Last month, a startup founder told me they spent $180,000 building separate iOS and Android apps. Then I showed them how they could’ve done it for a third of the cost.
They weren’t alone. According to recent industry data, businesses spend an average of $150,000-$300,000 developing native apps for multiple platforms. Meanwhile, cross-platform development slashes that by 30-50% while cutting time-to-market in half.
Here’s the thing: cross-platform frameworks aren’t just budget savers anymore, they’re how smart businesses win.
What Are Cross-Platform Frameworks? (And Why Should You Care?)
Think of cross-platform frameworks as a universal translator for app development. Write your code once, and it runs on iOS, Android, and sometimes even web platforms.
The business case is straightforward. You’re maintaining one codebase instead of two or three, which means fewer developers, faster updates, and significantly lower costs. When bugs appear, you fix them once, not separately for each platform.
“But don’t cross-platform apps look cheap?” I hear this constantly. That myth died around 2019. Instagram, Airbnb, and BMW all use cross-platform frameworks. If it’s good enough for them, it’s probably good enough for your business.
The Current Cross-Platform Landscape
From the awkward hybrid apps of 2012, we’ve come a long way. Early cross-platform solutions were essentially slow, glitchy, and plainly non-native websites enclosed in app containers. Then frameworks like Flutter and React Native, which provide near-native performance with truly lovely interfaces, completely transformed the game.
Approximately 80% of commercial apps today make sense to be cross-platform. Go native only if you need cutting-edge hardware features right away or are creating something very graphics-intensive, like a 3D game.
Which framework, then, should you select? Let’s examine the leading candidates.
The Top Cross-Platform Frameworks
1st Framework: React Native
What it is: A JavaScript framework from Meta that enables developers to use React, the same technology that powers millions of websites, to create mobile apps.
Who is using it: React Native is used in production by Facebook, Instagram, Tesla, Shopify, and Microsoft. Walmart utilizes it for their e-commerce platform, while Bloomberg used it to rebuild their whole consumer mobile app.
Best for: Social media platforms, e-commerce apps, applications with a lot of content, and any company with JavaScript-savvy web developers already in place are the best options. Your team can begin developing mobile apps tomorrow if they are already using React to create webpages.
The business advantage: The business benefit is that you don’t need to hire pricey iOS and Android experts because your web developers can become mobile developers overnight. Additionally, you don’t need to wait for App Store approval to deploy changes thanks to services like CodePush. I’ve seen businesses use React Native to reduce their mobile app development expenses by 40%.
Real-world example: Discord’s iOS app used React Native, which allowed them to cut their codebase by 30% without sacrificing the fluid, real-time speed that their players required. Instead of spacing releases by weeks, their small team could suddenly ship features across platforms simultaneously.
2nd Framework: Flutter
What it is: Google’s UI toolkit, which produces incredibly fast performance with beautiful, adaptable interfaces by compiling to native code.
Who is using it: Google Pay, Alibaba, BMW, eBay, and Nubank (the biggest fintech in Latin America with more than 70 million members). For their in-car infotainment systems, Toyota even uses Flutter.
Best for: Applications that require pixel-perfect user interfaces, such as those in the banking, healthcare, or leisure industries. When you want that “wow factor” without compromising quickness, Flutter shines.
The Business Advantage: The commercial benefit is that native apps and Flutter apps seem to be identical. According to speed benchmarks, Flutter apps frequently run quicker than their React Native counterparts, giving your designers total creative power without compromise. Additionally, a single codebase is compatible with desktop, online, and mobile platforms.
Real-World Example: The development speed of Reflectly, a journaling app for mindfulness, doubled once it was redesigned using Flutter. They maintained the lovely, fluid animations that made their software an award winner while introducing new features 60% quicker.
3rd Framework: .NET MAUI (formerly Xamarin)
What it is: Microsoft’s development of Xamarin, a C# framework that uses a single codebase to create native apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.
Who’s using it: UPS, Alaska Airlines, the American Cancer Society, and Olo (which powers digital ordering for more than 400 restaurant brands) are among its users. It’s likely that enterprise software has evaluated .NET MAUI if it uses it.
Best for: Businesses that have previously made investments in the Microsoft ecosystem, enterprise apps, and internal business tools. This is the obvious option if your backend is built on Azure or .NET.
The business advantage: Active Directory, Azure services, and SQL Server all integrate seamlessly and natively with your current Microsoft infrastructure. You take advantage of Microsoft’s renowned enterprise-grade security and support, and your C# developers don’t require retraining.
Real-World Example: In order to save development time by 50% while still adhering to HIPAA regulations, the American Cancer Society updated its patient management app using Xamarin (now MAUI), integrating directly with their .NET backend and Office 365 infrastructure.
How to Choose the Right Framework for Your Business
Selecting a framework requires an honest evaluation of your circumstances rather than selecting the most fashionable choice.
Take into account these elements:
- Don’t force developers to pick up a foreign language when your team is already familiar with it. I have witnessed businesses squander six months because they chose a framework that their team was unable to utilize.
- Your budget and deadline. Do you need to launch quickly? Continue using what your team is most familiar with. Have more time? Acquire new knowledge that will benefit you in the future.
- How complicated your app is. A lot of animations? Select Flutter. Is it a content or social app? React Native is quite effective. Data and business forms? Choose.NET MAUI.
- Who will keep it up later? A little startup with the potential to change course? The greatest number of developers are accessible for React Native. Big business with a reliable staff? Any framework will do.
Quick decision guide:
- Got web developers? → Ionic or React Native
- Need beautiful UI and speed? → Flutter
- Already use Microsoft tools? → .NET MAUI
- Want the safest long-term bet? → Flutter or React Native
Common Mistakes Businesses Make
- Making decisions based more on hype than needs. Flutter may not be the best choice for your project just because it’s popular on Twitter. Choose the framework that addresses your real issues rather than the most popular one.
- Ignoring the skill set of your team. If your developers are unable to use a “superior” framework efficiently, it is useless. The framework that your team can use today is the finest one.
- Demanding native performance from all frameworks. Although cross-platform apps are amazing, they can’t compete with native apps for intricate animations or intense 3D games. Before you commit, be aware of the boundaries.
- Not planning for platform-specific features. Native code will eventually be required for features like Android’s back button functionality or Apple Pay. Set aside time and money right away for platform-specific adjustments.
Final Thoughts
Cross-platform apps allow companies to save expenses without sacrificing quality. Teams no longer have to waste time doing duplicate work because a single shared code runs on both iOS and Android. This entails quicker upgrades, launches, and less growth-slowing delays. These days, modern frameworks offer near-native speed, a smooth design, and no cheap feel. It is a more intelligent method for entrepreneurs to grow their products without experiencing technological disarray.
