10 Best Mobile App Development Platforms & Software [2024]

It’s pretty amazing how much mobile devices have taken over our lives, isn’t it? I mean, think about it – we’re constantly on our phones or tablets, using them for everything from entertainment to communication to work. This rise of mobile apps has transformed the way we do business. A recent report by Statista indicates that by the end of 2023, the global revenue for mobile applications is expected to surpass $935 billion.

So your company is probably wanting to create software — and that means you are in the market for a mobile app development platform.

But what makes a mobile app platform suitable? And what are new technologies like AI doing to change your options?

Keep reading to discover the top 10 mobile application development platforms. These platforms have been chosen for their features, user experience, scalability, and adaptability in building mobile applications. We’ll even take a look at how AI is changing the future of this industry.

From seasoned developers to novice no-coders, we’ll bring you the best option to start your mobile app development.

What is a mobile app development platform?

Mobile App Development Platforms (MADPs) are software tools, frameworks, or environments that streamline the process of creating, testing, and deploying mobile applications for various operating systems, such as iOS, Android, and Windows. These platforms enable developers to build applications more efficiently by providing a range of features, such as pre-built templates, drag-and-drop interfaces, and reusable code libraries.

MADPs can be broadly categorized into two types: no-code and low-code platforms. No-code platforms are designed for non-developers, allowing them to create mobile apps without writing any code, while low-code platforms require minimal coding and are ideal for developers who want to accelerate the development process.

These platforms often support cross-platform development, allowing developers to create apps that run on multiple operating systems with a single codebase. Using these platforms, businesses can save time and resources, streamline app development, and better engage with their target audience through high-quality mobile applications.

To find out more, here’s an overview of Fliplet

Benefits of using a mobile application development platform

Mobile application development platforms offer numerous benefits to IT professionals and organizations, helping them create and manage mobile apps efficiently and effectively. Here are some key advantages of using these platforms, particularly for IT teams.

Streamlined Development Process

Mobile application development platforms provide IT professionals with an integrated environment to develop, test, and deploy apps. This streamlines the entire development process, allowing IT teams to deliver high-quality applications faster.

Reduced Development Time and Costs

By offering reusable components, pre-built templates, and automated workflows, these platforms significantly cut down on development time and costs, enabling IT teams to allocate resources to other critical tasks.

Enhanced Collaboration and Communication

Mobile application development platforms promote collaboration and communication among IT teams, designers, and business analysts. This ensures a cohesive final product that meets the organization’s objectives.

Simplified Maintenance and Updates

These platforms make it easier for IT teams to maintain and update applications, ensuring that the apps stay relevant, secure, and up-to-date. This not only improves user experience but also reduces the long-term maintenance burden on the IT department.

Scalability and Flexibility

Mobile application development platforms often come with built-in scalability features, allowing IT teams to quickly adapt and grow their applications in response to changing business needs. This flexibility ensures that the apps remain effective and efficient over time.

Better Integration with Existing Systems

Mobile application development platforms enable IT teams to seamlessly integrate apps with their organization’s existing systems, such as CRMs, ERPs, and data analytics tools. This improves data flow and consistency across various systems, enhancing overall operational efficiency.

Advanced Security Features

These platforms offer built-in security features, such as encryption, user authentication, and secure data storage. This helps IT teams ensure that the apps they develop are secure and compliant with industry standards and regulations.

Cross-platform Compatibility

Mobile application development platforms support cross-platform development, allowing IT teams to create apps that run smoothly on multiple operating systems and devices. This expands the reach of the app and ensures a consistent user experience across various platforms.

Access to Niche Tools and Technologies

Mobile application development platforms often provide access to niche tools and technologies, such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, or blockchain. This enables IT teams to experiment with cutting-edge technologies and build innovative, future-proof applications.

Continuous Learning and Skill Development

By using mobile application development platforms, IT professionals can continuously learn and hone their skills in app development, design, and management. This not only enhances their expertise but also adds value to the organization as a whole.

In summary, mobile application development platforms offer a range of benefits that empower IT teams to create, manage, and maintain high-quality applications efficiently. These platforms help streamline the development process, promote collaboration, ensure scalability, and enable IT teams to stay ahead of industry trends and technological advancements.

Top Mobile App Development Platforms

This section will provide a detailed comparison of the 10 best mobile application development platforms in 2023. For each platform, we’ll cover an overview, key features, pros and cons, pricing, and G2 review ratings to help you make an informed decision.

Best mobile app development platforms comparison table

Choosing the best mobile app development platform for Your Business

Finding the perfect mobile application development platform for your business can be a challenging task, especially with the multitude of options available in the market. However, by analyzing your business requirements and taking several key factors into consideration, you can identify the ideal platform to power your mobile app development projects.

Analysing Your Business Requirements

Before diving into the world of mobile application development platforms, it’s essential to assess your business needs and objectives. Define the primary purpose of your app, the target audience, and the required features. This analysis will serve as a foundation for determining which platform best aligns with your goals.

Assessing Platform Limitations

Each mobile application development platform has its own set of limitations and strengths. Some platforms may excel at creating visually stunning apps, while others might prioritize functionality and ease of use. Understanding these limitations is crucial to selecting a platform that suits your app requirements.

iOS App Development Platform

If your target audience primarily uses Apple devices, you may want to consider choosing a platform specifically designed for iOS app development. These platforms often provide a rich ecosystem of tools and resources tailored to create seamless and high-quality apps for Apple devices.

Android app development platform

Similarly, if your users are predominantly Android users, you’ll want to focus on platforms optimized for Android app development. Android development platforms allow you to leverage the vast range of features and flexibility offered by the Android operating system.

Cross-Platform Apps

For businesses targeting users across both iOS and Android devices, it’s crucial to select a mobile application development platform that supports cross-platform app development. Cross-platform development ensures a consistent user experience and helps reduce development time and costs by creating a single codebase for multiple platforms.

Comparing Pricing and Plans

Different mobile application development platforms offer various pricing plans and packages. Evaluate the costs associated with each platform and ensure that it fits within your budget. Keep in mind that some platforms offer free trials, allowing you to test their features before making a financial commitment.

Evaluating Community and Support Resources

A strong community and support system can make a significant difference when selecting a mobile application development platform. Look for platforms that offer comprehensive documentation, active forums, and responsive customer support to ensure a smooth development experience.

Considering Long-term Scalability

As your business grows, your app needs may evolve. It’s crucial to choose a mobile application development platform that offers scalability and flexibility to adapt to your changing requirements. Consider platforms that provide regular updates, additional features, and the ability to handle increased user traffic.

Security

Security should be a top priority when selecting a mobile application development platform. Ensure that the platform you choose offers robust security features, such as data encryption, user authentication, and secure data storage, to protect your app and user data from potential threats.

In conclusion, choosing the right mobile application development platform for your business requires a thorough analysis of your business requirements, platform limitations, target audience, pricing, support resources, scalability, and security. By carefully considering these factors, you’ll be well-equipped to select the ideal platform to bring your app vision to life.

Key Features of mobile app platforms that you need to look out for

What key features should you look for when choosing the ideal mobile application development platform for your projects? Let’s examine what you’ll need for your app development process.

Cross-platform development:

Any mobile application development platform should be able to support cross-platform development. At least, you should be able to run your apps on iOS, Android, and Windows.

Integration capabilities:

Your mobile application development platform should connect with various third-party services, APIs, or internal systems. Better yet, it should provide seamless integration, making it easy to incorporate different services and create a cohesive user experience.

Security:

Look for a platform that offers built-in encryption, user authentication, and secure data storage. Ensuring that your app is secure not only protects sensitive user data but also helps maintain trust in your brand and product.

Easy to update:

Mobile application development is an ongoing process, and your app may require regular updates to fix bugs, add new features, or improve performance. An ideal mobile application development platform should enable you to easily update and manage your app without requiring significant rework.

Cost-effectiveness:

Advanced features often come with a hefty price tag. It’s crucial to evaluate the platform’s pricing structure and ensure it aligns with your budget and requirements. Make sure you aren’t paying for options you aren’t using.

By focusing on these key aspects, you can select the mobile application development platform that promises a successful, secure, and user-friendly product.

Low-code Vs No-code mobile application development platforms

Low-code and no-code platforms have gained popularity in recent years due to their ability to streamline and simplify the app development process. When choosing between these two options, it’s important to understand their benefits and differences to determine which one is the right fit for your project.

Now you understand the differences between choosing a low-code platform or a no-code platform, let’s take a look at the key features you need to look out for in your chosen platform.

How Organizations are using Mobile App Development Software & Platforms

Fliplet: The Best Mobile App Development Platform to Choose

When searching for the perfect mobile app development platform, numerous factors come into play. Fliplet, an all-in-one platform, has emerged as a top contender in this space due to its impressive features and capabilities. Offering both no-code and low-code options, Fliplet caters to a wide range of users, making it an ideal choice for businesses and individuals alike. Here’s why Fliplet stands out as the best mobile app development platform.

Cross-platform Development

Fliplet’s cross-platform development capabilities enable you to create stunning apps that run seamlessly on iOS, Android, and web platforms. You can also distribute apps internally by publishing them as an enterprise app for Android and iOS devices. This not only saves you time and resources but also ensures a broader reach for your app, appealing to users across various devices and operating systems.

Integration Capabilities

One of the key strengths of Fliplet is its robust integration capabilities. The platform provides seamless integration with various third-party services, APIs, and internal systems, allowing you to create feature-rich applications that enhance user experience. With Fliplet, you can easily connect your app to popular services like Salesforce, Google Sheets, or your own custom-built APIs.

Fliplets Zapier integration is a great example of how mobile app platforms can provide extra benefits to enterprise organizations. Fliplets Zapier integration allows users to connect their apps to over 5,000 other applications such as Google Sheets, Microsoft Outlook and Google Calendar.

By taking advantage of this type of integration, businesses can streamline processes for improved efficiency and cost savings, as well as take advantage of increased data accuracy.

Security

Fliplet takes security seriously, offering enterprise-grade security features that safeguard your app and user data. With built-in encryption, user authentication, and secure data storage, you can confidently create and deploy your app knowing that Fliplet has your security needs covered.

Fliplet complies with industry standards such as ISO 27001. At Fliplet security is a priority, take a look at all Fliplets security features.

Easy to Update

Keeping your app updated and relevant is essential in today’s fast-paced digital landscape. Fliplet makes it a breeze to update and manage your app with its user-friendly interface and modular components. Make changes on-the-fly and push updates to your users without any hassle.

With Fliplet you can easily republish updated versions of your app via Fliplet Studio. Fliplet handles updates and maintenance for you so that you can focus on your app’s content. Updates are sent over the air (OTA) and are automatically applied.

Cost-effectiveness

Fliplet offers an affordable pricing structure that caters to businesses of all sizes. You can even sign up for a free trial to test out the platform’s features before committing to a subscription. With its cost-effective pricing and powerful features, Fliplet provides excellent value for money without compromising on quality.

Compared to other solutions you Fliplet is a cost effective choice without compromising key features and abilities.

No-code and Low-code Capabilities

Fliplet’s unique blend of no-code and low-code options makes it suitable for users of all technical backgrounds. Non-developers can easily create functional apps using the drag-and-drop interface and pre-built components, while developers can take advantage of low-code capabilities to customize the app further and implement complex logic when needed.

Features available

Fliplet has a large selection of prebuilt app solutions that you can fully customize to suit your needs, these include:

1. Learning (Want to start building your learning app? Read this blog to see how you can build one on a budget)
2. Directory (Check out 15 HR apps that will change the way you work)
3. Marketing
4. Innovation/idea management
5. Approval workflow
6. Portal app
7. Sales Enablement
8. Communications (Take a look at this blog where we compared the top 10 community apps to engage and monetize your community or you can check out the 15 best team communication apps of 2023)
9. Data capture
10. Emergency Management (Take a look at the 5 steps to take to prepare for a dawn raid)
11. Events (To compare our Event solution to other solutions read the 25 best mobile event apps you need in 2023)
12. Food ordering
13. Multilingual
14. Remote and office management
15. Task management
16. Reporting App
17. Blank solution to build from scratch

Fliplet offers a huge range of features that helps you build your mobile application in hours, not weeks, some of these include:

• Notifications
• Reports and analytics
• Brand your app
• Customize with drag and drop
• Uploading your own content
• Use on any device: mobile, tablet, and desktop
• Enterprise Grade Security (ISO 27001)
• Ability to integrate with other systems
• Offline access
• Help and support
• Improves workplace efficiency
• Improves team collaboration
• No-code (but can be low-code if you want)
• Supports iOS and Android

So, no matter what type of app your enterprise is wanting to build, Fliplet offers a wide range of templates and a huge selection of features! To learn more about which features your app should inlcude read this blog here.

In conclusion, Fliplet’s combination of cross-platform development, integration capabilities, security, ease of updating, cost-effectiveness, and no-code and low-code options make it the best mobile app development platform to choose.

With Fliplet, you can create, deploy, and manage powerful applications that cater to your unique business needs and engage your audience like never before.

For more on the best app builders, read our blog.

The Role of AI in Low Code App Development and Mobile App Development

The power of Artificial intelligence (AI) can now be integrated with low code app development and mobile app development platforms — showing just how endless the potential of AI really is.

It’s already an integral part of modern app development, helping businesses create more sophisticated, intuitive, and user-friendly applications. Let’s take a closer look at the role AI plays in low code app development and mobile app development.

Streamlining App Development with AI-Powered Tools

AI-powered tools and technologies have made app development simpler and more accessible for teams with limited technical expertise. Low code app development platforms that use AI can automate tasks like code generation, UI/UX design, and testing. That means faster app development with fewer errors, freeing developers to focus on higher-level tasks and polishing the final product.

Enhancing User Experience through Personalization

AI-driven personalization is a game-changer in mobile app development. Analyzing user data and behavior patterns lets AI tailor experiences to the user. That radically improves user engagement and satisfaction while boosting app adoption and retention. AI algorithms can offer personalized recommendations, content, and even adapt the app’s interface to suit individual preferences.

Automating Business Processes

Mobile apps can use AI’s capabilities in automating business processes to increase efficiency and productivity. For example, AI-powered chatbots can handle routine customer service inquiries. Similarly, AI-driven data analysis and predictive analytics can help businesses make data-driven decisions and optimize processes, ultimately driving growth and success.

Implementing Advanced Features

AI enables developers to integrate advanced features into their apps, such as natural language processing (NLP), image recognition, and machine learning. For instance, NLP can be used to create voice-controlled apps, while image recognition can facilitate augmented reality experiences.

Ensuring App Security

AI plays a crucial role in enhancing app security. Machine learning algorithms can detect and prevent security threats in real time. By constantly analyzing user behavior and identifying anomalies, AI protects sensitive data and maintains app integrity.

AI is supercharging low code app development and mobile app development platforms. By leveraging the power of AI, businesses can create innovative, user-centric, and efficient apps that cater to the evolving demands of the digital age.

Webinar: Why AI is a game changer for your business and your apps

For more on AI in app development, read our blog.

What mobile apps are organizations creating with app building platforms

As the digital landscape evolves, businesses are increasingly turning to app development platforms to create innovative and impactful mobile apps. In this blog section, we’ll take a closer look at the diverse range of mobile apps being built with app development platforms like Fliplet, showcasing both internal-facing and external-facing applications.

Discover how these platforms are transforming the way organizations interact with their employees, customers, and stakeholders, and get inspired by the endless possibilities that app development platforms have to offer.

• Saul Ewing case study: An innovation challenge app that has collected innovative staff ideas, helped build a community, driven innovation and improved collaboration.
• Mills & Reeve case study: Read our case study on Mills & Reeve’s award-winning “What the Tech?!” app, made to support technological discovery. Winner of KM Innovation award 2020, over 500 staff engaged with the app in the first 2 months and a positive increase in tech enquiries.
• Bird & Bird case study: Read our case study to find out how Bird & Bird created an app to help lawyers compare marketing laws across the globe in a time and cost efficient way.
• Scottish law firm case study: A quick and convenient way for clients to submit critical information when drafting their Will

Conclusion: Selecting a suitable mobile app platform

As we’ve seen, mobile application development platforms are vast and ever-evolving. The top 10 platforms we’ve highlighted – Fliplet, Alpha Anywhere, Ionic, React Native, Sencha, Adobe PhoneGap, Flutter, Mendix, Xamari, and Unity Ads – are great options.

Each of these mobile application development platforms brings its own strengths. And the rise of AI in low code app development means it is now easy to make your own mobile apps.

Picking the right mobile application development platform for your business can be a big decision. Using the resources above, you can match your choice to your needs. So, explore these top platforms and take the first step towards building your next groundbreaking mobile app.

For more on custom application development, read our blog.