When it comes to choosing the best among the two equally capable services or products, it becomes a strenuous task. Mobile app development is not exclusion. You may not be able to get a definitive answer. It all boils down to your basic requirements as also budget, purpose and what not. We will today discuss and compare two of the most prominent app development frameworks – Xamarin vs Cordova. What do these platforms have on offer? How do they compare to each other? Let us spill the beans in the following paragraphs.
What are Cordova and Xamarin actually?
Well, on the face of it, both Xamarin and Cordova are mobile app development frameworks. The difference lies in how they work and in which environment.
Cordova or Apache Cordova to be precise is an open source app development platform. It works with standard web technologies. Some of the technologies used include HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript. Xamarin uses C# for writing programs while using XML for markup and styling. It would be interesting to note that Xamarin has now been acquired by Microsoft has turned open source as well.
How do they compare Xamarin vs Cordova?
Looking at the strengths and weaknesses of each of these frameworks would help for a better understanding. Let us go through the details by analyzing them based on a few unique aspects.
Ease of Use
Cordova is easy to use. You will need to create your app once and you are good to go. It will appear and work similarly across all platforms. It can be of much practical use if you need the same UI across multiple device platforms. However, if you are looking for a different UI on different platforms, it may not be a good option.
Xamarin, on the other hand, can generate reusable code. Code sharing would be much easier on Xamarin as it allows you use CSS frameworks. From the functionality and performance point of view, Xamarin definitely scores over Cordova.
Xamarin vs Cordova Appearance
As we stated before, Xamarin has a great interface. Since it uses native API access through C# wrappers, the apps written on it will look completely native – both are performance and looks.
Xamarin also allows you options to modify the appearance in tune with the changes in the native technology. Cordova may not be a good performer in that area. It would not be able to adapt to the native framework as easily as Xamarin.
Mastering it
As you might have guessed it right, Xamarin works with C# and that would mean it comes with a steeper learning curve. If you are venturing into programming quite recently, you may in for a hard work. In addition to the knowledge of C# and related technologies, you may also need to have enough information on Windows, Android, and iOS platforms.
Finding a highly professional programmer may not be an easy task. If your team has professionals well versed with CSS, HTML, and JavaScript, Cordova can be your best bet. What if you need an app that needs a high performance? Xamarin will fit well in those circumstances.
Support
The official support channels offered by both Cordova and Xamarin are quite comparable and work well with most of your concerns. However, they differ much when it comes to the online communities.
Cordova has an online community that is quite large in comparison to Xamarin. What makes it even great is the fact that the community is much active. This would ensure that you will tend to get all your queries answered really quickly.
Even the Xamarin’s online community is good enough. It has been experiencing a good growth, but still, as things stand today – Cordova is much better from that perspective.
Xamarin and Cordova in a Nutshell
Well, we guess that the above paragraphs have made it amply clear. Both Xamarin and Cordova have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. What you choose will be completely dependent upon what your requirements are.
Cordova can be the easier among the two, but performance would be a casualty. However, performance is not always everything. HTML is cross-platform compatible and easy to build. If you and your team are capable of a well-thought mix and match – you can indeed reap better benefits of both Xamarin and Cordova.
Parting Thoughts
And finally, choosing the best one among Cordova and Xamarin is a never-ending battle. Some developers bat for the native support provided by Xamarin, while some others swear by the simplicity and ease of use that Cordova offers.
As we have repeatedly stated all through this article, the final call should be something that would depend upon what you want from your applications. HTML coding along with JavaScript seems to be the best option for the small time developers, while for high-end performances native support will have to be the ultimate choice. Assess your needs and decide on the course of action.
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