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Users often juggle multiple devices and operating systems in today’s world. It makes the app development workflow a bit harder for developers. Developing native apps for a specific platform results in a lower reach than desired. Cross-platform or multi-platform app development is the most feasible solution in this landscape.
Cross-platform app development requires a clear understanding of the development criteria, development process, advantages, tools, and frameworks. Besides, a good cross-platform app needs to be sound in terms of design and optimization. In this guide, we will talk about everything from the basics of cross-platform app development to the emerging trends. Let’s begin.
Cross-platform or multi-platform app development refers to the principle of building the same app for multiple operating systems. For example, you might want to build a dating app that runs both on iOS and Android, two major operating systems. These two operating systems have captured 99% of the market share, so we will be mentioning these operating systems frequently.
When an app is built to run identically on different operating systems, the app is known as a cross-platform app. The process of developing such apps is known as cross-platform mobile app development or multi-platform app development.
This process is becoming more popular due to the following reasons.
The following approaches are commonly used to develop cross-platform apps.
In this approach, developers use different languages, tools, and platforms to build native apps for different operating systems. The design language and the features of the apps are usually different in this approach.
Cross-platform app development mainly refers to this approach, where developers use various tools and frameworks to create identical apps for different platforms. They use shareable codes to build apps that work on both operating systems.
Progressive web apps (PWAs) are like mobile apps in functionality but have the UI of websites. These apps usually run on the browser and don’t require any installation. So, they can be used on any device regardless of the operating system.
These are known as hybrid apps. Developers use a shareable codebase from native and web languages. So, these apps use HTML, CSS, etc., along with native frameworks.
Cross-platform app development process involves 6 major steps. Here is a quick breakdown of the steps, which will help you understand the process better.
It involves understanding the needs of the client and identifying the target audience for the app. There might be some platform-specific requirements that a developer should keep in mind. The right approach for building a user-friendly app is also determined in the first step.
In this step, the design team works on creating an attractive and effective UI/UX design. While creating the cross-platform app design, things like button placement, finger reach on different devices, and other factors are considered to deliver the best experience to users across platforms.
Choosing the right tools and frameworks depending on the development approach is done in this step. Flutter, React Native, Ionic, etc., are commonly used to develop cross-platform apps. Besides, web development languages are used if the client requires PWAs.
After developing the app, it needs to go through rigorous testing processes. The testing step has different phases, such as unit testing, beta testing, etc. In the preliminary steps, the unit test is done to ensure all the components of the app are functioning properly. Beta testing takes it to the next level to check the performance and compatibility of the app across operating systems.
Once the app passes all the tests, it is ready for deployment. Before releasing the app in the market, it needs to be fine-tuned in terms of design and performance. For example, the size of the icons or the position of the burger menu might be adjusted in this step. Performance-orientated aspects can also be optimized in this step.
The final app is published on respective app markets. Even after development, the app needs continuous maintenance to deliver a seamless experience to users who are yet to use the app.
Knowing the nitty-gritty of the necessary tools for cross-platform development is crucial for streamlining cross-platform development process and making it more efficient. Here are some popular frameworks for cross-platform apps.
This Google-owned framework is one of the latest and most popular frameworks in the cross-platform development field. It is known for its versatile feature support, where you can build native features. Besides, you can write codes for unsupported features using this framework.
When building apps with shared UI elements or with a heavy performance, Flutter is the right framework to choose.
This open-source framework uses C# programming language based on the .NET framework. It is used to build apps that can run on both iOS and Android. This framework comes with its own IDE.
React Native is probably the most commonly used framework for hybrid native or cross-platform development nowadays. Facebook launched this framework in 2015 and it is based on React JavaScript. This framework uses the JavaScript library to build apps that can run on both iOS and Android devices.
About 15% of all the apps you see in the App Store are built using Ionic. This unique cross-platform development framework uses HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build native, hybrid, cross-platform, and PWAs.
Like all other mobile app development approaches, cross-platform development has its pros and cons. Here is a quick overview of the benefits and drawbacks for your convenience.
Cross-platform apps need to have the following design factors to provide the desired user experience.
With advancements in technology, cross-platform development is leaning toward heavy customization. Here are a few emerging trends in this field.
You might benefit from the answers to some commonly asked questions about cross-platform app development. Check them out.
The term ‘cross-platform’ is used for apps that run on multiple operating systems using the same codebase. For example, if an app is developed to run on iOS and Android using the same codebase, the process is called cross-platform app development.
Native development is platform-specific while cross-platform development is platform-independent. Native apps are available only on the app store of that specific platform, but cross-platform apps are available on app stores for multiple platforms. Another notable difference is native apps perform better than cross-platform apps.
Compatibility issues, performance issues or bugs, fragmentation, etc., are some of the major challenges of cross-platform development. Besides, cross-platform development requires more focus on UI consistency, which can make cross-platform development more challenging than native development.
Performance is the main trade-off associated with cross-platform development. Cross-platform apps perform slower than native apps. Limited OS and API access are also major trade-offs when it comes to cross-platform development. The University of Saskatchewan has a detailed study identifying trade-offs associated with cross-platform mobile development.
Choosing the proper tools is the most crucial factor for handling platform-specific features. Whatever programming language or libraries are used for cross-platform development, they should be mutually compatible for error-free functionality. Using configurations designed to be modified for target platforms is also important.
Cross-platform app development gained popularity due to the faster development process and limited use of resources. These factors encourage small or medium businesses to choose cross-platform app development as a budget solution. Even large enterprises might choose cross-platform development as it helps them market their products faster.
Cross-platform development is noticeably more affordable compared to native development. The cost of cross-platform development is about $20,000-$60,000, depending on the features, design, functionality, etc. Native development might cost about $40,000 to $300,000. As you can already see, cross-platform development is about two to five times cheaper than native development.
A lot of factors impact the overall cost of cross-platform development. The main considerations should be choosing the right combination of development teams, the right tools and frameworks, and the integration costs.
JavaScript, C#, Python, etc., are some of the most popular programming languages for cross-platform development. Among the frameworks, Ionic, React Native, Flutter, Xamarin, etc., are commonly used to develop cross-platform mobile apps.
Swift is specifically popular for iOS app development. Among these three, React Native is the strongest framework for cross-platform development with its rich support. The Flutter community is still not as large as the React Native community, but it is getting popular as well.
Platform compatibility is the most crucial factor for choosing the language and framework for cross-platform development. Besides, developers need to consider development tools, available resources, scalability, performance metrics, community support, security features, licensing costs, etc.
The key takeaways from this discussion are understanding different approaches and detailed steps for cross-platform app development. While keeping the benefits and challenges of cross-platform development in mind, businesses should focus on building the right team and optimizing the development cost.
With more efficiency, versatility, and cost-effectiveness, cross-platform app development is the thing of the future. It targets a broader audience and packs many native-like features to engage users from different platforms. However, building cross-platform apps comes with its own challenges that you need to overcome.
Once you have an in-depth understanding of the required tools, frameworks, and the development process, you can manage the resources better. It will help you reduce the time to market a cross-platform app and gain higher financial benefits. Opt for this cost-effective app development to provide users with a seamless experience regardless of their platforms.
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