Hybrid mobile app development has become the escalating trend of the app development industry. There is a significant rise in the demand and popularity for hybrid mobile app development today.
According to the Statista data of 2021, there were around 3.38 million apps in Google Play Store and 2.22 million apps available in the Apple App Store. And the mobile apps are projected to generate revenue of more than 935 billion US dollars in 2023.
Considering the above stats, there is no surprise that the mobile app development industry is thriving and generating billions of dollars in revenue for the various mobile app developers.
With our 5+ years of experience in Hybrid app development, we can confidently predict that there are no chances of this booming market to slow down in the near future, and this will definitely be a profitable venture for many businesses out there.
But when you've decided to develop Hybrid apps, the crucial matter of the whole process is you need a high-quality and advanced mobile app development framework to build hybrid applications. So, you have to pick a mobile framework accordingly that suits your requirements.
But selecting a mobile app framework can be a little tricky, and you might get confused. Hence, to help you select the right framework for your hybrid app development project, we've listed out the best hybrid Mobile app Frameworks in 2022 based on functionalities, features, and user experience.
What is Hybrid Mobile App Framework?
When beginning to create a new mobile application, it is important to pick the right solution that suits your business requirements. What about selecting hybrid solutions for your business? Well, let's put some weight on the Hybrid Mobile App Frameworks.
As the name suggests, hybrid app development or cross-platform apps is an approach that builds solutions compatible with several platforms like iOS, Android, and Windows. These apps are created using Hybrid Mobile App frameworks that include a single code that works on multiple platforms.
Hybrid Mobile App Framework provides the best solutions for developing cross-platform mobile apps. These apps are built using front-end development technologies and languages like Html5, JavaScript, and CSS, containing code libraries, APIs, and other features that help to develop the app easier and faster.
Hybrid Mobile App Frameworks are popular in the app development market because of their ability to scale to various platforms and operating systems. They also provide a shorter development timeframe and lower development cost. The hybrid application runs on both iOS and Android, and the same code can be reused for the desktop environment.
Read More : Best Mobile App Ideas
What is the difference between Hybrid vs Native App?
When it comes down to Hybrid and Native Apps, Native apps are built specifically for either iOS or Android platforms, whereas Hybrid apps can be considered a combination of native and web apps. Unlike in Native apps, you have to build 2 separate apps, and in the case of hybrid, only one app is built for multiple platforms. Just developers need to manage a single code that saves the developing time comparatively.
You're thinking of developing a mobile application for your startup business, but unsure whether to choose best Hybrid app development framework or go with the Native app development approach? Which approach will provide the best performance and which will be cost-effective?
Well, you don't have to worry anymore about the nitty-gritty of Hybrid and Native apps. Our experienced team has figured out the differences between these two app development approaches. Let's dive into and select the best as per your business requirements.
| HYBRID APPS | NATIVE APPS |
|---|---|
| Single code can work for multiple platforms like Android and iOS | Separate code required for Android and iOS platforms |
| Less budget required for development because need to hire single developer to write the code which works on multiple platforms | More budget required for development because need to hire two separate developers for different platforms |
| Requires less maintenance | Requires more maintenance |
| Same development team can deliver apps for multiple platforms | Different skill set team is required for each platform. |
| Hybrid apps built using JavaScript, Html5, and CSS | Native apps built using Software Development Tools (SDK) |
Now that you are clear with the difference between Hybrid and Native app development, let's have a look at some of the best Frameworks required for building Hybrid applications.
Best Hybrid Mobile App Frameworks in 2022
1. Flutter
Flutter is a free and open-source UI framework introduced by Google. It is a mobile app SDK used for developing high-quality native interfaces on Android and iOS. This framework was officially launched in the year 2018 and works well with existing code. Flutter is built using Dart, which is a simple object-oriented programming language.
It is an open-source mobile application development platform and using this will help one with the benefits like foundation libraries, widgets, and more. Flutter is fast and also helps one with the development of cross-platform applications.
There has been a lot of hype regarding Flutter for the past two years. It has a single code base for Android and iOS, enabling developers to create apps with high-productive cross-platform apps.
Top Features & Benefits of Flutter Framework
- It is an open-source platform
- Flutter is dart-based.
- You will also benefit from a wide range of widgets that can be customized according to specific needs.
- It gives good competition to the React Native platform in terms of performance and responsiveness.
- It is perfect for MVP
- Easy to use Interfaces
Drawbacks of using Flutter
- Small community of developers
- Developers need to learn Dart before using Flutter
- Flutter apps are quite heavier and large
- Limited set of libraries
- Weak iOS features support
- Not getting specific look and feel
- Does not support Android & Apple TV
Top Apps built using Flutter
Google Ads
Alibaba
Reflectly
Hamilton
KlasterMe
Quick Overview :
Github Contribution Current Owner of Flutter Stars - 134k Google Fork - 19.9k Contributors - 957 Pull Requests - 194 2. React Native
React Native is a popular Javascript-based mobile app framework released by Facebook as an open-source project in 2015.
React Native has become the best substitute for building captive solutions. Facebook brought in this amazing platform for building applications like never before. There is no need for separate iOS and Android teams while using React Native framework.
This framework makes coding easier for developers to build interactive mobile applications for iOS and Android platforms with a single JavaScript codebase. Applications developed with React Native framework are second to none as you get an easy and attractive user interface to native modules in the bank. Applications like Uber Eats, Instagram, and even Bloomberg, are good examples of it.
Top Features & Benefits of React Native Framework
- It covers both iOS and Android Platforms
- Hybrid Application renders natively because of the reusable components.
- One can use React Native UI components to another application’s code without rewriting it again.
- Native Application development is way more efficient.
- You get the compatibility of a wide range of third-party plugins.
- Less usage of memory.
- Excellent responsive time
- Act as a time saver for developers
- Supports Node.Js
Drawbacks of using React Native
- Insufficient custom modules
- Difficult to debug
- Not easy to learn
- Takes longer initialization time
- Lacks in providing security
- Difficult to manage memory
Top Apps built using React Native
Instagram
Skype
UberEats
Walmart
Tesla
Quick Overview :
Github Contribution Current Owner of React Native Stars - 100k Facebook Fork - 21.6k Contributors - 2269 Pull Requests - 305 3. Ionic
Ionic is the most popular & favorite framework on the list for hybrid app development. It is an HTML5 mobile app development framework designed with native-style UI elements which use CSS, Javascript, and Html to create custom applications.
Ionic is used to build hybrid mobile apps. The cool thing about it is that Ionic has a rich set of advanced features such as mobile components, interactive paradigms, typography, and an extensible base theme that makes the job easier.
Angular also plays a significant role in increasing the performance of Ionic applications. As Ionic is based on Angular, it provides pre-built Angular components meeting the native look and feel of the application.
Top Features & Benefits of Ionic Framework
- Expertise in advanced technologies such as CSS, HTML AngularJS, or Javascript components.
- Support for Angular material design.
- Wrapping Angular Framework.
- The Ionic framework is easily maintainable.
- Scalable
- Easy to read.
- Open-source & free.
Drawbacks of using Ionic
- Lack of Native app performance
- No hot reloading
- Plugin dependency
- Security issue
- Compatibility issues
- Heavier than Native apps
Top Apps built using Ionic
86400
Sworkit
Instant Pot
Untappd
Shipt
Quick Overview :
Github Contribution Current Owner of Ionic Stars - 45.8k Max Lynch, Ben Sperry, and Adam Bradley of Drifty Co. Fork - 13.5k Contributors - 414 Pull Requests - 66 4. Xamarin
Xamarin is a cross-platform mobile app development software based on .NET Framework for iOS, Android, and Windows. It was released in 2011 by a software corporation and later acquired by Microsoft in 2016.
Microsoft made Xamarin SDK open-source, and it became part of Xamarin Visual Studio IDE. Xamarin runs in a managed environment that provides advantages such as garbage collection and memory allocation. One can create fully native features mobile applications via Xamarin.
There is a C# codebase in Xamarin that has access to all the features of the native SDK. It also reduces time and saves the development cost of the app development.
Top Features & Benefits of Xamarin Framework
- Look and feel of Native app
- Diagnostic Tools
- Android SDK Manager
- Compatible with various devices
- Mobile cross-platform support
- Supports smart apps like Apple watch & Android wear
Drawbacks of using Xamarin
- Limites set of libraires
- Lack of community support
- Not suitable for heavy graphic apps
- Expensive development
- Large application size
- No security for third-party plugins
Top Apps built using Xamarin
Microsoft Azure
Microsoft News
Insightly
Alaska Airlines
Storyo
Quick Overview :
Github Contribution Current Owner of Xamarin Stars - 5.5k Microsoft Fork - 1.9k Contributors - 337 Pull Requests - 118 5. Framework 7
Framework7 is a free and open-source HTML framework for developing hybrid mobile and web applications for iOS and Android devices. It was introduced in 2014 and later was released in 2016 under MIT license with its latest version.
Framework7 is known to make the web development process agile. However, the coolest thing about Framework7 is that it has no external dependency on tools like Angular or React, unlike other hybrid frameworks. This framework makes it possible to create web apps, progressive web apps (PWA), iOS and Android apps with a native look and feel.
Top Features & Benefits of Framework7
- Super easy & comfortable to use. You just have to know CSS, HTML, or JavaScript.
- Open Source.
- A Lots of UI elements and widgets.
- Powerful performance.
- Use a lot of animation.
- Totally free from the license fee.
Drawbacks of using Framework7
- Less online community support
- Only supports iOS and Android platform
- Support forums are tough to use
- It has average documentation
Top Apps built using Framework7
Cyberbrain
Blokt
Wappler
HICAPPS
Kidoverse
Quick Overview :
Github Contribution Current Owner of Framework7 Stars - 16.6k Russian studio iDangero Fork - 3.3k Contributors - 139 Pull Requests - 4 6. PhoneGap
PhoneGap is also a widely used technology for hybrid app development. Being mobile-centric and open-source, Phonegap development delivers robust and feature-rich applications that are fully customized hybrid applications that work efficiently across multiple platforms and reach a large-scale audience in less time.
PhoneGap was first named as “Apache Cordova” which Nitobe Software introduced. Later Adobe purchased Nitobi in 2011 and renamed it as “PhoneGap.”
PhoneGap will be a perfect option to build a simple web application with the touch of native apps. Also, it is a highly cost-effective option if you want to save a few bucks.
Top Features & Benefits of PhoneGap Framework
- Supports iOS, Android, Palm, BlackBerry, Symbian, and iPad & Single code development for all of the platforms
- Built on technologies like HTML, JavaScript, and CSS3 that gives a rich experience
- Open-source cross-platform.
- Native Functionality.
- It can be extended with native plugins & let developers add more functionalities.
Drawbacks of using PhoneGap
- Lack of UI widgets
- Apps performance is slow
- Not suitable for hardware intensive applications
- Plugins get outdated
- Does not support all native os based functionalities
- Lack of community support
Top Apps built using PhoneGap
Wikipedia
DHS Program
Paylution
TripCase
Health Tap
Quick Overview :
Github Contribution Current Owner of PhoneGap Stars - 2.1k Adobe Fork - 1.3k Contributors - 15 Pull Requests - 2 7. Mobile Angular UI
Mobile Angular UI is an open-source app development framework that is free to use under the MIT license.
It is a framework to develop HTML 5 mobile apps that combine AngularJS and Bootstrap. It has a lot of components and UI elements with customizable features, which helps in delivering a high-quality mobile app similar to a web app.
With Mobile Angular UI, it is effortless to develop hybrid apps as it uses Bootstrap and AngularJS that are very easy to learn and get started.
Top Features & Benefits of Mobile Angular UI Framework
- No jQuery dependency or Bootstrap libraries
- Builds hybrid HTML5 mobile and web apps
- Faster runtime performance
- Offers regular Angular experience to developers
- Plenty of UI components available
- Possess overlays and switches
Drawbacks of using Mobile Angular UI
- Debugging can be difficult in errors due to AngularJS directives are added in HTML
- Application in AngularJS are not secure
- Requires server side authentication & authorization for app security
- Below average documentation
Top Apps built using Mobile Angular UI
Forbes
PayPal
Gmail
Guezz It
Gunks
Quick Overview :
Github Contribution Stars - 2.9k Fork - 737 Contributors - 20 Pull Requests - 8 8. Onsen UI
Onsen UI is an open-source UI element framework used to build Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) and hybrid apps. Onsen UI is framework-agnostic, which means developers can build apps with or without JavaScript Frameworks.
Onsen UI is perfect for developing hybrid apps using Cordova or developing web apps. It uses web technologies like HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript, and all the animations in Onsen UI are well optimized and perform well on a wide range of devices.
Onsen UI also provides a complete ecosystem of well-integrated comprehensive tools and services through Monaca.
Top Features & Benefits of Onsen UI Framework
- Offers Native look and feel
- Requires zero time setup
- Support for Monaco
- Provides a collection of ready to use components and automatic styling
- Simple and easy to learn
- Semantic markup components for developers
- Time and cost-effective development
Drawbacks of using Onsen UI
- Not yet widely used
- Use your own MVC framework
- Limited components and features
- Increased prices
Top Apps built using Onsen UI
Opal
PopVox
Petoom
Ohalog
Ski Patrol
Quick Overview :
Github Contribution Current Owner of Onsen UI Stars - 8.5k Monaco Fork - 991 Contributors - 109 Pull Requests - 12 9. Kendo UI
Kendo UI is an open-source JavaScript library founded by Telerik in Feb 2012. It is the most trusted choice for building professional Angular applications.
Kendo UI is a JavaScript toolset that provides the tooling required for developing fast, rich, interactive, and responsive web applications in a single package. Users can use the UI for Angular, jQuery, React, and Vue.
Kendo UI comes with a library of 110+ UI widgets. In addition, it also provides AngularJS and Bootstrap integration which makes it easier for the front-end developer.
Top Features & Benefits of Kendo UI Framework
- Includes 70+ widgets and frameworks
- Provide an extensive collection of JavaScript UI components
- Allows integration with Angular and supports Bootstrap UI framework
- Inbuilt theme builder for creating custom themes
- Provides optimized performance
- Has great editor control
Drawbacks of using Kendo UI
- Custom functionality can be difficult to implement
- Upgrades are complex and time consuming
- Poor documentation
- Lack of support
- Theme customization limited to only two choices
Companies using Kendo UI
Deloitte
Frontend development
ABB
Monster
3dcart
Quick Overview :
Github Contribution Current Owner of Onsen UI Stars - 2.4k Telerik Fork - 1.9k Contributors - 263 Pull Requests - 32 10. NativeScript
NativeScript is an open-source JavaScript framework for developing cross-platform apps for Android and iOS. It was initially created by Progress and later handed over to nStudio.
NativeScript allows building mobile and web apps from a single code base. Other frameworks use Cordova for rendering a web-view-driven app UI. In contrast, NativeScript uses a Native platform rendering engine to render the UIs ensuring a native-like user experience and performance.
This framework allows developers to use CSS, JavaScript, and XML to build hybrid apps, and also it supports other frameworks like Angular and Vue.js.
Top Features & Benefits of NativeScript Framework
- Provides Native user interface
- Creates cross-platform applications
- Support for Vue.js
- Full direct access to Android & iOS APIs
- 100% access to native API via JavaScript
- Has Kendo theme support
Drawbacks of using NativeScript
- Poor documentation
- Not proper description of the environment
- Large application size
- Mac required for iOS app development
- No assurance of quality of plugins
Top Apps built using NativeScript
Beachy
Radrat
Greeky Ants
Workbox
Navadra
Quick Overview :
Github Contribution Current Owner of Native Script Stars - 20.7k nStudio Fork - 1.5k Contributors - 219 Pull Requests - 37 Releases - 109
Our Pick:
Whenever you select the Latest hybrid mobile app framework, you have to pay special concern to your target & ask the question to yourself – what do you want from your application. You have to be assured that you choose the appropriate hybrid mobile app framework for your requirements.
According to the current trend (2021), we suggest going with the react-native framework as it is suitable and easy to develop and maintain smaller to enterprise-level projects.
If you have any queries/concerns regarding the best hybrid mobile app frameworks, feel free to contact us for expert advice.
