Cross-Platform Mobile App Development: Five Best Frameworks

Many companies in various sectors now find that mobile apps are essential, and these apps must function on both iOS and Android. Cross-platform mobile development frameworks allow you to produce these kinds of solutions quickly and cheaply.

Given the various frameworks available on the market, decision-makers may need clarification while researching a tech solution for a cross-platform project. With more than 12 years of experience in the software development sector, CodeSuite is a cross-platform mobile app development company that assists customers in coordinating their business requirements with the capabilities of current technologies to accomplish their strategic objectives effectively.

Thus, a thorough overview of cross-platform frameworks may be found in this tutorial. You may continue your study and choose which framework—Flutter, React Native, Ionic, Koltin Multiplatform, or NativeScript—best fits your needs by going over this material.

What is a cross-platform mobile app development framework? 

Cross-platform mobile app development frameworks enable developers to create applications for multiple platforms, like Android, iOS, and Windows, with a single codebase. 

These frameworks allow developers to build native-looking apps that run similarly on different mobile platforms, reducing the need for separate coding for each operating system. Some popular cross-platform app development frameworks include Ionic Flutter and React Native. 

These frameworks use languages like C#, Dart, and JavaScript to create applications that work on various mobile platforms. They provide cost-efficient and time-saving solutions for businesses looking to reach a broader audience with their mobile applications.

Top cross-platform mobile app development framework

This article reviews the best five cross-platform mobile app development frameworks for 2024, including their key characteristics, benefits, and applications developed with each framework.

Flutter

Flutter is a popular framework for building functional apps using a single codebase across multiple platforms (iOS, Android, web, and desktop). Here's a breakdown of its strengths and considerations:

Strengths:

• Flutter's rendering engine allows for precise control over UI elements, resulting in native-looking apps on various platforms.
• Developers can see code changes instantly with hot reload, accelerating iteration and development.
• Everything in Flutter is a widget, promoting code reusability and simplifying complex UIs.
• Fast app startup times, responsive interactions, and fluid animations are all results of compiled Dart code.
• Libraries and pre-built widgets speed up development without sacrificing functionality.

Considerations:

• Even though Flutter covers the majority of use cases, it may not be the best choice for apps that heavily depend on platform-specific features, require augmented reality, or involve complex 3D games. Native development might be more appropriate in these circumstances.

React Native

React Native, created by Meta in 2015, is a popular framework for building cross-platform mobile apps (iOS and Android) using JavaScript. Here's a breakdown of its strengths and considerations:

Strengths:

• Build on your existing JavaScript knowledge to create dynamic and responsive UIs.
• Uses native rendering engines to provide a consistent user experience on Android and iOS.
• Relies on native components for smooth UI performance and a familiar user experience.
• Share a single codebase for iOS and Android, optimizing development efforts.
• Gain access to libraries, resources, and tools for efficient development from a vibrant community.
• Development may proceed more quickly, thanks to the ability to update code in real time through hot reload functionality.
• It uses native components and rendering optimization to provide fluid animations, responsive touch interactions, and quick startup times.

Considerations:

• React Native's UI performance might be slightly weaker than Flutter's, especially in animations and content updates.
• React Native is still in beta and, as a developing technology, may see frequent changes that necessitate modifications to ongoing projects. A competent development team, however, can efficiently handle these updates. 

Kotlin Multiplatform

Kotlin Multiplatform is an open-source tool for creating mobile apps that work across platforms. Here's a breakdown of Kotlin Multiplatform's strengths and considerations:

Strengths:

• Kotlin Multiplatform allows developers to share a common codebase across mobile (Android, iOS), web, and desktop platforms.
• Kotlin compiles native code for each target platform, ensuring optimal performance and a seamless user experience.
• Developers familiar with Kotlin can easily transition to Kotlin Multiplatform, reducing the learning curve for cross-platform mobile app development.
• Kotlin provides a robust standard library that simplifies everyday development tasks across platforms.

Considerations:

• While code can be shared, UI components might require platform-specific adaptations to ensure a native look and feel.
• As a relatively new technology, Kotlin Multiplatform is still evolving. The ecosystem of libraries and tools might be less extensive than that of more established frameworks.
• The complexity of your project plays a role. Kotlin Multiplatform might need to be more balanced for superficial apps while it shines in large-scale cross-platform development.

Ionic

Ionic, an open-source SDK with over a decade of history, offers a unique approach to cross-platform development. Here's a breakdown of its strengths and considerations:

Strengths:

• Build hybrid mobile apps using familiar web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• Create visually appealing and interactive interfaces with Ionic's pre-built UI components and themes.
• Utilize platform-specific UI elements and plugins to achieve a native-like experience on iOS and Android.
• Promote code reusability and maintainability by building modular and reusable UI components.
• Ionic's lazy loading and ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation techniques enhance app performance.

Considerations:

• While Ionic transitioned away from Cordova in 2021, existing projects might require Cordova maintenance. Consider alternative approaches for new developments.
• Finding developers skilled in ionic development might be challenging due to its decreased popularity.

NativeScript

NativeScript, an open-source framework since 2014, allows building native mobile apps using JavaScript. Here's a breakdown of its strengths and considerations:

Strengths:

• Develop native apps familiar with JavaScript and access native APIs through plugins.
• Gain access to a community that provides resources, extensions, and plugins despite possible decreased activity compared to other frameworks.
• App performance can be ensured by utilizing just-in-time (JIT) compilation for development and ahead-of-time (AOT) for production.
• Trusted by companies like MongoDB Inc. and Blackfriars Group for their mobile app development.

Considerations:

• Long-term testing requirements and potentially paid UI components can add overhead to development.
• Less activity in the community could mean fewer third-party libraries and plugins that are easily accessible, which could mean more work in custom development. 

Need a cross-platform app?

CodeSuite, a mobile app development company, helps clients create effective tech solutions that meet their business needs. If you are still deciding which framework to use in your software solutions, you can always rely on our expertise and invest confidently.

Check out our cross-platform mobile app development services and book a free consultation!