What if you could build a single app for multiple platforms and cut down your development time and costs all at once? That’s the allure of cross-platform app development for startups.
Juggling limited budgets, tight launch deadlines, and small teams can feel impossible. Cross-platform development answers these common startup challenges, enabling developers to deploy a single codebase across multiple platforms, such as iOS and Android.
In contrast to native app development, cross-platform app development isn’t built for a single operating system, like Android or iOS. Instead, it leverages a cross-platform app development framework, such as Flutter or React Native, to build an app that works across multiple platforms. This allows startups to reach a broader audience without needing separate development teams for each platform.
Cross-platform frameworks can be a game-changer for some mobile app startups looking to make the most of scarce resources. Still, this double-duty approach isn’t right for every app. To determine the best development method, startups must assess whether cross-platform app development aligns with their goals, needs, and budgets.
In this article, we’ll explore the advantages and potential drawbacks of cross-platform app development and key factors to consider when choosing this path.
Advantages of Cross-Platform Development for Startups
Cross-platform development frameworks offer many benefits. Here are the top reasons startups choose this versatile development approach.
Cost-Effectiveness
Cost is one of the biggest draws of cross-platform app development frameworks. For native app development, launching on multiple platforms means paying for more than one team or project. Cross-platform development, by contrast, allows startups to focus their resources on a single codebase, reducing development and maintenance expenses.
Faster Time-to-Market
Cross-platform development can help you get your app into the hands of users on every relevant platform simultaneously. That means reaching a wider audience sooner. Many startups operate in highly competitive markets, so launching quickly can be the difference between building momentum and falling by the wayside.
Code Reusability
The cross-platform development approach also reduces redundancy. Instead of coding the same features once for one platform and again for another, cross-frameworks enable code reusability. Developers can leverage the same logic, libraries, and components across platforms. This convenience means greater efficiency for the development process and updates can be applied to all platforms at once.
Easier Updates and Maintenance
Managing a single codebase simplifies the process of pushing updates and fixes. Development teams can simultaneously deploy patches, updates, and feature enhancements to all the app platforms. As a result, startups can ensure a more consistent experience, no matter where users access the app. Likewise, limited development resources stretch further with this streamlined improvement process.
Access to a Wider Talent Pool
Because cross-platform frameworks like Flutter and React Native are widely used, it's easier to find developers familiar with these technologies. This broader talent pool means startups can hire more affordably and scale their teams faster than if they were limited to experts in native development languages like Swift or Kotlin.
Potential Drawbacks to Consider
While the benefits of cross-platform development are compelling, there are a few important tradeoffs. Be sure to weigh these possible disadvantages and consider how they might affect your project.
Performance Tradeoffs
All else equal, a native app typically offers faster performance than its cross-platform counterpart. The difference between the two is negligible for some apps, but others might not achieve native-level performance. Gaming apps, for instance, or those with lots of dynamic data, complex UI, and heavy graphic design elements, can experience performance lags that affect the app’s competitiveness and detract from user experience.
Limited Access to Native Features
Cross-platform app development frameworks have some limitations, especially when accessing native features. Tapping into device functionality, like a phone’s camera or GPS, sometimes requires additional workarounds. Apps needing deep integration with device-specific APIs might not experience the significant time- and cost-saving advantages the approach otherwise affords.
Framework Limitations
Each cross-platform framework has unique characteristics and quirks. For instance, some are incompatible with the third-party libraries or APIs available for native apps. Other frameworks have constraints that limit functionality or make it difficult to tap into certain native features. While the need to compromise on core functions is rare, it’s certainly a possibility. Cross-platform framework limitations can slow development since developers must invest more time in finding solutions.
UI/UX Challenges
Each platform has its own unique UX/UI design elements. Because cross-platform apps utilize one shared codebase, designing an app that displays consistently across platforms can be tricky. This is especially true for apps that require a seamless experience from one device to another, like some enterprise apps that support mobile and web access.
Dependency on Third-Party Tools
By choosing to build an app with a cross-platform development framework, startups must rely on a third-party tool. That means bugs or performance issues stemming from the framework could affect your business. Likewise, new device feature releases from iOS or Android, for example, might not be supported right away by your cross-platform development framework. Choosing an option with a strong developer community and regularly scheduled updates can minimize the risk of framework-related issues.
Key Factors to Evaluate
Not all startups will benefit equally from cross-platform development. Here are the top factors to consider when making your decision:
App Complexity
Simple apps, such as productivity tools or static content apps, are generally well-suited for cross-platform development. However, complex, feature-rich, and data-heavy apps may face more significant limitations if built with a cross-platform approach.
Your app might be considered complex, and therefore not a great fit for cross-platform development if it:
- Supports gaming, where lightning-fast rendering matters is key to the user experience
- Includes AR/VR features
- Relies on multiple external APIs for core functionality
- Requires intense data processing or real-time data features
- Needs native, device-specific functionality, like the GPS, voice features, or the device camera
- Includes unique or custom design features, like animation and illustration
Apps with few or none of these qualities are better suited to cross-platform development than those with many.
Performance Requirements
Native-like performance isn’t a necessity for every app. Startups must determine their true performance needs versus what’s nice to have. A millisecond difference in load time won’t be a deal-breaker for users in some categories. In others, however, top-notch performance is a must. For example, finance apps that rely on real-time market data and apps anchored in dynamic data require optimal performance.
Budget and Timeline
Often, the choice of cross-platform versus native app development depends on available resources and timeline. Startups with ample budgets and more timing flexibility might choose to invest in native app development. Time-crunched or cash-strapped startups, however, might be better served by cross-platform app development, which can stretch limited resources further.
Target Audience and Platforms
Launching on multiple platforms at once isn’t important for all audiences. Consider your target users’ needs carefully before determining your software development approach. Are your would-be users primarily iPhone users? Perhaps a native iOS app is sufficient for now. Alternatively, if your users are split between multiple platforms, a cross-platform framework can help you target both audiences right away.
Long-Term Vision
Startups sometimes fall into the trap of prioritizing their current needs, without considering how their choices could affect future opportunities. Before you choose cross-platform app development, consider your long-term needs and goals. Will your choice of framework support growth and scalability in the future? Assess to what extent cross-platform development might limit or propel your vision.
Is Cross-Platform App Development Right for Your Startup?
Cross-platform development can be a great tool for startups to tap into a wider pool of developer talent, launch an app quickly, and stretch limited resources further. That said, it’s not right for every startup. Deciding whether to pursue a cross-platform development approach requires assessing goals, needs, and constraints like budget, timeline, audience, and long-term vision.
Still uncertain of the best path forward? Designli can help you navigate the app development process and find the solution for your startup's unique needs. Schedule a free consultation with our team to get started.
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