Android has its focus on tablets, PCs, automobiles, gadgets, home appliances, and many more. All these things become available with the android framework that enables app development for mobile use.
Android, the world’s most popular mobile Operating System (OS) is nowadays considered to be the best operating system for developing custom applications and it captures more than 87% of the market share and is projected to grow even more in 2022.
The fact is that Android is highly customizable and for this reason, it has a community all around the world. Developers prefer to develop Android applications. Its growth is leading to the building of new Android development tools.
But with this comes the confusion in figuring out the right android framework for app development. And yes, this is the reason you will find android app developers often in a dilemma about which Android Platform they should continue with.
Therefore, to assist you in selecting the perfect framework for your projects, we made a list of the best Android UI frameworks that you may use for app development in 2021.
Let’s check out the list of top Android UI frameworks for App Development in 2021
1. Ionic Android Framework
Ionic Android Framework
What is Ionic Framework?
Ionic is an MIT-certified popular and powerful android framework. It is free and open-source. It allows developers to use new era web technologies like CSS3, HTML5, and JavaScript.
Who Should Use Ionic Development Framework?
The ionic development framework is built in such a way for developers to create mixed and interactive mobile applications. If you are aware of web development, the build of an Iconic app is easy to understand. Its quality set of elements, animations, software tools, and gestures allow you to develop high-quality desktop, mobile, and Progressive Web Apps from just a mere database.
The ionic framework easily integrates with other frameworks like AngularJS and utilizes functionalities like Bluetooth, Health Kit, and fingerprint authentication making the development of applications faster, lighter, easier, and accessible. This framework utilizes Cordova plugins and helps developers access various components including, GPS, in a simple way
Which Businesses Use the Ionic Framework?
Ionic
Web Development Companies, startups, web development use Ionic. Till now 4 to 5 million android app developers have used it in approx. 4 million Ionic Mobile, web apps, and desktops for growing start-ups, restaurants, travel companies, pharma sector, etc.
USP of Ionic
Ionic is a developer-friendly android app development platform for developing cross-platform applications with one code for any device.
2. React Native Android Framework
React Native Android Framework
What is React Native?
React Native voted as the 8th most loved cross-platform android framework garnering more than 60% of votes and it is also the third most wanted framework in a survey consisting of more than 90,000 developers. It is the growing platform currently boasting 68,690 stars on GitHub.
This platform was started in 2013 by Facebook as a hackathon Project. It was released as a free open source cross-platform development framework in 2015. This platform is regarded as one of the best open-source software for mobile development allowing developers to leverage React, a flexible JavaScript library to build mobile apps for both Android and iOS.
Who Should Use React Native Development Framework?
There are a lot of developers who use React Native Development Framework and have reported how this platform makes it much easier and faster to develop customized applications. This uses a native platform-specific built-in interface and APIs which gives mobile applications a unique look and feel with extraordinary performance.
React Native efficiently solves the important issues that developers come through like Codebase difference, Iteration period, Imperative Programming while making the customized code simple to reuse.
Which Businesses Use the React Native Framework?
If we look over the years, React Native gained a lot of importance and this is used in thousands of applications by a lot of companies including Instagram, Facebook, Tesla, Intuit, Uber, Walmart, Bloomberg, and more.
USP of React Native
React Native helps developers to reduce the time and costs of development. It is popular for native users’ interface access across platforms.
3. Flutter Android Framework
Flutter Android Framework
What is Flutter?
Flutter is a new platform amongst various others, and it has already made its place in Google Ads. This is a free open-source mobile UI SDK framework built and developed by Google for creating applications with varied approaches when compared to other Applications built on Android.
Who Should Use Flutter?
Developers around the world who want to grow successful in hybrid application development. Flutter is an android framework that is already being used by a number of developers and companies across the globe. Developers say it is the best choice for hybrid app development. It uses one codebase and its application compiles to the native code using Skia, Google’s 2D rendering.
Flutter framework made cross-platform development easy by allowing developers to test, unit and functionality, UI without finding out errors. This framework holds a lot of benefits like quicker development, screen reader, rendering, and themes for Android, iOS, etc.
Which Businesses Use the Flutter Framework?
Flutter framework is a growing app development platform and a lot of known companies such as Alibaba, CapitalOne, Google, eBay, and Tencent use this framework for their development.
USP of Flutter
Flutter has the capability to develop amazing, fast, expressive quality native applications on iOS and Android with one codebase.
4. Native Android Framework
Native Android Framework
What is Native Android Framework?
Native Android development framework is a platform similar to others we’ve been discussing till now. This provides developers with API frameworks and tools to developers that are important to build, test, and debug apps on the android platform.
Who Should Use Native Android Platform?
Developers who implement parts of the apps in native code with the use of C and C++. The developers will be able to access the native libraries with their native code. The Native Android Game SDK gives game developers an unbelievable reach, more than 2.5 billion monthly active devices Android Platform.
Which Businesses Use the Native Android Framework?
Google, Slack, and Instacart are a few of the famous enterprises that use native Android SDK.
USP of Native Android Framework
The Native Android framework is a popular android framework for application development. It provides the genius tools to develop creative applications and games for Android Devices.
5. Xamarin Android Framework
Xamarin Android Framework
What is Xamarin Framework?
Xamarin is also a framework for android application development, and it must try the tool for developers. An Open-Source Platform for building applications for Android programming language, iOS, Windows with. NET.
In one of the surveys with React Native, Xamarin was voted as the 10th most famous framework for cross-platform app development and the 15th most loved android framework. To my surprise, Xamarin developers do not dread too much.
It has a friendly development ambiance with an abstraction layer that manages communication between shared code with platform code. Xamarin allows you to develop apps, with shared UI code written in C# or XAML. Subsequently, it allows developers to write their business logic in a single codebase while achieving native performance.
Who Should Use Xamarin Development Framework?
Xamarin Development framework is basically for the developers who share the code and test business logic across multiple platforms.
Which Businesses Use the Xamarin Framework?
Developers like to work on Xamarin Framework, it is also trusted by the enterprise. Businesses across the globe, and industries, use Xamarin and .NET to build native mobile applications.
USP of Xamarin
Xamarin is a popular and quite loved Android development framework for developers and businesses as it is free open-source, and cross-platform for building Android and iOS apps with .NET and C#.
Read our blog on 5 Android Frameworks Used for App Development in 2020
6. NativeScript Android Framework
NativeScript Android Framework
What is NativeScript SDK?
NativeScript SDK is another popular android framework and a perfect choice if you want to improve your mobile app development. It is a great hybrid app framework. This framework is a source of a Bulgarian Software company, Telerik and it is completely free. It provides developers an open-source platform for developing mobile applications with Vue.js, TypeScript, Angular, or JavaScript.
Who Should Use NativeScript?
The developers who want application development for various platforms in less time and at less cost than NativeScript is the right choice for them. This android app framework works differently than React Native, Xamarin, Ionic, Cordova, and PhoneGap. NativeScript provides 100% direct access to all iOS and Android APIs and a chance to reuse CocoaPods and Android SDKs, find free templates, plugins, etc.
Which Businesses Use NativeScript Framework?
NativeScript is used by companies like Symantec, Xerox, Microsoft, Dell, etc. It is also the choice of thousands of developers who use it to develop cross-platform mobile applications, especially from B2B tech companies.
USP of NativeScript
Native Script is a platform that gives developers whatever they need to develop a perfect native mobile app with TypeScript, Angular, Vue.js or JavaScript.
7. jQuery Mobile Android Framework
jQuery Mobile Android Framework
What is jQuery Mobile?
If you want users to be attracted to your application, then jQuery Mobile is an android framework you need. It is an HTML5-based cross-platform development framework, jQuery Mobile gives developers the simplest ways to develop mobile and web applications.
Who Should Use jQuery Mobile?
Mobile developer who wants to develop high-quality mobile applications that will work on the latest smartphones, tablets as well as desktops. The jQuery builder comes with various plugins like Content-Slider, Pop-Up Boxes, Image Slider, etc that make the web pages easier, user-friendly, and interactive. JQuery Mobile is also accordant with platforms and mobile apps like PhoneGap, Work light, etc
Which Businesses Use jQuery Mobile?
Around 1146 companies like Accenture, Qlik, Cyta, Bukalapak, Yext, etc use jQuery Mobile for app development.
USP of jQuery Mobile
jQuery Mobile allows “write once, run anywhere”
8. Framework7 Android Framework
Framework7 Android Framework
What is Framework7?
This is the very new framework in the town. Framework7 a newbie completely featured an android development platform. It is designed for developers to build iOS, Android, and Desktop Apps. This android framework is a free open-source HTML framework associated with CSS and JS files.
Who Should Use Framework7?
It is said that for developers who are well versed with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript then Framework7 is an easy and right platform for them. Framework7 is not in tune with all platforms but it pays attention more to iOS, Google Material Design.
features
Which Businesses Use Framework7?
Here is the list of a few businesses that use Framework7 include Ultracode Systems, Ristoranti. it, etc.
Framework7 is designed in such a way that is completely free to use and provides a lot of predeveloped UIs. It can be used as a prototyping tool also.
9. Corona SDK Android Framework
Corona SDK Android Framework
What is Corona SDK Framework?
Corona SDK framework is a 2D mobile development platform. This framework is just like others is a free open-source platform. With this, developers develop games, applications for desktop, smartphones TV devices on a single code. It leverages Lua, a powerful, easy-to-learn and use, lightweight scripting language. Corona SDK framework is designed in such a way that it enables fast development of projects and publishes it to various platforms like tablets, phones, TVs.
Who Uses Corona SDK?
Corona SDK is used rigorously by game developers, but Android developers also use it as it is known as a general-purpose Android development framework too. With this android framework, creating games or business applications everything becomes easy to build. It enables the developers to see changes quickly.
If we dive deeper into this, then Corona SDK’s Android app development framework is based on Lua, which is easy to learn and fast to use.
Which Businesses Use the Corona SDK?
Corona SDK is used by companies like FunRun2, Angry Birds, Lost City, Civilization game, Hopiko, Warcraft, etc
USP of Corona SDK
Corona SDK’s approach is perfect for beginners. It is a platform for developing 3D and 2D games. This type of app framework enables 10 times faster development.
10. Appcelerator Titanium Android Framework
Appcelerator Titanium Android Framework
What is Appcelerator Titanium?
The last one is the Appcelerator Titanium SDK. It is also one of the popular cross-platform mobile developments. It is also a free open-source platform for app development, it enables developers to build apps using technologies like JavaScript, HTML, and CSS without the understanding of Java or Objective-C.
This android framework is easy to understand and that is why 10% of the mobile phone apps are said to be running on Titanium. This platform uses JavaScript to write native code.
Who Should Use Appcelerator Titanium?
Appcelerator Titanium is a mobile development framework that provides all that is necessary to create great, mobile applications from one code. It also gives access to native APIs for operating systems.
USP of Appcelerator Titanium
Titanium allows you to write one codebase and use it to deploy to various OS just a few changes to tailor a specific platform.
11. Phonegap Framework
PhoneGap’s open-source mobile development framework allows you to use HTML, CSS and JavaScript to build mobile apps for the most popular platforms including iOS, Android, and Windows phones.
This app is one of the most comprehensive resources available in the market. If you plan to develop your first Android app or want to become a professional, you need to master this framework and this app will act as your guide.
Features of Phonegap:
- Develop an app without using the command line
- Instantly see the changes that you make
- No maintenance of native SDKs is required to make the app
- Rich library of plugins
- Helpful developer community
USP of Phonegap:
This android framework lets you reuse existing web development skills to quickly create hybrid applications that can reach your audience irrespective of the device they use.
12. Apps Builder
App Builder is a cross-platform app creator for Android, iPhone, iPad, and HTML Web apps without any coding knowledge or needing to hire an Android mobile app development company. App Builder is a popular android framework that has been built specifically keeping in mind the needs of non-technical professionals.
With an in-depth content management system, App Builder’s drag-and-drop features are highly intuitive, allowing everyone to create fast and easy mobile applications.
White label apps development features are now a trend from the time when it was perceived as an out-of-date phenomenon by businesses. White label apps development is a reliable option for both small and large scale businesses to reach out to their customers on their own terms.
Also read: 5 Curated & Best Node.JS Frameworks for Web & App Development
13. Sencha Touch
Sencha Touch is the best Android framework for 2022 and the reason behind this denotation is the full-bodied data package, which we will get to in some time. Sencha is a framework that can be used both for individual applications in large organizations, where you might have a wide variety of apps for corporate communication, internal education and knowledge management, employee management, and providing assistance.
Sencha Touch is one of the best frameworks for mobile apps which is an advanced and highly customizable framework for building mobile applications. It was used by many well-known companies in their production.
Sencha Touch is used for creating an app with good performance, responsiveness, multilingual interface and also supports offline capabilities and synchronization.
Conclusion
So these were the top android UI frameworks for building apps. Android frameworks are important tools for developing any mobile or web application. It must be kept in mind that each project or app has its own requirement and therefore the choice of the framework should also be made carefully.
It is said that the development platform can make or break your mobile app development experience, so make sure that it takes time and exploration before you finalize the best Android development frameworks.
