iOS
iOS
As a framework, iOS is so common we forget about how crucial it is. iOS will runfaster than web or hybrid applications, but it’s often more difficult to build on. The pros of using iOS are many, however. Native iOS apps leverage all the internal functions and hardware of the devices, while getting full support from the App Store.
BENEFITS
- IOS will run faster than web or hybrid applications
- Full support from App Store
- Extra Security
- Easy to find apps
Android
Android
Like iOS, Android is another important framework, and, like iOS, you get thebenefit of using the hardware of the devices. Unlike Apple, however, the approval for Google’s application store is much less strenuous and much easier to get – as long as none of its policies are violated.
BENEFITS
- Android is less expensive, but their apps are prone to getting bugs because many active users are using older operating systems.
- Developers also must spend more time testing apps across all models, which can be nearly impossible.
Ionic
Ionic
Ionic is the one of the most widely used mobile app frameworks in the world and for good reason – it’s intuitive, can develop apps for both Android and iOS and it’s free. Ionic pgoressive web apps utilize common elements like HTML5 and CSS, while the native features of each device can be accessed using Cordova. These hybrid apps allow utilization from multiple app stores across mobile platforms.
BENEFITS
- Functions well with software development kits (SDK) like the Cordova, as well as PhoneGap and Angular
- Allow complete hybridization while keeping a native feel. Ionic’s only drawback is that it isn’t the best app with high graphic content
Xamarin
Xamarin
Acquired by Microsoft in 2016, Xamarin uses C# code to produce cross-platform .NET apps that run just as fast as a native app. In addition, code built from the ground up allows your users to access the native device features like the camera and accelerometer just as they would with a native app. However, with up to 70% of Xamarin-built app code reusable between Android and iOS apps, you’ll save valuable time in development.
BENEFITS
- Xamarin Forms allows you to insert platform-specific features above and beyond the code you’ve already reused.
- Allows users to access native device features.
- This makes further good use of your development time. Unfortunately, the drawback to this feature is that app integration can become rather tricky, since you’re using Xamarin’s own feature library.
React Native
React Native
React and React Native were released for development by Facebook in 2013. As the platform’s mobile framework, ReactNative is based on Javascript and React JS and provides open-source framework to build a mobile app. As a result, the framework utilizes actual Android and iOS components, which makes for an experience comparable to a native app. Broad availability of ready-made components on the open-source market can save development time, as well.
BENEFITS
- Actively provides for copying your code base between iOS and Android apps, making it nearly as fast1-10 as developing one single hybrid app.
- React Native isn’t the newest user-friendly framework on this list, though if your development team is experienced with Javascript, that likely won’t prove to be an issue.
- React Native’s extremely active online community can help resolve any issues the company hasn’t already provided a fix for.
Flutter
Flutter
Developed by Google, Flutter is an open-source framework that takes a completely different approach to cross-platform development. Rather than relying on native components or using web views to simulate them, Flutter eliminates the middleman and compiles to native code. Google’s Skia graphics engine provides beautiful graphics while its Dart programming language provides a fast experience.
BENEFITS
- Flutter is potentially the best-suited of any of the frameworks on this list when it comes to producing hybrid apps.
- One of the distinct advantages of its setup is the easy testing capabilities
- Flutter’s developers don’t require restart of the entire project in the event of a serious mistake. Perhaps the only drawback is its slightly slower usage of native components than some other frameworks.
Adobe PhoneGap & Cordova
Adobe PhoneGap & Cordova
PhoneGap is another cross-platform development framework that utilizes HTML5, CSS, and Javascript to produce apps for iOS, Android, and all other app platforms. Better yet, the availability of multiple plug-ins allows you to add practically endless functions and performance features. This, coupled with the freedom your development team will have to develop your app without the restrictions of single-platform hardware requirements, means an app built with PhoneGap can take the form you’ve envisioned without a lot of workaround.
BENEFITS
- With such an intuitive framework for hybrid, multi-platform development, it’s possible for your development team to focus on the user interface of the app design
- One minor drawback is the relative lack of user interface-based widgets.
Corona
Corona
Perhaps the number one benefit of Corona software development kit is that it is a free mobile app framework. However, the ideal price tag is followed quickly by the sheer development and device functionality speed Corona offers with Lua, its programming language. Lua is easy to use, flexible, and allows coding at unprecedented speeds without compromising quality.
BENEFITS
- Corona supports MacOS as well as Windows development.
- With Corona framework, you can produce web apps for these platforms as well as your hybrid mobile app.
- With use of Corona, you can deploy a full fleet of apps available to a variety of devices and built upon the same framework.
NativeScript
NativeScript
Primarily built for strictly native applications, NativeScript’s framework has been extended to incorporate hybrid app building functionality. NativeScript is an open-source framework that allows you to write mobile apps for both iOS and Android using a single codebase. You can still use Angular and CSS to develop native apps, though NativeScript doesn’t offer built-in support for HTML5.
BENEFITS
- Apps function almost as if they were native apps
- The company’s official website offers tutorials to make building a hybrid app as easy as possible.
- NativeScript could benefit from a more robust plugin library.
- The only other drawback is size – NativeScript apps tend to be much larger than apps from similar native-hybrid frameworks like Ionic and React Native.
Framework 7
Framework 7
This framework is a very stable framework that is best classified as independent, as it does not rely on Angular or React. However, you can still build hybrid apps that flow almost as seamlessly as native apps using just CSS, HTML, and Java, while utilizing Framework7’s stable of templates. A distinct benefit is the broad number of widgets you can use to improve user interface and make your app look and function beautifully.
BENEFITS
- Top-notch customizability. However, the fact that it allows building of primarily native apps means you’ll need to utilize PhoneGap, Cordova, or similar to emulate changes for other native apps.
- As a result, it isn’t 100% compatible with all app platforms.
Mobile Angular UI
Mobile Angular UI
Mobile Angular UI is a free, open-source framework that utilizes Bootstrap3 and AngularJS to build HTML5 mobile apps. AngularJS directives have the potential to take a static HTML5 app and make it dynamic and interactive for your clientele. In addition, if you already utilize Bootstrap3, your app won’t be dependent on a lot of external JavaScript libraries.
BENEFITS
- The one major drawback of this framework is that its dependence on Bootstrap can cause a lag for apps with a great deal of graphics and elements that require load time.
- If your business has needs that require your app to have large elements, high definition video, graphics, and more, you may want to consider another framework.
- This is a simple, straightforward app.
Onsen UI
Onsen UI
Unlike Mobile Angular UI, Onsen does not require the use of AngularJS, though it is compatible. However, it is an open-source framework for HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS language apps. Onsen UI also provides a library of tabs, menus, and other components that allows automatic styling designed to feel native no matter the operating system. True support of both Android and iOS makes Onsen apps truly hybrid.
BENEFITS
- Built-in features like Screen Transition, Theme Roller, and Font Awesome allow you to customize with existing elements, without the need for additional coding.
- This can save you valuable development time.
- Templates are not widely available on places like GitHub, and changing one of these templates can cause costly downtimes if you ever decide to change the look of your app.
Monaca
Monaca
Utilizing Cordova and PhoneGap, this open hybrid app development program makes development as simple and speedy as any of the platforms listed. You can choose from Angular, React, Vue, Meteor, or even other personalized frameworks to get started.
BENEFITS
- There are a wealth of templates ready to use so you can get started as soon as possible.
- Developers will appreciate the powerful debugging features.
- Streamlined testing phase.
- The In-App Updater makes it possible for you to roll out updates without having to redeploy the entire app to the app store.
Sencha Touch 2
Sencha Touch 2
Backed by Ext JS, which is one of the most popular – and most powerful – JavaScript frameworks, Sencha Touch uses HTML5 and Java to build its cross-platform apps. There are numerous templates available, as well as an easy-to-use visual application builder that employs the familiar drag and drop technique you may have experienced while building your company website.
BENEFITS
- With its near-native feel across all platforms, business owners appreciate the associated perceived value of apps produced on Sencha Touch.
- Perceived value comes with a price.
- For hybrid, enterprise-grade apps, this is often considered the premium framework.
Adobe Air
Adobe Air
Developers already possessing platform-specific, native coded apps can use Adobe’s powerful Air extensions to produce cross-platform apps. In addition, Air features free, robust libraries of native code sets to further ease the transition. High definition 3D and 2D video and graphics content is well at home on Adobe Air, producing some of the most high-performance apps we’ve seen on mobile.
BENEFITS
- Adobe Air is primarily known for its utility with video-based and gaming apps.
- If your business requires a great deal of video or interactive graphics, Adobe Air may be just the right app for you.
- Offers the added benefit of storage and access from Adobe’s Creative Cloud.
- Ability to produce mobile apps and more with use of all the associated Creative Cloud tools.
Kendo UI
Kendo UI
This HTML5 based framework is another free, open-source mobile app framework. Powered by Telerik and dependent on JQuery to provide widgets for user interface, this robust framework can also use AngularJS and Bootstrap3 frameworks. Most developers are already familiar with JQuery, making this framework one of the easiest to use; for that reason, development time can be shortened considerably.
BENEFITS
- User Friendly
- The most notable drawback is the large number of widgets in its library that are commercially licensed and come at a premium.
- Kendo UI lacks the community and technical support of some of the other frameworks.
- This framework is easy enough to use that a lack of support will not likely be a hindrance.
Appcelerator Titanium
Appcelerator Titanium
Appcelerator Titanium is an open development environment that includes an open-source SDK. Upon downloading the Titanium studio, you’ll have an integrated development environment (IDE) that allows you to create native iOS, Android, and hybrid mobile apps from a single JavaScript-based source. A distinct benefit of Appcelerator is the inclusion of a large library of code modules that allow quicker development due to decreased code-writing.
BENEFITS
- If your development team has experience with web development but isn’t familiar with app development, Appcelerator Titanium is the ideal studio for your new app.
- Appcelerator allows for a much quicker time to deployment than many of the other frameworks on this list.
- The only drawbacks we see are limitations in the use of CSS and HTML5.
Quasar
Quasar
Promising development times of hours and minutes rather than weeks or months, Quasar’s goal is to provide the capability to develop a hybrid app for all platforms with one set of source code. This includes iOS, Windows, Linux, Android, Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, Opera and more. Based on open-source VueJS, you can customize with CSS code, extend with JavaScript, and utilize Cordova to build native-feeling cross-platform mobile apps.
BENEFITS
- Quasar offers the extensive, active community behind it, as well as the frequent support, which allows developers to share solutions and request fixes faster than many other platforms.
- Another unique feature is the potential to import in-progress apps from other frameworks. With this feature, known as unified module definition, or UMD, your development team can simply add a CSS and HTML tag to the existing project.
JQuery Mobile
JQuery Mobile
While most of the development frameworks on this list take the “near-native” approach to development, focusing on providing an experience that feels like an app built for the user’s specific device, JQuery takes a novel approach. Instead, JQuery aims to provide an app experience that reads the same across multiple devices, giving a unified feel for users who may own more than one.
BENEFITS
- Development promises to be speedy and intuitive.
- The inclusion of ThemeRoller allows unified themes to be displayed throughout the app without the need for additional coding.
- The only drawbacks we see involve the way JQuery interacts with your custom coding; custom HTML themes present CSS issues, while custom design can result in a lot of code overwriting and added development time.
