Hybrid mobile app development has become increasingly popular because of the straightforward approach to developing a single application that runs across multiple platforms. Besides being cost-effective, it’s also the fastest way to get the app up and running across the major mobile platforms like Android and iOS. Hybrid mobile app development significantly reduces the efforts invested by developers as they only have to code once. Owing to the code reusability, developers can easily build an app that may run across multiple platforms with minimal complexities. The process is quite simple and less convoluted as compared to native apps that require extensive coding efforts, multiple frameworks, tools, and SDKs.
Hybrid apps are molded into native containers across different platforms to facilitate seamless interactions between the app’s UI and the native features of a smartphone. Understandably, developing these apps requires special tools and frameworks and basic programming languages. For instance, developers who are skilled in JavaScript, CSS, and HTML can effortlessly create high-quality hybrid applications.
Nevertheless, selecting the right framework for hybrid mobile app development is imperative to deliver consistent user experiences across all platforms. Let’s delve into a technical comparison between the top hybrid mobile app frameworks with a focus on their pros and cons.
Top Hybrid Mobile App Frameworks For 2021
As we approach the year 2021, it becomes more important to reconsider your mobile app development strategy. To address the inevitable need for mobile apps in 2021, it’s better to develop a cross-platform app rather than the native one. That being said, hybrid mobile app development can be your best bet as it lets you save both time and money. At the same time, it ensures that you effectively target a wider and more heterogeneous audience across a wide range of devices. Below are the five most effective frameworks for hybrid mobile app development in 2021.
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React Native
React Native is an open-source mobile app framework that is developed and maintained by the Facebook community. Being one of the most popular mobile frameworks, it is extensively used for hybrid, native, and cross-platform mobile app development. When it comes to hybrid mobile app development, React Native is one of the best options that we have. The powerful features like live reload, availability of native plugins, and easy code reusability make it an ideal framework for hybrid apps. It is best suited for JavaScript developers that have some prior experience with the Node.JS framework. Let’s take a quick glance at the benefits and limitations of React Native.
Pros
- 1. Easy code reusability for popular native platforms like Android and iOS
- 2. Availability of several automation tools to accelerate the development process
- 3. Automatic error detection and faster bug-fixing
- 4. Offers features like live reload and hot deployment
- 5. Enables developers to make code changes on a running server
Cons
- 1. Complex navigation between multiple screens
- 2. May take some time for developers to get the hang of the UI
- 3. Lacks some crucial modules
- 4. Possesses several hardware limitations
Ionic
Ionic is yet another mobile framework that finds its use in hybrid mobile app development. It is also the framework of choice for developing progressive web applications that are preferred by many businesses to engage their audience.
Ionic provides a number of tools, modules, and plugins to support hybrid mobile app development using web technologies like CSS, HTML, and JavaScript. It has a rich library of UI components to create high-quality designs and app interfaces that maximize user engagement. Besides, you get hundreds of eye-catching templates to choose from. The framework provides an intuitive command-line interface (CLI) to develop feature-rich hybrid mobile apps using TypeScript and Node.js programming. The Ionic CLI gives you access to a dedicated server with built-in debugging tools for a seamless development process.
Pros
- 1. Supports all major programming languages
- 2. Good community support and extensive UI libraries
- 3. Faster development and cost-effective
- 4. Availability of powerful extensions and plugins
- 5. Works best in combination with Angular.js
Cons
- 1. Software testing and bug-fixing may be complex and time-consuming
- 2. The absence of features like hot reload or live reload
- 3. May require more number of plugins to achieve the proposed functionality
- 4. Not suited for developing heavy apps with complex features and functionalities
Flutter
Flutter is an open-source framework that offers a complete package of development tools, widgets, and SDKs to facilitate cross-platform mobile app development. It supports a client-optimized programming language, Dart that enables developers to simultaneously develop an app that would work efficiently across multiple mobile platforms. At the same time, it accelerates the development process and significantly reduces project costs. Flutter is an extremely useful tool that lets you develop native-like apps for Android and iOS platforms using the same code base. In its infancy, Flutter has already been used by companies like Tencent, Alibaba, and is currently being used by Google for its ‘Ads’ platform.
Pros
- 1. Faster development and easy code reusability
- 2. Supports real-time updates
- 3. Availability of features like hot reload
- 4. Developers can view app changes while coding
- 5. Requires less software testing
- 6. A rich set of widgets and resources to create custom widgets
- 7. Features a high-performance rendering engine
Cons
- 1. A majority of developers are not familiar with the Dart programming language
- 2. Relatively new to the market and hence there is a lack of trust
- 3. Absence of several free tools and plugins
- 4. Difficulty in adapting to the changes in some operating systems
Apache Cordova
Apache Cordova (formerly known as PhoneGap) is a mobile framework that was first introduced in 2010 and it remains one of the top frameworks for hybrid app development. Like Ionic and React Native, it supports web technologies like CSS, HTML, and JavaScript to develop cross-platform apps using a single codebase. When used for hybrid app development, it significantly reduces time-to-market and accelerates the software development lifecycle.
Apache Cordova offers several unique and powerful features such as native APIs, UI libraries, and robust support for the backend. Above all, it is backed by Adobe which definitely gives it an edge in the market.
Pros
- 1. Easy to learn and master
- 2. Supports all major programming languages
- 3. Supports a single codebase for Android, iOS, and Windows
- 4. Robust, reliable, and intuitive backend interface
- 5. Easy software testing and faster bug-fixing
- 6. Compatible with a number of third-party modules and plugins
- 7. Offers extensive support for a variety of hardware platform
Cons
- 1. Apps developed using Cordova can be slow and less responsive
- 2. Several crucial features and functionalities are missing
- 3. Fewer UI components and widgets
- 4. Best suited for developing lightweight apps for smaller businesses
Xamarin
It is a Microsoft-owned mobile framework that supports programming in C# and is best suited for cross-platform mobile app development. Xamarin follows a more advanced approach to building hybrid apps and provides several improvements over Java and objective-C. Besides, it directly includes extensive libraries for Java, C++, and Objective-C.
It offers a host of powerful features with a focus on reducing project costs and time. Xamarin claims to have impressive community support and 1.4 million active developers across the globe. Some of its features include easy code reusability, .Net compatibility, native UI libraries, and faster GUI prototyping.
Pros
- 1. Simplified software testing procedure
- 2. Good community support worldwide
- 3. Extensive support for hardware devices via plugins and modules
- 4. 95 percent of the code is reusable
- 5. Easy API integration and code sharing
- 6. Native UI libraries and faster GUI prototyping
- 7. Backed by Microsoft
Cons
- 1. More expensive as compared to its peers
- 2. Beginners may take time to get familiar with the interface
- 3. Developers may face challenges with the external libraries
- 4. Complex and cumbersome integration procedures
- 5. Several platform-specific limitations for hybrid app development
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Conclusion
It’s quite evident that hybrid mobile app development is the fastest way to get things done. Due to this reason, it is rapidly gaining traction, driving business investments from all major industries. In 2021, it is likely to show unprecedented growth as an increasing number of startups and small-to-medium enterprises are opting for hybrid mobile solutions. Besides, faster development, easier prototyping, and reduced project costs are some of the factors that are likely to propel its popularity to new heights in the coming months.
Why Choose Oodles ERP For Hybrid Mobile App Development?
We are an ERP development company that provides 360-degree enterprise solutions to solve complex business problems using next-gen technologies. Our development team specializes in developing hybrid, native, and cross-platform mobile apps to address the varied business requirements of our clients. Our seasoned developers have years of experience in cross-platform app development using the aforementioned tools and frameworks. With a proven track record in mobile app solutions, we have 100+ satisfied customers from across the globe. For more information, reach us out at [email protected].
