Do you want to learn how to make an app? You now have a plethora of choices available to you. Tools like React Native and Flutter are expanding the possibilities for mobile app development.
Here is a breakdown of five alternative approaches to designing an app to help you decide which one is best for you.
- Native
The standard approach to mobile development is to write native code for each device – typically Java for Android and Swift for iOS. This can produce the best results, but the downside is that you now have two codebases to maintain.
- Webviews
The first solution was to create ‘hybrid’ apps, which were effectively web pages served within an app container (referred to as WebViews). This method is exemplified by the Ionic framework. This has user experience constraints and relies on a JavaScript “bridge” to interface with native services, which can harm performance.
- React Native
With the advent of React Native, we were able to build JavaScript code (using React syntax) that utilised just native widgets. It still uses a JavaScript engine, but the presentation is not HTML and no WebView is used. This removes a significant constraint of previous hybrid apps, but they may still suffer from performance concerns due to their dependency on the JavaScript ‘bridge.’
- Flutter
While they both offer reactive development approaches, the main distinction between Flutter and React Native is that Flutter does not use runtime JavaScript and instead creates native code for many platforms. This results in faster app startup times and better app performance. Check out our guide to getting started with Flutter for additional information on this framework.
- Progressive Web Apps
One conceivable future for mobile development is to fully abandon the native environment. Web APIs now allow for considerably more extensive interaction between web pages and devices than in the past, while service workers allow for sites to be cached and work offline. Although the technology isn’t quite there yet, some believe that web technology will be the future of mobile apps. Check out our article on nine great PWA secrets for advice on how to get the most out of them right now.
If you’re in need of developing a mobile application with an astounding User Interface and User Experience, You can reach out to The Social Lions. We have a selection of clientele that were satisfied by our Mobile App Development Services and rank them on the Google Play Store and iOS App store.
