How to Succeed in Cross-Platform Development: The Complete Guide

Quick note:

• The hiring cost for cross-platform developers will be anywhere between $47-$150+ per hour, depending on who and where you hire developers.
• For the monthly cost of hiring cross-platform developers, you may have to spend around $20,000,$500,000 annually, depending on the region, expertise, experience, and level of developers.
• India, Vietnam, the Philippines, and a few other Asia regions are the most cost-effective destinations to hire cross-platform developers, as you hire experienced developers for $30/hr in India.
• Hiring developers in regions such as North America or Western Europe can cost significantly more, with hourly rates often standing at $60-$80 and reaching over $200 for senior talent.

Are you stuck between what cross-platform developers actually do and how much they cost? Let us solve your problem. In this article, we have explained not just the core features to build a winning app but also why startups should choose cross-platform development. Hiring cross platform developer with an understanding will help CTOs bag skilled professionals for your project.

What is Cross-Platform App Development?

There are days when developers have to code multiple times, depending on the different devices, where developers have to spend more time. Recent market data show that in the U.S, only, from the past few years, the mobile consumer market has been divided almost equally between iOS and Android platforms. At first glance, it shouldn’t be more trouble for mobile app developers to include one more environment in their work.

So, what is cross-platform mobile app development that has become a buzzword? It creates applications that run on multiple operating systems (iOS and Android) just using a single codebase, which saves time and cost compared to developing separate native apps.

Moreover, it is a practice regarding software products and services development that functions on multiple platforms. It involves employing various methods to accommodate the app or software product on multiple operating systems. iOS, Android, and Windows are the main operating systems on users’ devices. Still, there are also open source technologies such as Linux, which leads to the emergence of open source cross-platform development.

Understanding Native & Cross-Platform Development

You can build an app in two ways: natively or with a platform. Native apps use the operating system’s own language, so they run smoothly and really well. But, this can be tricky. You need a different set of code for each platform, Swift for iOS and Kotlin for Android. This means it costs more because you need separate teams for each platform, and it takes longer to build. Besides, at the time of app launch, it already requires continuous updates and system maintenance, hence increasing the ongoing costs.

For startups, cross-platform development is a great way to save time and cost while getting a market-ready app faster. The initial phase of your app acts as a testing phase, where you can see what works and what needs improvement. With modern frameworks like Flutter, the performance can compete with native apps.

Still, businesses are stuck between the two approaches. If you’re inexperienced, though, we recommend steering clear of native development. We specifically suggest this for startup businesses, just for some good reasons. But it doesn’t mean that cross-platform is better than native, but it’s an easy game for managing.

Why Startups Are Betting Big on Cross-Platform Development?

According to a report, 36% of projects are completed on time with minimal cost and without compromising quality. Cross-platform development is quicker and more cost-effective because the app can be developed faster with a single codebase that works across different platforms (iOS and Android).

In this kind of development, tech-savvy users use platform-specific SDKs like the Android SDK and iOS SDK. Frameworks such as React Native by Meta, Flutter by Google, and Net MUAI by Microsoft help in streamlining the process. Instagram, Airbnb, Skype, and Discord are some of the famous applications that are built using cross-platform technologies like React Native.

So, why choose cross-platform development?

• Cost-Effective: Building one app for multiple platforms significantly reduces development costs because you don’t need separate teams or separate codebases for each operating system.
• Wider Reach: By deploying an app that is compatible with multiple platforms like iOS and Android simultaneously, businesses can reach a larger audience.
• Faster Time to Market: Development is quicker since you are working with a single codebase, allowing for a faster launch and a more rapid response to market demands.
• Easier Maintenance: With a single codebase, updating, fixing bugs, and adding new features is simplified as changes can be applied across all platforms at once.
• Reduced Development Effort: Developers can write code once and reuse it across different platforms, saving time and effort.

What are the Core Features to Build a Winning App?

Do you know? Approximately 90% of users uninstall an application in the first month after acquiring it. This, in many cases, is not due to the app being poorly designed, but lacking something special compared to its rivals, and therefore an eventual necessity to start spending on user acquisition.

Let’s just look up the core features that you can’t afford to skip.

• User-friendly design: The first impression is the last! This term describes that users remember the first piece of information they encounter better than subsequent information. A well-designed UI doesn’t mean it only looks good; it has flawless performance. It shouldn’t make users learn the interface, and it has to be optimized for small screens. There is a list of things that should be kept in mind while designing a mobile app. The application is also responsible for brand identity. You get to choose the typography and colors, but everything, from the text to the icons, should work together smoothly.
• Fast load speed: A fast app enables a seamless and efficient experience, allowing users to access features and information quickly. It builds a sense of reliability and quality, as slow apps can be perceived as less modern and trustworthy. You know? A one-second delay can cause a 7% drop in conversions.
• Security: As digital literacy increases, people expect their data and privacy to be protected. If there’s even the smallest concern about that, they won’t think twice about uninstalling the app. Running an application smoothly needs a lot of information to run with, which ensures it is protected. According to research, over 70% of apps have at least one security vulnerability, even though developing these apps can cost hundreds of dollars.
• Customer Support: You know? Branding relies on providing good customer support. Around 56% of customers quietly switch to another service provider without leaving a negative review, all because of a poor customer service experience. To put it simply, customers should be able to reach out to you easily, without too much effort. You can either set up a communication channel within the app or offer social media support, which users actually prefer over the traditional, lengthy email process.

Conclusion

The development of cross-platform apps is the most intelligent method to create applications for all users globally, with no impact on either their performance or user experience. Selecting the best tools, implementing best practices, and doing speed and consistency optimization, developers can have the mighty apps that are capable of scaling across all devices without any difficulty.

The right development strategy and the backing of talented cross-platform app specialists will guarantee that your product not only becomes distinctive, but also quickly reaches a larger audience, and remains ready for the future in a digital world that is playing the competition card even more.