You will need to use the right type of tools for any type of job you want to do whether it is a roof repair or tree trimming, car repair or even developing a mobile app. Well, there are lots of such different tools available each having its specific purpose. At times, you may feel overwhelmed when it comes to choosing the right type of tools for your specific project or requirement for the app.
At these times, the best way to proceed is to know about all your available options, the uses of each, the pros and cons and then choose the best and most suitable one for your particular job. This approach is nothing different from that when you go through all debt settlement reviews and options to find the most convenient way to pay off your debt.A detailed comparison will always keep you well informed and help you to make the right and educated decision.
About mobile apps
Before you delve into the type of tools required for developing a mobile app you must first know what a mobile app actually is and how it helps in a business growth process. You must also know the need to design such a mobile app.
- A mobile app is a tool that works on specific programming language but have different names such as web apps, online apps, smart phone apps or iPhone apps.
- It is a special type of software application that is especially designed to perform on different mobile devices such as a tablet or a smart phone.
- A mobile app usually provides the users with all those services that can be availed using a PC such as online banking, viewing a calendar, accessing email, and lots more.
However, apps usually are smaller software that has limited function and aims a very specific purpose.
Need for a mobile app
The need to have a perfect business mobile app needs no further explanation if you really want to make your business successful.
- Given the fact that in this day and age having a mobile app that is extremely functional and effective is so critical for success and growth, you cannot be so lackadaisical in your approach.
- It is only when you have a perfect mobile app designed you will be able to make the best to reach out to those 95% of Americans who own a mobile device and use it almost all the time.
Moreover, the fact that you have a plethora of free tools and software available on the internet that will help you to build a mobile app in minutes leaves you with no excuse not to build one for your business.
Selecting the right tool
All mobile app development tools to a developer are just like the paints and brushes to an artist. When it comes to choosing the right tool, it all boils down to your personal preference. Most people typically use the most and well-known one such as the Android Studio. This is because these are easy to use and helps in building the app fast.
However, creating a mobile app may seem easy but it is very difficult to choose the right tool for it. The large number of mobile app development tools available out there today can easily make your head spin.
In order to make your selection process a bit easier and less overwhelming, you should start with finding some answers to some specific questions such as:
- How to know which tool you should you for your specific app?
- How do to avoid tools that you do not need and thereby be saved from paying too much unnecessarily on them?
- Whether or not you need to possess specific skills or become an app developer to use these tools?
To have all these issues covered and doubts cleared, a detailed comparison of all of the available and best mobile app development tools will help you to choose only the ones that are right for your app as well as suitable for your budget.
Open source mobile app development tools
It is best to choose the open source mobile app development tools because these can really be a boon to you. There are several reasons for it such as:
- These tools are not only good for their open source nature but also for the simple reasons that these are available for free and easy to use.
- These tools will also help you when you are white labeling the apps as well.
- It will also help you in early validation and prototyping provided you sketch your app idea on a paper first.
- These tools will help you to iterate it until you are sure that your target audience receives and finds it easy to use.
- These tools are powerful and most effective to help you save hours of development work in the long run.
However, in spite of the benefits, the only setback of these open source tools is that you will need a steeper learning curve to deal with as compared to the other paid counterparts of it.
Types of tools t select
Assuming that you have the time and willingness to learn and save a few extra dollars, here are a couple of most powerful open source mobile app development tools you can choose from:
- js – This is a cross platform library that will help you to incorporate custom functionality in your mobile app. This is the simplest tool to use to implement frameworks.
- Framework 7 – Though this tool was previously used for the iOS devices only, it now offers support to Android as well. This tool is easy to use and understand provided you have a fair bit of knowledge of CSS, HTML, and JavaScript.
- Ionic Framework – This is based on the Sass CSS language and can run on numerous operating systems.
You can also use jQuery Mobile which is one of the oldest app development tools but has more functionality than others. Often called the Swiss army knife of mobile app development it has all JavaScript features.