10 Cross-Platform Frameworks That Will Dominate Mobile App Development in 2025

The right framework perfectly balances speed, functionality, customization, and performance. However, it becomes difficult to choose among the range of frameworks out there. We truly understand the struggle businesses go through, so we are making things easier with the list of the best frameworks for cross-platform mobile app development. 

Best Frameworks for Developing Mobile Apps For Any Platform

1. React Native

Overview: You must have heard of React Native, many businesses uses this framework for developing cross-platform applications because it uses JavaScript. There are more reasons why it tops our list. 

What Makes It Stand Out:

• Hot Reloading: With React Native's hot reloading feature, making changes to your iOS and Android app is quick. Developers don't have to restart the app or wait to see the changes, as they are reflected immediately. 
• Native-Like Performance: React Native is often the first choice for building native-like applications with smooth animations, user experience, and responsive touch gestures. This is because React has native components for certain operations. 
• Extensive Library Support: React Native benefits from a robust ecosystem of libraries and third-party modules, which makes it easy to integrate with your application.
• Strong Developer Community: More than 2,500 contributors actively develop libraries, resources, and tools for React Native app development. 

Best For:

• Apps that need near-native performance.
• Projects that require reusable components.
• Developers with experience with JavaScript and React.

Weaknesses:

• React Native gives limited access to some native features.
• When working with this framework, developers may have to write code for building complex or graphics-intensive apps. 

2. Flutter

Overview: Google created an open-source UI software development kit (SDK), which is Flutter for you. Opposite to other frameworks that rely on native components, Flutter offers widgets to create a native-like UI. In other words, you get great control over UI components.

What Makes It Stand Out:

• High Performance: If your mobile app has complex animations and UI, performance can fluctuate depending on your chosen framework. Since Flutter compiles to native code, it offers high performance to such applications.
• Rich, Customizable UI: Flutter offers a variety of widgets and an advanced UI toolkit for creating highly customized, responsive UIs, which is unlikely in other cross-platform frameworks.
• Single Codebase for Multiple Platforms: Flutter covers most of the platforms for iOS, Android, web, and even desktop applications, all from one codebase.
• Fast Development Cycle: Hot Reload and Dart's JIT (Just-In-Time) compilation are some of the best features of Flutter. They slash the development time to half.

Best For:

• Developing applications with rich UI and native performance.
• Targeting multiple platforms, including web and desktop.

Weaknesses:

• Flutter has a relatively smaller package of third-party libraries compared to React Native.
• Larger app size due to the framework's bundled engine.

3. Xamarin

Overview: Xamarin is a third-place contender in the league of best frameworks for multiplatform app development. It is owned by Microsoft and uses popular C# and .NET languages for cross-platform development. The tools within this framework are nearly identical to native apps in terms of performance and UI. Let's see why it is the best.

What Makes It Stand Out:

• Flexible Integration: Third-party integration is comparatively easier and faster while working with Xamarin.
• Hardware Compatibility: You can develop an application for any mobile device without worrying about its compatibility with the hardware. That's because Xamarin has a large number of APIs and plugins.
• Xamarin Form: You can design a better layout for cross-platform mobile app development by using the same code.

Best For:

• Developers who are only familiar with C# and .NET.
• Building enterprise-level apps requires a highly scalable, native-like experience.
• Apps requiring deep integration with Microsoft services.

Weaknesses:

• Working with Xamarin may increase app size.
• User interface design may require additional work to get full platform parity.

4. Ionic

Overview: Ionic is an open-source framework best known for developing PWAs and hybrid applications for mobile devices. Web and mobile app developers familiar with HTML, JavaScript, and CSS can easily work with the Ionic framework.

What Makes It Stand Out:

• Web-Based Stack: Ionic uses standard web technologies, making it easy for developers with experience to build mobile apps.
• Native-Like Feel: Ionic gives developers access to the device camera and geolocation.
• Strong Plugin Ecosystem: With its massive library of pre-built plugins, Ionic makes it easier to implement native-like functionality without writing complex native code.
• Single Codebase for Web and Mobile: Developers can also target the web using the same codebase, making it ideal for creating PWAs.

Best For:

• Web developers who want to shift to mobile development.
• Developing simple apps or apps with moderate performance needs.
• Projects targeting both mobile and web platforms simultaneously.

Weaknesses:

• Performance limitations for complex, resource-heavy apps.
• Limited ability to handle intricate UI/UX designs.

5. PhoneGap/Cordova

Overview: PhoneGap (also known as Apache Cordova) is one of the earliest frameworks for building hybrid mobile apps. It uses HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, and a native wrapper to create apps running on multiple platforms.

What Makes It Stand Out:

• Web Technologies: It allows developers to use the same web development skills to create mobile applications.
• Plugin Support: Cordova has a vast plugin ecosystem, enabling integration with native APIs such as GPS, camera, and storage.
• Low Cost and Fast Development: Cordova is a low-cost option for building simple mobile applications. It uses standard web technologies.

Best For:

• Developers who need to build simple, cross-platform mobile apps quickly.
• Apps that need to access basic device features (camera, GPS, etc.).
• PWAs or apps with light UI requirements.

Weaknesses:

• Performance issues with complex apps.
• Limited native UI/UX fidelity compared to fully native apps.

6. NativeScript

Overview: NativeScript is a framework that enables developers to create truly native mobile apps using JavaScript, TypeScript, or Angular. Unlike other frameworks that use web technologies, NativeScript compiles native machine code, providing apps with native performance.

What Makes It Stand Out:

• Native Performance: NativeScript allows developers to write code that runs directly on the device's native APIs, leading to better performance than hybrid solutions.
• Full Access to Native APIs: You can use the same APIs native developers use, allowing full access to platform-specific features.
• Integration with Angular and Vue: NativeScript supports popular JavaScript frameworks such as Angular and Vue.js, providing flexibility for developers familiar with these tools.

Best For:

• Developers who need the performance of native apps without losing the benefits of using a single codebase.
• Apps that need deep integration with native features.
• Projects that rely on Angular or Vue.js.

Weaknesses:

• Nativescript has a small community, which means fewer resources are available compared to more popular frameworks like React Native and Flutter.
• First-time developers unfamiliar with native development may find it difficult to learn.

7. Kotlin Multiplatform

Overview: Although a new framework for multiplatform app development, Kotlin Multiplatform managed to earn a name in our list. The framework is developed by JetBrains and allows developers to write shared logic in Kotlin. Applications built on Kotlin Multiplatform can run on iOS and Android, with platform-specific code for UI and other native features.

What Makes It Stand Out:

• Native Performance: Kotlin compiles native code, ensuring performance similar to that of native applications.
• Shared Logic Across Platforms: Kotlin Multiplatform allows you to share logic across platforms, reducing code duplication.
• Kotlin Ecosystem: Being part of the Kotlin ecosystem, it benefits from a growing community and robust tooling provided by JetBrains.

Best For:

• Android developers are looking to extend their apps to iOS without switching technologies.
• Projects that need native performance but want to share business logic between platforms.

Weaknesses:

• Still evolving and not as mature as other cross-platform frameworks.
• Requires separate UI code for each platform, which can negate some of the code-sharing benefits.

8. AppGyver

Overview: AppGyver is a low-code/no-code platform that allows developers to create apps quickly using a visual interface, with minimal hand-coding required. It can be used to create mobile and web apps for iOS and Android.

What Makes It Stand Out:

• No-Code Platform: AppGyver allows you to build apps without writing code, making it accessible to non-developers and professionals.
• Cross-Platform Support: Apps built on AppGyver can be deployed to multiple platforms, including mobile, desktop, and web.
• Rich Component Library: AppGyver offers various pre-built components and templates, accelerating development.

Best For:

• Quick prototyping and MVP development.
• Businesses are looking for a low-code solution to build internal or simple customer-facing apps.
• Creating apps without extensive coding.

Weaknesses:

• Limited flexibility for complex app features or advanced logic.
• Not suitable for large-scale, enterprise-level applications.

9. Unity

Overview: Unity is primarily known as a game development engine, but it can also be used to build cross-platform mobile apps, especially when graphics and 3D functionality are involved.

What Makes It Stand Out:

• Game Development: Unity excels in building mobile games and apps with complex graphics, animations, and 3D features.
• Cross-Platform Export: Unity allows you to export apps for iOS, Android, and even other platforms like Windows and macOS.
• Extensive Asset Store: Unity provides access to a vast library of assets, making it easier to speed up development.

Best For:

• Game development and apps with advanced 3D graphics.
• Apps requiring heavy multimedia content, such as AR/VR apps.

Weaknesses:

• It's not ideal for non-graphic-based mobile apps.
• It can be overkill for simple apps.

10. Quasar Framework

Overview: The Quasar Framework is a Vue.Js based framework that allows developers to build high-performance, responsive apps with a single codebase. You can choose this framework for web, mobile (via Cordova or Capacitor), and even Electron desktop apps.

What Makes It Stand Out:

• Vue.js Integration: Quasar leverages the popular Vue.js ecosystem, making it an excellent choice for Vue developers.
• Multiplatform Support: Quasar supports building PWAs and mobile and desktop apps using the same codebase.
• Rich Set of Components: The framework provides a comprehensive set of pre-designed UI components, speeding up the development process.

Best For:

• Developers familiar with Vue.js who want to build mobile, web, and desktop apps.
• Projects that require a fast development cycle with good UI components.

Weaknesses:

• Limited resources and a smaller community compared to frameworks like React Native.
• The learning curve for those not familiar with Vue.js.

Conclusion

A framework is more than a part of the mobile app development tech stack; it is the foundation of your app's success. Therefore, the choice you make matters and holds importance. Several factors, such as the overall experience of your team, the complexity level of your app, performance requirements, and targeted platforms, can impact your decision.

You can choose React Native for high-performing apps or Iconic or PhoneGap for hybrid app development. AppGyver and Quasar are best for team experts in low-code/no-code and Vue.js. For enterprise apps, choose NativeScript. Whatever you choose, make sure the framework meets your expectations.