What Is Cross-Platform Development?
Cross-Platform Mobile Development
Cross-platform development builds mobile apps that run on both iOS and Android from a single codebase. Frameworks like Flutter, React Native, and .NET MAUI compile to native code or use platform-specific rendering. This reduces development time and cost compared to maintaining separate iOS and Android apps.
How Cross-Platform Development Works
Flutter (Dart, custom rendering engine), React Native (JavaScript, native components), and .NET MAUI (C#, native controls) are the leading cross-platform frameworks. Each shares 80-95% of code between platforms. The trade-off: slightly less platform-specific polish compared to fully native development.
Key Concepts
- Code Sharing — Write business logic, networking, and most UI once — deploy to iOS and Android
- Platform-Specific Code — Access native APIs and platform-specific features when needed — camera, biometrics, notifications
- Performance — Modern cross-platform frameworks compile to native code — performance is near-native for most apps
Frequently Asked Questions
Cross-platform vs native?
Cross-platform for most business apps — faster development, lower cost. Native for performance-intensive apps (games, video editing) or when you need deep platform integration.