Cross-platform development has been gaining popularity in recent years – and for a good reason. Although native applications are known for their high performance and excellent user experience, building one application can be quite expensive – not to mention two native apps. That means companies often have to choose: either to focus on only one targeted platform (pay less but limit their audience to only one group of users) or create mobile apps for Android and IoS separately (for double the cost). Mobile app cross platform development brought a third option to the table, though. Namely, build one app that can run on as many platforms and devices as needed. This method can have plenty of benefits for companies that want to create mobile applications on a tight budget or short time – but it might not be a good fit for all projects.
What is cross-platform mobile app development, how are those applications different from native ones, and when should you consider going cross-platform? Read on to find out.
What is cross-platform mobile development?
Cross-platform app development is a mobile app development method that allows you to build a single mobile application that runs on various platforms and devices.
Compared to native development, where developers need to write different code for each application, cross-platform app developers only need to write the code once, and then they can reuse it as many times as they need. This way, developers can design an app that will run both on Android, iOS, and other platforms only having to adjust parts of the code rather than writing entirely new code for each mobile platform.
There are two types of cross-platform mobile applications:
- Native cross-platform apps: Cross-platform app developers create a unified API running on top of a native SDK and this way, build apps for multiple platforms that share the same codebase.
- Hybrid applications: Hybrid apps combine elements of native apps and of web apps. Those are written using languages like JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS and then put into a “shell” of a native app. That allows the hybrid app to access most of the native platform features and device hardware (e.g., a device’s camera or pinch and spread gestures).
In previous years, cross-platform app development had a pretty poor opinion, as the apps built using this approach were seen as slow, glitchy, and with very limited functionality compared to native applications. The technology evolved over the years though, and now cross-platform mobile apps can rival native apps when it comes to functionality, design, or performance while still being cheaper and faster to build.
Most cross-platform mobile apps are written in Javascript, C#, or Dart programming language and with the help of React Native, Xamarin, and Flutter cross-platform framework. The last one is especially popular now – according to a Statista survey, Flutter was the most popular cross-platform framework in 2021, used by 42% of developers.
To learn why exactly it is so popular, you can have a look at our other article, “The Best cross-platform Mobile App Development Technologies” where we describe the main cross-platform development frameworks in detail.
There are, of course, several other cross-platform frameworks used to develop mobile apps besides those mentioned in the article. However, we focused on those four as they are widely considered to be the best cross-platform tools available.
Why is native app development not always a good option?
It’s estimated that in 2022, smartphone owners spend, on average, 4-5 hours a day using mobile apps. Considering how many things those apps made easier for us, this shouldn’t be surprising.
For example, let’s say you need to call a taxi but don’t know the phone number. Typically, you would have to:
- Type “taxi near me” or similar into the search box
- Load the taxi company website
- Find the phone number
- Call the company to ask for a taxi.
If there’s a dedicated mobile app though, then you just need a few clicks inside the app to call a taxi – and you can even pay for the ride straight from the app too. On the app’s dashboard, you can also see how long it will take the taxi driver to arrive at your destination.
Convenient, right? So when online users now have a choice, most will choose using a mobile app over a website – simply because they are far easier and faster for us to use.
That’s why plenty of companies, even the smaller ones, either already have a mobile app or are planning to build one soon – according to TopDesignFirms, 48% of small businesses already have a mobile app.
For those brands that still don’t have a mobile app yet and want to build one, the first decision is what kind of mobile app they should offer to their users.
Here, native development is usually the first idea since native mobile apps are known for their speed, security, and great user experience. Once the companies start planning their mobile app development project in detail though, they quickly notice that native app development also comes with a few problems to tackle.
Firstly, native mobile apps are designed exclusively for one particular operating system, and they are written using the language and frameworks supported by it. Android apps are written in Java or Kotlin programming language and with the help of Android Studio development tools. App developers working on an iOS app, however, will be using Swift or Objective-C programming language and development tools like AppCode, Xcode, or Atom.
Because the programming languages and frameworks used are completely different, Android apps can’t run on iOS, and vice versa.
If a company researched its audience and knows that the majority of them use only Android or only iOS devices, then it might work for them if they develop an app for only one out of the two mobile operating systems. Problems start, though, when brands decide they need to create apps both for iOS and Android mobile devices. Then, they essentially need two completely different apps built, one for each platform.
Unfortunately, building two applications comes with:
- Having to hire two mobile app development teams – one working on the Android application and another on the iOS app.
- Running two separate mobile app projects
- Creating two UI and UX designs for each app and then comparing them to make sure they are consistent
- Spending more time building and then testing both native apps
- After the launch, also spending time on maintenance and mobile app updates, as both applications have to be maintained and updated separately.
All of this will significantly increase the time it takes to complete both apps. For instance, if it usually takes a few months to plan, design, and develop a mobile app, with two, it might take twice as long.
The real problem here are the costs of native mobile development, though. Based on our experience, we can roughly estimate the price of a single mobile app as:
- $14,000 – $30,000 for small and simple apps
- $30,000 to $100,000 for medium-complexity apps
- $100,000+ for large mobile apps.
Obviously, if you would want to build two separate applications, the project would cost twice as much – and that might be impossible for your budget to handle.
Cross-platform development might be a solution to all of those challenges above though, so it’s becoming increasingly popular for companies to choose cross-platform frameworks and programming languages to build and launch their new apps.
What are the main benefits of cross-platform mobile development
Several brands (including Slack, Skype, and even Instagram) have already made their apps work as cross-platform apps – and many others are following them. It is hardly surprising, however, when you consider all the benefits that cross-platform technology can bring.
Let’s look at some of the most significant ones.
Reusable code
Creating native applications takes so much time because every single part of the application needs to be coded from scratch. With two or more native applications to build though, the workload is obviously doubled. Here’s where the biggest benefit of the cross-platform approach is visible – developers need to write the code only once, thanks to reusable code.
How much of the code can be reused depends on what cross-platform tool the developers will be using – but it’s on an average from 75% to 90% of the code they have written. Of course, some parts of the code need to be then adjusted to different devices or mobile operating systems – but that still takes less time than writing entirely new code.
Time savings
Using a cross-platform approach to build an app can allow developers to save s large part of their time, mainly thanks to code reusability. As they only need to create “one mobile application to rule them all” rather than write lengthy code for two or more native platforms, they can spend much less time writing the code and finish the app faster.
Fewer lines of code also mean fewer places where bugs might hide – so there’s a lower risk of overlooking a serious bug until a later stage in the development process.
Cross-platform frameworks such as Flutter also come with a few extra time-saving features. For example, developers can use a library with dozens of widgets to add new features to their cross-platform apps – even native elements like gestures.
Opportunity to reach a wider audience
Many brands would like to have their apps available both for Android’s and Apple’s app store, but the cost of developing two separate native applications is out of reach for their budgets. For them, cross-platform development might be especially worth considering as they could get a mobile app that works both on iOS and Android mobile devices at once. Plus, as they will get both applications at the same time, that will also make launching and promoting the mobile applications on each store easier.
Less time needed to build, launch and update your mobile application
When developers can spend less time writing code and then testing the application for bugs, that naturally will speed up the development pace and give you a ready product much faster. But did you know that cross-platform apps are also much easier to maintain or update? Rather than tailoring the updates to each operating system, developers only need to add them once and then synch them over all platforms and devices.
Plus, if there is a bug or vulnerability found in the common codebase, it only needs to be fixed once for all applications to be patched. Android and iOS native app meanwhile would have to be patched separately – meaning double the time.
Unified design for all platforms
Mobile apps users love when they open an app and can recognize the design and user interface – especially if they use a given mobile application on a different platform. That way, they don’t have to spend time figuring out where a given feature is or how to use the app with a different interface – so their user experience gets a boost.
With native development though, making sure that the design or interface is consistent across different applications was quite tricky. Besides tailoring the designs to each operating system, developers also had to compare them to ensure both were similarly functional.
Cross-platform development makes it much easier to maintain design consistency. Since developers can make use of the same designs or user interface widgets for all versions of the application, it’s much easier for them to make sure that all applications look and feel the same.
Lower development costs
One of the key reasons why cross-platform app development is booming now is that companies can save a good chunk of their budget this way. For example, there’s no need to hire two or more mobile app development teams for the project with different skills. Instead, you will need only one team that is familiar with the cross-platform app framework and programming languages.
Going cross-platform can also significantly reduce the cost of your mobile apps simply by reducing how many hours the developers need to finish the app. That’s especially important when many of them charge per hour. In addition, as developers don’t need to compare the designs, create unique code for each application, and then test them separately, the entire mobile app development project can also be finished faster.
After the launch, you’ll save on the maintenance and updates cost as well – since there will be only one application to manage, not a separate native app for Android and iOS.
What are the drawbacks of cross-platform development?
Looking at all those benefits of cross-platform app development, you might wonder why this method isn’t much more popular. The main reason for this is that this approach still has a few downsides that might make it not suitable for larger and more complicated projects, such as:
Slightly worse functionality
Despite the tremendous speed at which cross-platform mobile development technologies are evolving, cross-platform apps still have relatively limited design and functionality compared to native applications. Native app, thanks to being tailored to each specific operating system, can take full advantage of the features included inside the platform. That way, they can typically offer a better user experience.
Developing cross-platform mobile applications meanwhile requires developers to match the app to a wide variety of devices on which the app might be used and adjust the code to work on all of those. That means some specific hardware or platform features might not be available. However, with the modern frameworks, this slowly stops being a problem as cross-platform developers can now add most of the platform-only features to their apps.
Lower performance
As cross-platform mobile applications are designed to work on different platforms rather than one specific system, they might sometimes not run as fast and smoothly as native apps. That’s especially true for more complex applications, which might run slower or lag more often as cross-platform apps than they would as native applications.
The difference in performance between cross-platform and native mobile applications keeps getting smaller, though. Thanks to modern development frameworks, some cross-platform mobile applications are now nearly indistinguishable from native ones when it comes to speed or response time.
Coding and testing might get complicated at times
A tricky thing with cross-platform app development is that developers have to ensure that their app will work on various devices and operating systems while still being (at least in part) customized for each different system. That might be especially complicated looking at how there are dozens of little but significant design and functionality differences between the systems. For example, Android devices have a dedicated “back” button, whereas iPhones don’t.
Cross-platform developers need to account for all those differences to create mobile apps that both Android users and iOS can use the way they are accustomed to – and that requires being familiar with both operating systems.
New features aren’t available straight away
Every time Google or Apple introduces a new feature for Android or iOS, they are also updating the native development tools. That way, app developers can quickly add new functionality or update the security measures inside the native mobile applications.
Cross-platform app development tools need to wait a bit longer for the updates, though. So if you want your app to have the newest operating system features available as soon as possible, native might be a better option.
Security issues
Making the app as secure as possible is now a priority for all businesses, especially when the app will be storing plenty of sensitive data (like healthcare or financial data). Here, native mobile applications are still winning as they are regularly getting updates to patch any security vulnerabilities, and they can also access all security features of a device and platform.
Securing cross-platform apps is a bit more tricky as developers can’t rely on the operating system security features. What’s more, they also need to check that the app has no security flaws or vulnerabilities when it’s used on different devices or multiple platforms, which takes a bit of time.
However, modern cross-platform frameworks now have plenty of features that developers can add to the applications to boost security – like fingerprint recognition or Face ID. Plus, as developers experienced with cross-platform mobile development know exactly where they can expect a vulnerability or bug to appear and how to fix those, you can be sure that your new cross-platform app is just as secure as a native one would be.
Is a cross-platform approach a good idea for your new app?
So should you choose cross-platform development for your newest mobile application project, or should you rather stick to the native app development method? The only answer we can give you is that everything depends on your expectations and goals for the project since both development methods have their strengths and weaknesses.
Cross-platform mobile development might be a good choice for you when you want to:
- Reach a larger audience with your app but without spending on two separate native applications
- “Test the waters” with your app idea to avoid spending resources on a project that will not succeed
- Create a simpler application without several features or complex design
- Need the application to be finished and launched faster
- You want your app to look the same across all platforms and devices
Meanwhile, it might be better to go with native app development if you want an app that will:
- Have full access to the device and the mobile platform functionalities
- Have a polished design tailored to both Android and iOS
- Be as fast and responsive as possible
- Support the newest operating system features as soon as possible
- Use all of the native platform security features
If you are still unsure which option is right for you though, then maybe our mobile app developers could help you make the decision? As we have handled several mobile app development projects (both native and cross-platform ones) and know both Android and iOS mobile platforms inside out, we can use that experience to think together with you on which development method would be the best fit for your project needs.
We can also help you pick the right programming languages or frameworks for your in-house project or lend a hand with adding third-party plugins to your mobile app.
To learn more about us and how we can help with your mobile app development needs, take a look at our Mobile development services page and then send us a project brief. We’ll be happy to discuss how we can create a mobile app you’ll be proud of.
Is What is Mobile App Cross Platform Development For You?
In past years, cross-platform mobile apps were seen as cheap and fast to develop but of a much lower quality than native ones, which often discouraged brands from using this development approach. However, the technology evolves at such a rapid pace that today’s cross-platform applications can work just as fast and look as good as native ones – while still being a much more affordable option.
There are still some aspects where native applications outperform cross-platform mobile apps, of course. Give the cross-platform solutions some more time though, and soon, cross-platform applications might be as popular as native ones – if not more.
