Nowadays, people want to get as much done on their mobile devices as they do on their computers, which means they need apps and lots of them.
Android app development frameworks make it easier to develop apps that can perform just about any function. The best part is that the job market will be better than ever in 2022, so you’ll be able to get a top-notch position with these skills under your belt.
Here are the top 10 most popular Android app development frameworks you should know about.
Top 10 Android App Development Frameworks in 2022
1) React Native
React Native is one of the hard-to-pronounce, acronym-filled JavaScript frameworks that every app developer loves.
Facebook created it as a way to write mobile apps using its own React technology, which enables components and user interfaces to be rendered on both web and mobile.
Because it uses React, you’ll have access to features such as declarative programming and built-in support for server-side rendering.
While it’s not necessarily new, React Native has gained popularity over time thanks to its robust community and active development team.
Many resources are available if you run into trouble or need help figuring out how something works.
2) Flutter
Flutter is a mobile app SDK for building high-performance, high-fidelity apps for iOS and Android. With Flutter, you can build rich, native interfaces that run on both platforms.
Create your layouts with the standard set of customizable widgets. Use built-in gestures or control your app with hardware devices and sensors via messaging APIs. Flutter works with existing code, is used by developers and organizations worldwide, and is free and open-source.
Flutter uses Material Design principles to create beautiful, functional UIs. The framework offers excellent hot reloads and stateful hot reloads, and single codebase development across mobile platforms.
It has a great plugin ecosystem so that you can extend it with functionality from Firebase, Facebook, Google Analytics, Auth0, and more. Also included is support for third-party libraries like RxDart (to handle asynchronous tasks), SQLite (for local data storage), and much more.
3) NativeScript
NativeScript is an open-source framework developed by Telerik that helps you create hybrid mobile apps using JavaScript.
The framework comes with many features and components that can be reused across applications, allowing you to develop high-quality apps faster than ever before.
With NativeScript, everything from setting up your project to exporting it for production is streamlined and easier. In addition, its modular architecture allows you to swap out parts as needed without having to start over from scratch.
It’s also worth noting that NativeScript boasts a large community of users who are more than willing to help answer any questions you might have along the way.
4) Xamarin
Xamarin is a cross-platform app development framework, allowing developers to create apps for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone devices with a single shared C# codebase.
This means less time coding and more time testing your app or game on actual devices. The Xamarin SDK works with Visual Studio, so all of your favorite C# development tools are still at your disposal while developing native apps.
It’s an excellent choice for enterprise mobile application development and business owners who want to leverage their existing .NET skillsets.
It’s also perfect for hobbyists looking to develop mobile games or other types of applications that require access to devise hardware. It’s free for up to 100,000 users per year, making it one of the most affordable options available.
5) JQuery Mobile Android Framework
JQuery Mobile is one of the best frameworks for creating cross-platform applications, meaning they work on all platforms that include HTML5 browsers.
The framework is already popular amongst developers since it is simple and easy to learn. If you are looking for an alternative to JQuery, give JQuery Mobile a try.
Though it might not be as powerful as JQuery, it has the advantages that make it a worthwhile option. It is perfect for creating mobile apps quickly with minimal coding.
Plus, if you are familiar with JQuery, learning how to use JQuery Mobile will be very easy.
So if you are planning to hire dedicated android app developers in India, consider hiring experts who know about JQuery Mobile. This way, your project will progress smoothly without any hassle.
6) Expo
The obvious place to start is Google’s framework for developing native Android apps: Cordova, now known as Expo. Based on HTML5, you can use Expo and its more than 1,400 third-party plugins to build and deploy real-world mobile apps using only JavaScript.
Unlike other platforms, you don’t need an app store account or a developer license—just set up your development environment and start coding. It’s also open-source, so if you want to tweak it or contribute back upstream, that’s an option too.
What’s not to love? There are some downsides; Expo uses React Native under the hood, and many of those who have used both say they prefer React Native.
7) Ionic
Ionic is a free and open-source framework for hybrid mobile app development. It was created by Drifty Co. in 2014, based on AngularJS and Apache Cordova (or PhoneGap). It allows you to write your code once and run it across multiple platforms without worrying about different code bases.
The Ionic framework can be easily embedded into existing native apps through WebViews or Cordova plugins. This means that you don’t have to rebuild an app from scratch if you want to add some additional functionality.
In addition, Ionic provides tools that make it easy to build high-quality native-like experiences on top of web technologies like CSS and HTML5. Ionic also supports hardware acceleration so that animations are smooth and graphics are rendered at 60 frames per second.
8) PWA (Progressive Web Apps)
Progressive Web Apps have been making waves over recent years, with their hybrid approach meaning that mobile-app developers can achieve native app-like performance on standard web browsers.
Progressive Web Apps are similar in structure to standard websites but are installable through an app store—and they load quickly while benefiting from native app-like features, like push notifications and offline storage.
9) NativeBase
A Free and Open Source framework for building high-quality mobile apps using React Native for iOS and Android Platforms. Its core components are made with React Native, styled-components, and CSS Modules.
NativeBase is a highly productive way of developing cross-platform mobile apps. It allows you to use powerful native APIs and build apps that look similar on iOS & Android while being more developer-friendly than other hybrid app frameworks like Ionic or PhoneGap. The best part? It’s free!
10) Kotlin
Kotlin is a statically-typed programming language that runs on the Java Virtual Machine and also can be compiled to JavaScript source code or uses LLVM as its backend.
This language comes from JetBrains, developers of IntelliJ IDEA, and is mainly intended for use with Android Studio. Kotlin is extremely similar to Java and has full interoperability with its bytecode.
That makes it easy to reuse any existing Java code when needed in your project. Kotlin offers many modern features like null safety, data classes, extension functions, lambdas, and type inference.
Moreover, it’s open-source and completely free to use! Kotlin is a statically-typed programming language that runs on the Java Virtual Machine and also can be compiled to JavaScript source code or uses LLVM as its backend.
This language comes from JetBrains, and developers mainly use it with Android Studio. Kotlin is exceptionally similar to Java and has full interoperability with its bytecode. That makes it easy to reuse any existing Java code when needed in your project.
Read Also: Top 10+ Web Design Mistakes to Avoid in 2022
Conclusion
Thousands of frameworks and platforms are available for you, and it can be hard to choose just one. We’ve done all of that work for you.
This list is constantly evolving, but these platforms will remain a constant part of our lives and our apps over the next few years.
If you want to get ahead of your competition, consider learning at least some parts of each framework on our list. It could make all the difference.
But whatever you choose, don’t go overboard. Don’t spread yourself too thin with multiple languages. By concentrating on one or two technologies and frameworks, you can learn them much more deeply than trying to use half a dozen of them haphazardly.
Also, you can take the help of the top android application development company in India to learn more about top android app frameworks for android development.
