Find out how this approach lets developers use the same codebase for multiple platforms.
Traditionally, launching an app on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store required two codebases: one for Android and one for iOS. Mobile app development that served all of your customers required developing two apps using two very different technologies.
These days, this isn't the only option for your business. Many businesses are opting to develop their apps using cross-platform technologies rather than the native SDKs for Android and iOS.
Ready to explore cross-platform development? Let's dive in to help you decide whether it's right for your app.
What is cross-platform app development?
Cross-platform mobile app development is the process of building software that can run on a variety of mobile devices. Instead of creating one codebase that uses the Java or Kotlin programming languages for Android and one that uses Objective-C or Swift for iOS, developers create and work out of one codebase that can be used to build apps for both platforms.
This type of development depends on the use of a cross-platform app development framework, which provides an abstraction layer between the framework and the native functionality of both platforms. This means that cross-platform app developers can use a programming language that isn't native to either platform, such as JavaScript, for development.
Cross-platform mobile developers write their code in one language. When the app is built, the build process maps this universal code to the applicable platform.
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Common capabilities of cross-platform app development tools
There are several varieties of frameworks you can use to develop a cross-platform mobile app. These options vary in both their supported languages and the technology they use to interact with native device SDKs, but there are some fairly common framework capabilities.
Open source
Most cross-platform frameworks are open source. This means that anyone can look at the source code of the framework, modify it, and create a custom version, depending on the specific open source license the framework has. This differs from closed source software, where developers don't have this capability and must depend on documentation to understand the software and debug it.
Familiar programming language
It can take some time to become proficient in a programming language, and if developers are building native apps for both Android and iOS, they must know at least two. Cross-platform frameworks allow developers to code in programming languages that are used in the more common discipline of web development, such as JavaScript, HTML and CSS, or C# and .NET.
UI components
Because cross-platform mobile frameworks handle all interaction with the native device, they come with an extensive selection of UI components to use for app building. You can also find third-party plugins and extensions that provide even more components.
Developers can modify, configure, and style these components, and the framework will handle translating that into a component that runs on each platform, often following the relevant best practices. For example, the Android select input looks similar to a web select input, but for iOS it is a spinner at the bottom of the app.
APIs
Cross-platform frameworks also have APIs that allow developers to interact with native iOS and Android functionality without needing to use two separate programming languages. This gives developers the ability to create custom extensions, plugins, and components for the framework.
Native vs. cross-platform apps
When you're looking to create a mobile app for both Android and iOS devices, you have two approach options: you can build native apps using a codebase for each platform or build a cross-platform app with one codebase used by both platforms.
Here's a side-by-side comparison of these approaches:
| Native | Cross platform |
Code | You have to write code for each platform separately, but the code will be designed specifically for the platform. | You only have one codebase that works for both platforms, but you depend on framework developers to keep the framework updated with new native functionality and bug-free. |
Access to native functionality | When you develop native applications, you get access to everything the native platform can do. | Native functionality in cross-platform apps is limited to the features that have been added to the framework. |
Performance | Native apps are high-performance because there is no extra framework running. | Cross-platform apps can be high-performance, but there could be compatibility issues and lag due to the need to run extra code. |
Development cost | It can cost a lot to develop a native app because you are essentially building it from scratch twice. | Cross-platform mobile app development costs less when compared to native development |
5 advantages of cross-platform app development
The advantages to native app development are performance and access to every native function and API, but this may not matter much for many mobile app development projects. For most mobile apps, the performance difference will be negligible. If you choose one of the popular cross-platform mobile frameworks, updates are released frequently to ensure compatibility with native platform updates.
On the flip side, there are many advantages to cross-platform development.
1. Cost- and time-efficient
To develop native apps for both Android and iOS, you first need to hire a developer to work on both platforms. Native developers often specialize in only one platform, so you may have to hire two. Native mobile development is a specialty, and mobile developers have high salaries.
Cross-platform development, however, often involves using the same technologies that web developers use on a daily basis and the learning curve isn't as steep, saving you money.
In cross-platform development, apps for both platforms are created simultaneously in the same codebase using simpler APIs. This means that a single developer using a cross-platform framework may even be able to finish an app faster for both iOS and Android than two developers working separately on each platform at the same time.
2. Easy maintenance
The time saved in development also extends to maintenance. Development is quick, and updates and bug fixes are just as quick. When a change is made to the code, it updates for both platforms.
Since you only have one codebase that runs on all platforms, it is also much easier to keep changes synchronized between the two platforms. There's no scrambling to make sure that your iOS features match your Android features.
3. One codebase
A feature of modern development that makes the process quicker over time is code reuse. When a developer creates something like a form component, they will look at the rest of the codebase and any future features for places it might be used. If they find any such places, then they design the component to be flexible so it can be used for all current and future forms.
But this only works when the code can be reused. In native development, code can only be reused in the same platform because Android and iOS use different native programming languages. In cross-platform development, the language is the same, so code can be reused across both platforms.
4. Easy implementation
Cross-platform mobile app development frameworks remove some of the lower-level processes that native developers have to tackle because the framework handles that part for them. Most have one simple command you run to build a complete skeleton app that could instantly function on both mobile platforms.
Developers can start building features from day one. Additionally, because these frameworks use common programming languages that many developers are familiar with, they don't have to learn a new language to do so.
5. Quicker time to market
In 2021, 143.6 billion mobile apps were downloaded.[1] With this type of competition, it is important to get your new app in front of people as soon as you can. With cross-platform development, you can. The faster development time and the fact that you don't have to develop for both mobile app stores separately means you can reach more users for your app, faster.
For many mobile app development projects, the advantages of using a cross-platform mobile development framework outweigh the disadvantages.
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