Build Once, Deploy Everywhere: The Rise of Cross-Platform Mobile Apps
Hey everyone and Happy Friday! Before we dive into the weekend, we want to talk about an important topic on the minds of both software developers and business owners: “Should I build an app?”
The answer is “yes, why not?!” but let’s talk about what to expect in the mobile application development space and whether you should consider building a cross-platform mobile application instead of an OS specific one.
Mobile apps have become must-haves for a large chunk of modern businesses. But native development for iOS and Android can be time-consuming, expensive and really limiting for growth. This has driven the rise of cross-platform mobile development — building apps from a single codebase.
What is Cross-Platform Mobile Development?
Cross-platform mobile development uses a single programming language to create apps for multiple operating systems. For example, React Native lets you build for iOS and Android using JavaScript. This contrasts with native development which requires Apple’s Swift for iOS and Java/Kotlin for Android.
Cross-Platform Mobile Development is becoming more popular, as the expectation for companies having their application on multiple platforms grows. It used to be that you could have an Apple specific application and it would do fine, but now it’s almost expected to have your app run cross-platform. Imagine if Doordash was only in the Google Playstore…
Popular Cross-Platform Frameworks
Now let’s talk about what’s really available for cross platform mobile application development.
React Native enables web developers to build mobile apps with existing JavaScript and React skills. Apps render native-like UIs while leveraging platform APIs. It’s ideal for simpler apps like TaskRabbit.
Flutter uses the Dart language and its own high-performance rendering engine for building complex custom interfaces. It’s well-suited for apps like Hamilton that require fluid UIs. Xamarin utilizes C# and .NET to compile code into fully native iOS and Android binaries. It has interface libraries for native UIs and works well for 3D game apps like Pokemon Go.
Ionic constructs hybrid apps using web languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It offers extensive pre-built UI components and plugins, making it great for progressive web apps like Sworkit.
Those are the big ones, and as you may have seen in other blog articles, our developers at Paragon Cloud Consulting mainly like to stick with React Native. React Native is easily interpreted into Web Applications, which makes it simple if a client wants both a Web App and a Mobile App launched in tandem.
Benefits of the Cross-Platform Approach
The cross-platform approach offers faster development cycles by allowing you to code once for multiple platforms instead of building separate native apps. Changes can be viewed instantly across platforms with hot reloading. The single codebase is portable across operating systems, reducing maintenance efforts and reaching wider audiences.
Cross-platform tools can also leverage native device capabilities like camera, push notifications, and GPS. And the shared code reduces the needs for large specialized development teams and extensive QA testing for each platform. It’s all of these reasons why we stick with cross-platform mobile development, unless there is a specific need for an OS to be left out.
Considerations to Keep in Mind
Cross-platform performance continues to improve but may not match the speed and fluidity of fully native apps depending on complexity. Some proprietary APIs and SDKs are not available cross-platform, though native extensions can help fill gaps. Platform-specific UI/UX patterns may not fully translate, requiring additional design and testing efforts. You may notice, for example, that Apple Phones have changed over the years to include more gestures through tapping/swiping etc. than Android has. This means that if you’re building a cross-platform application, you may sacrifice some unique functionalities for the simplicity of design.
Also, as a side note, React Native and Flutter developers are in high demand; other niche cross-platform skills can be harder to source. This means if you are a small business owner looking to hire software developers for smaller projects, you may actually pay less for a React Native developer. The data shows that in 2023, the average cost of an iOS-specific senior software engineer is 15–20% more annually when compared to a React Native dev.
When Does Cross-Platform Make Sense?
For small teams working with limited budgets and resources (like startups), cross-platform development can deliver quality apps faster and more affordably than native development. It works extremely well for simple productivity apps, MVPs to test concepts, and companion apps for existing websites. For example, a local restaurant could build a cross-platform reservation and menu app far quicker and cheaper than two native apps. Or a web service like Evernote can easily offer cross-platform mobile access to its simple note-taking functionality.
As cross-platform frameworks continue maturing, they become viable options for more complex and sophisticated use cases. Apps with elaborate 3D gaming and graphics, advanced augmented reality capabilities, or the need for maximum performance and responsiveness may still benefit most from native development. But for a wide range of consumer and enterprise apps like e-commerce, social networking, media streaming, and more, cross-platform allows fast development without sacrificing core capabilities. The bottom line is that outside of the most demanding app experiences, cross-platform development makes sense for a growing majority of mobile apps.
All in all, cross-platform mobile development enables businesses to reach iOS and Android users from a single codebase. It offers a cost-effective way to build apps on tight schedules. Continued innovation in frameworks like React Native and Flutter closes the gap with native apps. The rise of cross-platform mobile development opens the door to delivering quality experiences on any platform.
If you’re considering building a mobile application for the first time, stick with React Native, and consult with us at Paragon Cloud Consulting. We are here and ready to bring your mobile app to the next level. Thanks for reading and we will see you in the next article!
