According to statistics, 72.84% of all smartphones in the world work on the Android system, and only 26.34% of all devices use the iOS operating system. Despite clear leadership of the Android platform, none of the business owners wants to lose one of the audiences. Therefore, they opt for cross-platform development since it eliminates the need to program the application for each of the operating systems. This development is based on a single source code and technology stack. Multiplatform software products are universal: they are written for various platforms and are adapted to hundreds of devices. Besides, such applications are as high quality as native apps, but they do not require high development costs.
In this article, we will describe the main advantages and disadvantages of cross-platform app development and highlight the most popular platforms.
What Is Cross-Platform Development?
Native development allows engineers to create apps for only one OS. Applications are built strictly with the native OS programming language. For instance, iOS devs use Swift / Objective-C, while Android engineers use Java / Kotlin. A cross-platform application suits various platforms and utilizes a single codebase.
Pros and Cons of Cross-Platform App Development
Cross-platform development has its pros and cons, below we list them.
Pros
- Multiplatform development is faster and more cost-effective than native development because the application development for two platforms is carried out simultaneously, and the devs do not write a separate code for each platform.
- The app appears in multiple stores, so the customer expands its user base.
- One source code saves a business owner the hassle of hiring multiple developers for a specific platform.
- The codebase of a cross-platform application can be reused and adapted to new projects.
- Deployment is fast.
- The code is potentially less buggy because one development team works on the code.
Cons
- Cross-platform apps are slow and may have user interface issues.
- Application customization flexibility is not as good as in native applications.
- Problems may arise when interacting with app stores.
Sought-after Cross-Platform App Development Platforms And Tools
We will give you a short overview of the most popular cross-platform development platforms today.
React Native
React Native is the most popular cross-platform JavaScript development environment. Developers can use it to code and run WEB applications, applications for IOS and Android.
Pros
- Helps reduce application development costs by allowing code reuse.
- React Native has a large, active developer community that supports the platform. Various tutorials, written code examples, and documentation are available to developers.
- Applications have high performance.
- Applications built with React Native are stable and secure.
- Developers can use third-party plugins to add new functionality.
Cons
- It’s a complex framework, so hiring a team of highly skilled developers is a must.
Flutter
Flutter offers tools and functions for creating applications for the iOS and Android operating systems.
Pros
- Flutter enables developers to build applications faster and cost-effectively.
- The Dart programming language offers lightweight syntax and various features that make application development accessible even for beginners.
Cons
- Doesn’t provide sufficient support for implementation-ready libraries.
Bottom Line
The options described above can become possible solutions for your business. Just be sure to analyze all the key aspects and consult professionals who will assist you on a journey from idea to product launch.
