7 Cross Platform Mobile App Development Tools Will Help You Grow Business

For some people, mobile is a luxury. For others, mobile is a necessity. So, it is quite challenging for mobile app developers to create apps that work on multiple platforms.

There are a lot of opportunities for new developers. The newest app code rests on the concept of writing code once and running it anywhere (WORA). The app developer writes code which can run on multiple platforms. The purpose of cross-platform mobile development tools is to save long hours of coding. The app developers can reuse the code and run it on iOS, Windows, and Android devices.

With various mobile devices in the organizations, and startups which increase the productivity of the employees, cross-platform mobile app development is not downhill easy.

A survey estimates that more than 60% of enterprises are now on cross-platform development. The annual growth is 38% which reached $4.8 billion in 2017 and by 2018 it was around 20 million.

If you’re a professional mobile app development agency, you might be using these tools. Ask your developers, and they’ll let you know more details about it. But if your mobile app developers are busy, here is a quick view of the top-notch cross-platform development tools that can help you create your favorite apps.

As tooling, devs use the most common text editors or IDEs like VS Code and Atom. The package create-react-native-app and Expo allow you to get up and running fast and eliminate most of the setup work.

1)    PhoneGap

The tool is mainly developed by Apache Cordova. An open-source tool consists of a debugger, a compiler, and testing tools. It’s just a myth that PhoneGap is used to build simple apps. In the past few years there has been a wide range of plugins like Media Recorder Plugin, Image Capture plugin, and even Push plugin which is quite popular among developers.

Pros

• The code can easily be reused on the following platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, and Firefox OS.
• All the processes are plugin-able which means that the developers can easily use APIs to get their work done.
• It supports in-store app purchases whether it is on the Google Play store or iOS.

Cons

The only issue is that the apps which are designed in PhoneGap are designed sensitively. However, with some third-party apps, this challenge can be overcome.

2)    React Native

When React Native launched in the year 2015, it took everything by storm. The most amazing thing about React Native is that it allows writing code once which can be used for both Android and iOS. Facebook, Airbnb, Uber Eats, and a couple of other famous mobile apps have used this development tool.

Pros

• You can easily reload the code live without any delays.
• The design is quite intuitive and modular. A plus point for developers who want a simple interface while developing apps.
• It provides robust performance. This means the design can easily be operated on most mobile devices without causing any delays in the graphics.

Cons

The learning curve of React Native is quite high. It takes more time to initialize. The management of memory is difficult because float computations are dealt with inefficiently.

3)   Xamarin

If you use a Xamarin tool, you can get help from C# codebase and test the tool on multiple platforms. However, just like other frameworks, the developers can work with native IDEs, APIs, and languages. Moreover, Git integration is developed in Xamarin Studio.

Pros

• The best part of this tool is you can develop simple apps fleetly.
• Around three-fourths of the code can easily be shared on various mobile platforms which can cut down the development cost by half.
• Xamarin comes with a quality testing and monitoring system on a wide range of devices.

Cons

The predominant compatibility issues with Android and iOS libraries are a bit of concern for most app developers. This is the sole issue which developers need to address.

4)    Sencha Ext JS

If you need data-intensive cross-platform mobile apps, then this tool is good news for you. This tool is a robust package of high-end, pre-tested, and ultra-modern UI components which can unleash the potential power of HTML5 and the latest browsers.

To develop business intelligence (BI) cross-platform mobile apps Sencha Ext JS is a perfect choice. Data visualization and analytics are supreme and can compute millions of records with ease.

Pros

• Built-in easy-to-use themes for every popular platform.
• The backend works separately regardless of various data sources.
• The tool supports PhoneGap/Cordova integration to access native API.

Cons

• The themes are few for some platforms.
• The commercial version has complex licensing methods.

5)    Adobe Build

A cloud-based tool that works seamlessly with PhoneGap and compiles code fast. The developers are faithful to this tool because the quality of deliverables is impressive.

Mobile app developers are more willing to work on a cross-platform app development project instead of Android SDK, iOS SDK, or Windows Phone SDK. The only requirement is a little knowledge of HTML5, CSS3, and Java.

Pros

• Code reusability can help the developer wrap up projects with tight deadlines.
• Punch in a few lines of JavaScript and get access to geolocation, contacts, and even a camera.
• This tool is a blessing for medium-sized organizations and startups who are facing ruthless competition.
• Manage your portfolio, get updates, and forget about the maintenance.

Cons

• When compared to Swift the data processing speed is sluggish.
• The background processing of APIs is also at a glacial pace.
• The native functionality is miserable. Most of the APIs don’t even support PhoneGap’s APIs.

6)    Convertigo

Convertigo markets itself as a mobile backend service (MBaaS) which offers products like Convertigo Mobilizer, Convertigo Server, Convertigo Server, and every product is there to aid the developers in building better products.

Pros

• The fullsync feature offers data replication which can help developers build apps even in offline mode.
• Provides ease to connect with SQL databases and other primary services.
• Supports all the Cordova plugins which are used to develop primary features like sensors, cameras, and GPS.
• The push notifications work even in standby mode.

Cons

The free version of the product doesn’t include community support which is kind of sad.

7)    NativeScript

This open-source, cross-platform app development tool can help developers to build native UI with ease. The developers can easily access the native API and reuse the packages from Gradle, NPM, or CocoaPods. This is why the apps built with this tool are feature-rich.

Pros

• The support is extended to TypeScript & Angular.js
• It enables you to use the JaveScript library offline.
• The cross-platform UI support gives the ability to design once and use it on various other platforms.

Cons

• A lack of in-depth examples and documentation.
• Multi-threading is an alarming issue.

Over to You

It is important to mention that the numbering in the post doesn’t reflect the superiority or inferiority of the tool.

Each tool has its pros and cons. The limitations of the tools make it easy to choose as per the requirements of the project. A professional cross-platform app development company can guide you toward the right path. Contact us now!