If anything, that over 6 million apps in both Android and iOS app stores hint towards is the fact that developing a has now become a marketing pillar.
With people spending more time on mobile apps than on their desktops, developing an app is the perfect marketing strategy for any company looking to establish a stronger connection with their customers.
Not to mention, it’s now become one of the most effective tool to help scale a business.
Now that you have decided to develop an application for your business, you need to answer the most important question: Native or Cross Platform i.e. Hybrid?
Make no mistake Peerbits prides itself, and vehemently advises all its clients, to go the Native route.
“Native apps will always be far more superior to the best cross-platform apps out there.” says Peerbits‘ senior project manager Sahil Modan.
That being said, there are certain business objectives, such as budgets and business strategies (e.g. reach maximum penetration by launching for several app stores at once), which are best supported by a cross-platform app.
So, after careful consideration, you’ve decided a Cross-Platform app, it is.
What’s next?
Find out which Mobile Framework will be perfect for your business Application.
Here are a few mobile frameworks that are most commonly used by app developers because of their ease-of-use and near-native quality of the apps:
1. Ionic
Although still considerably young, Ionic is a mobile framework that’s growing in popularity because of its Twitter-like bootstrap.
It’s a front-end framework that lets you build mobile apps with HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript, with a keen focus on UI interactions.
It comes with the option of using SASS and AngularJS for scripting applications and many UI components such as tab bar, header/footer, toggle, buttons etc. It currently supports iOS and Android apps.
2. PhoneGap
It was one of the first frameworks in the cross-platform app development game. It’s one of the most popular mobile development frameworks, now owned by Adobe.
Like Ionic it’s a front-end developer friendly tool. Front end developers can utilize their skills with HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript to create an app across multiple platforms like Android, iOS, Windows, Blackberry, Amazon Fire, Ubuntu and Tizen among others.
However, not all device features are equally supported across all platforms. One feature that differentiates PhoneGap from other frameworks, is its Developer App.
Changes made locally, through the developer app, can be previewed instantly on the devices running the respective OS.
However, some developers find that apps made via PhoneGap can come out laggy, performance wise.
3. Corona SDK:
Corona framework relies on a lightweight programming language that focuses significantly on extensibility, portability, speed, and ease-of-use.
Due to these properties it can promise game and mobile app development with speed which is up to 10-times faster.
If you’re a beginner then don’t worry. Its official website hosts guides for you to turn into season pros.
The guide entails everything from the basics to the advanced topics. Moreover, Corona SDK is 100% free and works on both Mac OS and Windows. It also supports real-time testing.
4. React native
React Native is a Facebook’s product which is an open-source version of its React JavaScript framework.
It’s used by fortune 500 companies like Tesla, Instagram, Walmart, Airbnb, Baidu, and many more.
It’s almost impossible to distinguish between apps built by React Native and the ones built by Objective-C or Java since both uses the same UI building blocks as Android and iOS apps.
It helps the developers to build cross-platform apps with minimal effort along with rendering native-like experience to all the end-users.
Another advantage for developers is that React Native has a large community in case, if anyone faces any doubts or problem.
This huge support encourages beginners to have a shot at React Native even when generally it’s not advised.
5. Appcelerator titanium
This framework includes all those tools that a mobile app developer might need to build, test, and to deploy various apps.
With the help of JavaScript, Appcelerator titanium calls a large collection of APIs.
The APIs then call native features of the operating system which gives it a native look and leads to the exceptional performance.
Titanium follows a visually-oriented mobile app development process that relies on pre-built blocks of codes that can be assembled by dragging and dropping.
You can test and monitor the finished apps in the cloud with the help of Mobile Lifecycle dashboard that offers vital insights for app performance.
6. Xamarin
This is a relatively new comer, but it’s quickly becoming the go-to app development framework for many developers.
Unlike other frameworks, Xamarin uses C# to code apps and then compiles them for various platforms, which affords it’s apps near-native capabilities.
It also reduces the code-to-launch time considerably. Not to mention the cost savings.
One of the biggest advantages of Xamarin is that the code can be shared directly with a PHP based server.
It also works seamlessly with Microsoft’s Visual Studio, allowing developers to work in an environment they’re already comfortable with.
Xamarin is by far the favorite app development framework over at Peerbits. We’ve developed quite a few nifty apps with it. and have managed to gain the reputation as the top Xamarin Mobile App Development Company.
7. The AppBuilder
The AppBuilder mobile framework is used by some of the major enterprises around the globe. It’s known for its swift mobile app development and codeless UI support.
This mobile app framework is best suited when they you’re used to develop information-based applications.
This mobile app framework includes a pre-built block which enables you to incorporate features like polls, feedback, push notifications, content-related updates, and analytics.
Most importantly it seamlessly integrates with Google Play that enables the developers to publish it in a single click.
It measures your company’s result and then offers a launch pad accordingly that can be used to refresh and engage your resources.
Moreover, it also offers event content that is highly accessible, boosting your employee engagement, setting-up non-technical event apps, and managing the overall cost-effectiveness.
8. Flutter
Flutter is a software development kit which hails from the house of Google. Numerous developers are attracted towards it due to its faster coding.
Flutter provides its users with a single code base for both Android and iOS that results in a more convenient app development process.
With Flutter, developers can easily modify old widgets and build new once with utmost ease. This plays a crucial role in the engagement of the target audience by developing a responsive mobile application.
9. Intel XDK
Intel XDX is a cross-platform mobile app development framework which is known for building purposeful apps by using plugins. It’s a well-known framework for developing interactive and responsive apps.
This framework supports cutting-edge technologies such as IoT and another well-known framework like Node.js.
Moreover, it also makes the tasks like debugging, emulation, and testing easier.
Another advantage of this framework is that it allows you to preview your project live while making changes in it.
Go native
At their core app development frameworks are there to make life easier for the developers. Not all frameworks are made equal – not every framework can support all device features.
In such cases, developers often use plugins, which ultimately affect the performance of the app.
Even if your app functions with near-native capabilities, you will find out that over time, the app starts degrading i.e. more bugs, frequent crashes etc.
While, another drawback of going the cross-platform route is the apps’ inability to adapt to the changes whenever there’s a new OS update.
For these reasons, and more, we are strong advocates of Native app development. In a nutshell, native apps are:
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Faster; because the code is far more flexible and runs seamlessly
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Enhanced UX/UI
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New app features can be integrated quickly and easily, without compromising the existing ones
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Can leverage the complete range of the device’s hardware, without affecting the performance
Here are some of our apps that we are extremely proud of, and guess what? They’re all Native.
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FiveOh!
Have an app you’d like to have built? Find a suitable mobile app development company and discuss the cost of app development to proceed
