Top 6 Android Frameworks That Will Rule the Market in 2023?

It hardly needs any brainstorming to understand that the Android operating system will hold the key to mobile app development in the coming years. With a staggering market share of more than 80%, Android apps dictate market trends and technologies. This is why it is essential to get a comprehensive overview of all the development frameworks most Android developers find helpful. 

Over the years, Android app development has evolved over the years, and we have seen several twists and turns in how developers and Android app development company  embraced and renounced technologies. There was a time when Android apps used to rely solely on Java, and delivering a native user experience could not be thought possible without native languages restricted to the Android platform. 

Then came React Native, and we saw a boom in cross-platform development. More than iOS, hire android app developers have been the primary beneficiaries of cross-platform development because Android is an open ecosystem without integrated control. This is why, from React Native to Flutter to Xamarin to Kotlin Multiplatform, all of them, despite being cross-platform frameworks, made their presence felt through native apps. 

All said and done, what are the leading frameworks that will rule Android app development in 2023 and years ahead? Let’s describe them one by one. 

Flutter

Flutter was built and launched by Google in 2017, and since then, it has continued to rise in popularity and very soon took over the lead from React Native and became the most loved framework among app developers. Many Android app developers consider using Flutter for their projects instead of native technologies such as Kotlin or Java. 

Several crucial factors contributed to the rise and dominance of Flutter in the Android app development space. First of all, it is maintained by Google. Flutter supports the design and modular development principles that resonate with Google's core values. Most important of all, just like Google’s no-holds-barred code-sharing principle for the web and mobile apps are represented by the reusability of Flutter code for the web. 

Let’s recap all the crucial advantages of Flutter that made it famous for Android app development. 

• Reusability of the core codebase across mobile, web, and desktop platforms give a business an excellent opportunity to extend its app presence when needed. 

• Flutter uses Dart programming language, a low-footprint, object-oriented programming language with advanced features, scalability, and versatility. 

• In Flutter, every design element is presented through UI widgets for the respective platform. This modular and all-inclusive UI development using UI widgets made Flutter and flexible technology. 

• The access to third-party components through plugins, APIs, and Dart packages allows Android developers to access many web-based services, applications, and technologies. 

• By adhering to the Material Design principle of Google, Flutter is organically equipped for Android development. 

• The Hot Reload feature helps developers and testers build and evaluate code in real-time. 

• Access to Google Firebase backend through inbuilt Firebase plugins makes Flutter a fully-equipped full-stack technology for developers. 

Ionic

Ionic continues to dominate the hybrid app development scene with its “build once and runs everywhere” philosophy for years. This hybrid framework based on AngularJS adheres to time-tested web development technologies such as HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS. On top of that provides a rich repository of Android UI components. This ultimately helps Android developers to create beautiful Android user interfaces with a native look and feel. 

What makes Ionic so popular among Android developers? Let’s find out. 

• Simple modular framework using time-honored web technologies that easily sync with Android requirements. 

• Ionic comes with a thoroughly component-based architecture with many ready-to-use UI components and plugins that can be utilized generously to deliver a unique user experience. 

• Ionic is highly extensible, scalable, and flexible for development and maintenance. 

• Ionic enjoys a considerable developer following worldwide and provides tremendous learning resources. 

• Compared to many other frameworks, Ionic is straightforward to use and deploy and involves a manageable learning curve. 

React Native

React Native is not just a robust cross-platform app development framework based on JavaScript but the flag-bearer for the entire cross-platform revolution. Fusing native UI building with the reusability of the core codebase is something that React Native started. React Native is more versatile than most other technologies; hence, it allows using even Java, Kotlin Objective-C, Swift, and others for development. 

React Native allows developers to use a single codebase for all the platforms while keeping options open for native UI development. While the core codebase takes the business logic and server-side configuration, React Native connects to the native UI elements using a JavaScript bridge. 

What made React Native so popular among Android app developers? Let’s find out. 

• React Native uses a component-based modular architecture to simplify app development while maintaining scalability, versatility, and ease of development. 

• React Native comes with inbuilt testing and debugging help to get read of bugs and errors. 

• React Native has the hot reload feature to allow developers and testers to evaluate and make code changes in real-time. 

• React Native, by connecting the native UI layer of the Android platform, ensures a highly platform-specific Native user experience. 

• With a worldwide following of developers and a massive amount of online resources dedicated to React Native, it brings down the learning curve of developers. 

Xamarin

Xamarin is another leading framework that, after Microsoft's takeover in 2016, became even more robust and well-equipped. Since Xamarin uses just one programming language called C#, developers often prefer it for its straightforward approach. 

Xamarin can easily access native UI components, native UI elements, and APIs to deliver the app's genuinely native look and feel. On top of everything, Microsoft support and an active global community of developers make Xamarin the most performance-focused technology. 

Let’s have a quick recap of the Xamarin advantages of Android app development. 

• Native development capability with easy access to native APIs, components, and UI elements. 

• The modular component-based architecture ensures more manageable maintenance and support for the future. 

• As much as 75% reusability of the code across multiple projects. 

• Worldwide developer community support and Microsoft support. 

NativeScript

NativeScript came into the market in 2015, and since then, it has continued to grow in popularity as an open-source app development framework. The type attribute of NativeScript starts with its unique programming languages for coding. The framework mainly uses TypeScript for coding, though developers can also use Vue.js or AngularJS in the mix. 

By accessing native Android APIs, NativeScript ensures delivering the apps' truly Android-specific look and feel. On top of that, a plethora of ready-to-use and reusable plugins make this framework an excellent option to speed up development.

What makes NativeScript so unique and popular among Android app developers? Let’s find out. 

• All the programming languages used by NativeScript, such as TypeScript or AngularJS, adhere to core Android design and development principles. 

• NativeScript is highly modular, allowing ready access to platform-specific features and UI attributes through plugins. 

• NativeScript, by using low-footprint typescript language, ensures lowering the codebase and optimizing user experience. 

• Modularity and easy coding patterns of NativeScript also reduce the learning curve and speed up the project. 

Apache Cordova

Apache Cordova or PhoneGap works with time-tested web technologies such as CSS3, HTML4, and JavaScript, along with a wrapper for native UI access and deployment. Despite being old from the time of hybrid development popularity, the framework allows developers to access native APIs and deliver the native user experience. 

Let’s quickly explain the most significant value propositions of Apache Cordova. 

• This framework comes to your aid whenever you need to release a simple app within a strict deadline. 

• Working with time-tested web technologies reduces the learning curve and project complexities. 

• It ideally fits into simple apps with a small number of features. 

Kotlin Multiplatform 

Kotlin Multiplatform as the name suggests, is a cross-platform development kit that allows reusing the core codebase across multiple platforms. But since the framework actively uses Kotlin language for code, it is an excellent alternative to native Kotlin for Android development. 

Let’s quickly look at the key value propositions of Kotlin Multiplatform for Android development. 

• Since it uses Kotlin, the official native Android language it is more equipped to fulfill the UI/UX requirements. 

• It also can connect native APIs and native UI components to deliver a robust and highly platform-specific user experience. 

• Since Kotlin came just a few years ago, Kotlin Multiplatform has continued to grow in popularity, developer resources, and content. 

Summing It Up 

These 6 frameworks mentioned in this blog summarize the versatile options for developing Android apps. Since Android offers a multifaceted device and OS ecosystem, cross-platform frameworks and modular technologies easily fit in. We have chosen the most accomplished and acclaimed frameworks that perfectly fit Android development needs.