Most Popular Cross-Platform App Development Frameworks in 2025

Written by Bhavin Panchal

Published10 December 2024

Mobile App Development

With the rapid evolution of mobile technology, choosing the right framework for cross-platform app development is crucial. This blog post explores the most popular cross-platform frameworks of 2024, highlighting their background, pros & cons, and why they stand out in the crowded app development landscape. Learn how these frameworks can help you create high-performing, scalable apps that work seamlessly across multiple platforms.

Table of contents

What is a Cross-Platform App Development Framework?

Key Benefits of Cross-Platform App Development:

Reusable code: Develop once and deploy on many platforms, reducing redundancy.
Easy maintenance: A single codebase simplifies updates and bug fixes across platforms.
Cost efficiency: Lower development costs by sharing assets and reducing team size.
Faster time to market: Streamlined development leads to quicker launches.
Broad market coverage: Reach users on both iOS and Android with one app.
Development speed: Simplified processes allow for fast prototyping and iteration.
Access to many libraries: Use various libraries for enhanced functionality and performance.

Popularity of Cross Platform Development

The Best Frameworks for Developing Cross-Platform Mobile Apps

1. React Native

Pros of React Native:

Ready-to-use components
Faster development
Creates powerful apps
Plenty of social plugins (e.g., for grid images, feeds, etc.)
Hot reloading
Large community support

Cons of React Native:

Performance limitations
Debugging and compatibility challenges
Dependence on third-party libraries
Sometimes considered unstable by developers

2. Flutter

Pros of Flutter:

Clear documentation
Fast app development with hot reload
Impressive, customizable widgets
Open-source and community-supported
Cross-platform compatibility (iOS, Android, web)

Cons of Flutter:

Limited support for some native features
Usability and performance concerns on older devices
Steep learning curve due to Dart programming language
Larger app size compared to native apps
Limited third-party libraries available

3. Xamarin

Pros of Xamarin:

Code reusability
Near-native performance
Simplified maintenance
Full hardware support
Strong backend support

Cons of Xamarin:

Larger app size
Dependency on Visual Studio
Delayed updates

4. Ionic

Pros of Ionic:

Free to use
Single codebase
Developer-friendly
Rapid prototyping
Native compatibility
Convenient testing

Cons of Ionic:

Web view limitations
Complicated versions
Dependency on Cordova
No hot reloading
Potential security vulnerabilities

5. NativeScript

Pros of NativeScript:

Native performance
Cross-platform development
Framework flexibility
Rich plugin ecosystem
CSS styling

Cons of NativeScript:

Limited UI components
Complex debugging
Slow testing process
Steeper learning curve

6. Sencha Touch

Pros of Sencha Touch:

Cross-platform compatibility
Rich UI components
Open source
Responsive design
MVC architecture

Cons of Sencha Touch:

Limited native features
Performance issues
Not suitable for individual developers

7. PhoneGap

Pros of PhoneGap:

Enterprise-level platform for integrated market support
Augmented Reality Cordova plugin
Native functionality
Developer-friendly
Open-source community

Cons of PhoneGap:

Background processing limitations
Excessive graphics can impair performance
Non-descriptive documentation

8. Node.js

Pros of Node.js:

Faster development cycle
Scalability
Cost-effective

Cons of Node.js:

Asynchronous complexity
API instability
Single-threaded limitations
Library quality issues
Memory consumption

9. Kotlin Multiplatform

Pros of Kotlin Multiplatform:

Code Sharing
Flexibility
Easy Integration
Modular Approach
UI is divided for each target platform

Cons of Kotlin Multiplatform:

Many components in Beta
Limited Documentation
Requires Cross-Functional Teams

10. Titanium SDK

Pros of Titanium SDK:

High Code Reusability
Web-oriented

Cons of Titanium SDK:

Limited Flexibility
Outdated Documentation and Support
Dependency on Proprietary APIs

Top Cross Platform Mobile App Development Frameworks - A Quick Comparison

Dynamic Framework Comparison

Framework	UI/UX	Performance	Development Speed	Learning Curve	Community Support	Cost	Popular Apps
React Native	Excellent, near-native	Good, JavaScript bridge	Fast, hot-reload	Moderate, JavaScript knowledge required	Strong, large and active community	Free and open-source	Facebook, Instagram, Skype, Airbnb
Flutter	Excellent, near-native	Excellent, ahead-of-time compilation	Fast, hot-reload	Moderate, Dart language required	Strong, growing community	Free and open-source	Google Ads, Alibaba, BMW, eBay
Xamarin	Good, custom UI components	Good, native performance	Moderate, slower compilation	Moderate, C# knowledge required	Strong, large community	Free and open-source (paid enterprise version)	Microsoft Teams, Xamarin Forms, Azure DevOps
Ionic	Good, web-based components	Fair, web-based performance	Fast, web-based development	Easy, web development skills required	Strong, large community	Free and open-source	Sworkit, Untappd, Pacifica
NativeScript	Good, native UI components	Good, native performance	Moderate, native component development	Moderate, JavaScript and TypeScript knowledge required	Moderate, growing community	Free and open-source	Workday, Deloitte, HCL
Sencha Touch	Good, web-based components	Fair, web-based performance	Moderate, web-based development	Moderate, JavaScript and HTML5 knowledge required	Moderate, active community	Commercial license	Bloomberg, Reuters, BBC
PhoneGap	Fair, web-based components	Fair, web-based performance	Fast, web-based development	Easy, web development skills required	Moderate, active community	Free and open-source	Uber, Wikipedia, LinkedIn
Node.js	Not directly for UI	Not directly for UI	Fast development in JavaScript ecosystem	Low; JavaScript knowledge	Huge community in the JavaScript ecosystem	Free and open-source	Netflix, GoDaddy, eBay
Kotlin Multiplatform	Excellent, platform-specific UI	Excellent, native performance	Moderate; multiplatform development	Moderate; Kotlin knowledge required	Growing community	Free and open-source	JetBrains IDEs, Kotlin tooling
Titanium SDK	Good, custom UI components	Good; JavaScript bridge	Moderate; JavaScript bridge	Moderate; JavaScript knowledge required	Moderate; active community	Free for personal use; commercial license available	RSS Reader, Alloy