How To Choose A Tech Stack For Developing A Mobile App

Today, an excellent mobile app meets lots of preferences and needs of the users. Besides, users also expect outstanding work quickly with ultimate security and an appealing interface.

So, if you want to include all such points, we should choose the best and right technology stack for developing your mobile app. This way, you will need to spend less on app development, save your time, provide new prospects, and ease the improvement of your upcoming project.

The question arises of the mobile app development tech stack and how to choose a good tech stack for your mobile app development.

Today, in this post, we will discuss the same. Moreover, we will also check out the technology stack for native app development, hybrid app development, and cross-platform app development.

So, let’s start.

What Is Mobile App Development Tech Stack?

A technology stack plays a vital role in developing a mobile app, whether you choose to build a web app or a mobile app.

A combination of programming languages, software, and tools that helps in developing a project is known as a technology stack.

A technology stack for a mobile app is similar to a skeleton, which is made of languages, frameworks, and software products. It’s the base of a final product.

Frontend Development

The interface of a mobile app, frontend development, is the app’s face with which the users interact and navigate the app. Various platforms and tools are available in the market that assists in developing the front end of an app, and knowledge of such helps in performing any specific task at its best. For front end development, the following tools are used:

• Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
• HyperText Markup Language – HTML
• WebAssembly
• JavaScript

While developing any project, a frontend developer considers two chief points – performance and accessibility. Various mobile devices include multiple sorts of tabs and smartphones; that’s why the designers should be sure that the app they craft looks impressive on all resolutions and sizes.

Backend Development

An essential part of mobile app development, backend development assists in data storing, business logic, and security. An app’s back-end is similar to a mobile apps’ server as it sorts and keeps all the essential information that the end-users can’t see. Generally, not all apps need a backend, but now, more and more apps include a backend as a typical development for apps.

The essential backend development tools that one need for mobile apps are:

• Language and frameworks
• Database management systems
• Web servers
• Local development environments
• Microservice platforms
• Website performance testers
• Collaboration services

Development Platform

A development platform, or specifically a mobile app development platform (MADP), is a type of software that permits businesses to build, test mobile applications, and launch their apps in a short time for tablets and smartphones. You can create a mobile app development platform yourself, but various organizations buy 3rd-party products for completing such a job.

Generally, the 3rd-party MADPs include various features such as mobile Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS), management tools for APIs, and front-end development tools. In addition, the MADPs may provide web, native, and hybrid app development caliber along with mobile app management (MAM) tools. While picking the best fit MADP for your app, you need to make various decisions, incorporating choosing between on-premises or cloud-based services and between low-code or codeless, among numerous others.

Additional Needs

It includes any additional technology elements that affect the mobile app’s performance, security, and complete robustness. After you get knowledge about a technology stack, next, it’s time to explore why a business should hire a professional mobile app development company and discuss the tech stack that may go perfect at developing a mobile app.

Why Choose The Best & Right Tech Stack for Mobile App Development?

The mobile app you develop depends on the technology stack you choose for it. Therefore, you should check various traits of your app, like whether your app is robust or hold the caliber to scale to many versions of the different OS.

You can pick anything, but let you know that the best technology stack improves the app’s performance and support its growth prospects. On the other hand, choosing the wrong one will leave you suffering from the time to market the mobile app and its development cost. Apart from that, you will face more fundamental issues in your mobile app.

So, before you start with the development of your mobile app, give proper time and choose the best.

How To Choose The Right Technology Stack For Mobile App Development?

There are various technology stacks in the market; you can pick any and start working. However, before that, you should be all set with a plan that may lead towards success. It ensures that the app you develop is fully functional, feature-packed, and professional besides being maintainable, scalable, and secure.

So, you need to consider some points while developing a plan to make a big decision.

Let’s have a look!

App Needs

Well, no app is the same. Every app is different from others in many ways. For example, the app’s device on which it would function, the network conditions type it would have to operate, the expected user experience, time to market, and the platform on which it would run. Many more factors vary from one app to another.

Such elements assist developers in deciding which library, framework, software, and language they need to use to attain their objectives.

App Goals

The app’s main target is essential for choosing a technology stack for developing an app.

For example, suppose a mobile app depends on heavy load processing. A robust technology stack will work better than a mobile app that functions around interactions precisely streamlined.

Skill Set Of In-House Development Team

Various frameworks and languages lead to the same results, but you should choose distinct factors to emerge with remarkable results. While picking one from two similar tech stacks, you should go with the skillset of your developer.

Selecting a technology stack that is not user-friendly will increase the development time and effort, along with the cost of app development. On the contrary, picking a good tech stack for developing a mobile app will make your team feel comfortable, resulting in speedy results maintaining top-quality.

Parent Company Of The Technology

The parent company of the tech stack you choose is essential while developing a mobile app.

Some brands in the market offer better documentation and community support than others, such as Microsoft, Google, and Adobe. These provide better community support along with advanced development options.

Capability To Run On Multiple Platform

On comparing an app that operates on a single platform to a mobile app that works on all the platforms, we will notice a single difference between them, the technology stack. But, apart from that, you should include the essential toolset for the scalability in your app for porting on other platforms, such as Cross or Hybrid Platform App Development, which would be utterly distinct from the toolset necessary for Native App Development.

Data Safety & Security

We all want our data to be safe and secure. However, a minor leak may end up with broken user’s trust and damages the brand’s reputation. That’s why picking the best technology stack is essential.

Compatibility With Current Technologies

It is necessary to choose the tech stack that goes in line with your current technology. Moreover, you should check the compatibility of your tech stack with the tools you are planning to incorporate into the app in the later stages.

Timelines & Budget

Various functionalities affect the type of project, the time needed to complete it, and its development cost. So, you should consider all the needs and keep aside extra features. It will accelerate your project development and cut down on unnecessary spending.

So, considering the above points, you will know everything about the tech stack you choose. So, be sure it works perfectly and makes your app scalable and innovative.

Next, let’s look into the tech stack that strengthens the development of innovative, scalable, and robust web and mobile apps.

Native App Technology Stack

The best performance and robustness of native apps make them quite popular. A native app permits the developers to integrate the built-in functionalities of the device in their mobile app with no dependency on any 3rd-party API.

When it comes to Native apps, two apps hit our minds, Android and iOS; both the platforms are different, which means you need to pick different tech stacks for each app.

Technology Stack For Android Apps

While developing a native mobile app, if you choose Android, then you should incorporate the below technologies in your tech stack:

Programming Languages

Commonly, two chief languages are used for Android apps:

• Java
• Kotlin

Java

Known to be a widely accepted programming language, Java offers the best options that make the Android app development job easier. It’s based on Android API and a wide variety of apps for Android.

Kotlin

It is less used and lightweight as compared to Java. It’s not an academic language that completes specific tasks in the scientific community. It was explicitly crafted for building Android apps. Moreover, it is wholly compatible with Java Virtual Machine and permits both frameworks for building an app.

Android Development Tools

• Android Studio
• Android Developer Tools (ADT)

Android Studio

It includes code editing and debugging tools, offers a user-friendly, intuitive interface, and all the fundamental ways to craft top-quality apps. It is the official platform powered by Google. This tool comes with various drag-and-drop features and visual layouts.

Android Development Tools (ADT)

Besides debugging and essential coding tools, ADT offers specific coding and test automation support to the developers and a graphical UI builder, and other features. It is a well-supported and stable tool that provides an integrated, robust environment to develop high-quality mobile apps.

Software Development Kit (SDK)

Android SDK

The developers should download and install every SDK version for a specific phone to write programs with advanced features. The tools or components that form the Android SDK are downloaded separately. Moreover, anyone can download 3rd-party add-ons as they are available easily.

UI Frameworks

Android comes with built-in Android UI software that permits developers to develop user interfaces quickly. Another latest UI kit, Jetpack Compose, helps in crafting a native Android UI. It also eases and speeds up UI development. Additionally, this framework needs less code, introduces robust tools and intuitive Kotlin APIs.

Technology Stack For iOS Apps

Programming Languages

Two major programming languages that help in iOS app development are:

• Objective-C
• Swift

Objective-C

A language supported by Apple, Objective-C, assists in developing an iOS app. Besides, it provides objected-oriented caliber and a dynamic runtime environment. In addition, as it’s much complex, developers prefer choosing Swift over it. As per a survey, about 68% of Objective-C developers don’t use this language.

Swift

Comparatively a new language, Swift doesn’t have any string identifies that lead to fewer mistakes. It demands less code usage and is easier to understand, debug, and edit. In 2021, Swift is the most preferred programming language because of its readability, speed, and simplicity.

iOS Development Tools

Some of the few widely-known toolsets are:

• Xcode
• Appcode

Xcode

An IDE powered by Apple, Xcode offers access to all the necessary features to build a native iOS app. Furthermore, this tool provides the developers essential functions for UI design, coding, and testing.

Appcode

One more integrated development environment, Appcode, is powered by a 3rd-party. Moreover, it holds a flexible setting system that permits optimum productivity.

UI Frameworks

The developers commonly use these two UI frameworks for developing user interfaces:

• UIKit
• SwiftUI

UIKit

A basic framework, UIKit is best for building and managing graphical components in iOS apps.

SwiftUIM

It is somewhat similar to UIKit, and both of them can connect. But, as SwiftUI came later, it supports just the advanced versions of iOS. So, by applying the SwiftUI framework, the developers can lock the users from using older versions of iOS.

Technology Stack For Hybrid App Development

Hybrid mobile app development commonly helps in crafting apps on HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript. Such programs function like sites and behave somewhat like rendered-in browser web pages and regular mobile apps. For this development, the general approach is to use these stacks as Ionic and Cordova/PhoneGap.

Cordova/PhoneGap

It’s an open-source framework that runs JS-based and HTML apps. It can perform well with hardware features embracing location, accelerometer, GPS (location), speakers, and more devices. A relatively robust server-side supports this framework, which means apps built with Cordova, perform faster. In addition, it offers its users a plugin system that deletes the failure of the browser and holds the caliber to access all the mobile device caliber.

Ionic

Best for developing hybrid apps, Ionic use web technologies, including HTML5 and CSS. It’s a perfect tool with outstanding features and services for crafting primarily interactive apps. It includes a complete library of tools and components optimized for mobile devices. In addition, the cross-platform caliber of Ionic permits developers to give less time to app development.

Technology Stack For Cross-Platform Apps

If you target Android and iOS both, then the best option is to choose cross-platform app development. This approach ensures the same UX and interfaces for the two main OS. One set code and one development team will bring the app too close to a single UI and UX format across every platform. This type of app development permits the developers to use a single code base for Android and iOS operating systems.

Let’s talk about the most related stacks that are mainly used:

React Native

A JavaScript or Type-Script-based framework, React Native helps in building mobile apps. This tool utilizes the same UI building blocks in Android and iOS and offers quick and straightforward error detection, a simple interface, and high functionality.

Xamarin

Usually accomplished with the C# language, the Xamarin framework offers direct access to the native APIs of Android and iOS. Moreover, it permits the usage of an open-source and whole toolkit. However, not like the other frameworks, Xamarin has restricted free functionality and some particular pay-for-use features.

Wrapping Up

By following the latest trend and working with some in-trend programs is not the best option. In the future, such products are likely to demand more effort. Resultantly, they may end up with a big failure.

So, you should research your market deeply and predict the upcoming tendencies. This way, you will emerge with a related program that may engage more clients and have long-lasting success.

At Emizentech we have a great track record of developing mobile apps for various businesses. We have an experienced app development team adept at building mobile apps for Android, IoS, and hybrid platforms. So, if you have an app idea please let us know.