If you’re new to the app development world and you’re trying to find someone that can build an app for you, you might be wondering what cross-platform means.

A cross-platform app development framework allows app developers and software engineers to build a single app that works on both iPhone/iOS and Android. There are several frameworks out there that approach this problem in different ways, see this post about why I think Flutter is the best choice.

There are two alternatives to going cross-platform:

1. Going native. This means you build two apps – one for iOS and one for Android. This is clearly a costly option and nowadays seems to be the reserve of big players with deep pockets. The benefits of going truly native are UI/UX certainty and performance, and zero reliance on a third-party framework that could go out of fashion.
2. Progressive Web Apps. These are apps delivered over the web (rather than the app stores) that run in a web browser on a mobile device, but can be made to look and feel native, with varying support for onboard functionality. These can be a good choice if the functionality you require is supported, but you remain at the mercy of what seems like an ever-changing wind regarding support, particularly from Apple.

I’m firmly in the Flutter camp, and if you’re looking for a cross-platform solution, drop me a line.