The increasing use of smartphones is propelling enterprises to build mobile apps, in addition to desktop and mobile websites, to promote their business. The extensive use of smartphones and technological breakthroughs is also boosting the demand for mobile applications. In addition, companies that are into designing and developing apps are making sure that employees and customers reap all-round benefits from them.
According to a December 2016 report by Flurry Analytics, users in the U.S. spend more than 90% of time on using mobile apps, and 8% on browser apps. By 2020, mobile app downloads are expected to generate revenue totalling $188.9 billion, per Statista.
Mobile app development tools
The future of mobile app development has never been so promising, thanks to the rise in innovations and the advancements taking place in the field of technology. As more and more businesses are making a switch to mobile applications from desktop websites, they are succeeding in drawing more audiences.
The year 2019 so far has witnessed an exponential increase in mobile app development software and tools that are simplifying the creation of mobile applications. Be it Android, or iOS Operating Systems, the market is also witnessing a rise in cross-platform app development.
There is no doubt that it is becoming easier to create mobile apps for your business. But the question that arises is, should the app be developed for iOS or Android? For a business to function well, it should have a good reach. In the case of apps too, companies aim to target audiences using different platforms. The following mobile app development tools are unique and cost-effective and also operate across various platforms.
- Appcelerator
The name of this app rhymes with “accelerator” and also functions in a similar fashion. It helps in increasing the pace of the mobile app development by using simpler codes to create apps. Apps created on this tool work on both Android and iOS platforms, supporting both native and cross-platform apps. This tool is therefore suitable for the development of hybrid apps. The Body Bath, CBC Media, Comerica Bank, Virgin Money, Zipcar and Caixa are some of the enterprises that use Appcelerator for their app needs.
- Appery.io
This cloud-based app development platform is used to create hybrid apps on both iOS and Android devices. The main feature of this platform is its visual app building tool which uses jQuery Mobile, Ionic, AngularJS, Bootstrap, and HTML5 components inside the Visual Editor. Samsung and AT&T are few of the companies that utilize Appery.io for their app development.
- Adobe PhoneGap
Regardless of the operating system, the apps created from this free cross-platform app development tool can work on all mobile devices, thus saving the developers’ time and efforts. Known for its versatility, it is accessible to a larger number of developers. Wikipedia, Paylution, HealthTap and TripCase are some of the best PhoneGap apps developed.
- Sencha
Sencha is a popular tool for cross-platform app development in Android, iOS, Windows as well as Blackberry. Developers use Sencha touch software to develop the code in HTML5 format and translate it using a tool like PhoneGap. It is also used to create apps with high visual appeal and improved touch experience.
- Xamarin
Based on C# codebase, this tool is preferred by most developers to create native apps as it allows the access of data across multiple platforms and reuses codes. It generates relatively fewer bugs and also facilitates communication with APIs (Application Programming Interface) of mobile devices. Major companies that use Xamarin for their apps are Siemens, Honeywell, Slack, Alaska Airways and Pinterest.
- Ionic
Best things in life are free, and so is Ionic, which is an HTML5 mobile app development framework used to build hybrid mobile apps by using CSS, HTML5 and JavaScript. To run as a native app, it requires Cordova or PhoneGap. The top apps built with the Ionic framework comprise news and market data app MarketWatch, mental health app Pacifica, Diesel and Target.
- React Native
Ever wondered what tools have been used to develop your favourite social media apps like Facebook and Instagram? The React Native development was built by Facebook in 2015 for its own app, and soon Instagram too followed suit in 2016. Other popular apps developed on React Native include AirBnB, Walmart, Skype and UberEATS. Popular media company Bloomberg’s app is also based on the React Native framework.
- Flutter
Introduced by Google, and written in the Dart language, this open-source mobile application development software is used for the development of cross-platform apps.
The most well-known open source Flutter apps comprise Platypus Crypto which is used to track cryptocurrency assets, Weight Tracker, SpaceX, music player Grey, and movie app Cinnematic.
- Corona
Gaming app lovers, this is for you! Developed in 2009, Corona is used to create apps and games for mobile phones. A single code base can be used to publish apps to all platforms like iOS, Android, Amazon Fire, and Windows. It uses Lua to create fast and lightweight gaming apps like Civilization and Warcraft. And what’s more, it’s absolutely free without any hidden fees or charges.
- Braintree
Braintree is the development tool behind your payment app and supports 23 languages. It supports both Apple Pay and Android Pay. Its most attractive features include an easy credit and debit card entry and a flexible payment options. Uber, Arriva, Snapfish, Skyscanner, Dropbox and Redbus are some of the companies that use Braintree for their apps.
Spoiled for choice
For those of you looking to develop your own mobile app, it is crucial to go for the right tool or software as per your requirement. With the growing trend of using Artificial Intelligence, you might also consider investing in an app development tool that would ensure a seamless integration of AI in the app at any point of time.
To build any mobile app, frameworks are the most important drivers, and therefore, choosing a framework according to the project’s requirement is of prime importance.
As we are nearing the middle of 2019, we expect the emergence of more competitive and improved mobile app development tools at our disposal that would make it more challenging for us to choose the most appropriate tool to develop our apps.