A DETAILED GUIDE TO CROSS-PLATFORM APP DEVELOPMENT

Cross-platform app development offers multi-platform compatibility. This means it helps to build software and applications that can be used on multiple devices.

Software that is suitable for multi-platforms is a business booster. An intelligent businessman knows that their product and services should be available to each possible customer. Cross-platform applications help to boost business and profit. There is no surprise that companies that choose cross-platform apps get benefits such as apps on a reasonable budget and shorten app development time.

Best Frameworks for Cross-Platform Mobile Application Development

There are various cross-platform frameworks available for Android and iOS app development. Each has its pros and cons, you can check their features and choose suitable ones for your business app.

Flutter 

It is an open-source cross-platform framework to develop software and applications. With it, we can develop software for iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, and other browsers.

Features:

• Flutter helps in portable GPUs that supply UI power that helps to work with the latest interfaces.
• No need to update the user interface manually in Flutter as it is known as a reactive framework.
• This framework is a good choice to develop a Minimum Viable Product as it helps to initiate the development process quickly.
• App developers do not need to develop separate interfaces for Android and iOS.
• Flutter has hot reload features that help developers to do backend changes without saving the file.

React Native

Facebook created React Native cross-platform that helps in fast mobile application development. We can build software for iOS and Android platforms using JavaScript with this framework. 

Features:

• Compatible with third-party library integration and plugins.
• It offers a highly responsive and smooth user interface.
• Based on one-time coding for software, so no need for a separate development process for the same app.
• Reload mobile development on dual screens and in real time.
• Helps to reduce the development process and save time.

Xamarin

Xamarin launched in 2011, is a cross-platform software building framework that uses C# language. It provides greater compile time and fewer errors during run time. Native-friendly interface of this framework helps to design feature-rich native-like apps.

Features:

• It offers seamless app customization and easy linking.
• Amazing native user interface and native-level integration.
• Integrates with visual studio, and Microsoft IDE to build Android and iOS apps.
• Xamarin framework reduces the time and cost of mobile app development.
• It supports the Write Once, Run Anywhere and has an enormous collection of class libraries.

Ionic

Ionic created with Apache Cordova is an open-source framework to build cross-platform Android and iOS apps. It helps to build feature-rich, robust, and fast native apps. With this framework, we can develop hybrid and progressive web apps as well.

Features:

• It allows adjustment in the code structure that helps each coder and saves a lot of time. 
• It is based on the SAAS UI framework that provides numerous UI components for developing vigorous apps.
• The use of Cordova plugins allows access to devices’ in-built features such as audio recorder, camera, GPS, etc.

Pros Of Cross-Platform App Development

Cost Effective

Cross-platform app development helps to get the best apps at a lower cost. You can get feature-rich, unique, and user-friendly applications with the help of cross-platforms. You can also develop web apps that help to get greater ROI.

Quicker Development

Developing apps with cross-platforms diminish developers’ efforts that help speed development. You will get a feature-rich business app within no time. Cross-platform app developers can meet your deadlines and you can run your business smoothly. 

Easy Integration

Cross-platforms offer compatible applications that help in easy integration with the cloud. A single source code can be exploited with various extensions and plugins. Easy integration helps to improve the scalability of mobile applications.

Device Compatibility

One of the main advantages of cross-platforms is device compatibility. You can use the same app on iOS-based devices, Android devices, and on other browsers. You will get a similar UI and UX on each device. 

Wider Market Reach

A cross-platform developer can write code to develop applications that can run on various app stores. It helps to reach the maximum number of people and boost business growth.

Cons Of Cross-Platform App Development

Performance 

Good performance is one of the main factors between various app development techniques such as native app development, hybrid app development, and cross-platform app development.

Unfortunately, cross-platform development techniques are not as good in performance as the rest of the development processes. It is due to the complex process of app building with cross-platforms.

Security 

Security is the other main issue in cross-platform app building due to lower updates. A user gets more updates in native apps than cross apps and that is the main cause of less security. Nowadays, people want a more secure system than anything else and cross-platform development is lacking it.

Limited Functionality

Cross-platform developers can have more difficulty navigating smartphone capabilities such as geolocation, camera, and microphone than other app development processes. But you can look into other advantages of cross-platform app technology.

User Experience (UX)

Good user experience is one of the main factors that you cannot ignore at any cost. It helps to grow your business and boost revenue. But here in cross-platform software development user experience is lacking more than other software developing techniques.

Cross-platform frameworks are the most suitable, cost-effective, and time savings for app development. Provides multiple device accessibility and compatibility with a unifying codebase.

You can check out features of various frameworks such as Flutter, Xamarin, React Native, and Ionic and can discuss them with your developer. There are also many more cross-platform frameworks available that provide feature-rich app development. 

If you have doubts regarding cross-platform frameworks and want to know more about the app development process, you can discuss them with us. Our developers are always ready to help you out and can develop feature-rich, unique, and user-friendly applications for you.