Top 10 iOS Development Frameworks for Building iPhone and iPad Apps
The mobile app market has been going through a gold rush in the past decade. According to Statista, there are approximately 1.64 million apps on the App Store. And when it comes to creating apps, iOS development frameworks are an integral part of the whole process and any experienced IOS App Development Company has a tech stack based on at least 4 of these iOS development frameworks.
Even though there are dozens of iOS frameworks available, choosing the right one makes development easier, allowing you to integrate a wide range of features.
What is an iOS App Development Framework?
An iOS app development framework is a package of tools or resources, including shared libraries, nib files, images, localized strings, headers, and reference documentation that developers use for building iOS applications.
As technology is evolving, there is now a greater emphasis on choosing the right iOS app development framework for mobile apps.
As an appreneur, you need to choose the development framework which helps in creating scalable iOS apps in this competitive industry.
We recommend hiring experienced iOS developers who can make this decision for you. iOS app development companies typically match the functional requirements of the app with the tools, and frameworks for your application. This ensures that the iOS app you get is secure, reliable, and high-performing.
In the next section, we are going to explain the ten best iOS frameworks in detail.
10 Best iOS Development Frameworks
- Flutter
- Adobe Phone Gap
- React Native iOS development
- Ionic Framework
- Swift Framework
- Xamarin
- Sencha Touch
- jQuery Mobile 7
- Framework 7
- Corona SDK
1. Flutter
Flutter is one of the strongest iOS development frameworks launched by Google.
The purpose of launching this framework was to make the coding process easier and faster for developers and many are leveraging Flutter to create crossplatform applications.
Flutter uses a single code base for both Android and iOS, making the app development process faster.
Another productive feature of Flutter is the ease of editing and creating new widgets.
Unlike other frameworks, the process is effortless. Not just that, these features make it possible to develop mobile applications that have a responsive design and high-performance capacity.
Flutter iOS Development Framework Features
- Hot reload
- Impressive and flexible UI
- Native-like performance
Ready to launch your own iOS app?
HOI has a team of seasoned iOS developers. Share your app idea and we’ll walk you through app discovery to development and launch.
2. Adobe Phone Gap
Adobe has always been one of the pioneers in introducing new technology to the industry. Similar to their software solutions, the company’s iOS development framework guarantees top-tier performance.
Through the Adobe Phone Gap iOS framework, the developers can seamlessly design effective app applications, which are also available for Android, MacOS, Windows, and Firefox OS if they choose to work exclusively with the iOS framework architecture.
Adobe Phone Gap iOS Development Framework Features:
- Flexibility
- Open source
- Strong backend
3. React Native iOS Development
After seeing the growth of Google’s Flutter framework, Meta (Facebook’s parent company) came up with its own development framework. Meta’s React Native framework enables programmers to develop native mobile applications using JavaScript.
Furthermore, React Native is an open-source platform making it possible to create cross-platform applications through a single framework. In this framework, the developers also get React which is a JavaScript library.
Developers globally use the React library for creating interactive user interface designs. Some of the biggest companies that use React Native for development include Airbnb, Walmart, and Instagram.
React Native iOS Development Framework Features.
- Cross-platform support
- Simplicity
- Robust performance
4. Ionic Framework
The Ionic framework is the first preference of iOS mobile app developers who want to create hybrid apps. This framework features a complete open-source SDK that offers productive resources during the development process. Similarly, you can use the Ionic framework with HTML5, CSS, and Sass.
Talking about its origin and popularity, Ionic has a license from MIT with a thriving global community of developers. Through Phone Gap plugins and TypeScript extensions, the developers also get access to over 120 native device functionalities, like Bluetooth and fingerprint authentication.
Ionic iOS Development Framework Features
- Opensource
- Cross-platform support
- UI/UX
5. Swift Framework
According to HOI developers, Swift is one of the most user-friendly app development frameworks. In this mobile app development technology, the developers don’t have any dependency on a special code. Additionally, the framework’s user-friendly interface makes it superior compared to other iOS development frameworks.
Swift iOS Development Framework Features
- Third-party integration
- Advanced analytics
- App publication assistance
Ready to launch your own iOS app?
HOI has a team of seasoned iOS developers. Share your app idea and we’ll walk you through app discovery to development and launch.
6. Xamarin
With all its competitors investing in app frameworks, Microsoft had no reason to stay outside this market. Microsoft’s Xamarin is an open-source, cross-platform mobile application framework.
Through this framework, developers can create a top-tier mobile application. Xamarin allows developers to incorporate programming languages like .Net and C# into the system.
As a result of this integration, the mobile applications developed on Xamarin feature a native performance offering the users a premium and seamless experience.
Additionally, Xamarin allows developers to create an ecosystem that includes different kinds of components. They can also integrate tools, libraries, and programming languages into the system to simplify the development process.
Xamarin iOS Development Framework Features
- High performance
- Developers get sharable codes
- Cost-efficient framework
7. Sencha Touch
Sencha is another Android and iOS development framework with a worldwide community of developers. What makes this framework different from all others on this list is its native capabilities.
In this framework, the developers also get support for both HTML 5 and JavaScript.
Similarly, other elements included in this framework’s library are widgets, toolbars, forms, menus, and lists. Another productive feature you won’t find in other iOS development frameworks is the application testing assistance across different platforms and web browsers.
Sencha Touch iOS Development Framework Features
- Extensive range of UI components
- Distinctive features
- Compatible with other technologies
8. jQuery Mobile
jQuery is an iOS development framework most suitable for designing responsive mobile apps. This framework assists the iOS development team in creating an iOS architecture across all devices.
Additionally, jQuery also decreases the overall development time drastically, helping programmers create multiple interactive web pages easily.
jQuery Mobile iOS Development Framework Features
- Build a responsive mobile app
- Configured with HTML5
- A robust theming framework
9. Framework 7
Framework 7 is a reliable iOS development framework because it requires dependence on React or Angular JS. For creating iOS apps on this framework, the developers only need expertise in CSS, JavaScript, and HTML. In short, customization is easy to achieve, along with the creation of native applications.
Framework 7 iOS Development Framework Features
- Easy customization
- Rich ecosystem
- Offers various UI elements
10. Corona SDK
Corona SDK is typically used for developing mobile game applications. Corona is an open-source platform featuring the Lua scripting language. This makes it adaptable for developing game applications that are simple to use and offer an interactive user experience.
Similarly, in Corona, developers also get a cross-platform capability enabling them to develop games that users can play via different operating systems like Android and Nook.
Corona SDK iOS Development Framework Features
- Faster development
- Supports native UI components
- The single code base for cross-platform development
Helpful Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Which is the best framework for iOS app development?
The best framework for iOS development depends on requirements, as each of the frameworks listed has its own pros and cons. We recommend choosing a framework that aligns with and accomplishes your business goals. Apart from that, make sure to use a framework that delivers a premium-quality product to the users.
- What is an iOS framework?
An iOS framework is a toolkit of sources featuring a shared library that includes nib, files, images, headers, and more. The iOS development company you’ll hire will link your application to the above-mentioned frameworks.
- How do I develop an application in 2023?
For developing an iOS application, you need to hire an iOS development company like HOI Solutions, which has 12+ years of experience in the industry, creating +300 iOS applications for clients globally.
Wrapping Up - 10 Best iOS Development Frameworks
iOS app development has seen a sharp increase in its popularity, especially in the past decade. There is a demand for creating iOS apps that are fast, secure, and most importantly, ensure a better ROI for entrepreneurs.
If you are one of those entrepreneurs who want to capitalize on this technology, then HOI Solutions mobile app development company is here to help you out. We create iOS apps that are a combination of high performance and premium user experience.
