In recent years, cross-platform application development has been a prominent trend in the app industry. It involves creating software applications that can support multiple platforms, such as IOS, Android and Apple. Because developers can build software for apps for multiple platforms with a single codebase, cross-platform application development offers significant advantages in terms of investments and development time.
Today's app development landscape comprises two primary approaches: Native and Cross-platform. This article delves into the advantages and disadvantages of each method, highlighting why cross-platform development is a trend that all developers should be actively involved in.
A cross-platform application is an application, program, or software designed to run on multiple operating systems or platforms, such as different operating systems (e.g., Windows, macOS, Linux) or various mobile devices (e.g., iOS, Android). This type of app is developed to work on different devices and operating systems without needing to be modified or rebuilt separately for each platform.
Well-known examples of cross-platform applications include Instagram, which originally relied on React Native to ensure consistent performance on both iOS and Android, and Alibaba, which uses Flutter to deliver a smooth shopping experience across platforms. Other big names like Microsoft Teams, and the Google Ads app also leverage cross-platform frameworks to reach a global audience without developing separate native apps. These cases show how companies can save time, reduce costs, and still deliver high-quality user experiences by choosing a cross-platform development approach.
A diverse array of tools and frameworks exist today for crafting cross-platform applications, each catering to different programming languages and development goals. Here's a glimpse into some of the most widely used cross-platform development tools and frameworks among developers:
React Native An open-source JavaScript framework by Facebook in 2015 for building iOS and Android apps from one codebase. Known for strong community support and integration with native components. Developers familiar with JavaScript and React can pick up React Native relatively quickly.
In 2015, Google introduced Flutter, an open-source software development framework that transformed the landscape of mobile UI creation. The groundbreaking framework empowers developers to effortlessly construct cross-platform applications using a unified codebase, enabling seamless deployment across mobile apps, websites, and desktop software.
Flutter's widespread adoption stems from its unparalleled ability to generate visually captivating and high-performance applications that provide a uniform user experience across diverse platforms. Flutter's own Dart programming language and UI framework (Flutter) offer exceptional UI customization and animation capabilities, leading to visually stunning apps.
NET Multi-platform App UI (MAUI) stands as a pivotal framework for developing native cross-platform applications by harnessing the robust capabilities of the .NET ecosystem. This innovative framework marks a substantial advancement over the Xamarin.Forms framework and serves as a key component of the expansive .NET 6 platform.
Microsoft’s evolution of Xamarin.Forms, part of the .NET ecosystem. It allows developers to create apps for Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows using one project structure.
Kotlin Multiplatform, also known as Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile (KMM), emerged as a definitive technology developed by JetBrains, the visionary creators of the Kotlin programming language. This cutting-edge technology empowers developers to create code that seamlessly flows across a multitude of platforms, including Android, iOS, websites, and even server-side applications, all while utilizing comprehensive features like Compose Multiplatform, Arrow etc.
Tauri is a modern framework built with Rust that lets developers create lightweight desktop and web apps using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It’s known for producing apps that are fast, secure, and have impressively small file sizes compared to heavier frameworks like Electron. Combined with WebAssembly (WASM), Tauri allows you to run high-performance code directly in the browser or desktop environment, giving a native-like experience without bloated builds. It’s a practical choice for developers who want efficient, cross-platform apps without sacrificing speed or simplicity.