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Which mobile application development platform should I opt for?

What are the prominent advantages of choosing that platform?

Will it be the best choice for my app?

I am sure that there are so many questions that arise in the mind when it comes to choosing an enterprise mobile app development platform. Given the plenty of available options, one is bound to feel baffled. But selecting the most appropriate platform holds utmost importance.

To help you out, we have whittled a list of the top six enterprise mobile application development platforms that are leading the charts in 2020. You can learn about these in detail to choose the best one for your app. Let’s begin.

Appcelerator

Appcelerator makes use of a single JavaScript codebase to build strong native apps. It has an open and extensible environment that allows you to produce apps for Android, iOS, Blackberry, HTML5 and hybrid apps. Its open-source SDK supports over 5,000 devices.

Pros

• It offers rapid prototyping. The app development process is greatly accelerated and a prototype is built by investing minimum time and effort to evaluate the user interaction with UI.
• It comprises ArrowDB, a schema-less data store that seeks to deploy data models with almost no setup efforts.
• You can seamlessly integrate it to the existing delivery systems such as MDM and SCM solutions.
• It consists of pre-built connectors for MS SQL, MongoDB, Box, Salesforce, MS Azure and many more.

Cons

• It is quite buggy. Even though the newer versions are more stable, it is not very suitable for production use. The more complex your app gets, the more often you will have to face technical issues such as annoying bugs, random crashes, weird behaviour.
• There is poor support extended from the Appcelerator’s developer’s community.

PhoneGap

PhoneGap is an amazing cross-platform framework, allowing app developers to build apps that operate smoothly on multiple mobile platforms. It has a powerful backend system that greatly accelerates the development process. It is best suited for developing simple mobile apps that do not extensively use the mobile’s native features.

The PhoneGap community comprises latest modules and codes that are available for free, owing to its Open Source License. It offers tremendous flexibility and app developers having a basic knowledge of JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS3 can get started with development, without the need of learning any additional languages.

Pros

• A great level of uniformity is maintained as the apps developed can be used for multiple mobile platforms. The apps exhibit minimalistic differences when viewed on different platforms.
• PhoneGap works on JavaScript, HTML5 and CSS3, the most common and very popular web technologies.
• It allows you to use in-app integrated payment systems via Google Play Store for Android, App Store for iOS, etc.
• The app developers can make use of old JavaScript or some other libraries such as Prototype, jQuery, MooTools, Sencha Touch and more to manage the interaction.

Cons

• PhoneGap doesn’t support all functionalities
• It may prove to be ineffective at times, such as, while working with native apps
• The capacity of cross platform apps is somewhat low-key when compared to other apps built for independent platforms
• With PhoneGap, you can develop an app for once only. Thereafter, you will be charged some monthly fees.

Sencha

Sencha is believed to be an ideal framework for developing data-rich cross-platform applications powered by hardware acceleration methods. It is a warehouse of 115+ high-performing integrated UI components, including charts, grids, calendar, etc.

HTML5 utilization can be easily unleashed on all modern browsers by this platform. Also, developers can use Sencha Ext JS for developing ground-breaking apps that leverage the potential of Business Intelligence for Analytics and data visualization.

Pros

• Sencha comes with a plethora of built-in themes that work on all major platforms
• The platform is supported by a back-end data package that operates independently with different data sources
• Apps created with Sencha can be easily integrated with PhoneGap / Cordova for packaging and native API access
• Currently, Sencha is supported on WebKit browser, which includes the popular Google Android and iOS platforms
• Sencha mobile apps can be easily scaled to different resolutions for achieving maximum compatibility with different devices

Cons

• Some commercial versions of Sencha are braved with licensing complexity challenges
• Animated themes for many targeted platforms are limited

Xamarin

Xamarin helps to develop native apps that work on multiple platforms by using a shared C# code base. The platform enables the developers to use the same IDE, APIs and language everywhere. Also, the Git integration can be directly launched into the Xamarin Studio. Owing to the unprecedented benefits of this platform, it has been adopted by some renowned names like Microsoft, IBM, Foursquare, etc.

Pros

• Xamarin apps are very neatly written and thus, they can be used for reference as well.
• The Xamarin Component Store contains cross-platform libraries, UI controls and third-party libraries.
• As much as 75% of the developed code can be shared across major mobile platforms, which reduce the time-to market as well as bring down the cost of development
• Xamarin offers quality assurance and functionality testing for various devices. This ensures fewer bugs and an efficient deliverable

Cons

• The free version of the software comprises limited features
• Developers cannot take full advantage of open-source libraries owing to some compatibility issues

Ionic

Ionic is a 100% free and open-source framework that is best suited for cross-platform mobile app development. The framework helps to create native functionality in apps that can seamlessly operate on multiple devices and operating systems. With native functionalities, exhaustive gestures and highly customizable tools, Ionic apps can help to augment user experience.

Pros

• The framework enables the developers to build apps for multiple app stores with a single code base, thus reducing development cost and timeline
• The use of AngularJS helps to create a powerful SDK for building feature-rich and robust applications
• The framework comes with many CSS and JavaScript components that account for minimal maintenance

Cons

• In-app performance is not as efficient and quick as that of native apps
• The use of AngularJS necessitates the developers to possess a specific skillset needed to build complex apps
• It is difficult to achieve smooth in-app navigation since the UI-route is very tricky

NativeScript

This is an open-source platform that facilitates cross-platform app development with a rich, native-like user interface. With this platform, the developers can easily access native APIs through JavaScript to build highly interactive apps. Native mobile apps for iOS and Android can be created using a single codebase.

Pros

• A large number of NativeScript plugins are available that facilitate the creation of native mobile apps
• Developers can reuse the accessible plugin NPM any number of times in all NativeScript projects
• NativeScipt offers complete support for AngularJS 2 and TypeScript
• The platform provides unrestrained access to native libraries, including CocoaPods and Gradle

Cons

• Multi-threading in NativeScript is a possible issue
• There is no adequate information available on the use of different features of NativeScript

Final WordsThese are the top 6 enterprise mobile application development platforms that are ruling the charts in 2020. You can get in touch with a reliable mobile application development agency to discover the most suitable platform for your precise needs. Choosing the right platform will ensure that you get a technically-sound deliverable as well as save on the time and effort involved in the process.