Top 10 Android Frameworks for App Development in 2024

Top 10 Android Frameworks for App Development in 2024. Android market size has been the leading operating system for mobile devices. According to Statista, in the third quarter of 2023, Android had a market share of 70.5% globally. For a business that wants to reach a wider audience and gain success, developing an Android-native mobile application has become essential.

However, developing an Android app from the ground up can be difficult. So, in this blog, we will share the top 10 Android frameworks that will make your work easier and faster.

What are Android Frameworks?

An Android framework is a software toolkit that enables developers to design and build Android applications that meet the client's requirements effortlessly. It is a software library that gives a fundamental structure and acts as a foundation for developing Android apps, so the developers don’t need to start from scratch.

An Android framework comprises pre-made templates, components, and structures that simplify application development. Also, before opting for a framework, always check its cross-platform compatibility, features, base language, performance, and maintenance support.

Top 10 Best Android Frameworks for App Development in 2024

Here is the list of top 10 android frameworks for app development in 2024 that you can go for depending on your requirements are as follows:

Flutter
Xamarin
Ionic
React Native
Titanium SDK
jQuery Mobile
Framework 7
NativeScript
Apache Cordova
Dojo Mobile

1. Flutter

Developed by Google, Flutter is an open-source user interface development kit to build cross-platform apps through a single codebase. Using Flutter, one can create Android, iOS, web browsers, Linux, Windows, and macOS applications.

It allows application deployment to multiple devices from one codebase. Flutter offers a developer toolkit, automated testing, and widgets to build high-quality products.

As it only has a single codebase that renders into native code for each platform, it becomes cost-effective and faster for developers to build native-like applications. Some popular apps built on Flutter are Google Pay, Google Ads, Groupon, Cleveroad, and eBay Motors.

Features:

Platform Embedding
Easy Learning Curve
Firebase Integration
Hot Reload
Widget Library
Native Performance
Expressive UI
Rich Animated Support
Automated Testing

2. Xamarin

Owned by Microsoft, Xamarin is an open-source platform used to build performant and modern apps for Android, Windows, and iOS. It allows developers to create native apps through shared UI code written using XAML or C#. It is an abstraction layer that manages shared code communication with underlying code.

Built on top of .NET, Xamarin automatically handles garbage collection, memory allocation, and interoperability. Applications built on Xamarin.Android compiles C# code into Intermediate Language which is then compiled Just-in-Time to a native one at the time of the launch.

Features:

Interoperability with C, C++, Object-C, and Java
Modern Language Constructs
Underlying SDKs’ Complete binding
Mobile Cross-Platform Support
Native User Interface
Thorough Testing and App Performance Monitoring

3. Ionic

Ionic is an open-source software development kit (SDK), a UI toolkit for building high-performing, modern, cross-platform, lightweight mobile applications and progressive web apps (PWAs) using a single codebase. Some of the languages that you can use to build an app with Ionic are JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and TypeScript.

Features:

Support for JS Frameworks such as React, Vue, and Angular
Adaptive User Interface (UI)
Built-in Dark Mode
Native-like Gestures
100+ UI Components
Automatic Dead Code Removal
High-Performant and Faster App Development
Developer-Friendly Tools

4. React Native

Developed by Meta, React Native is an open-source framework that empowers developers to build robust, highly interactive apps if they have JavaScript knowledge. It can be used to create a new project from the ground up or in an existing app to add some features.

Also, it comes with a fast refresh rate that allows developers to see the changes instantly after saving. Some of the brands that have adopted React Native include Skype, Microsoft, Instagram, Uber, and Facebook.

Features:

Support for NPM Libraries
Hot and Live Reload
Code Reusability
Reusable Code
UI Focused
Easy Third-Party Plugin Integration
Fast Refresh
Community Support

5. Titanium SDK

It is an open-source cross-platform framework used to create native mobile applications for Android and iOS using JavaScript. Titanium provides access to numerous non-visual and native UI components in app development. Using Titanium SDK, developers can create full-featured and immersive mobile apps.

Features:

Cross-platform APIs
Native UI Components Access through Hyperloop
Transparent Access to Native Features
Alloy framework for MVC-based app development

Top 10 Android Frameworks for App Development in 2024

6. jQuery Mobile

It is a touch-optimized, HTML5-based framework designed to build responsive mobile applications and websites. jQuery mobile offers an AJAX-powered navigation system and UI widgets that are touch-friendly and support animated transitions in the pages. Some of the brands using jQuery mobile are Dell, NEC corporation, Tech Mahindra, and the Coca-Cola company.

Features:

Easy to learn
Compatible with all major platforms
Lightweight
Limited dependencies
HTML5-driven configuration
Touch-Optimized UI Widgets
Automatic screen scaling based on the device
Allows custom theme creation

7. Framework 7

Another open-source cross-platform framework that can also be used as a prototyping tool. Framework7 helps developers in creating native-like apps for mobile, web, and desktop.

In addition to HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, developers can use any tool they desire. Framework7 provides structured data, component syntax, and data bindings and offers the simplicity and power of popular JS frameworks like React, Vue.js, and Svelte.

Features:

Rich in UI elements
Support Multiple Platforms
Free to use
Built-in FastClick Library to Control UI-touch delay
Built-in Grid System Layout
Dynamic Page Load via Flexible Router API.

8. NativeScript

An open-source mobile app development platform for Android and iOS, NativeScript offers platform APIs to the JS runtime for a rich app development experience in TypeScript. It allows developers to build apps using JavaScript and any language that trans compiles to JavaScript as well as frameworks like Vue and Angular.

Features:

Responsive and Quick Native-build Android app development
Easy to grasp
Supports JavaScript and related language and frameworks
Feel and performance of a natural platform
JavaScript Skill Reuse
Fully Open-Source

9. Apache Cordova

Created by Nitobi, and rebranded as PhoneGap, Apache Cordova is an open-source framework that allows developers to use standard web technologies for cross-platform app development.

It wraps an app into a native container that has access to multiple platforms and relies on API binding to access capabilities like sensors, network status, etc. of each device.

Apache Cordova is popular among web developers who want to deploy a web app for various app store distribution, and mobile developers who want to make the app cross-platform compatible.

Features:

Debugging Capabilities
Extensive Platform Support
Custom UI Design
Multiple Native Plugins
Write Code Once - Run Everywhere

10. Dojo Mobile

Dojo Mobile is a robust and powerful HTML5 framework that offers a wide range of widgets to help developers build web applications that are optimized for mobile devices.

With its lightweight design, Dojo Mobile ensures that the end-users have a seamless and smooth user experience while interacting with the web app.

The framework is highly customizable, making it easy for developers to tailor the widgets to suit their specific needs and requirements. Overall, Dojo Mobile is an excellent choice for developing mobile web applications that are responsive, reliable, and performant.

Features:

Theme support
Widget Library
Transition and Responsiveness
Touch Events
Multiple-Device Compatibility
MVC Architecture

Conclusion

With so many Android frameworks having their own uniqueness and advantages, it can still be perplexing to go for the right one. However, by considering your project requirements while eliminating the ones that don’t suit them, you can efficiently choose the framework that aligns with your needs.

If you are a business seeking Android app developers with years of experience and expertise using different frameworks, tools, and technologies, contact our experts now!

FAQS: Top 10 Android Frameworks

What is an Android framework?

An Android framework is a software toolkit that enables developers to design and build Android applications that meet the client's requirements effortlessly.

How do I choose a framework for Android app development?

Before opting for a framework, check its cross-platform compatibility, features, base language, performance, and maintenance support.

Why is the Android framework crucial?

Android framework is crucial for app development because, as a software library, it provides a foundation for developing Android apps, thereby reducing the need for developers to start over.

However, developing an Android app from the ground up can be difficult. So, in this blog, we will share the top 10 Android frameworks that will make your work easier and faster.

What are Android Frameworks?