Cross-Platform App Development Explained

The days of consumers sticking to a particular device are long gone.

With 61% of UK consumers accessing the internet on both computers and mobile devices (compared to 10% who only access the internet via smartphone), cross platform app development is now essential for reaching users across multiple touchpoints.

With cross platform apps, you can create a single piece of source code and use it to develop applications that can run on multiple operating systems. You can also ensure that you reach your target audience on their preferred device.

This is preferable to a native app approach, as you don’t need to develop an app that’s limited to a specific operating system; you can simply build one app that you distribute across multiple platforms.

In this article, we’re going to look at why cross platform apps are important, what platforms you can develop an app for, and the top frameworks for developing them.

Why is cross platform app development important?

Developing a cross platform app is important because it allows you to build an app that you can use to reach customers on multiple platforms and communicate with the widest possible customer base.

Cross platform apps aren’t restricted to a single platform or OS, which means users from all types of devices and OS’s can access them.

Some of the platforms you can build cross platform apps for include the following:

Web development – Applications that are available in web browsers such as Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge.

Desktop – Applications that are available on desktop computers running on Windows, Mac OS and Linux.

Android – Mobile applications that are available for smartphone users on Android devices.

iOS app development – Mobile applications that are available on iPhones and iPads that use iOS.

At the same time, developing a cross platform app is also the most cost-effective way of building apps for multiple devices. This is because you can write the source code once to cover all platforms, rather than writing unique code for each platform or device.

Reusing the source code also has the added advantage of speeding up the development process, as the developer has less code to write for a cross platform app than they would if they were writing to produce multiple native apps. This consequently reduces the overall time to market.

‍

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between cross platform and native app development?

A native application is built for a single operating system using its specific programming languages, meaning separate builds are needed for Android, iOS and desktop. Cross platform development uses one shared codebase that compiles to run on several systems. This removes the need to maintain different projects for each device your customers use.

How much does it cost to build a cross platform app in the UK?

Budget expectations vary with scope and complexity. An entry level product typically falls between £10,000 and £50,000, while a mid range build with more features sits at £50,000 to £150,000. Larger enterprise tools with deep integrations reach the top bracket of £150,000 to £1,000,000 plus. Shared code keeps costs lower than commissioning multiple native apps.

Which frameworks are commonly used for cross platform apps?

Popular toolkits include Flutter, React Native and Xamarin, each allowing teams to write one codebase that targets several operating systems. The right choice depends on your existing skills, performance needs and target devices. Some projects benefit from progressive web app approaches, while others need closer access to device hardware through a hybrid shell.

Is cross platform development quicker than writing separate native apps?

Sharing a single codebase means engineers write and test logic once rather than repeating the work for each operating system. This shortens the build schedule and gets the product to users sooner. Maintaining one project also reduces long term overhead, since fixes and updates roll out to every platform at the same time.

Can one cross platform app serve web, desktop and mobile users?

Yes. A well planned cross platform project can deploy to browsers, Windows, Mac and Linux machines, plus Android and iOS devices from the same source. This lets you meet customers on whatever device they pick up, whether that is a phone on the commute or a desktop in the office, without rebuilding the core experience.