Best Cross-Platform App Development Frameworks

Is your current tech stack missing the mark? Rather than shipping new features or fine-tuning performance, your team is stuck dealing with the limitations of the framework or language(s) you're working with.

Whether your previous workflow involved native or cross-platform development, you can reach and retain more users with greater ease by picking the right cross-platform framework.

In this article, we've compiled a list of the top ten cross-platform app development frameworks currently on the market. We'll break them down by supported languages and platforms, performance, speed, community size and quality, use in popular applications, and more. We'll also give you the criteria you need to make the right decision for your team.

What Are Cross-Platform App Development Frameworks?

Cross-platform app development frameworks let you use the same codebase for multiple platforms. They utilize an abstraction layer that translates your code into native function calls for the system you're on.

These frameworks create a streamlined process for building apps for different platforms, enabling developers to spend their time on reducing costs and creating a more unified user experience.

Utilizing a cross-platform app development framework eliminates the need for developers to make platform-specific code for iOS, Android, and other platforms. Additionally, these frameworks also provide access to native APIs, meaning your app has a consistent performance standard and polished look across devices.

The 10 Best Cross-Platform App Development Frameworks

All cross-platform frameworks can be helpful for development teams, but some differences between them can make you choose one over the other.

Let's delve into the ten best frameworks for cross-platform app development, all excelling in their own niches.

1. Flutter

Flutter is one of the most popular frameworks for developing mobile, web, and desktop applications. It's based on the Skia 2D graphics engine, which draws each pixel on the screen under the hood.

Flutter supports both AOT and JIT compilation for Dart for optimized builds and fast iterations. It also has access to device capabilities like Bluetooth, cameras, and sensors through platform channels.

Recommended use case: If you need a fast development cycle for an application with a customizable and smooth UI, as well as high performance across platforms, Flutter is the right pick for your team.

2. React Native

This framework is Flutter's primary competitor, and it has the benefit of using JavaScript as its language, which most teams are more familiar with.

React Native uses a multi-threaded architecture. The JavaScript thread handles logic, while the native UI thread is for rendering and event handling. Expo, built on top of this framework, makes it easier to prototype, test, and deploy.

Recommended use case: Best for applications that need a native-like UX, fast development cycles, and shared code with web technologies. Rapid iterations and easy scalability are two of the key selling points, meaning it's great for social platforms, chat apps, e-commerce marketplaces, video conferencing tools, and content-driven applications.

3. .NET MAUI

Microsoft developed this framework for building native desktop and mobile applications using a single C# codebase and .NET libraries. MAUI handlers map declarative UI components to native ones, which results in great performance and flexibility.

Recommended use case: Great for high-performance native apps, especially for enterprises or businesses looking for a framework targeting multiple mobile and desktop platforms.

4. Ionic

Ionic allows integration with libraries and other frameworks like React, Vue, Angular, and Svelte. The Capacitor JS runtime lets Ionic apps use device features like cameras, sensors, and Bluetooth with JavaScript APIs while running inside a WebView.

It also has a prebuilt UI component library with mobile styling and web components via StencilJS.

Recommended use case: Excellent for rapid development, web-first applications with a consistent UI across mobile, web, and desktop. Teams with web development skills are more suited than those with native expertise.

5. Unity

Unlike traditional UI-focused frameworks, Unity is a game development engine for virtually any platform. Like the Unreal Engine, Unity helps developers build immersive experiences utilizing physics, animations, and rendering. It's been an industry standard since 2005.

Beyond game dev, it's also used for simulations in industries like architecture and automotive.

Recommended use case: Great for immersive, interactive experiences like games, virtual concerts, or real-time simulations. While less popular outside gaming and simulations, you can use it to make anything from a video-calling app to interactive business tools.

6. NativeScript

With the use of JavaScript/TypeScript along with libraries and frameworks like Angular, Vue, Svelte, and SolidJS, NativeScripts allows developers to make truly native cross-platform mobile applications. NativeScript translates its declarative UIs into platform-specific components like iOS UIKit and Android Views at runtime.

Use case: Ideal for web dev-heavy teams that want to build smooth, native-like mobile apps.

7. Electron

Electron is an open-source framework that allows developers to create desktop apps, both native and web-based. It uses Chromium and Node.js to render and execute app logic, respectively.

Recommended use case: Best for creating cross-platform desktop applications using web technologies, especially if leveraging existing JavaScript expertise.

8. Kotlin Multiplatform

Kotlin Multiplatform is another open-source solution that allows cross-platform development, encouraging code reuse across Android, iOS, web, and desktop. Logic sharing is fully supported, though UI sharing is only made possible with libraries like Jetpack Compose Multiplatform.

Ideal use case: Ideal for organizations that need shared logic with already existing UI elements. Apps with complex backends like AI-driven software would be well-suited for Kotlin Multiplatform.

9. Tauri

Tauri allows you to make web-based apps with a JavaScript-powered frontend and a Rust-powered backend. You can use your favorite JavaScript frameworks for UI components.

The Rust backend helps Tauri compile into efficient machine code and produce lightweight binaries.

Recommended use case: Tauri would be a great choice for developers seeking a lightweight, secure, high-performance cross-platform framework for desktop apps using web UI.

10. Qt

Qt is an open-source framework for creating applications that run across different platforms, such as Windows, macOS, Android, Linux, and even embedded systems. Although written in C++, Qt provides bindings for several programming languages, like PySide, PyQT5, and PyQT6 for Python, Qt Jambi for Java, and more.

Recommended use case: Best for high-performance, visually rich applications that need to run on desktop, mobile, and embedded platforms. Particularly good when consistent native UI and mature tooling are important.

Key Evaluation Criteria for Picking Frameworks

When making your choice from the frameworks above, it's important to consider these key criteria:

• Programming Language: Consider what languages your team already knows. Dart (Flutter), JavaScript/TypeScript (React Native and Ionic), and C# (.NET MAUI) are common. Leveraging existing skills speeds up onboarding.

• Performance and Native Feel: Performance is crucial for user-facing applications where speed, smooth animations, and responsiveness are expected. "Native feel" is equally important; this is how closely the UI and UX mimic what users expect from their platform.

• Development Speed and Ease of Use: Evaluate hot reload, error handling, documentation quality, and setup time. These factors impact iteration speed and developer productivity.

• Platform Support: Not all frameworks have the same variety of supported platforms. They can be mobile-focused, web-first, desktop-oriented, or a mixture of two or three. For instance, you wouldn't pick NativeScript for a web app.

• Community and Ecosystem: A large, active community means better libraries, frequent updates, and easier debugging. They also come with more resources and a deeper talent pool from which to hire. Frameworks with corporate backing often have even greater support and longevity.

• Tooling and IDE Support: Look for integrations with IDEs like VS Code, Android Studio, or Xcode. It should also have strong tooling for debugging, testing, deployment, and more.

• Integration and Plugin Availability: Assess how easily you can access native features like camera, GPS, and payments. A mature plugin ecosystem reduces the need to write custom native code.

• Popular Applications: Check out some popular apps made with these frameworks to see what other developers have done with them. Try them out on all the platforms you intend to release your product on to determine if there are any obvious weaknesses, like a mobile app that feels like a watered-down version of the web app.

Using these points to evaluate the frameworks you're looking at and knowing how important each point is to your team will make it easier to choose. 

Making the Right Decision

There's not a single framework out there that fits every scenario. Each one brings its own strengths and challenges. For instance, if you need a highly customized UI and tight integration with device hardware and access, a native app will still win.

However, if your team prefers rapid development and broader audience reach with a shared codebase, then cross-platform frameworks really shine.

So, which framework should you pick? Go with the one that best aligns with your project goals, team's skill set, and desired user experience.