What defines a startup? Our best explanation is a dynamic environment that requires meticulous planning, coordination, and execution of work on all fronts. Adding to this would be 1) Tight deadlines and budgets 2) Accountability to investors, and 3) Uncertainty about how their product would turn out. Navigating through this ambiguity, a startup founder and team should make their product and business succeed.
But, when you think about it, for a startup to succeed and bring in more cash flow and funding, they first need to prove their product’s worth. In order to do that, all they need is a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that covers the basic most primary features of their idea.
A native approach to building mobile apps would be a mess in such a dynamic environment. In order to overcome this, they need a platform that would help them achieve their needs quicker, smarter, and efficiently. Cross-platform app development is the perfect solution in that sense. More on this below.
What is Native and Cross Platform App Development?
Native and cross-platform app development are two different approaches to building mobile applications, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Here’s a brief comparison of the two:
Native App Development:
Platform Specific: Native apps are built for a specific operating system (OS) such as iOS (using Swift or Objective-C) or Android (using Java or Kotlin).
Performance: Native apps often offer better performance and responsiveness because they are optimized for the specific platform’s hardware and software.
User Experience: They provide a consistent and familiar user experience as they adhere to the design guidelines and standards of the respective platform.
Access to Features: Native development allows full access to all device-specific features and APIs, providing deep integration with hardware.
Development Time: Developing separate apps for different platforms requires more time and resources.
Cross-Platform App Development:
Write Once, Run Anywhere: Cross-platform development allows developers to write code once and run it on multiple platforms (iOS and Android) using frameworks like React Native, Xamarin, or Flutter.
Cost-Efficiency: It can be more cost-effective as you don’t need separate development teams for each platform, and maintenance is simplified.
Time-Efficiency: Cross-platform development typically reduces development time since you write code once and share it across platforms.
Performance: While cross-platform frameworks have improved, they may not always match the performance of native apps, especially for complex or graphics-intensive applications.
Access to Features: Access to platform-specific features may be limited or require additional plugins, which can increase complexity.
Here Are Top 5 Reasons Why Startups Should Cross Platform App Development
0. Rapid Prototyping
This is the zeroth reason why startups should choose cross platforms. Startups operate in a dynamic environment with evolving requirements and limited resources. Cross-platform frameworks like React Native, Xamarin, and Flutter offer flexibility, allowing developers to adapt the app quickly in response to changing market conditions or user feedback. This agility is essential for startups as they navigate uncertainties and pivot their strategies.
1. Faster Time-to-Market
Time is of the essence for startups trying to establish themselves in the market. Cross-platform development accelerates the development process as developers can reuse a significant portion of the codebase across platforms. This reduces development time, allowing startups to launch their app sooner and gain a competitive edge.
2. Cost Efficiency
Startups typically operate with limited budgets. Cross-platform development allows them to save costs by writing code once and deploying it on multiple platforms. This eliminates the need for separate development teams for iOS and Android, as well as the associated costs of maintaining two separate codebases. It’s a cost-effective way to reach a broader audience.
3. Wide User Reach
Startups often need to quickly build a user base and expand their reach. Cross-platform apps enable them to target both iOS and Android users simultaneously, maximizing their potential audience. This broader reach can help startups attract more users and investors early on.
4. Ease of Maintenance
Maintaining multiple codebases can be a logistical nightmare. With cross-platform development, startups have a single codebase to maintain and update. This simplifies the process of fixing bugs, adding new features, and ensuring consistent performance across platforms, saving time and resources in the long run.
Not All Startups are Tech Startups. Not All Startups need to be Tech Startup. All they need is a reliable Mobile app development company as a partner. And that’s where we come in.
5 Best Cross-Platform Technology to Consider for Startup Environment
Startups looking to develop cross-platform applications have several excellent technologies to consider. The choice depends on specific project requirements, team expertise, and the desired user experience. Here are five of the best cross-platform technologies for startups:
1. React Native:
Developed by Facebook, React Native is a popular choice for building cross-platform mobile apps. It uses JavaScript and allows developers to create native-like experiences for both iOS and Android. React Native has a strong community and a vast ecosystem of libraries and components, making it a robust choice for startups. Around 42% of developers around the world use React Native as per Statistica.
2. Flutter:
Created by Google, Flutter is known for its fast development and expressive UI capabilities. It uses the Dart programming language and provides a rich set of customizable widgets. Flutter offers a high degree of customization and can produce high-performance apps with a single codebase for multiple platforms.
3. Xamarin:
Xamarin uses C# and .NET to build cross-platform mobile apps. It offers deep integration with the Microsoft ecosystem and provides access to a wide range of libraries and tools. Xamarin. Forms allow for shared UI code, making it easier to maintain a single codebase for multiple platforms.
4. Ionic:
Built on top of web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, Ionic is a framework for building cross-platform mobile and web apps. It uses web view components to render apps on different platforms, offering a familiar web development experience. Ionic is particularly suitable for startups with web development expertise.
5. PhoneGap (Apache Cordova):
PhoneGap, also known as Apache Cordova, enables developers to use web technologies to build mobile apps. It wraps web code in a native container, allowing it to run on various platforms. PhoneGap is easy to learn and can be a good choice for startups that want to leverage their existing web development skills.
Verdict - Native Vs. Cross Platform
The choice of native versus cross-platform development has been plaguing the minds of architects and developers ever since the debate began. However, it is clearly evident that startups need quick prototypes and the ability to pivot easily. The lift of pivot is already a bigger burden and then don’t need to carry the burden of technology lift as well.
Hence, Cross-platform development is the perfect solution for them and they can always go to native once they grow big! Hopefully someday.
