You just come up with an idea for the most brilliant app in the world? You are probably thinking: What to choose, Android or iOS? Well, the question should be: Why to choose? You can create your app for both platforms. A better question would be: What cross platform should I choose? You are in luck, because right now we are going to reveal 10 tools from which you can select the one that will serve you best. Just relax and take notes.
Image Source: http://thebootstrappersguide.com/html5toolsframeworks.html
Three Core Codes of App Development
But before we list all cross platforms, you need to decide what programming language will help you reach your purpose. Since you are not creating native apps you won’t use Java for Android apps and Objective-C or Swift for iOS app. Instead you will go for:
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HTML5
HTML5 (Hypertext Markup Language, 5th version) was approved in 2014 and it is considered the standard for browsers to interact with webpages. It offers faster and improved user experience for mobile viewers.
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CSS
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) shows how HTML elements are displayed. You can save CSS files for handling multiple layouts.
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JavaScript
JavaScript is an interpreted language created for making web pages interactive. And no, JavaScript has nothing to do with Java.
What Is Cross Platform App Development?
Cross platform app development is the process of creating applications using a common programming language for all platforms, not the native language of devices’ operating systems. The main advantage is that a great part of the code can be shared between platforms and the interface can have the same quality like the apps built with Java and Objective-C or Swift. But it depends of the framework you choose. In the end you save time and money because you don’t have to write the code from scratch for Apple and Google.
10 Cross Platform Mobile App Development Tools
Since the performances of the apps created in the same time for 2 or more platforms depend on the framework you are using, let’s see the most popular ones and their main characteristics.
1. React Native
Image Source: https://facebook.github.io/react-native/showcase.html
React Native uses JavaScript and it allows you to add blocks of native code from Java, Objective – C or Swift. You can see Facebook app as a model. If you want to use it you need to check the current version. Other apps built on React Native are shown on the website.
2. Native Script
Image Source: https://www.nativescript.org/
Native Script is an easy to use platform which gives you the opportunity to work with Angular, TypeScript or JavaScript. The best part is that you can take advantage of it for free. You can adapt the framework to develop your own ideas. After that you can display your app on the Showcase page.
3. Xamarin
Image Source: https://www.xamarin.com/
Xamarin is the most known tool which can help you create mobile apps for iOS, Android and Windows devices. It uses C# for building apps and you can use up to 75% of the code across all platforms. Check the prices before you decide because it offers a limited version for free. In an article offered by Freezeprosoftware you can find detailed examples of great apps built using Xamarin, like Blastout.
4. Rhodes
Image Source: http://docs.rhomobile.com/en/2.2.0/rhodes/introduction
Rhodes is a framework created by RhoMobile. Besides the languages mentioned at the beginning it uses Ruby. You need to contact the team for the prices since you need an account to check their features.
5. PhoneGap
Image Source: http://phonegap.com/
PhoneGap is an open source framework built on Apache Cordova. Its popularity comes from the fact that it is easy to handle and it provides many libraries to work with. As a developer you only need the trio described above. In its Showcase you can check the apps built with the help of PhoneGap from traveling to social and games.
6. Sencha
Image Source: https://www.sencha.com/products/touch/#overview
Sencha is a top framework which allows you to create all kinds of apps from small ones to large enterprise apps. It aims at productivity and its product Ext JS 6.0 comes with many sophisticated features. Its pricelist is available on the site. CineTalk is an app built with Sencha. The companies that use Sencha services are shown on Customers page.
7. Unity 3D
Unity 3D is a flexible platform and it uses C# and JavaScript for building 2D and 3D games. It is free for personal use but if you want more you will have to pay. You will be impressed by its Showcase. It also provides services for Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality.
8. Cocos 2D
Image Source: http://cocos2d.org/
Cocos 2D is a generator for 2D games as you may guessed. In the image above you can see the forks provided by this framework. You can select one of them according to your development skills. Take a look at the games listed on the site to understand what you can do with this tool. The best part is that you can use it for free.
9. Appcelerator Titanium
Image Source: http://www.appcelerator.com/
Appcelerator Titanium is a platform that helps you create what you want starting from a JavaScript code. It also provides tools for testing and analytics. Its prices start from $36/month for individual developers. If you want to discover the most popular apps built with this platform you can check their app Showcase.
10. Corona
Image Source: https://coronalabs.com/
Corona is a platform that offers a SDK for creating 2D games and apps. The downside is that it uses its own programming language called Lua. The benefits are that it is easy to learn, as the team members state and it is free. So, if you don’t afford a great budget but you have free time to study, go for it. It is really admirable what you can see in its Showcase.
Image Source: https://coronalabs.com/corona-showcase/
Final Thoughts
Did you decide which cross platform is going to be? Making your app compatible with different operating systems and allowing you to use great part of the code are the biggest advantages because any modification to the code will change the app overall. You don’t have to go through each platform if you want to modify it. So, what are you waiting for? Go on and build the next viral app that will break more than five records. For these advices you can thank us later.
