Xamarin Vs. Titanium Vs. PhoneGap Vs. Cordova: A Comparison

App Statistics

Keeping up with customer search trends requires mobile development -- and more specifically -- proprietary apps to increase loyalty. Mobile media time in the United States now surpasses time spent on fixed Internet locations by 51 percent to 41 percent.[1] Google also identified how its customers researched companies across nine industries and found that regular searches were the starting point for most Internet shopping, but generic Internet searches were less common when customers had branded apps.

Other statistics show that mobile app spending is expected to reach $40.5 billion by the end of 2016.[2] Customers are buying, researching and interacting with companies on branded apps, and they spend about 89 percent of their mobile Internet time using these apps. Gartner forecasts that mobile users will average using more than 100 apps and other services each day and buy more $77 billion in goods from their devices.[3]

Benefits of Microsoft's Acquistion of Xamarin

Microsoft's acquisition of Xamarin illustrates the mobile marketing’s growing importance, which has clearly overtaken fixed Internet access in global markets. Xamarin can now deliver even better mobile apps across platforms by using Microsoft's Visual Studio and the .NET's productivity. Microsoft has struggled to keep pace with mobile development, and its acquisition of Xamarin ensures that developers can easily build cross-platform apps that include Android, Apple and Google mobile platforms. Xamarin already has made cross-platform app development and testing easier for developers, but with Microsoft's ownership, developers can expect increased Windows and Android mobile development and an easier porting process for all operating systems including Microsoft's competitors.

Benchmarks for Cross-Platform Development

Any cross-development platform requires writing code for an app and fine-tuning it for each operating system. Writing native code for Android, iOS and Windows requires a team of programmers who are fluent in Java, Objective-C and C#. Developers can save time and get their apps to market faster by using cross-development tools, but there are some necessary tradeoffs that include:

However, development tools like Xamarin, Titanium, PhoneGap and Cordova have simplified the process and enjoy growing rates of adoption by programmers. The following sections compare Xamarin's growing influence and its top competitors in the cross-platform development ecosphere:

Comparing Xamarin to It's Top Competitors

Xamarin enables developers to write their apps in C# and share and compile code for each supported platform. This is an ideal solution for eCommerce companies that want to speed development while getting native hardware acceleration and UI features. Although there might be a learning curve for programmers who are unfamiliar with C# and .NET, the resulting code performs like native apps across all platforms. The code -- between 60 and 100 percent -- can be reused for server and client systems. Paying for a business-level license involves a recurring charge that might discourage some decision-makers, but the company's long-term technical support and ability to test and upgrade apps on up to 2,000 devices make the recurring fee a bargain for most eCommerce companies.

Programmers can get reduced development costs by plugging into Xamarin Studio. Developers can choose from several options for developing cross-platform apps that include Xamarin.Forms, which allows up to 100 percent of app logic across platforms, and Xamarin.iOS and Xamarin.Android for a more customized look and feel. Xamarin provides ongoing support for adding new features, and developers can choose from many free and paid components, third-party Web services and cross-platform libraries.

The advantages of using C# include writing flawless applications across platforms and preventing type errors that could affect app behavior. Developers don't need to use complicated headers and pointers. Other benefits of using Xamarin include:

Comparing Xamarin to Titanium

Titanium uses JavaScript but also requires XML for custom user interfaces and its Appcelerator's API for common code. HTML5 and CSS can't be used. Titanium speeds development for rapid prototyping, and developers can choose from native or cross-platform tools. The service basically uses existing Web technologies, so it works best within a Web service. Titanium requires developers to choose one of two platforms for iOS and Android and then fine-tune the scripting to run on the other. Titanium does offer these benefits for programmers:

Unfortunately, the platform only supports the common features across all platforms, and developers must know JavaScript and learn Titanium API. Customers experience delays due to library-loading, and they must pay hefty licensing fees for each app. Xamarin offers multiple tools in its business-level license without paying separately for each project. Unlike Xamarin, Titanium makes it hard to build complex apps with JavaScript, and the more complex the app is, the more likely it is to experience unexpected bugs, random crashes and strange behavior. Given the consumer demand for user-friendly, reliable apps, Titanium comes in second to Titanium and its Appcelerator. Titanium, however, has launched an Open Mobile Marketplace where developers can buy, sell or share templates, modules, design elements and extensions that work with Web services for greater coding speed and flexibility.

Xamarin and Phone Gap

PhoneGap uses a different kind of technology for cross-platform apps than Xamarin by running apps within the platform's Web browser. Developers use a standard API across iOS, Blackberry, Android, Windows, Blackberry and Firefox OS, and the code is built on the common Web languages JavaScript, HTML5 and CSS. Unfortunately, it's difficult to build large, useful apps with JavaScript because its libraries and global integrations have multiple incompatibilities for cross-development. Developers can reuse 100 percent of their coding across platforms, but UIs suffer when compared to those built in Xamarin, which usually appear like a native app on each device. PhoneGap was a mobile application development framework originally created by Nitobi. Adobe Systems purchased Nitobi in 2011, rebranded it as PhoneGap, and later released an open source version of the software called Apache Cordova. So Phonegap, for all intent is no longer a platform, so read onto the next section for Apache Cordova.

How Xamarin Compares to Apache Cordova

Apache's Cordova is an easy-to-use framework for building apps in HTML5, JavaScript and CSS, but the platform doesn't offer the flexibility and app complexity that Xamarin provides. However, if programmers are familiar with those three languages, shared user experiences and the JavaScript library could help them reach 100-percent code-sharing across platforms. Using standard Web technologies, Cordova will always remain open-source and free as long as it’s distributed under the Apache Software Foundation.

The platform uses a common config.xml file that transmits information to a Web page widget. Developers can mix native applications with WebView, a special browser that accesses Web-level APIs. In many cases, developers can build simple apps entirely from WebView APIs. Apps can use WebView components within native applications. When compared with Xamarin, Cordova generates some challenges for developers and eCommerce companies that include:

Xamarin offers more tools for custom app development, testing apps on more than 2,000 devices and collaborating with teams of application experts. Cordova works well for new app developers and companies with constraining budgets, but using open-source material for apps seldom creates the kind of useful app that eCommerce companies need to build customer loyalty and generate more sales.

Platform Integrations for Multiple Developers

Ensuring that any eCommerce operating system works well on all devices, screen sizes and operating systems requires an eCommerce platform that adapts well to apps and provides key benefits like better in-store integrations, inventory control, mobile alerts and more shipping options for multistage, global deliveries. Nothing frustrates customers more than getting different information on their mobile apps than what appears on eCommerce company websites. Integrations need to be seamless regardless of whether a company wants to offer its customers payment options like Apple Wallet, Samsung Pay or store credit. In wholesale buying decisions, owners need to manage inventory across many devices and iterations of its apps. Customers don't like logging into eCommerce websites from their apps just to retrieve shipping information, so for this and many other reasons, a company's eCommerce software needs to handle mobile marketing efficiently for cross-platform apps. Apps are becoming so critical for global eCommerce that it's worth the investment to replace platforms that can't handle the job.