Mobile app development is a booming industry where every organization, big or small, is looking forward to trying their hands-on on this incredible platform. According to Statista, the global mobile app market is expected to reach $756 billion by 2027, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.58% between 2022 and 2027. Also, Over 299 billion apps have been downloaded worldwide by 2023.
These numbers indicate the opportunity available for mobile apps in the global market. But when it comes to deciding how to go about it, it can keep the decision-makers heads buzzing. They have to go through the entire process of designing and developing a mobile app, and most importantly choose the right framework for their mobile app.
So, if you are someone looking to develop a mobile app for your business, then in this article we will guide you about the best mobile app development frameworks to consider in 2024.
What is a Mobile App Framework?
A mobile app framework is a set of pre-written code and tools that developers use to facilitate the creation of mobile applications. These frameworks provide a structured foundation for building applications, streamlining the development process and allowing developers to focus on creating specific features rather than dealing with low-level details.
It is like a pre-built toolbox for developers crafting mobile apps. Imagine a bunch of ready-made components, like buttons, menus, and maps, along with tools for handling things like data storage and network communication. Instead of building everything from scratch, developers can use these pre-existing elements to focus on the unique features and logic of their own app.
Mobile app frameworks save developers time and effort, letting them build faster and easier, while still delivering high-quality apps.
Different Types of Mobile App Frameworks
Mobile app development employs three primary types of frameworks: native apps, hybrid apps, and web apps.
- Native Apps
Native frameworks are platform-specific, utilizing languages like Swift or Objective-C for iOS and Java or Kotlin for Android. These apps are optimized for each platform, offering high performance and seamless integration with device features. However, separate codebases are required for iOS and Android, potentially increasing development time.
- Hybrid Apps
Hybrid frameworks, such as Ionic or React Native, enable cross-platform development using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These apps run within a native container but share a common codebase, reducing development effort. While offering cost and time efficiency, hybrid apps may face performance challenges compared to native counterparts.
- Web Apps
Web apps are accessed through mobile browsers, and written in languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. They provide a consistent experience across devices but lack certain features available to native apps. Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), developed with frameworks like Angular, bridge this gap by offering web apps with enhanced capabilities, including offline functionality and push notifications.
Choosing between these frameworks depends on factors such as performance requirements, development time, and the desired level of platform optimization for a given mobile app project.
Best Mobile App Frameworks to Consider in 2024
Here are some of the best mobile app frameworks that you can consider for your business app in 2024.
Cross-Platform Apps
In a world of skyrocketing development costs and tight deadlines, cross-platform frameworks have proven to be highly effective. They offer a “write once, deploy everywhere,” feature enabling developers to build apps for multiple platforms with a single codebase. This not only saves time and money but also ensures consistency across platforms. Two best mobile app frameworks stand out in this category:
- Flutter: The young upstart, Flutter, has taken the world by storm with its hot reload functionality, expressive UI, and native-like performance. Its declarative UI framework, Dart programming language, and growing community make it a force to be reckoned with. Flutter’s focus on developer experience through features like hot reload and state management libraries are likely to keep its momentum strong in 2024.
- React Native: The established veteran, React Native, boasts a massive developer community, extensive library ecosystem, and robust tooling. Its integration with ReactJS knowledge transfer makes it familiar to web developers. While performance concerns occasionally crop up, Facebook’s continued investment in React Native ensures its relevance in the years to come.
Native Development: When Performance Matters Most
For apps demanding pixel-perfect performance and deep platform integration, native development remains the gold standard. While requiring separate codebases for different platforms, it grants access to the full potential of each platform’s hardware and software capabilities. Two platforms dominate the native landscape:
- Android: With its open-source nature, vast user base, and Kotlin’s rise as the preferred language, Android development shows no signs of slowing down. Android Studio’s constant improvements to its IDE and debugging tools further solidify its position. Expect Kotlin multiplatform to gain traction in 2024, blurring the lines between native and cross-platform development.
iOS: Apple’s iOS ecosystem continues to prioritize user experience and tight integration with its hardware. Swift, the language of choice for iOS development, is known for its elegance and conciseness. Xcode, Apple’s IDE, offers powerful debugging tools and integration with the entire Apple ecosystem. While iOS’s closed nature might limit its reach, its focus on user experience and performance will remain attractive in 2024.
Hybrid Apps
Hybrid frameworks offer a middle ground, leveraging web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build apps wrapped in native containers. This approach balances native performance with code reuse across platforms. Some noteworthy contenders include:
- Ionic: With its extensive library of UI components and integration with popular technologies like Angular and Vue.js, Ionic maintains a strong presence in the hybrid app development space. Ionic’s continuous improvement in performance and hybrid web view capabilities makes it a viable option for certain types of apps in 2024.
Xamarin: Microsoft’s Xamarin leverages C# for cross-platform development, giving developers familiar with .NET a familiar platform. Its tight integration with Visual Studio and access to native APIs make it a compelling choice for enterprise-level apps. While the learning curve can be steeper, Xamarin’s stability and performance are likely to attract developers in 2024.
Important things to consider and future trends
While frameworks play a crucial role, it’s essential to consider broader trends shaping the mobile app development landscape:
- Progressive Web Apps (PWAs): Blending web and native app functionalities, PWAs offer offline access, push notifications, and installability, making them a potential disrupter in 2024.
- Low-code/No-code platforms: Democratizing app development, these platforms enable citizen developers to build basic apps without extensive coding knowledge. Expect their influence to grow in 2024.
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML): Integrating AI/ML into apps opens up possibilities for personalized experiences, enhanced functionality, and smarter decision-making. Expect to see more AI/ML-powered apps in 2024.
Choosing the Right Framework: A Tailor-Made Approach
Simple apps with basic UI might thrive with Flutter’s hot reload and fast development cycles. Complex apps demanding pixel-perfect performance may lean towards native development options like Android with Kotlin or iOS with Swift.
If cross-platform reach is your priority, Flutter and React Native might be your best bets. If you aim for specific platform features and performance, native development is the way to go.
Cross-platform frameworks offer potential cost and time savings due to code reuse. But native development, while offering superior performance, often requires separate codebases and longer development times.
Choose a framework your team is comfortable with or can easily learn. Existing JavaScript knowledge makes React Native attractive, while familiarity with .NET makes Xamarin a good fit.