Guide to Mobile App Development Technologies: How to Choose a Techstack

The most popular mobile app development technologies are set, but the best ones for your business can differ depending on which platform you choose. Choosing a technology can drastically impact your development speed, costs, and, in some cases, efficiency.

It’s not a novice bit of information that mobile applications nowadays are more popular than web applications, as over 96% of users access the Internet from their mobile devices. I believe it might be connected to the flexibility of using software applications for mobile on-the-go or mobile apps being able to utilize the hardware benefits of the devices. One way or another, it’s undeniable that mobile app development is crucial for your business.

Choosing the appropriate mobile app technology may minimize development costs, speed time to market, and make your app easily maintained and scaleable for future expansion. In this article, I will discuss the technologies and frameworks used for mobile app development trends, and by the end of it, you will be able to choose your own tech stack.

Types of Mobile App Development

Although you might use the same approach for both iOS and Android development, the mobile app development technologies would be drastically different. From programming languages to frameworks and libraries, despite common tendencies, these platforms require different coding practices.

An app technology stack is a set of software components for iOS or Android app development. These components include:

• Programming languages.
• Mobile app development framework.
• Libraries.
• Platforms.
• Tools.
• UI/UX solutions.

But before figuring out which mobile app development technologies to use, you must first choose which platform you’re working with. Mobile app frameworks provide the foundational structure for building applications tailored to specific operating systems.

iOS Mobile App Development

iOS mobile app development is a native application development for iOS-based devices, such as iPhones or iPads.

These applications usually have very rigid minimalistic UI and follow strict guidelines of the App Store.

It’s universally accepted that iOS mobile development might be slightly more efficient and fast than Android development due to the standardization of device optimization. These applications would mostly focus on seamless user experience and follow a unified approach.

Partnering with a reputable mobile app development company can help ensure that your iOS app meets all necessary guidelines and leverages the best practices in the industry.

Android Mobile App Development

Android mobile app development also signifies a native app development process for Android-based mobile devices.

The spectrum of Android devices is much wider; therefore, more precision is required in testing and device optimization to ensure the best performance for Android apps.

Overall, Android applications have more customization options and face more flexible distribution platform standards, as Google Play Store has a less stringent review process. One aspect of Android app development that would require more attention is security, as it is an open-source platform.

Are you looking for a software development partner in Android app development? Check out how we do it at DashDevs!

Cross-Platform Mobile App Development

As the name suggests, cross-platform app development involves developing apps for both iOS and Android platforms.

Cross-platform mobile development simplifies application updates, and it allows developers to manage a single codebase rather than multiple versions for different platforms.

It offers businesses an opportunity to reach a larger audience by entering both markets simultaneously. If you ever plan to develop mobile apps for both platforms, such a choice would also offer a more streamlined process, reduced costs, and accelerated time to market.

However, one downside might be that it would require tremendous effort to make the application feel native for both platforms. There’s always a risk of making your app a jack of all trades and master of none.

To avoid this, you should learn which technologies to use to ultimately make your software run smoother and faster than anything your competitors might make. For this, you need an appropriate tech stack.

Do you need help choosing a tech stack and the correct platform for your mobile app development? Our article about cross-platform vs. native mobile development can provide answers.

Why It is Important to Choose a Modern Technology Stack?

Technologies play a massive role in the development of your product. Thus, in my practice, I’ve seen correctly chosen mobile app development technologies improve the quality of an end product and accelerate development, while the incorrect one might lead to additional expenses and more complex maintenance.

So, let’s explore the reasons for investing time in selecting the right mobile app development technology stack.

#1. Design that meets customer needs.

Modern mobile app trends utilize technologies that allow you to create a more engaging and satisfying user experience. UI toolkits, for example, can incorporate features like intuitive navigation, smooth animations, and platform-specific design elements.

#2. Cost efficiency.

Using modern app development technologies that are among mobile app trends, you can create a product that meets market and customer requirements. This will help you attract new customers quickly and effortlessly retain existing customers.

#3. System compatibility.

Carefully selected technology stack, picked from mobile app trends, ensures scalability and system compatibility. This means your software app for mobile devices is less likely to become obsolete as new devices and operating systems emerge.

#4. Longevity.

Reliable and well-established technologies form the foundation of a modern stack.

Native development, for instance, offers exceptional performance and access to a wider range of device features compared to some cross-platform approaches.

Top Programming Languages Used to Develop a Mobile Application

In this section, I would like to focus on the programming languages we use for mobile software development. To make it more convenient for you, I’ll divide this section into three subsections about each of the mobile app development types and the best technologies for them.

I will illustrate my words with a real-life case study I had the opportunity to work on as part of the DashDevs team: a lifestyle mobile application called Keen and its pet project, Keen Advisor. The former is a native app, while the latter was created utilizing a cross-platform approach. It helped me form an ultimate list of programming languages for mobile app development.

Best Programming Language for Native iOS Mobile App Development: Objective-C vs Swift

iOS is famous for standardized development and leans toward object-oriented programming languages such as Swift:

Swift is a modern, fast, and safe programming language developed by Apple for building iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS applications.

It allows the developers to review the said code faster, shortening the amount of mistakes. Swift has many modern libraries and frameworks that I will talk about later, but most importantly – it slowly takes the place of Objective-C on the market. Now, let’s pay some attention to a bit outdated but still widely used Objective-C programming language:

Objective-C is a long-standing, object-oriented programming language used for macOS and iOS development. It is known for its compatibility with C and dynamic runtime features.

Here at DashDevs, we use Swift for every new iOS app because of its clarity of code and wide user base with numerous experts proficient in it. With the abovementioned Keen, our team helped the business switch from Objective-C to Swift during development. This significantly improved the modernization of an app, enabling more integrations with several APIs and enhanced post-release management, making it more cost and time-efficient.

I made a comparison table regarding the capabilities that Objective-C, the old but still fully functional language for iOS development, as compared to Swift.

Overall, object-oriented programming language is one of the new mobile app trends that is soaring in the market right now.

I personally recommend Swift as a top choice for native iOS app development. It simplifies the development, gets your software app for mobile devices to the market faster, and improves post-release management when you need to implement new features or integrate with modern APIs.

Kotlin as the Best Programming Language for Native Android Development

For Android development, for similar reasons, I recommend Kotlin as the best programming language choice for native development. Kotlin is object-oriented and functional, which makes it akin to Swift in the sense that it becomes clearer, easier to read for other developers, and faster in the development process itself.

Among the benefits of Kotlin, I can signify the following:

1. Increased code reliability.
2. Conciseness and high readability.
3. Increased application stability due to built-in features.
4. Compatibilities with several programming languages, including Java (as its direct competitor) and Swift.
5. Presence of a rapidly developing community.

I mentioned Keen before, the app with both native iOS and Android applications. We performed the same migration process for Keen to switch their native Android application to Kotlin from Java, which helped them increase productivity and achieve higher compatibility with other components. It also accelerated the development process, including further updates after the migration was completed.

Best Technologies for Cross-Platform Mobile App Development

There are two titans of cross-platform development: Flutter and React-Native. Both enable developers to create applications for multiple platforms. At DashDevs, we work with both, but we utilize Flutter more often.

Flutter is an object-oriented language with syntax similar to Kotlin and Swift. React Native, in turn, can often be used to develop both web and mobile versions of the application.

At the same time

React Native is a cross-platform framework developed by Meta for building mobile applications using JavaScript and React. It allows for native-like performance on both iOS and Android.

Previously, I mentioned Keen, which was essentially a native app product, but it also had a cross-platform pet project Keen Advisor. This cross-platform app was created for the advisor’s side of the Keen user base. Our team used Flutter to cut corners and create an application for both platforms with a single code base. We chose this technology for Keen Advisor due to its adaptability and similarities with Swift and Kotlin since, on some occasions, we would develop features that we later integrated into a native Keen application.

React Native could perform as well as Flutter, bringing its own benefits, such as accelerated development and a wide user base. I composed a table that would give you a more detailed idea of the nuances of Flutter and React Native.

You can always conduct more research on mobile app trends and find technologies that work for your project. If you’re searching for information, you can look at the material my colleague has written on these two, specifically if you would like to find out which one of the mobile app development technologies has a higher performance, Flutter or React Native.

Now that the core stack is out of the way let’s discuss mobile application development technologies, such as toolkits and libraries.

Frameworks and Libraries for Mobile App Development

In addition to programming languages, mobile app development frameworks provide the necessary structure for building applications within specific environments. Based on the tech stack and functionality you want to see in your mobile software application, there are certain frameworks, mobile app dev platforms, and libraries that might also be present in your mobile app development technologies. And, of course, they will differ from platform to platform.

1. SwiftUI. It’s hard to imagine any software development project on Swift without SwiftUI. It’s an official UI framework by Apple that is native to Swift and, therefore, has great integration properties with the language. It’s also object-oriented and allows for the development to be simplified by making the code clearer.
2. Android Studio. This is an integrated development environment that is compatible with both Flutter and Kotlin. It can be used for Android native and cross-platform software application for mobile development.
3. Veriff. Due to my experience in fintech, KYC tools have become an essential part of many projects I have worked on. Veriff is a KYC / AML API that utilizes AI to verify customer profiles.
4. Jetpack Compose. Similarly to SwiftUI, Jetpack Compose is a UI toolkit released specifically for Kotlin development. It’s a declarative style toolkit, which makes it similar to SwiftUI.
5. Microblink. A tool for document scanning that enables customer verification via document scanning and enables additional security. My team and I often use this tool for fintechs or other related applications.

Of course, there are more libraries, tools, mobile app dev platforms, and frameworks available, but these are only a fraction of what we use in our development process. I strongly recommend that you consult with your tech partner to determine the tech stack for your project.

How to Choose the Right Mobile App Development Technologies for Your Project

The tech stack you choose directly impacts how your mobile development application performs, feels to users, gets built, and adapts to future needs. This guide unpacks the key steps to remember when creating your tech stack strategy.

#1 Define Your App’s Needs

Your company’s needs and requirements will form the tech stack as much as the app’s functionality and other specifications. Let’s examine how this can happen.

• Complexity. Native development might be most beneficial for feature-rich apps with intricate functionalities. Languages like Swift (iOS) or Kotlin (Android) offer peak performance and a seamless user experience. These languages unlock full access to a device’s features, which is crucial for high-performance apps like games, augmented reality, or those processing massive amounts of data.
• Offline functionality. Choose native development if you intend to make your app work even without an internet connection. Native apps can store data locally, ensuring a reliable experience even in areas with limited connectivity.
• Device feature integration. Apps heavily reliant on device features like camera, GPS, sensors, or fingerprint login would benefit more from the safety of a native app. It usually enables the software to utilize the hardware of the device fuller than a cross-platform would, and provides in-built safety for the gathered data.

#2 Understand Who You’re Building For

Everyone always mentions the target audience, but there is a reason for it. TA can influence your project’s success and even determine which platform you should use.

• Target platform. If your target audience primarily uses one platform (iOS or Android), native development allows you to cater to their specific user experience preferences, potentially leading to higher engagement and satisfaction.
• Reaching a wider audience. For broader reach, consider cross-platform development frameworks like React Native, Flutter, or Xamarin. These frameworks let you build a single codebase that works on both platforms, reducing development time and cost. However, there might be trade-offs in performance and access to some device features.

#3 Evaluate the Team’s Expertise & Resources

You should pay close attention to the resources you’re already using and those you are planning to utilize. The team is also a resource, and so is their expertise.

• Team skills. Evaluate your development team’s skills and experience. If your mobile app developer team is already comfortable with native languages like Swift or Kotlin, leveraging native development might be more efficient.
• Project timeline & budget. Cross-platform development can be faster and more cost-effective initially, especially if your team is familiar with the chosen framework. Yet, long-term maintenance costs might be higher for cross-platform apps than well-maintained native codebases.

#4 Set Up Long-Term Business Goals

Building a roadmap and setting viable KPIs is important for your project’s viability. Think about what you will be focusing on a few years from now, and set the plan in motion early on.

• App maintenance & updates. Native apps typically require separate codebases for iOS and Android, potentially increasing maintenance complexity in the long run. However, with proper planning and architecture, native codebases can be highly scalable and maintainable for complex apps.
• Long-term vision. Consider your app’s potential for future growth and feature additions. Native development offers more flexibility and control over the app’s architecture, making it easier to accommodate future iterations.

#5 Consider Security and Performance

Despite security concerns generally being tackled by a development team, different platforms and technologies can offer different capabilities in the matter. Performance, essentially, is the same way.

• Security. Native development often provides a security advantage, especially for apps handling sensitive data. Leverage platform-specific security features and best practices for robust app protection.
• Performance optimization. For performance-critical apps, explore native development tools and libraries optimized for specific device architectures. This can significantly enhance your app’s responsiveness and user experience.
• Community & resources. The chosen technology stack should be backed by a strong developer community and extensive resources. This ensures easier access to technical support, tutorials, and code libraries during development and maintenance.

By carefully considering these factors and tailoring them to your specific project, you’ll be well-equipped to choose the optimal tech stack and mobile app dev platforms that lay the groundwork for a successful and sustainable mobile app.

Wrapping Up

To select the appropriate technology stack for your mobile application, you must meticulously assess the app’s requirements, target audience, team expertise, and long-term objectives. Keep in mind that there is no universally applicable solution. It’s crucial not to focus solely on the initial development expenses; factors such as security, app performance, and ongoing developer support should also be taken into account.

If you need any help on your way, consider contacting an experienced software development team. DashDevs has over 14 years of experience in the market and has delivered 500+ solutions to customers worldwide, including numerous iOS, Android, and cross-platform applications. We can make your app a reality.

Let’s discuss it.