Choosing the Best Mobile App Technology Stack In 2024

Quick Summary:
Have a great mobile app idea but don’t know which tech stack to choose? Check out our article to weigh your options and handhold the tips for selecting the best mobile app technology stack for your project needs. 

Choosing the right mobile technology stack is more important than businesses realize. After all, the technologies we chose to integrate into an app aren’t only a matter of scalability and stability but the potential to solve complex business challenges. 

This is why building an effective digital solution needs thorough consideration from the perspective of the product idea and all the technology options available in the market. 

Now, you must be thinking what are your options? 

Don’t worry, this blog post will break down the different technology stack options and also help you decide which is the best fit for your app. We’ve also pocketed some tips to help you choose the right mobile tech stack for your project. 

So, let’s get started with the basics first. 

What is a Mobile App Technology Stack?

A mobile app technology stack refers to the combination of programming languages, frameworks, libraries, and tools used to develop a mobile application. It encompasses all the software components and layers involved in building an app, including the frontend (client-side) and backend (server-side) components.

The technology stack directly influences the frontend and backend development. In line with Zippia research, 38% of users will stop interacting with an inconvenient and poorly created mobile app. Therefore, we have pocketed the best technology stack for mobile app development in 2023.  

The major components that create a technology stack are:

• Frontend: A medium that allows interaction between the app and the user.
• Backend: The interface that takes the user information, and processes, and then gives optimum results.
• Development platform: It combines the libraries & interfaces to develop the mobile app. 
• Hosting: It makes sure that server-side code runs and offers the applications to users.  

You may have now got an idea about the technology stack. To begin with, let’s dive into its importance and explore the commonly used options:

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1. Native Mobile App Development

Mobile app technology is inclined toward security and responsiveness, native apps are one of the most important assets to become productive online. Native apps offer great device compatibility, seamless user experience, and high security.

Moreover, Native platforms integrate the device's in-built functionalities in the app without relying on external API.

When we talk about native apps, the two names that pop up in our minds are iOS and Android apps. Both platforms are very different from one another, so let’s explore them separately one by one.

iOS App Technology Stack To build a mobile app specifically for iOS devices, you need to hire iOS app developers that are apt with the following:

• Objective C & Swift: For building an iOS app, the most popular mobile app framework is Objective C or Swift. Objective C is a general-purpose object-oriented programming language that supersets C language. It was popular before the launch of Swift. Today, Swift has taken over as it is a general-purpose multi-paradigm compiled programming language created by Apple.

• Xcode & AppCode Toolset: If Swift is used, then you will need Apple Xcode for developing the app. Xcode is the official IDE of Apple Inc. This feature-rich environment allows you to create mobile and desktop applications. Beyond integrated support, Xcode has Git repositories that build the user interface graphically and debug the tools. This UI tool is used to create native and gaming apps. AppCode is an alternative to Xcode that has started to become popular. The faster coding and various language support offer C, C++, and JavaScript.

Recommended Read: Factors Affecting Mobile App Development Cost

Android Technology Stack

Want to target a larger share of your target audience by building an Android app? You should hire android developers with hands-on experience on the following tech stack:

Programming Language for Android Mobile App 

• Java & Kotlin: Java is a programming language that is most dominantly used. Being an open-source language, it offers developers rich libraries and development tools. Giants like Google & Yahoo keep working to enhance this programming language. On the other hand, Kotlin has become a more stable option for Android Studio. There are a few limitations with Java that impede the API design. Kotlin is undoubtedly improving existing Java models. In fact, this excellent and inter-operable language is used in a Java project where you need less coding.

Development Tools for Android Mobile App 

• Android Studio Toolset: Android Studio offers code editing, debugging, and performance tools, and instantly deploys the system. Besides offering Android-specific coding support, ADT makes the developer use different on-device debugging tools, UI builder, and scriptable automation support.

UI frameworks for Android mobile apps:

• Android UI: It has templates for developing user interfaces quickly. This Android tech stack offers action bars and content areas like view control, main action bar, content area, and split action bar. 

• Jetpack Compose: This framework helps to create the UI. The biggest advantage of using this tech stack is its simple code, dynamic tools, and intuitive Kotlin APIs. This modern toolkit for developing native apps has a simple UI for Android development. 

Recommended Read: How to Outsource Mobile App Development

iOS Apps Technology Stack 

There’s no denying that mobile tech stacks are the backbone that makes mobile apps user-friendly. Let’s shed light on what matters the most - the technology stack to be used in iOS mobile app development. 

Programming languages for iOS apps

Objective-C and Swift are two popular iOS programming languages used to build iOS mobile apps. Each has its own set of features and can cater to unique project needs. 

• Objective-С: This programming language was primarily the programming language for iOS apps. While its stringent, complicated, and good data protection feature makes it a reputable choice, it’s compatible with several Apple platforms like Mac computers, and Apple devices. 

• Swift: Swift is an iOS app programming language with expressive syntax. Besides, it has an automatic management system and precise code that allows developers to save time developing apps. Swift structures several data, flow controls, and protocols. Moreover, Swift is a cross-platform language, especially used for Windows and Linux.  

Now, let’s see the development tools list for iOS mobile apps:

Development Tools for iOS Mobile Apps

• Apple Xcode and AppCode: They are both IDEs used for iOS app development, with Xcode being Apple's official and most widely used IDE.

• The iOS Software Development Kit (iOS SDK):  is a set of tools and frameworks necessary for building iOS apps and is integrated into both Xcode and AppCode. Choosing between AppCode and Xcode often depends on personal preference and specific development requirements.

UI frameworks list for iOS mobile apps

• SwiftUI: SwiftUI is a modern framework developed by Apple to create user interfaces for the iOS operating system. This framework allows using buttons, stacks, selectors, and other elements. Also, it provides the tools you require to create custom views, include gestures, and add animations. 

The biggest advantage of using SwiftUI is theme management and simple code creation.  

• UIKit: This framework provides numerous exciting features for building apps with elements for constructing the core infrastructure of iOS devices. Furthermore, UIKit operates seamlessly with the SwiftUI framework, making it easy to integrate elements of the UIKit app in Swift or blend interface elements between the two frameworks. 

2. Hybrid App Tech Stack

You can develop hybrid apps using CSS, HTML5, and JavaScript. They can run on any platform while providing access to API and acquiring device storage and camera. The popular mobile app frameworks are Cordova, Sencha Touch 2, and Ionic.

3. Cross-Platform App Tech Stack

A cross-platform developer uses a single code base, so you can develop the applications for different platforms – Android, iOS, Windows, and the web.

Businesses prefer cross-platform mobile app development as the business benefit revolves around vast demographic coverage and less development cost. You can develop cross-platform applications in Flutter, React Native, and Xamarin.

Recommended Read: Best Pricing Strategy For Your Mobile App Development

Which is the Best Mobile App Technology Stack For You

Now, that you have got an overview of the types of development platforms, it is time for you to explore what factors to consider before choosing the tech stack:

• Type of the project
• Aim of the app
• Skillset
• Multiple platforms
• Security
• Compatibility

1. Type of Project

There are a lot of things to consider like the network conditions, user experience, time to market, and the preferred platform. These parameters will help you in deciding the mobile app framework, and library languages required for the development of the mobile app.

2. App’s Objective 

If you are validating your product idea, then it is advisable to engage your customers and have a powerful impression on them. Furthermore, you have to think if you are planning to build a high latency app or a responsive app. If the app will depend on heavy load processing that works around the streamlined interaction.

3. Skillset

There are many languages and frameworks that offer similar results. With the introduction of the tech stack, you have decided to choose, your team gets comfortable and will expedite the process while improving the quality of work.

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4. Security

Every mobile app technology has to combat bugs and related vulnerabilities. No matter which technology you choose, intruders will always keep looking for different ways to hack. So, your team should know how to incorporate security using your chosen tech stack. 

5. Compatibility

The best app tech stack is the one that will help you generate maximum ROI for your business. Still, to get the best out of your application, look out for the compatibility of tools, APIs, etc. with your tech stack.

Ensure the Success of Your Mobile App with the Right Tech Stack

We understand choosing the ideal mobile app technology stack is daunting at first. Though there are untold tried-and-tested solutions and combinations to discover, the more important is to plan strategically. Start by defining the goals of your product idea, flesh out features and functionalities, analyze industry practices, and the list goes on.  

Finally, you’ll have a clear view of which technology stack you have to use. Still, if you are wondering if there is no silver bullet to success, remember to communicate with your technology team. They will help you navigate all available technology stacks hassle-free.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)