Due to an exploding smartphone usage, apps have taken the center stage in the modern business world. Enterprises of all types and sizes are gradually adapting to the mobile world and recognizing the need to offer smartphone and tablet access to their line of business apps. With the extensive demand of apps at large level means cross-platform development tools will be trending over the next few years.
IDC forecasts that the market for cross-platform development tools will increase at a multifarious annual growth rate of more than 38%, which will reach $4.8 billion by 2017. Gartner expects more than 20 million enterprise apps to develop by the year 2018.
With the ever-increasing mobile devices in the enterprise, organizations need to develop applications that would enhance the productivity of workers (which is quite a challenging thing). It is, therefore, the need of the time to have development tools that can create apps adept of running cross mobile platforms.
One key advantage of cross-platform tools is – they save a lot of cost for small and medium-sized businesses, offering recipe to low-budget businesses that can’t afford mobile development for each platform. In fact, bigger companies can also utilize smaller development project with cross-platform tools.
If you have no idea about which platform to pick, don’t worry. This month, we’re discussing a wide range of business tools in a series of blog posts. In this post, we’ll show you some of the best cross-platform mobile app development tools that you must try in 2021
Xamarin
Xamarin is one of the best Cross Platform Development Tools, helping developers to build native Android, Windows and iOS apps with a single shared C# codebase. The apps developed through Xamarin can be tested on a number of devices through company’s cloud service. Some of the key features of Xamarinn include form interfaces for sharing codes, integration with back-ends like Parse, SAP, Microsoft, and Azure, and native API access.
Sencha
Sencha Touch is a top-notch HTML5 mobile application framework, capable of developing web applications, giving the looks and feel just like of native apps. Sencha also gives MVC style architecture, the number of UI themes and vast UI component library.
All of these can be incorporated with Sencha native packager and PhoneGap. Sencha is able to deliver speedily by saving the development time of coding professionals through the presence of pre-built components.
PhoneGap
PhoneGap is a FOSS environment, earned great commendation at Web 2.0 Expo San Francisco’s 2009 Launch Pad event. PhoneGap is able to develop apps for Symbian, iPad devices, Android, Blackberry, iTouch, and Palm. The tool uses standard web development languages like JavaScript and HTML.
It facilitates developers to work with device hardware features like camera, accelerometer, sound, GPS and much more. In addition, PhoneGap also offers online training courses to help developers access native APIs and develop mobile apps on the platform.
MoSync
MoSync is also FOSS multi-platform mobile app development SDK tool, based on standard web programming. It includes the collection of common technologies used to form the future of the web such as device profiles, integrated compilers, and other useful tools. MoSync also includes eclipse based IDE for C and C++ programming.
MoSync also supports a number of operating systems such as window mobile, Linux Distro, Symbian, Moblin, and Android. Incoming release, support for Blackberry and iPhone will also be supported.
RhoMobile
RhoMobile, integrated framework helps in developing apps working on multiple mobile platforms. It allows native apps to be developed for Symbian, RIM, Windows Mobile, iOS, and Android. RhoMobile also offers developers to code centrally and need to code it just once.
RhoMobile also offers RhoHub, a hosted development environment, and RhoSync, which can be utilized as a standalone server to keep all the app data updated on users’ devices.
Kony
Kony comes with a number of tools as part of its Enterprise Mobility Platform, allowing businesses to develop apps from a single codebase. It uses JavaScript and comes with drag and drop reusable widgets along with importing existing or third party libraries. Moreover, Kony recently introduced its Mobile Fabric Platform, recognized as first enterprise app development solution to combine multiple cloud services and middleware tools.
iFactr
iFactr is also meant for speedy delivery of apps. It can be easily learned with minimum spending and developers can deploy apps after two to three days of learning as said by iFactr. Moreover, the prototypes can be created rapidly for instant feedback from employees. iFactr uses Xamarin to develop Android and iOS apps. In addition, it also supports Adobe PhoneGap.
Monocross
Monocross includes in the list of an open source cross-platform mobile framework. It allows you to create stunning applications for iPhones, Android, Window Phone, Tablets, and iPads. Monocross uses Microsoft.Net and C# for developing multi-platform supported apps.
5App
5App was developed mainly for companies to use by the employees. 5App focuses on data security and uses HTML5 and JavaScript to export apps to iOS and Android. The only drawback of using 5App is that it requires you to get in contact with them before starting using the platform. However, they confirm productivity and ease once you do.
Conclusion
Before using Cross Platform mobile development, keep in mind that it is not an easy one, just writing the code once, publishing on both Android app and iOS. Using a cross-platform development tool will allow you to save time and cost on developing apps on different platforms, but the User Interface needs to be simplified to synchronize with each system.
Author Bio:
Natasha Ramzan has done her Master’s Degree in Computer Science from Islamia University and she has worked with different IT companies as a senior developer and marketer. Also, she is a founder of Latest Businesses (it’s a Business Directory Site).
