As of 2024, there are currently 3223,808 apps available on the Google PlayStore, and 1,905,119 apps available on the App Store. So, whether you’re an app development maestro, an aspiring developer,  or someone who wants to get a mobile app developed, then today’s blog is for you. 

Today, we’ll talk about the most popular mobile app frameworks that you can use to develop apps in 2024. So stay tuned and keep reading. 

We’ll start by explaining what mobile app development frameworks are. So, let’s dive into it. 

What is a Mobile App Development Framework

In simple words, a mobile app development framework is the set of tools that you use to create apps. 

With a mobile app development framework, you don’t need a complex understanding of coding languages. The framework has its own codebase, which makes it easier for you to develop apps. 

Next, we’ll talk about the three different types of mobile app development frameworks. 

Types of Mobile App Development Frameworks

Mobile app development frameworks can be categorized into three types. These include: 

1. Native frameworks: These frameworks are designed to develop apps for specific platforms, such as only for Android, and the IOS. 

2. Cross-platform frameworks: Cross-platform frameworks allow developers to use a single codebase to create apps for both Android and IOS. Although these frameworks are better than native frameworks, they come with some limitations in performance and device features. 

3. Hybrid app development frameworks: These include the use of elements of Native, combined with HTML and CSS programming to develop apps. 

The type of framework that you choose will greatly depend on the client’s requirements and the nature of the app that you’re trying to develop.

However, keep in mind that cross-platform apps might result in lower performance as compared to native apps, and despite being cross-platform, you might have to adapt some parts of the code specifically to adapt to the platform. 

Next, we’ll discuss the names, and outline the features of the most popular mobile app development frameworks in 2024. 

Popular Mobile App Development Frameworks in 2024

This is a list of some of the most popular mobile app development frameworks in 2024. This list includes names of Native, Hybrid, and Cross-Platform frameworks. These platforms are: 

1. Swift UI (IOS)

2. Kotlin 

3. Flutter

4. React Native 

5. Xamarin 

6. Framework7

7. Solar 2D

Now, let’s discuss each one separately: 

1. Swift UI

Swift UI is a Native framework designed by Apple, specifically to design apps for IOS interfaces. Developed in 2019, Swift UI allows users to draw: 

1. 2D Drawings

2. Animations 

3. Event Handling Widgets 

You can integrate Swift UI with other Apple services such as Xcode and Swift Playgrounds. 

Swift UI benefits users by: 

1. Allowing you to easily describe what you want a UI to look like rather than using a series of steps to do so. 

2. Allowing you to get a live preview of the UI through tools such as Xcode. 

3. Letting you combine buttons, text fields, and lists in a manner that makes the code reusable. 

2. Kotlin

Designed by JetBrains in 2011, Kotlin is a cross-platform framework that is fully interoperable with Java. 

Kotlin has various advantages such as: 

1. Rich community libraries that allow developers to access developer-related content. 

2. The ability to easily share code for various platforms. 

3. The ability to migrate existing Java code directly to Kotlin.

Kotlin has been used by many notable organizations such as ATLASSIAN, McDonald’s, and Adobe. 

3. Flutter

Flutter is a cross-platform framework developed by Google, which was released in 2017. The platform is written in the C, C++, and Dart languages. Flutter benefits the user by: 

1. Providing a one-stop solution for testing and developer tooling to build high-quality apps. 

2. A large open-source community of developers. 

Flutter is being used around the world in places such as eBay, Toyota, Google, and BMW. In 2022, 46% of developers were using Flutter to develop cross-platform mobile apps. 

4. React Native

React Native was developed in March 2015 by Meta Labs. The framework is written in the languages of JavaScript, Java, C++, Objective C, and Python. The advantages of using React Native are: 

1. A fast refresh feature that allows you to see changes as soon as you have made them. 

2. It is easier to learn for those who already know the JavaScript language. 

3. A large community of developers who provide libraries, tutorials, and answer questions. 

Amazon Appstore, Skype, and Microsoft Outlook are some apps developed using React Native.

5. Xamarin

Xamarin was founded in 2011 and is currently owned by Microsoft. It is an open-source mobile app development framework that helps users build apps for multiple platforms using .NET and C# technologies. The benefits of using Xamarin are: 

1. It’s free to use. 

2. Provides access to a wide range of tools and libraries because of its partnership with NET.

Popular apps developed with Xamarin are The World Bank Survey App and the Bank of Alaska app. 

6. Framework 7

Released on July 14, 2020, Framework 7 is a Hybrid app development framework that allows you to build apps for mobile, desktop, and the web. The benefits of using Framework 7 are: 

1. Wide choice of pre-built icons to choose from in the library. 

2. Unofficial and official community plugins are available for use.

3. An in-house forum of developers to answer queries. 

7. Solar 2D- Formerly Corona SDK

Solar 2D (formerly known as Corona SDK) is a platform that is suitable for building cross-platform games. The advantages of Solar 2D are: 

1. Use of a lightweight Lua-based scripting language that has been used in games such as Angry Birds, Civilization, and Warcraft. 

2. An in-house forum and a Discord chat room are available for queries. 

3. Availability of source code and resources under MIT license. 

Now that we know about seven popular mobile app development frameworks, it’s time to recap what we learned throughout the blog. 

The Takeaways

The mobile app landscape is booming, with millions of apps craving user attention. The mobile app framework you choose to build your app on can greatly impact its success. This blog post explored the diverse world of mobile app development frameworks in 2024. We discussed the three main categories: native, cross-platform, and hybrid frameworks, each with its own advantages and trade-offs.

Remember, the best framework depends on your specific project requirements. Consider factors like target platforms, app complexity, performance needs, development timeline, and your team’s skill set.