Mobile App Development
Top 5 Tools for Cross-Platform Mobile App Development
Once business plans to launch its mobile applications in the
market, the first thing that pops in the mind is cross-platform app
development. Of course, why shouldn’t that be? After all, brands want to reach
maximum users and coming up with an app that is compatible with multiple
operating systems is the ideal way to ensure this. This implies that by
building a single application, a business also have to ensure which platform to target first - Android vs iOS.
Unlike platform-specific apps, where one has to decide the
tool to use in the development process, this modern development framework makes
it easier to select the right tools. Now, developers have a wide range of
options and they can zero in on the right one on the basis of 4 primary factors
- speed, risk, features and cost.
However, making the ultimate choice can still be complicated
for many. So, whether you provide custom Android app
development services or planning to launch a business app, a little help
from experts would surely guide you.
Therefore, here are 5 top development tools that are highly
recommended by proficients for cross-platform applications.
Have a look:
PhoneGap
PhoneGap is an open-source framework owned by Adobe and
based on Apache Cordova which not online streamlines the whole development
process but also provides access to the complete toolset. As it makes it easy
to translate codes from JavaScript, CSS and HTML5, it is highly recommended for
the first-time mobile app developers. It combines the app with the native
application container, enabling JS to access device-level APIs just like any
other usual apps.
As Phonegap maintains all the software development kits, you
hardly need to bother about handling it and can easily share the app with all
other members once you are done with the development process. Along with iOS
and Android, you can build apps for other platforms too, such as Windows,
Firefox and BlackBerry by deploying a single code base. With its Hydration
feature, you get faster build cycles and debugging. It pushes all the updates
to the users testing the app so that they work on the latest version only.
Qt
One of the major reasons that we would suggest you buy it is
that you can try it for free at first before shelling out a penny and this free
trial surely makes it a popular tool. Another feature that makes it a reliable
tool for cross-platform mobile development is that you can create UIs, fluid,
embedded devices and applications using the same code for all the operating
systems, such as iOS, Android, Windows and more. You will be using C++ to code
the app in Qt and once you are done with coding, you can export it to various
platform seamlessly. Now, you can access the apps via the Qt interface on the
specific device, making it convenient for you to monitor the performance of the
application.
In case it fails to meet your expectations, you can make the
changes through Qt and it will be applied automatically to the app. No wonder
why even top Android app developers prefer using this tool. What’s more? It
doesn’t have a complicated interface like any other cross-platform tools that
you use.
Sencha
Sencha is a well-known cross-platform framework used to
develop powerful applications by using hardware acceleration techniques. Its
primary product for users is Ext JS that allows to build apps in HTML5 and
convert them into a cross-platform one with Adobe PhoneGap. This makes it
possible to come up with platforms that are compatible with browsers and mobile
devices. You also get 115+ UI components
that easily integrate into the applications. It is certainly one of the most
comprehensive mobile development tools that offers end-to-end testing across
all devices.
With Sencha, you can work with multiple members of your team
anytime, anywhere, hence, boosting productivity. It comes with ‘Themer’
to create reusable themes that can be customized for iOS, Ext React, Ext JS,
and Ext Angular. There is also a data visualization table to track app
information and organize content on screen, browser and device. Its great
testing tools also deserve mention that give the most accurate results,
ensuring quality and reducing time and cost invested in it.
Xamarin
Xamarin, owned by Microsoft Visual Studio, helps you build
applications for multiple platforms, such as Android, Microsoft, iOS, etc.,
using a shared C# codebase. The strongest point of this tool is that all the
apps developed here look like natives because of the native interfaces that
work the way users want them to. However, you can add platform-specific
hardware in the app to enhance the performance further. Unlike common belief,
you can do anything with Xamarin in C# that you can otherwise do in Swift or
java. You can use the same APIs, IDE and language everywhere.
Furthermore, it offers debugging, code editing, UI design
tool, free packages and also has store delivery capabilities once you are done
with the developing step. The apps are simple and easy to start and are written
clearly which can be used as a reference. The functionality testing and quality
assurance for various devices add to its seamless features.
React Native
React Native uses JavaScript as a programming language to
develop mobile applications and allows developers to create native apps. There
is no denying the fact that this tool comes with its set of features and
advantages but the most prominent one is that you can write modules in
different languages like Swift, C and Java. Moreover, unlike other API
frameworks, it enables you to edit images and process video. It interprets
source code and converts it into native elements within comparatively less
time. Even leading and the most used social medial portals across the world-
Instagram and Facebook have used React Native for their mobile apps.
Considering that such popular brands trust this tool, most of the mobile app
development service providers are using it for building cross-platform
applications.
Final Thoughts
We are living in a highly competitive era and businesses
have to put in their best efforts to keep pace with their peers and get the
attention of the target audience. Hence, they opt for cross-platform apps.
However, picking the right tool to develop a credible and efficient mobile
application is the real challenge.
The above-mentioned 5 development tools are capable enough to manage your Android and iOS app development needs and capitalize on the huge audience of multiple devices and OS. Now, rather than alienating one group, businesses can focus on every platform and can maximize their revenue eventually. To attain this, they need a trusted mobile development partner that can understand their needs and deliver the product accordingly. A3logics is one destination that serves all your business goals. Connect with our professionals, specify your requirements and they will provide you with the app that resonates with your objective.