Thousands of apps are downloaded every day. However, most of them get uninstalled in a day or two. Why?
Because these apps don’t perform well on different devices or screens. In other words, they lack cross-platform functionality and fail to meet users’ expectations when used across diverse platforms.
Cross platform app development is key to success for any software or digital solution. The term refers to apps that run smoothly across different devices like smartphones, mobiles, tablets, PCs, and laptops. Cross platform app development languages allow developers to use a single code base. Hence, they can build feature-rich apps that enhance users’ experiences.
However, which cross platform language is popular today? Most importantly, which factors must be considered to choose the right language and deliver the best possible results?
This blog presents the top five cross platform app development languages based on their features and discusses their major use cases so that developers can make the right decision.
So, let’s get started!
What is Cross Platform App Development?
Cross-platform development follows the process of developing applications that run smoothly on different platforms with only one codebase involved. It is opposite to native app development where coding has to be done separately for every operating system, like Android and iOS.
With cross-platform development, developers can write one program to run on both operating systems while ensuring consistency in user experience across devices.
Technical speaking, frameworks used during cross-platform development are used to abstract the code as generated by the particular platform. Developers can access this code through interaction under one programming language or framework.
Some of the popular cross platform app development languages are React Native, Node.js, and Kotlin. These languages make it easy for developers to write code and deliver a seamless experience. Hence, it is one of the popular approaches for businesses aiming to win user loyalty.
Popular Cross Platform Mobile App Development Languages
Here are five best cross platform mobile app development languages:
1. Node.js
Node.js is the most widely used cross-platform development language based on Chrome’s V8 JavaScript engine. It helps developers run JavaScript in frontend and backend development in full-stack development. The non-blocking and event-driven architecture of this language becomes very efficient for developing rapid and scalable applications.
Developers prefer Node.js because of its capabilities for asynchronous programming that enhance the performance of applications, especially in I/O-bound operations. Besides, it has an immense ecosystem of libraries and frameworks like Express.js. These resources make the development process much easier.
Therefore, if a business wants to scale applications with real-time data, then Node.js works particularly well with such requirements.
Top Applications Developed Using Node.js
- Netflix
- Uber
2. React Native
React Native is an open-source framework developed by Facebook and is known as the highest-paying programming language. It allows developers to create natively rendered mobile and web applications for iOS and Android using a single codebase. React Native uses the same building blocks of native applications, but one writes code once to deploy across different platforms.
With React Native, developers can build true native experiences from a single codebase. The hot-reload feature, for example, makes it possible to see changes in real-time without needing to restart the app.
Another key advantage that comes with React Native is the huge community of developers. The availability of a wide variety of libraries, tools, and community support streamlines the app development process and improves product quality.
Popular Apps Built with React Native
- Walmart
3. Kotlin
Kotlin is a modern language statically typed, developed by JetBrains before Google officially supported it for Android. Traditionally, Kotlin was used to develop Android applications. However, its multiple platform capabilities enable developers to share code across different Android, iOS, and even backend applications.
Kotlin is very concise, null-safe, and fully interoperable with Java. All these features are easy to adopt, especially for developers with extensive experience in Java. The multi-platform extension of its platform allows shared code logic across platforms. Besides, it also enables native UI and optimizations for performance.
Top Apps Built with Kotlin
- Trello
- Evernote
4. Swift
Swift is an open-source, modern programming language developed by Apple to build applications for iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. It is primarily used for developing native iOS; however, it also can be combined with cross-platform development regarding specific use cases, especially if one aims at an Apple family of devices.
Speed and safety are two fundamental reasons behind the popularity of Swift. Its syntax is clean, coupled with type-safety features and reduced complexity in the codes, eventually leading to quicker cycles of development.
For any application that requires superior performance, it is mostly built in Swift, more so on iOS, because it enables the apps to leverage the full power and capabilities of the Apple ecosystem.
Popular Apps Built with Swift
- Airbnb
- Slack
5. JavaScript
JavaScript is one of the most-used languages globally. It forms an essential part of many multi-platform frameworks, such as React Native and Node.js. JavaScript, therefore, empowers developers to write web or mobile applications using the same language.
JavaScript attracts developers for its flexibility, simplicity of learning, and the dynamic applications it can build. The great ecosystem of libraries, besides frameworks like Angular, Vue.js, and React.js, has positioned JavaScript as a must-have for both web and mobile development.
Being able to write once and deploy on any platform makes JavaScript very lucrative for businesses aiming to gain efficiency.
Popular Apps Built with JavaScript
- PayPal
- eBay
- Spotify
Final Thoughts
The cross-platform advantage is under the umbrella of developing apps that can seamlessly work across platforms. Each language has been good for something, so it will just be upon the developers as to which language works perfectly for the specific needs of their apps.
Node.js wins due to its efficiency in backend development and handling real-time-intensive data applications. Similarly, React Native offers a near-native experience with the comfort of JavaScript. Kotlin boasts concise and robust code and has great interoperability with Java.
Swift remains one of the most important tools for iOS development due to the clarity of the language and the performance capabilities. Its application versatility and wide usage have made JavaScript both a current and continued general instrument for web and mobile apps.
Choosing the right cross platform app development language is necessary to build apps that work seamlessly across various platforms with great user experiences. Ensuring consistency for the business in the process of delighting users and reaching more markets.
