You’re a mobile app developer and want to create awesome apps that work on different platforms, like Android, iOS, Windows, and others. You want to reach millions of users around the world. But how do we choose the right framework for our project needs? Cross-platform framework tools lets us write one piece of code which works seamlessly on multiple platforms without much change. Allowing us access into native features such as camera usage, GPS navigation or push notifications – all within the same codebase! But how do we choose the right framework for our project needs? With there being many options available it can be difficult in sifting through each one’s pros/cons & understanding what will best suit our goals. For this reason, we have compiled an extensive list of 6 top cross platform frameworks with the factors that must be considered before making any decisions. The Top Six Cross-Platform Frameworks 1.React Native React Native, a powerful framework from Facebook, is the ideal choice for creating native-like apps on both Android and iOS. It utilizes JavaScript & React – a web development library – to create an app that looks and feels like it was built with native components. Moreover, developers can see their changes right away through ‘hot reloading’, which enables faster progress without needing to recompile each time. Popular applications such as Facebook, Instagram, Airbnb & Uber Eats have all utilized React Native in their builds. Pros: 1. Easy to pick up for those familiar with JavaScript and React, providing high performance and responsiveness due to native rendering. 2. A large, active community of developers and resources is available for support if any issues arise when building projects. 3. Native modules and libraries are accessible through third-party plugins or coding in native code should the need arise during the development process. Cons: 1. Not suitable for complex applications that require advanced graphics, animations or calculations. 2. Requiring native code instead of React Native at times as well as possibly facing compatibility issues with different versions of it or its plugins. 2. Bugs could be encountered while developing an app on a platform unsupported by React Native which would call for additional workarounds such as using third-party solutions depending on the complexity of the issue faced by the 2. Flutter Flutter is an innovative application framework developed by Google. It’s a high-performance programming language, allowing you to rapidly create beautiful and responsive apps for Android, iOS, web and desktop. Flutter utilizes a widget-based user interface – everything on the screen from text to images to buttons are all widgets that can be customized or blended together for stunning visual experiences. Plus with hot reload and hot restart enabled in the app development process; you’ll be able to quickly trial alterations without having any lengthy gaps between changes being implemented. There are some big names already using this fantastic tool including Google Ads, Alibaba, Hamilton & Reflectly. Pros: 1. Fast and responsive with native compilation and rendering. 2. Intuitive, customizable UI featuring widgets and animations galore. 3. Develop once for multiple platforms – no need to rewrite the codebase. 4. Quickly debug your app with hot reload or hot restart capabilities at hand. Cons: 1. Learning Dart can be a bit of a challenge if you don’t know it already. 2. Support documentation may be lacking on some features or devices. 3. May require additional plugins for certain native functionalities. 3. Xamarin Xamarin is a well-established framework for building native apps with C# and .NET. With Xamarin you can share up to 90% of your code across platforms while preserving the look and feel of each platform. It offers access to native APIs through Xamarin Essentials, Forms and iOS/Android libraries. Visual Studio provides an integrated development environment that makes coding, testing and debugging straightforward. Popular applications built with this technology include Skype, Pinterest, Olo and The World Bank – just some examples of how powerful this tool can be. Pros: 1. Native compilation and execution ensure high quality and performance. 2. Get access to native features, functionalities, UI/UX with platform-specific customization via Xamarin & .NET. 3. Visual Studio provides robust tools and support for comprehensive development experience. Cons: 1. Extra libraries add up to large app size resulting in longer loading time. 2. May require platform-specific code or plugins for certain features or platforms. 3. Compatibility issues may arise between different versions of Xamarin & .NET leading to bugs. 4. Ionic Ionic is a hybrid development framework that uses web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build cross-platform apps. It takes advantage of the powerful Angular framework for structure and functionality while using Cordova or Capacitor plugins to access native features. Popular Ionic apps are MarketWatch, Pacifica, Sworkit, and Untappd. Pros: 1. It’s easy to learn if you know web dev languages. 2. Rapid & cost-effective coding with reusable code; flexible UI components & themes. 3. Access to native APIs & libraries via its plugins. Cons: 1. Lower performance compared with pure native builds due to the webview rendering engine. 2. Limited access to core UX elements without additional code or plugin integration 3. Not all platforms support out-of-the box features so custom solutions may be needed. 5. NativeScript NativeScript is an open-source framework that uses JavaScript, TypeScript, or Angular to create native apps for Android and iOS. NativeScript allows you to write your code once and run it on multiple platforms with native performance and UI. NativeScript also provides direct access to native APIs and libraries without the need for plugins or wrappers. You can also use Vue.js, a lightweight and progressive web framework, to create your app with NativeScript. Some of the apps that use NativeScript are Strudel, BitPoints Wallet, Daily Nanny, and Regal Cinemas. Pros: 1. Blazing-fast performance and user interface with native rendering and execution. 2. Direct access to device features without the need for plugins or wrappers. 3. Cross platform support from a single codebase across all platforms. 4. Supports major web
