Which framework should you choose for developing a mobile app?
In the first quarter of 2022, there were more than 5.5 million applications on the two largest stores: Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The mobile development market is continuously growing and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
If you are looking to develop your own application, it is essential to stay up to date with the latest trends in the mobile development market.
This article presents our list of 12 mobile application development frameworks to choose in 2022.
React Native
Open source and developed by Facebook, React Native is a framework for Android, iOS, and UWP (Universal Windows Platform) mobile applications. It provides access to the native features of these platforms using React.
Extremely popular among developers, this JavaScript-based mobile development framework owes its success to its support for third-party plugins, fast deployment, and simple maintenance. Additionally, the code is reusable.
Flutter
Flutter is a framework developed by Google, highly advantageous for creating visually attractive mobile applications.
Users can enjoy an engaging user interface thanks to intuitive widgets, the application of Material Design rules, and captivating animations.
In fact, Flutter and React Native are currently the two most popular frameworks for mobile application creation.
What is particularly appreciated about Flutter is that its focus on aesthetics has no impact on performance.
Navigation, icons, scrolling, and fonts are all designed to be as smooth and natural as possible.
With Flutter, the code is written in Dart. Furthermore, the code is reusable for potential future projects.
Flutter guarantees complete native capabilities, strong widget support, an adaptable user interface, and rapid development.
JQuery Mobile
JQuery Mobile is a cross-platform framework for creating mobile or web applications for various devices, allowing the use of a single version of the code.
This framework, based on HTML5, includes plugins such as image sliders, content sliders, pop-up boxes, and many others to achieve a dynamic and feature-rich design.
Additionally, JQuery Mobile is interoperable with several other mobile development frameworks, such as PhoneGap.
Finally, JQuery Mobile is user-friendly, features a single codebase, and allows developers to design highly customized applications and sites. JQuery is valued for:
- Its plugins for various add-ons,
- Its lightweight nature,
- Support for multiple platforms and devices.
Mobile Angular UI
Mobile Angular UI is an open-source mobile development framework that combines the features of Bootstrap and Angular.
This framework provides numerous UI functionalities such as overlays, switches, sidebars, navbars, scrollable sections, etc., to develop highly attractive user interfaces.
To ensure an even richer experience, Mobile Angular UI supports fastclick.js and overthrow.js.
Moreover, Mobile Angular UI is compatible with several browsers, making it an effective framework for managing JavaScript across different environments. With Mobile Angular UI, you can expect:
- Fast conversion of web applications into mobile applications.
- Interactive and easy-to-integrate components.
- No dependency on jQuery.
Xamarin
Xamarin is another cross-platform framework for developing iOS and Android applications.
Since it uses the C# programming language, it requires relatively few lines of code, resulting in a much faster coding process.
It also allows for easy transfer of your scripts between different platforms, such as Windows and macOS.
Since mobile application creation is very fast nowadays, you might think this implies a loss in performance or aesthetics. However, applications developed with Xamarin offer flawless native performance.
Furthermore, Microsoft’s acquisition of Xamarin has allowed for much simpler integration with Microsoft Visual Studio, which is a major advantage for developers. Xamarin is appreciated for:
- Its ability to target all platforms,
- Easier API integration,
- Faster and more cost-effective development,
- Its UI support and access to native APIs.
Ionic
Ionic is also a widely used mobile app development framework that has steadily gained popularity among developers.
It is a platform where it is possible to create web, native, or hybrid applications using a combination of CSS3, HTML, and JavaScript.
For HTML5-based applications or progressive web apps (PWAs), Ionic is an excellent choice.
Using Cordova or Capacitor, applications developed with Ionic can be deployed in different stores and installed on any device. Ionic, based on AngularJs, offers:
- A fast development process,
- Availability of Cordova plugins,
- Pre-installed UI components,
- And platform independence.
Native Script
Native Script is an open-source framework for developing native mobile applications with Angular, Vue.js, TypeScript, or JavaScript.
This framework allows you to develop applications for Android and iOS using the same codebase.
Native Script uses the same APIs as Xcode or Android Studio to create applications.
Furthermore, this framework is a good choice for those who wish to develop cross-platform applications in less time and at a lower cost.
Native Script enables multi-platform development, easy access to Android and iOS APIs, the same performance as a native app, and reusable code.
Apache Cordova
Formerly PhoneGap, Apache Cordova is a framework managed by the Apache Software Foundation.
Allowing for the creation of hybrid applications for different platforms like Android, iOS, or Windows, this framework is based on HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
This framework is particularly valued by its users because:
- It is open source,
- It is compatible with the majority of mobile platforms on the market,
- It offers numerous plugins for accessing native resources.
Find Your IT Partner
For your project needs, do not hesitate to reach out to the Aventique teams; your mobile development agency.
Whatever skills you require, you can rely on a competent, experienced development team accustomed to complex projects.
If you prefer to manage your project in-house and need additional skills to complete your teams, we offer nearshore staff augmentation.
If you wish to outsource the project, please contact us by sending a message. There is always a custom-made solution for you at Aventique.
