries: To increase functionality, developers may make use of a wide range of third-party libraries and packages.
Ionic
Ionic is an open-source UI toolkit for creating desktop and cross-platform mobile apps that was released in 2013. using smooth integrations for the Angular, React, and Vue frameworks, it became well-known for making it possible to create hybrid applications using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Programming language: When creating Ionic apps, developers mostly use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript (or TypeScript).
Ionic-created applications:
Pacifica (Android, iOS)
MarketWatch (Android, iOS)
Sworkit (Android, iOS)
Shipt (Android, iOS)
Sanvello (Android, iOS)
Untappd (Android, iOS)
T-Mobile (Android, iOS)
Important attributes:
Web technologies: Ionic enables developers to create cross-platform applications by using their expertise in web programming.
UI Toolkit: Ionic offers a comprehensive, responsive set of UI elements (UI toolkit) that facilitates the development of apps with user interfaces that adapt nicely to the size of PC browser displays and tiny phones. This distinguishes Ionic from its rivals.
Cordova and Capacitor integration: Ionic easily connects to native device functionality with Apache Cordova and Capacitor plugins.
Community and plugins: It’s simple to add more functionality to Ionic applications thanks to a robust community and a large library of plugins.
Other premium services for businesses: Ionic provides a number of unique products for businesses that enable biometrics, encrypted storage, or SSO, as well as specialized support and its own CI/CD platform.
Kotlin Multiplatform applications:
Despite being more recent than some other frameworks, Kotlin Multiplatform has drawn interest from a number of noteworthy businesses, including:
Google Docs (Android, iOS)
Netflix (Android, iOS)
McDonald’s (Android, iOS)
9GAG (Android, iOS)
Bolt (Android, iOS)
Wrike (Android, iOS)
Quizlet (Android, iOS)
CashApp (Android, iOS)
Forbes (Android, iOS)
Important attributes:
Complete access to platform-specific libraries and APIs: Unlike other cross-platform app development frameworks, Kotlin Multiplatform is not restricted to packages. Any native technology may be used by developers and combined with the Kotlin Multiplatform module. Applications like AR that mostly depend on native solutions benefit greatly from this.
Shared codebase: Kotlin Multiplatform reduces duplication and maintenance work by allowing the creation of shared code across platforms.
Native UI: Kotlin Multiplatform does not entirely abstract the UI layer, in contrast to some other cross-platform frameworks. Rather, it permits UI implementations that are particular to a certain platform. The newest UI frameworks, including Jetpack Compose and SwiftUI, may thus be used.
Interoperability: Pre-existing iOS and Android apps may easily include shared Kotlin code.
Kotlin’s full potential: Since Kotlin is by default multiplatform, you may leverage all of its features—such as robust typing, null safety, coroutines, and many more—when creating cross-platform applications.
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How do you choose the best framework for developing cross-platform apps for your project?
The success of your project may depend on your choice of cross-platform framework when you start developing apps. Though they are not the only choices, Flutter currently tops the field in this area, closely followed by React Native. Every framework has special advantages that are worth investigating.
Flutter:
Rapidly build MVPs or prototypes from the ground up.
Flutter has a wide range of customisation choices, animation possibilities, and much more, making it the perfect choice for bespoke user interfaces that need to be consistent across platforms.
A excellent match for entrepreneurs with unique applications who want to launch fast.
Rewriting your current app to Flutter is a fantastic way to save expenses.
React Native:
Useful for creating MVPs or prototypes.
Excellent for bespoke, consistent user interfaces across platforms.
Advantageous for new businesses hoping to launch rapidly.
Ideal for interacting with React.JS-based web projects or using web developers’ JavaScript expertise.
Ionic
The preferred option for creating a mobile application that complements an online application. It allows for smooth integration with your chosen framework (Angular, React, or Vue), guaranteeing that the functionality and user experience of the mobile app are identical to those of the online app. Ionic excels at converting online app functionality into a version that is ideal for mobile devices.
Multiplatform Kotlin:
Perfect for apps that need UI/UX tailored to a particular platform.
Ideal for long-term initiatives in big businesses.
Perfect for cutting expenses in current applications.
Ideal for applications like camera features, augmented reality, or payment systems that significantly depend on native APIs and libraries.
Native app efficiency makes it perfect for situations when performance and size are crucial. Large-scale projects or applications aimed at developing markets are especially well-suited for it.
Cross-platform development frameworks: advantages and disadvantages
Multiplatform frameworks offer advantages and disadvantages, just like any other solution. The ones you should focus on the most are listed below.
Cross-platform app development frameworks’ advantages
Greater reach: Your app’s potential user base may be greatly increased by using a single codebase that can operate on different platforms.
Cost-effective: By eliminating separate builds for every platform, you may save the expenses associated with development and maintenance.
UI/UX consistency may improve customer happiness and brand identification by providing a consistent experience across all platforms.
Reduced development time: To expedite development and launch more quickly, reuse code across platforms.
Deployment made simpler: Make managing your app easier by streamlining the upgrading and deployment process.
Unified maintenance: Having a unified codebase makes maintenance easier to handle, which lowers expenses and eliminates the need for parallel updates.
Strong community support: Take use of the wealth of tools, resources, and community knowledge that are accessible for well-known frameworks.
Issues with frameworks for developing cross-platform apps:
Performance overhead: Because native apps are directly integrated with the operating system, they may often be faster than their cross-platform counterparts assuming they have the same functionality. However, it’s important to remember that this performance difference is often negligible for the majority of applications, guaranteeing that cross-platform apps maintain their competitiveness in terms of speed and effectiveness.
Platform-specific restrictions: It may be difficult to implement some native features, which might result in feature set tradeoffs. To get around this problem, you may write platform-specific code (Swift/Objective-C for iOS, Java/Kotlin for Android) for unsupported functionality in order to incorporate native modules. Third-party libraries and plug-ins may also be used to fill feature gaps and improve cross-platform compatibility. These tools, which are often created by the community or made available formally, are crucial for enhancing the feature set across all platforms.
Delayed access to new features: Cross-platform applications need to take a calculated approach to integrating the newest platform-specific features. The time it takes for cross-platform frameworks to embrace a new feature after it is released by platform behemoths like Google or Apple is evidence of the meticulous testing and integration required to preserve app integrity across ecosystems. At Linkitsoft, This guarantees that when new updates are released, they are not just quick but also completely cross-platform compatible.
Cross-platform app development’s future
Cross-platform solutions are in a dynamic market where some rivals are disappearing and others are growing. For instance, Microsoft discontinued support for its cross-platform framework, Xamarin, on May 1, 2024, signaling the end of an era for a once-popular product.
However, Microsoft is not completely giving up on cross-platform. .NET MAUI, a more recent and sophisticated cross-platform framework, is being used in place of Xamarin. Compared to Xamarin, NET MAUI offers improved performance, higher productivity, and a more simplified development experience. Additionally, it is based on.NET 6, which offers enhanced functionality and performance on all platforms.
On the other hand, although not being as popular, Kotlin Multiplatform is shown promise. Some of the biggest names in the field have already acknowledged it, so its development trajectory is worth keeping an eye on.
