How to Choose the Best Cross-Platform App Development Company?

Every business from different industry vertices is trying to build its mobile application to remain relevant. They want maximum market capitalization by developing apps that work across different platforms. A cross-platform mobile app development framework is the only solution for developers to save time and use a single codebase on multiple platforms. 

These businesses could expand their reach quickly with digital solutions. A single codebase is adequate for iOS, Android, and Windows. According to Statista, there was a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.5% for the worldwide cross-platform mobile development industry. 

So many vendors are available in the market that it is challenging to select the best cross-platform app development company for your project. This blog is the perfect place to understand what factors to consider while deciding. We will also explore the benefits and development process of this approach. 

What is Cross-Platform Mobile App Development? 

It refers to creating mobile applications that run on multiple operating systems, such as iOS and Android. Developers can use the same application code on all platforms without spending additional time for each operating system. These applications could work on the same principle as native apps. However, they would only use the same coding language or framework. 

Around 70 to 90% of the code is reusable, which can save tremendous amounts of time and resources. Earlier, developers built native apps for different operating systems since the backend for one platform would not support the other. The concept of cross-platform app development only became possible with the introduction of technologies like:

•  HTML
• Dart
• C#
• JavaScript
• CSS

These technologies help a cross-platform mobile app development company to write shareable and reusable codes.  

Why You Should Consider Cross-Platform App Development Services? 

Traditional app development for multiple platforms is time-consuming and resource-intensive. Cross-platform mobile app development provides numerous benefits, such as: 

Single App for Multiple Platforms

Native mobile app development requires developing separate versions for each platform, which unnecessarily increases your development budget and time. Cross-platform frameworks are the best way to use a single app for multiple platforms at once. 

Businesses following this approach have a quick time to market and lower development expenditures. If you want to be in this league, you should find a cross-platform mobile app development company. 

Reduction in Development Costs 

Native app development means hiring dedicated developers for each platform. Any digital product usually has three separate development workflows: Android, iOS, and web. Why do you want to waste your time by touching all three separately? A cross-platform framework could easily cut down your development cost by more than 50%. 

Easier Code Maintenance and Utility

Updates and maintenance are much easier to execute when you have one codebase across multiple platforms. You only need to implement the update once and it goes live on all platforms. It also reduces the workload of the testing team as prioritization efforts become much simpler. 

Smoother Cloud Integration 

Tools and platforms for cross-platform mobile app development account for today’s tech trends while developing them. They support methodologies like Cloud-Based Deployment, Continuous Integration, and Visualization. 

Many businesses seek cloud-based solutions to reduce their IT costs and streamline their processes. They are necessary for building highly configurable workflows with automation features. 

Faster Time-to-Market and Better Customizability

A cross-platform app development company helps you achieve faster time to market by relying on advanced frameworks. These frameworks increase the responsiveness, security, and performance of the application. Businesses can easily customize their apps and simplify their development process. 

Uniform Application Design 

With native app development, it is often difficult to achieve a consistent experience across different platforms. A cross-platform development framework ensures a consistent and effective design on each platform without any complications. 

Uniform design principles can easily be implemented into a program’s fundamentals via microservices or components without breaking any functionality. 

Wider Audience Reach 

Businesses reach a wider audience with cross-platform mobile app development. Almost your entire user base is divided into two groups; Android and iOS. Having a mobile application for both platforms automatically gives you a greater market presence and audience reach.  

Which Framework to Use for Cross-Platform App Development?

Do you know how to begin with the best cross-platform mobile app development? You need an appropriate framework to build mobile applications that can run on various platforms. These are some of the most popular options; 

Flutter

Google is the founder of the Flutter framework. This framework is popular for creating beautiful and fast mobile applications. You can create apps that almost feel and look native on Android and iOS platforms. Choosing Flutter app development services gives you access to some of the most aesthetically pleasing user interfaces. 

Developers who use Flutter learn Dart, a modern and easy-to-learn programming language. Plenty of pre-built widgets make designing beautiful and responsive user interfaces a cakewalk. Developers also praise Flutter’s huge community support, which includes plenty of tutorials and packages. You should also hire flutter app developers when design and uniformity are your priorities. 

Flutter is the ideal choice when you need something robust, flexible, and efficient for cross-platform mobile app development. 

Advantages 

• Developers consider it an ideal platform for developing MVPs. Businesses don’t have to waste time and resources on developing two different apps. A single Flutter app looks consistent on both platforms. 
• Developers don’t need to dedicate additional time to each platform to access widgets since they are a part of the application. 
• Flutter’s cross-platform mobile app development framework also runs on older devices. It even supports Android Jellybean or iOS 8. You can ensure a consistent application feel on all versions of the operating systems. 9

Disadvantages

• The Flutter framework is still relatively new in the market. You might not find every feature in its libraries. However, the community is very supportive of resolving issues. 
• Sadly, Flutter is a mobile-only framework and doesn’t support web browsers. 

React Native

It is one of the oldest cross-platform mobile app development frameworks. Developers use React Native to combine the native components with a JavaScript toolkit to develop interactive user interfaces. 

React native app development services are particularly popular because they allow developers to write code once and run it on several platforms. This was a game-changer in the past. Developers could easily save their time by reusing a large portion of their codebase for both iOS and Android. 

They also can access native APIs to use the platform-specific features. It ensures a faster development process while matching the experience and functionality of native apps. You should hire React Native app developers considering its huge community, open-source libraries, and development tools. 

Advantages 

• React Native developers get ‘ready to apply components’ while using this framework. They don’t have to write the code from scratch. 
• JavaScript developers can easily build apps for multiple platforms with minimal native coding. 
• The ‘hot reloading’ feature in React Native enables instant code changes and implementation on Android and iOS apps. 

Disadvantages 

• JavaScript is infamous for its fragility. Malicious code snippets can break the app’s core functionality. 
• Memory use and management could be an issue while ensuring the efficiency and speed of your application. 
• React Native could have a hard time keeping up with new features from Apple or Google. It relies on third-party dependency to add support. 

Xamarin 

It is the oldest cross-platform mobile app development framework that supports iOS, Android, and Windows apps. Developers write apps using C# code while accessing platform-specific APIs to achieve the functionalities and performance of native apps. 

It is often a developer’s favorite framework it works flawlessly with tools like Visual Studio. A reliable mobile app development agency would provide cross-platform app development services with Xamarin. 

The user interface feels friendly and appears like native technology. IT firms can easily respond to their clients’ requests quickly.  

Advantages 

• The framework is a part of the .NET ecosystem. Developers have easy access to a huge selection of libraries and development tools. 
• Developers can expect regular updates and robust support from Microsoft while using Xamarin. 
• The framework smoothly integrates with Visual Studio making it easier for developers to develop Android apps from their desktops. 
• Xamarin Mac uses C# and .NET to help you build native Mac apps. It also works with the Xcode libraries in Objective-C. 

Disadvantages 

• Xamarin might cost a big expenditure to fulfill enterprise demands even if it’s an open-source platform. 
• Xamarin apps are more extensive than native apps. 

Ionic

It is a reliable solution to build mobile apps for various platforms with standard web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It is based on Angular’s popular JavaScript framework, ideal for developing scalable and functionality-rich applications. 

Businesses can save time and effort by using Ionic in their development process. It provides instant access to pre-built UI elements, plugs, and themes to design aesthetic and smooth apps.

Ionic also features a robust Command-Line Interface (CLI) for app development, testing, and deployment. Its intuitive and adaptable programming experience is suitable for both new and seasoned developers. 

Advantages 

• A business can maintain an Ionic app directly from a built-in browser and debugging tools. 
• It is easy to transform an Ionic application into a mobile app or PWA. 
• Ionic cuts down the development costs. It could be useful when hiring a cross-platform mobile app development company.

Disadvantages 

• Businesses could face security issues with both web and native apps. 
• Ionic is not suitable for developing gaming apps.
• Applying new changes requires developers to restart the application. 

How to Find an Ideal Cross-Platform Mobile App Development Company? 

It is a challenging task to find the right mobile app development company for your project. The agency must have enough experience and skillset to develop cross-platform mobile applications. They will be responsible for guiding you through the development and deployment of the solution on multiple platforms. Consider these six things while making a decision: 

Check Their Portfolio 

Hiring someone without any experience could be a huge mistake. Always check their portfolio to learn about the agency’s recent projects. You can ask them to show case studies relevant to your industry. It would give you a fair idea of how well they can execute the project on various platforms. 

Keep an eye on the interface and functionalities of their recent projects. Your application must be aligned with your business goals to interact efficiently with users. 

Expertise in the Specific Industry 

Different businesses from various industry verticals would reach a cross-platform app development company to create a scalable solution. It is necessary to evaluate how well they can develop applications for your specific industry. 

Businesses from highly regulated industries such as banking and healthcare must understand the competence of their IT partner. An experience in the same industry means that they know what challenges to expect while developing your solution. It would tremendously save development time and ensure high-quality apps. 

Market Reputation and Reviews 

Thanks to the internet, we can learn more about a company or service provider. A reliable cross-platform mobile app development company will have a strong market presence and a positive customer perception. 

You can browse B2B sites like Clutch and GoodFirms to check their client reviews. Social media presence is also a great place to track an IT company’s presence and achievements

Post-Deployment Support 

Even a small team of developers could release a cross-platform app in a short timeframe. However, it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea to provide constant support after the deployment. Your business may need to launch updates. Who’s going to help you? 

Ensure that you work with a cross-platform mobile app development company that guarantees the ideal support whenever necessary. 

A Team of Relevant Expertise and Skills 

The development team of the agency must have extensive experience with the cross-platform frameworks. It would help you choose the best framework that aligns with your business objectives and skills. 

Cross-platform mobile app development needs complete knowledge of various programming languages. HTML, JavaScript, Flutter, C#, and TypeScript are some of the prominent ones. Some frameworks may have a steeper learning curve. However, there’s nothing to worry about when you have the right cross-platform mobile app development company. 

Evaluate Your Budget 

Development cost is a major concern for many businesses while developing cross-platform apps. It is highly advisable to conduct market research and compare the prices of different agencies. Ensure that you get post-deployment benefits, transparent pricing, and customization options. 

A reliable cross-platform app development company provides flexible pricing options to help its clients. Choose the ideal one that fits your budget. 

Security Measures During Development 

Application security is vital in the world of cybercriminals. Understand what security measures your partner cross-platform mobile app development company is taking for your project. Reliable vendors use data encryption, secure storage, anti-malware solutions, and user authentication to protect your data and app’s integrity. 

The agency must explain to you the framework’s security features and how well they align with your requirements. 

Must Read: Flutter App Development Tools To Develop Cross-Platform Apps

How to Make Money with Cross-Platform Mobile App Development?

Any business requires a steady flow of revenue to sustain its operations. Cross-platform mobile app development can help a business generate money with different monetization approaches; 

In-App Purchases  

It is one of the most popular methods to bring revenue from a mobile application. Customers can make in-app purchases to maximize the services or features. For example, gaming apps have paid levels, coins, skins, badges, characters, etc. 

Customers get complete freedom to enhance their experience by paying an added cost. Many games accept in-app purchases or microtransactions for DLC content. 

Use In-App Advertising 

Advertising is a major source of income for many companies. Google won’t survive if it doesn’t advertise on its search engine. You can ask the cross-platform app development company to include ad banners to make money from your apps. 

Many companies are looking to increase their online visibility from these ads. Your business gets a steady flow of cash from multiple partners. However, don’t ruin the user experience of having ads in the app. 

Implement a Subscription Plan 

It is the best idea when you want to ensure a recurring revenue stream from your mobile application. Many entertainment and gaming companies use a subscription model to provide their products and services. 

The users could pay a monthly or annual subscription fee to access the content or features. Fitness apps are a prominent implementor of this monetization strategy. They might provide most features for free. However, users need to pay for personalized content and advanced features. 

It is necessary to allow the users to select their subscription plan to meet their requirements. 

Get Sponsorship 

Getting quality sponsorship gives you more exclusivity than advertisements. Sponsors from a specific niche would be more interested in having prominent placements for promotion. It is vital to consider fact-based demographic profiles and usage patterns to define your specific target audience and find suitable sponsors. 

For example, e-commerce brands could reach finance or credit companies to promote their services. The right cross-platform mobile app development company would help in expanding your reach. 

How Can MobileCoderz Help You With Cross-Platform App Development Services? 

When you want to transform your ideas into digital products, you need an innovative technology partner. MobileCoderz is a seasoned cross-platform app development company with years of expertise in multiple frameworks, tools, and industries. Building mobile applications with an in-house team can often be challenging. 

Outsourcing your development projects is a sensible decision to save money, and time, and also ensure high-quality products. You gain access to state-of-the-art technology, a highly skilled team, and an assurance of timely delivery. We work with multiple clients from different industry verticals. Contact us today to discuss how we can help bring your vision to life!