Mobile apps are popular, no two ways about it. Businesses know that mobile apps are a must in today’s digital world. The tricky bit is deciding which platform to opt for because platforms are abundant and each of them enjoys significant popularity. This is where cross-platform app development comes in, allowing companies to target a variety of platforms in one go. But is the ability to target multiple platforms in one go a good reason enough for companies to opt for cross-platform app development? Not.
But here are some of the key benefits this tenet of development offers to help you understand the value it brings to the table.
1. Single code: With cross-platform apps, developers are required to write only one set of code which can be used to run apps across all targeted platforms such as iOS, Windows, Android, Linux, etc. As a result, the development team can better focus on other relevant aspects of the app development process such as design, responsiveness, etc.
2. Accelerated development time: Let’s be honest, a lot of benefits companies gain via cross-platform apps are rooted in the fact that such development projects involve a single codebase. Given that developers are required to use only one codebase for multiple platforms instead of writing code for individual platforms, the development team also saves a lot of time. It is simple math, no?
3. Reduced costs: This one is pretty straightforward; think about it — developers do not need to write code for multiple platforms because a cross-platform app needs only one codebase. This means the amount of time and effort is immediately reduced if the company was targeting multiple OS platforms. Now, when the time and work involved are reduced, the cost involved too comes down and quite significantly at that.
4. Ease of maintenance and updates: Since a cross-platform app involves only one codebase, the task of maintaining and updating the app is rendered significantly easier. This is because instead of pushing out bug fixes, updates, etc., for every single platform, the team can send out updates and fixes for all platforms in one go. Oh and say if the team discovers a database issue or some such, it can be addressed from one dashboard instead of needing to go through every OS to fix the issue.
Now, let us also take a look at some of the most popular cross-platform app development frameworks:
1. Xamarin: Now a Microsoft offering, Xamarin enables the development of Windows, Android, and iOS apps albeit only with C# and .NET libraries.
2. React Native: Decidedly one of the most popular cross-platform frameworks currently available in the market.
3. Flutter: A Google product, Flutter is a cross-platform framework that works with macOS, Windows, Linux, etc., and offers ace functionalities such as rapid reload among others.
Mobile apps will continue to be a crucial part of the global market for the foreseeable future. Hence, for businesses that intend to stay ahead of the curve in this day and age where the competition is cut-throat, digital presence is vital. Of course, mobile app development is the best way to achieve that provided one target multiple OS. So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and start looking for an expert multi-platform application development service provider right away so you can quickly leverage the power of cross-platform apps for your business as well.
A professional and security-oriented programmer having more than 6 years of experience in designing, implementing, testing and supporting mobile apps developed. Being techno geek, I love to read & share about the latest updates in technology including but not limited to IoTs, AI, application development, etc. In my free time, I like to play football, watch movies and explore new places. I have been learning mobile app development since 2012. With having a good understanding of programming languages, I develop native as well as web apps for both iOS & Android using latest tools & technologies. I am also having experience in both front-end & back-end development.
