Why Develop Apps for Both iOS and Android by using Cross-Platform?

Most businesses have a hard time deciding on the operating system, in the development stage. This is particularly true if resources and time are limited. Business owners are constantly wondering if there is a clear-cut answer to this indecision.

Fortunately, there is an answer and it’s this – both. Yes, you read that right; developers should push for both iOS and Android app development to cater to the larger customer base and extract the maximum benefits.

Here are some of the reasons why going for both iOS and Android app development is the best option.

Wider reach

You might be surprised to know that iOS and Android together hold 97% of the global mobile market share. Reports claim that in 2018, the first-time app installs worldwide on Google Play was around 75.7 billion while that on App Store was 29.6 billion. These figures prove that the efforts in opting for both iOS and android app development are entirely justified. Choosing to release apps on both platforms gives businesses access to a larger audience.

Better monetization

Getting an app on both platforms means more subscriptions, in-app purchases, advertisements, and pay per download, implying higher revenue. While Android apps are known for generating income through web traffic and in-app ads, iOS apps are good for immediate revenue, as customers have to pay to download the apps.

Reduced efforts

You can cut down on the efforts of creating two different apps from scratch as cross-platform mobile app development helps you avoid some repetitive tasks. When parts of the same code can be reused for different platforms, it reduces the work and time involved in iOS and Android app development. Also, performance testing and bug fixing are relatively easy when apps are tested from both Android and iOS perspectives. Another advantage is that the use of a single code source speeds up the development process and helps the team in adhering to strict deadlines.

Reduced costs

Together, iOS and Android app development is usually a costly affair with multiple tools and technologies involved. However, when there is a possibility of using the same code base across different platforms, the overall costs of development comes down. So, from a business perspective, it’s a prudent decision for the development team to choose both iOS and Android app development.

Uniformity

While developing apps for both iOS and Android using a cross-platform development technique, one can maintain the overall aesthetics and functionalities of both the apps. This also adds to the convenience of the end-user when he switches devices and leads to better acceptability of the product.

So, it can be concluded that if businesses are trying to figure out the best platform to build an app for, if resources allow, it’s best to opt for both iOS and Android app development. Although the initial investment may be a little more compared to building an app just for one platform, the combined benefits and convenience of the two far outweigh the benefits of developing just for one.

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