A Comprehensive Guide to Develop the Best App for Android and iOS
Nidhi Inamdar

A Comprehensive Guide to Develop the Best App for Android and iOS

Mobile applications are nothing but convenience at our fingertips. Can you even imagine your life without a mobile phone and applications that you use in your daily life? No, right! That’s the power a few megabytes (MB) of applications carries. You can scroll through social media for hours to relax, order groceries/medicines/food/etc at your home, workplace, or anywhere, play music, connect with friends, invest in stock markets, and anything you imagine. 

And this is still the beginning of the mobile app market dominance. It is estimated to grow up to 567.91 USD billion by 2031 from the current market valuation, i.e., 181.67 USD billion. Jumping into the ocean means gaining lucrative profits while catering to a mass audience, making them fall for your applications through intuitive user interface and experiences (UIs and UXs). 

When making up your mind, you must also know the best iOS and Android app development platforms. Furthermore, you should know whether you want to build a cross-platform or native application. If this sounds alienated, don’t worry, we are here to help you make a decision. Go through the entire blog and then let’s chat. 

What is the Difference Between Android and IOS App Development?

  Android iOS
Development Cost Cost increases due to device fragmentation and variations  Developer subscription cost influences development cost 
Development Environment  Uses Android Studio to offer a flexible development environment with a wide range of tools  Relies on Xcode to provide a streamlined and integrated development experience but have limitations for cross-platform development 
App Testing  Offers a broader range of devices and configurations, making testing more complex  Has a more controlled ecosystem with fewer device variations, simplifying testing
Audience Target  Has a larger and more diverse user base, especially in emerging markets  Typically attracts users who prioritize design, premium features, and a seamless user experience 
App Security  Less secure due to its open-source nature and fragmentation  Secure environment due to its closed ecosystem and tighter control over app distribution 
Development Complexity Complex due to its fragmentation and the need to support multiple screen sizes and resolutions  Simpler due to its more standardized platform and fewer device variations
Programming Languages  Primarily uses Java (or Kotlin) for app development  Primarily uses Swift (or Objective-C) for app development 
UI Design Follows Material Design guidelines, emphasizing a consistent and intuitive user interface  Adheres to Human Interface Guidelines, focusing on a clean and minimalist design 


What is Native App Development?

Native application development refers to developing mobile applications, targeting specific platforms, i.e., Android or iOS. There are native programming languages and tools that cater to native app development. It results in offering seamless user experience and optimal performance.

Pros of Native App Development

  • Enhanced Performance: Since native apps are specifically built on respective platforms (Android or iOS), their performance remains at peak, animations are swifter, and loads everything faster.

  • Device Feature Accessibility: Native app accessibility includes hardware features like a camera, GPS, and accelerometer.

  • Improved User Experience: Since native apps have design guidelines, such apps are capable of offering an intuitive and engaging user experience, ensuring maximum users remain hooked with the apps.

  • Offline Functionality: In the era of internet dominance, native apps are capable of even working offline, meaning even if you do not have an internet connection, native apps work excellently well.

  • App Store Optimization: You can even optimize native apps for app store search results, making them visible to your target audience and compelling them to download and subscribe.

Cons of Native App Development

  • Expensive: Due to separate codebases and development teams for multiple platforms, it becomes relatively expensive to build native apps.
  • Slow time to market: Another native app development challenge includes slower time to market since it requires meeting specific development processes for each platform.
  • Platform-related challenges: Unique nuances and complexity of native app development makes the process sluggish. Besides, developers need to learn best practices, which is another cons of native app development.
  • Limited code reusability: Unlike cross-platform compatibility and code reusability, native apps code isn't transferable.
  • Dependency on updates: Native apps require frequent maintenance and updates to ensure compatibility.

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What is Cross-Platform App Development?

Unlike native app development, cross-platform app development refers to build once, use everywhere, meaning such mobile applications that are built once but works on every platform like Android and iOS. These apps are built using a single codebase, which even reduces development time and effort.

Pros of Cross-Platform App Development

  • Faster time to market: A single codebase suffices cross-platform app development, meaning less time and effort associated with building apps.
  • Code reusability: Cross-platform app development doesn’t require much effort in writing codes since a significant portion of codes can be reused.
  • Budget-friendly development: With just a single mobile app built, your user can download across platforms, which saves a lot of money and makes the development quite affordable.
  • Less maintenance cost: A single codebase handles updates and bug fixes, simplifying maintenance efforts.
  • Wider audience reach: Since Cross-platform apps are available on multiple platforms, it reaches a larger user base.

Cons of Cross-Platform App Development

  • Limited performance: Complex graphics and hardware-intensive tasks limit performance of cross-platform apps.
  • Limited access to platform-specific features: Cross-platform mobile apps struggle to offer native-like functionalities.
  • Compatibility issues: Cross-platform apps face compatibility issues and require addressing them on time so that apps work perfectly well. 
  • Third-party framework dependency: Cross-platform app development depends on third-parties, which even adds potential risks to the development. 
  • Difficult learning curve: Developers need to learn new frameworks and programming languages every time to get hands-on with cross-platform development.

Best Frameworks to Develop Apps for Android & iOS

The mobile app development market is flooded with ample frameworks for Android and iOS, but we have brought some of the most picked, easy-to-built-with frameworks. These frameworks are easier to learn and every developer has hands-on experience on them.

Frameworks to Develop Android Apps

You must have read how beneficial it is to build Android apps and cater to a wide group of audiences. Let’s understand which framework adds a cherry on the cake. 

Android Studio

It is an official integrated development environment built by Google to provide a comprehensive set of tools for Android development, which includes layout editor, code editor, emulator, and debugger. 

Xamarin

Xamarin is built by Microsoft and allows developers to build Android apps. It offers a shared codebase which allows creating apps for both Android and iOS platforms. 

React Native 

This one is created by Facebook, allowing developers to build native mobile applications using Javascript. The main feature is component-based architecture and hot reload for rapid development.

Ionic

It is a hybrid framework with a combination of web technologies like CSS, HTML, and Javascript. Besides, it also has native capabilities that help create cross-platform applications. It allows developers to use cordova so that they can integrate native device features.

Flutter

Flutter is another Google-backed open-source UI toolkit that helps developers to build cross-platform apps for both iOS, Web, and Android. 

Frameworks to Develop iOS Apps

Just like Android, there are a set of frameworks for iOS app development. Go through each one of them, consult with our mobile app developers, and share your requirements. They will help you choose the right one considering your budget and requirements.

Xcode

This iOS app development framework is built by its parent company Apple. It offers a robust set of tools and features, allowing iOS developers to build feature-rich applications.

Cocoa Touch

Are you looking for a framework that seamlessly integrates with macOS and iOS user interfaces? Then, Cocoa Touch is what you should ponder upon. It optimizes Apple devices and ensures all the applications run smoothly and efficiently. With Cocoa Touch, you have access to Core Animation,Core Data, and Grand Central Dispatch, enabling your developers to create potential applications.

Swift UI

Another framework for iOS app development enables building feature-rich user interfaces for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. If you want any changes in the live app, this framework lets you perform it. Ask your iOS developer for any modification, and they will do it for you.

Choosing the Right Approach for Your App Development

When deciding on a mobile app development, it is important to select the right approach for successful development of your desired app. Here are some factors to consider before embarking:

App Complexity & Functionality

Flutter and React Native are the perfect frameworks for a simple app with precise features. If you are looking for building a mobile application with a complex set of features, deep integrations with device hardware, we recommend native development.

Development Timeline & Budget

If you want to quickly launch your mobile app at a limited budget, you must opt for cross-platform development. If it’s a gaming application, native development is what you should consider.

Target Platforms

If you want to cater both Android and iOS platforms, then you must invest into cross-platform mobile app development. Native would be best fit if there’s only single platform app development in your mind. 

User Experience

This is a must-look factor when developing mobile applications for your audience. If you think a native like feel is what entices your audience, you must go ahead with native app development. On the other hand, cross-platform ensures consistent UX across platforms.

Conclusion

The choice between Android, iOS, or both remains completely on which audience you want to target, app complexity, budget, and several other factors that we have talked about. Hope you have explored every wealth of information and if you are still in confusion, you can reach out to a mobile app development company and drop your query.