Mobile applications have become an integral part of our daily lives, simplifying business activities and improving experiences. According to the reports, the mobile app development industry is expected to reach USD 100 billion in revenue by 2024, growing at a rate of CARG 14% per year.
Pretty shocking stats, right? Every business has a mobile app nowadays, no matter what industry they're in – whether it's banking, gaming, media & entertainment, shopping, healthcare, real estate, education, business, travel, or anything else you can think of.
But mobile apps are completely transforming how businesses operate in every field. And behind every great mobile app are solid mobile application frameworks.
In this guide, we'll talk about the best mobile app development frameworks of 2024. These are the tools that make building mobile apps easier by letting you do many things at once, making your app super fast, and keeping your code safe and secure. So, if you're thinking about creating your own app, you'll want to stick around for this!
Before we delve into talking about the tools used to create mobile apps, let's first understand why they're so important and how they can make or break your app project. Mobile app development frameworks are like the building blocks of your app. They give businesses a structured and efficient way to build apps for different devices like iPhones, Android phones, and even for the web.
These frameworks are like reusable toolkits that speed up the process of making mobile apps. Additionally, they let businesses create apps that work well on different devices, using just one set of code. Additionally, they come with handy tools like programming interfaces, debugging helpers, and pre-made solutions.
In simple terms, a mobile app development framework is like the foundation for making apps on different devices. It's what everything else is built upon, and it makes sure your app works smoothly on devices.
Let's simplify the mobile application development frameworks into three main categories: mobile web app frameworks, native frameworks, and hybrid frameworks. Below, we'll explain each category to help you grasp the differences easily.
Native app development means making apps just for one platform, like iOS or Android. You use languages that are meant for that platform, like Swift or Objective-C for iOS, and Java or Kotlin for Android. These apps work really well and can use all the features on your phone, but making them takes extra work because you have to make a separate version for each kind of platform.
These frameworks for app development are used to create apps that you can access on your phone's internet browser. They can run on different types of phones and tablets, but sometimes they can't use all the special features of a device.
Hybrid app development combines web technologies (like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) with a native wrapper that helps them work on different platforms. This makes it easier for developers because they only have to write the code once and then it can work on lots of different platforms without needing to start from scratch each time.
Now, let's dive into some of the mobile application development frameworks. These are tools that help businesses to create mobile apps more efficiently and effectively. Let's explore some popular options:
Ionic is a powerful and robust framework for mobile applications development that run seamlessly on iOS, Android, and Web platforms. It's an open-source mobile framework since 2013 that utilises web technologies like CSS, JavaScript, and HTML. With Ionic, businesses can create cross-functional apps with exciting UI elements and components, making the app development process intuitive and accessible. Additionally, Ionic integrates effectively with PhoneGap, Trigger.io, and Cordova projects, and its efficient core architecture makes it suitable for a wide range of applications.
- Interactive Plugins
- Pre-Installed UI Components
- Quick Development & Swift Implementation
- Operates On AngularJS
Ionic can be used for - iOS, Android, and Web App
Xamarin, owned by Microsoft, allows businesses to build Android, iOS, and Windows apps using a C# codebase. The code can be shared across multiple platforms, including Windows and Mac OS, making development efficient. Xamarin offers seamless API integration, shareable code facility, and an updated IDE for effective development. Moreover, this app development framework enables enterprises to give native performance and distinctive user experiences to their customers.
- Google Emulator manager
- Seamless API Integration
- Shareable Code Facility With Co-Developers
- Updated IDE
- Effective Base Class Library
Xamarin can be used for - iOS, Android, Windows and Web App
Corona SDK is a popular framework for developing mobile gaming applications. Compared to competing mobile frameworks, Corona SDK enables development 10 times faster. It's a 2D game engine known for its agility, simplicity, and comprehensive features. With Lua-based programming, businesses can create cross-platform apps for mobile and desktops, including iPad, Amazon Fire, Mac, Windows Desktop, Apple TV, and Android TV.
- Premium Quality Visual Elements
- Wide Range Of Plugins To Choose
- Solid API Support
- Realtime Usability & Testing
Corona SDK can be used for - iOS, Android, Windows, and Web App
Adobe PhoneGap is one of the best cross-platform mobile app development frameworks that allows businesses to create hybrid apps using JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS. It enables instant changes and ensures high-quality performance across platforms like iOS, Windows, and Android. PhoneGap simplifies the development process without the need of expertise in coding languages.
- Easily Link Apps To Mobile Devices
- Compatible On All Platforms: iOS, Windows & Android
- Easy Development Procedure
- Enables you to instantly view changes made to your app, which facilitates rapid updates.
Adobe PhoneGap can be used for - iOS, Android, and Windows
React Native, developed by Facebook, is one of the top frameworks for app development, used by companies like Airbnb, Instagram, and Tesla. It utilises the same UI building blocks as Android and iOS development frameworks, resulting in efficient and agile development. The React Native development is quite popular among companies due to its advanced user interface. Additionally, it requires minimal coding and offers live reloading for seamless development.
- UI Elements Linked With Native UI Environment
- Competent and supports Third-Party Libraries
- Effortless Mobile Performance
- Learn Once, Write Anywhere; Minimal Coding Requirement
- Agile Development With Live Reloading
React Native can be used for - iOS and Android
Flutter is a hybrid mobile app development framework known for its high performance and fast development process. It uses a 2D rendering engine to create visually appealing visuals resembling Material Design and Cupertino-style widgets. Flutter allows for hot reloads, instant updates, and customised widgets, offering a similar user experience as native applications. With the help of Flutter, businesses can create and implement visually appealing mobile applications with ease. The framework comes with widgets, a rendering engine, testing and integration APIs, and other resources.
- Hot Reload For Transparent Communication Between Designers & Developers
- High Performance & Fast Development Process
- Instant Updates & Improvements Offers
- Customised Widgets That Save Your Time
Flutter can be used for - iOS,and Android, Windows, and Web app
JQuery is a compelling mobile application development framework, known for its simplicity and responsive qualities. It speeds up the development process with its dynamic impacts, animations, and the flexibility to reuse code. With support for popular platforms and uncomplicated APIs, JQuery is a trusted choice for developers. No matter what kind of application or website is created with this framework, it works on all platforms and in a number of operating systems, including Kindle, Nook, MeeGo, Android, iOS, Blackberry, Windows, and Firefox Mobile.
- Interactive Effects & Animations
- Ability To Reuse The Codes
- Light On The Size
- Uncomplicated APIs
JQuery can be used for - iOS, Android, and Windows
Swiftic is one of the user-friendly frameworks for app development accessible on the iOS platform. It offers an effectively navigable interface and features like push notifications, in-app coupons, and customer engagement tools. With a 30-day money-back guarantee and additional success schemes, Swiftic is a preferable choice for iOS app development.
- Push notifications
- In-app coupons
- Loyal shopper with a loyalty card
- Scratch cards for prizes
- Customer Engagement
- Social & Media Feeds
Swiftic can be used for - iOS
Mobile Angular UI combines Bootstrap and Angular framework to create hybrid mobile web apps using HTML5. It offers a smooth mobile experience with features like fastclick.js and overthrow.js. With support for both desktop and mobile platforms and visually appealing UI, Mobile Angular UI is a great choice for businesses. Under the name of MIT, this framework is free to use.
- Scope To Operate On Both Desktop and Mobile
- It’s a free open source framework.
- Visually Appealing UI
Mobile Angular UI can be used for - iOS and android
Sencha Touch is typically preferred by businesses due to its extensive product portfolio. Ext JS is a JavaScript framework for creating hybrid models with cross-platform functionality. It offers over 115 pre-integrated UI design elements and features like data visualisation, analytics, and easy layout management. Sencha Ext JS provides a crisp display of data and hassle-free management of voluminous data, making it a preferred choice for businesses.
- Visual Representation Of Data
- Crisp Display Of Analytics
- Manages Voluminous Data Hassle-Free
- Easy To Manage Layout System
Sencha Ext JS can be used for - iOS, android and web app
Choosing the best frameworks for mobile app development can feel like a daunting task, but we've simplified it for you. Here are some important things to keep in mind:
No matter what kind of app you want to make, Team in India is here to help. With high-quality mobile app development services, we assist clients worldwide in creating mobile apps that suit their needs.
You can hire developers from Team in India to create an app for your business too. We'll guide you through every step of app development, from coming up with ideas to launching the finished product.
In 2024, it's important to focus on using React Native, Flutter, Xamarin, Swiftic, Ionic, and jQuery Mobile. These are the key tools that are really important for building mobile apps.
React Native stands out as one of the top picks in the software industry, enabling businesses to create apps for both Android and iOS platforms.
Key features to look for include robust community support, high performance, scalability, a wide array of libraries and plugins, strong security features, and the capability to handle platform-specific functionalities.
Transitioning frameworks during a project can be intricate and time-intensive. It's advisable to make a well-informed decision at the project's onset. While in some cases, reusing certain components or data may be possible during the switch.
While frameworks simplify the development process, some coding knowledge is usually necessary, especially for customization and troubleshooting. However, emerging low-code and no-code platforms (Quickbase, Appy Pie) offer options for individuals with limited coding experience.
