App development has become one of the most beneficial things today. It helps the users and the developers in various ways. There are many ways to develop apps today. One such incredible way is cross-platform app development. Cross-platform app development is becoming popular.

The best thing about them is that they can be run on several platforms after being built only once. When building an app or website, the mobile app development frameworks that can aid in making the process easier is required.

In the same way, cross-platform apps work on several amazing frameworks that make app building easy and convenient, and companies can easily find and hire dedicated developers for their app building. But, before moving to a progressive web app framework let’s understand cross-platform apps a bit thoroughly.

 

What Is Cross-Platform App Development?

Cross-platform application development is building an app that can run on different operating systems. Generally, applications are created differently depending on the operating system.

But, cross-platform applications are created in a way that they can run on any operating system and do not require any modification.

The purpose of such applications is to create software that is reliable for the digital environment. Many mobile app development services offer services that can aid in building cross-platform applications for companies and different businesses

 

Features Of Building Cross-Platform Applications

Cross-platform app development comes with multiple features that aid the developers and the users in several ways. Some such features are:

 

1. Comfortable with the developer:

The cross-platform applications are based on the developer’s comfort. For building a cross-platform application the developer is only required to know certain languages like JavaScript and CSS3 that most are aware of already. Developers don’t need to create different applications according to the different platforms.

 

2. Plugins:

Mostly, all cross-platform frameworks come with plugins that can aid in creating a library and integrating it to SDKs. It will help in developing applications using more advanced features.

 

3. Service support:

Almost all cross-platform popular mobile development frameworks offer cloud services through which anyone can communicate directly with the service. It also offers incredible service support.

 

Benefits Associated With Cross-Platform App Development

Cross-platform applications offer multiple advantages to the users that make the app development process easy. Some of the top benefits are:

• Launching the software on several platforms: The first and foremost benefit is that one application can be run on different platforms. A company doesn’t need to hire dedicated developer for different platforms. The software can get launched and updated easily with multiple cross-platform development tools.
• Fast development: Since it does not require creating apps on different platforms, it only needs one script. Thus, it takes less development time and can be done in a short duration.
• Wider audience: It is easy to reach a wider audience as the applications can be run on several platforms. The more people use the app, the more the exposure of the company increases.
• Easy updates: Cross-platform app development is internet-based and is easy to update. There is no need to download separate updates to maintain the application. The app can get updated automatically for all the customers which positively affects the performance of the app.

 

Disadvantages Associated With Cross-Platform App Development

Despite having multiple advantages, cross-platform app development comes with some drawbacks. Some of the common disadvantages of cross-platform apps are:

• Lower performance: Most cross-platform applications are similar to native applications. But, if both types of applications are compared, we can see that the native one is slightly faster than the cross-platform application. However, this difference is quite small.
• Hard code design: Cross-platform applications have to adapt their functionalities and design according to all platforms. Thus, it creates extra work for the developers as it should be maintained properly.
• It takes time to update: In native apps, SDKs are provided that make it faster to update the applications. On the other hand, it takes time in updating new features to cross-platform applications.

 

Best Frameworks For Building Cross-Platform App Development

A framework is a platform that is used for the development of software. It provides a structure that aids in building software. It is important as it helps in creating the applications in a faster and better way.

Choosing the right mobile app development framework for our app development process is important. Every framework is specialized in a certain type of app development.

Frameworks do common tasks and are not a requirement in web development, but it is a great tool to make the process faster and better.

It helps in the process of creation and maintenance of a website with ease. Applications created by a framework have a great place in the market. Each framework can provide exceptional web development features.

When we talk about cross-platform applications, different frameworks are available that can aid in the creation of cross-platform application development and can make the process easier and more convenient for the developers.

But which mobile app frameworks should we use? Which ones are the most popular today? Here are the answers to all these questions. Following are the best frameworks today for cross-platform app development.

For building any application, a perfect framework that can aid while building it is required. Following are popular mobile app development frameworks related to cross-platform applications:

 

1. React Native

React Native is one of the most chosen cross platform mobile app development frameworks. It was launched in 2015 by Facebook that is based on JavaScript.

It allows React native app development for both Android and iOS and helps mobile applications a lot. Many popular companies make their application with this framework.

The fast development and deployment is the primary reason why it is so famous and one of the most preferred frameworks. The best framework for app development offers many benefits.

One of the benefits is that it’s easy for the developers to monitor any code changes without saving them first. React native app development allows accessing third-party plugins. It offers a more stable application as compared to other frameworks.

 

 

2. Flutter

Flutter is considered one of the best mobile application development frameworks to develop web applications with incredible performance. It was developed in 2018 by Google.

It has advanced technology and is open-source. The community support of Flutter is growing. It is highly reliable and aids in making amazing-looking apps in a short time.

This framework also offers multiple benefits to its users. It aids developers in viewing any code change live without the requirement of saving them first. It has a high-performance rendering engine that allows developers in customizing the animations easily and quickly.

It offers a wide variety of choices in UI elements and widgets that make the app development visually appealing and fast. It offers hybrid mobile app development tools also.

 

3. Xamarin

Xamarin is another best mobile app development framework that can be used for application development. It is an open-source framework based on Microsoft and aids in developing high-performing apps regardless of their operating system.

It helps create applications that offer native and near-native experiences. It also ensures the development of convenient UIs for different platforms and is easy to use.

The application developed by these frameworks for mobile app development is easy to maintain. The framework is scalable and constantly improving. It is cost-effective and provides ease of development.

 

4. Ionic

Ionic is another well-known open-source framework that allows developers to build mobile applications with fantastic performance for Android.

The framework is built with Apache Cordova and Angular and aids developers to build amazing native applications. It is one of the best framework for ios app development. The main advantage of this framework is that it offers the developers to utilize multiple UI elements like forms, views, navigation, and many more in the application design.

Apart from cross-platform applications, Ionic also allows the building of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) and hybrids. We can take the services of building PWAs from a progressive web app development company.

 

5. Apache Cardova

Apache Cardova, also known as PhoneGap is a well-known mobile application framework that aids developers in creating applications effortlessly. It is known for developing cross-platform applications using CSS3, HTML5, and JavaScript.

The plugins of this framework allow the developers to access device hardware like cameras and GPS to create a native app experience.

The framework also provides third-party app management tools and many different features that can aid in developing applications faster. Any developer like an iOS app developer can easily help create mobile apps and web apps with this framework.

 

 6. JQuery Mobile

JQuery is another popular mobile frameworks for the development of hybrid mobile applications and offers many hybrid mobile app development tools.

This framework uses JavaScript libraries and HTML for building applications that can be used on different platforms and devices. JQuery helps in building applications and websites with a highly customizable theme.

It is very good at developing responsive websites. It is easy to learn and use and can help in creating stunning applications.

It is also the best framework for custom theme development. The best thing about this is that it’s easy to get an app approved when it has to go through the app approval process on different app stores.

 

7. Framework7

Framework7 is a well-known open-source progressive web apps framework. It is very easy to learn and use. It helps in building desktop, iOS, and Android Applications using JavaScript, CSS3, and HTML5. The applications are Native-look like and can be easily built by an iOS app developer or any developer. Framework7 provides additional support to its users and offers amazing UI elements.

This is one of the best hybrid app development frameworks making the development process easy, more convenient, and faster compared to any other framework. It also aids in making progressive web apps and can take help from a progressive web app development company.

 

Conclusion

Cross-platform applications are extremely useful today as they are loaded with amazing features. We can build one application that can run on different platforms without any hassle.

There are many cross-platform applications that we use regularly and offer several advantages to us. When we talk about frameworks, they are the best way to create and run a website or application.

For cross-platform applications, many best frameworks for app development are available in the market. These frameworks make the creation of applications and websites easy.

Furthermore, as most businesses are shifting online, cross-platform applications can make it easier to reach a large audience.

Businesses can take help from a mobile app building company to build their cross-platform app to improve their business. These applications also save plenty of time and money and are loaded with multiple advantages and features for businesses.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

1. Which are the best cross-platform apps?

Cross-platform applications are very prevalent today. There are multiple applications that we use daily that fulfill a lot of our requirements. Here are the top five cross-platform applications

 

1. OneDrive:

Mostly we use a cloud drive to access our important files and store them. While several cloud drives are available, one such best cross-platform application is OneDrive.

With this, we can easily create, change and delete files from anywhere. It is available in both Windows and Mac OS. Furthermore, it has applications for both Android and iOS.

 

2. Canva:

Canva is an excellent tool used today for creating visual creatives like making designs, logos, posters, social media posts, videos, cards, and many more things.

It is easy for beginners and several templates are available that can be used. Initially started as a web app, now it has an application available on Android, iOS, and Windows. It is available to users for free.

 

3. Grammarly:

During a professional conversation, perfect grammar is required irrespective of what we are doing. Grammarly is another amazing cross-platform app that aids in correcting grammar mistakes.

It is also available for free to users except for the premium version. The premium version offers some more facilities. It also offers a keyboard app that can correct our grammar while writing for both iOS and Android.

 

4. Trello:

If we want to make a list, Trello is the best application we can use. We can easily create notices and organize them into a list. We can add due dates, labels, and attachments and add or invite people to help or work along. It is available for Android, Mac, Windows, and iOS.

 

5. Microsoft 365:

Microsoft 365: Office suite is one of the most required things in the professional world. It includes a spreadsheet, a word processor, and presentation software and Microsoft 365 is the best one that can be used.

There is easy availability of Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word for iOS, Mac, Android, and Windows. It can be used even when not online.

 

2. Which is the best cross-platform mobile development language?

There are three best cross-platform mobile app development languages, JavaScript, CSS3, and HTML5. These three are the most prominent languages used for the development of cross-platform application development.

 

3. How many ways does a cross-platform mobile app help businesses?

Most businesses are shifting online as there is an availability of a wider audience. Furthermore, cross-platform applications help in getting more audience.

Cross-platform applications can save time as they can be built in less time and money as it has a low app development cost for businesses and thus, can greatly aid in business. Here are the different ways through which cross-platform mobile apps can help businesses:

• Only one cross-platform app needs to be developed that can be run on different platforms. It also takes much less time to develop than native apps.
• If less time and effort are required while creating a cross-platform app, it means that app development cost is lowered. This can aid new or growing businesses.
• Updates are easy in cross platforms applications as they are completely online. There is no need to download separate updates.
• It has easy maintenance that saves time for businesses. Thus, it is very helpful for new or growing businesses

 

4. Which are the best native frameworks?

There are several native frameworks available today that can help in app development. Some of the top mobile app development frameworks are

• Swiftic: Swiftic is an easy mobile development framework. It is a no-code mobile frameworks for the iOS platform. It offers advanced analytics and can be used to build apps quickly. It also offers an intuitive interface that allows us to create, manage and publish applications.
• Native Scripts: It is an open-source framework that is used to build Android and iOS applications. It is easy to learn and use. It offers full native performance to the apps. A wide range of plugins and templates are also available for faster development. It is popular for building native apps with JavaScript.
• React Native: It is one of the most popular frameworks used to develop applications for different platforms.
• Xamarin: Xamarin is a Microsoft-based open-source framework. It helps in building apps with high performance and is highly scalable.
• Ionic: Ionic is one of the best mobile development frameworks that allow the building of apps with high performance. It offers multiple User interface (UI) elements.
• Flutter: Flutter is one of the most popular and best frameworks. It was developed in 2018 and is based on Google.
• JQuery Mobile: JQuery mobile is also one of the best cross platform app development frameworks. The best thing about it is that it makes it easy to approve apps in the app store.

 

5. What is the Best Framework for Mobile App Development?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer as the best framework for app development depends on various factors like project requirements, team expertise, and target platforms. Popular options include React Native, Flutter, and Xamarin, each offering unique features and capabilities for cross-platform or native app development.