Users now interact with an average of 3.6 different devices daily. What’s more surprising? They expect smooth experiences across all of them.
Now think about it. You use a software on your phone during lunch, then check it on your laptop in the evening. Maybe you’ll even recheck it on a tablet, too. And if an app isn’t consistent across those touchpoints? It’s game over. Tap. Delete. Move on. It’s harsh yes, but it’s also the reality.
Now here’s the kicker about traditional app development. Yes, traditional, the one where you build separate apps for iOS, Android, and web. It isn’t just slow and expensive. It’s outdated.
Now, here comes multi-platform app development: a smarter and more future-proof way to build apps that work everywhere your users are.
And no, this isn’t some tech trend, it’s a full-blown shift in how modern apps are made. In this blog, we’re breaking down why multi-platform is the future. You’ll learn how it’s reshaping mobile and web development and what underrated benefits most people don’t even talk about.
So, let’s dive into the world of tech and decode product development in a multi-platform way.
Understanding Multi-Platform Development
So let’s assume you want your app to be available on iOS, Android, and maybe the web too. But here’s the thing: You don’t want to use one codebase for everything, like in cross-platform development. You’re actually aiming to build dedicated versions of your app for each platform. At the same time, things will stay smart and streamlined.
This means you won’t have to spend long hours designing a different version for each platform. The product development won’t be that hard. How? Through multi-platform app development!
So, your app will easily be available on multiple platforms. Yet it doesn’t have to be built from scratch for each one.
Thanks to modern frameworks, you can share a big chunk of your app’s core logic, like data handling and networking. The best part? You can do this while writing platform-specific UIs that feel native on each device.
In this way, basically, multi-platform app development makes many things easier. So, generally, it has a lot of potential for becoming the future default for app development.
How does Multi-Platform Development differ from Traditional Development?
So, you want to know why multi-platform app development is the future of mobile and web apps? Cool. But first, let’s focus on understanding how it’s different from our traditional app development methods.
Here’s a quick table explaining their difference:
Feature | Traditional development | Multi-Platform Development |
Codebase per Platform | One per platform | One shared + native UI |
Team Size | Larger (per platform) | Smaller (shared logic) |
Development Speed | Slower | Faster |
Code Reusability | Low | High |
Native Look & Feel | Yes | Yes, with more flexibility |
Maintenance Effort | Higher | Lower |
Traditional Development: The Old-School Route
This is how it used to go down and still does in some organizations:
- Separate teams for iOS and Android. Of course, a different one for Web
- Separate codebases. Usually it goes like this: Swift for iOS. Kotlin for Android. JavaScript/React for Web.
- Separate timelines and budgets for each. Ultimately, this would result in separate bugs as well.
- Zero code reuse. Each platform would require new and fresh code.
Sure, you get ultra-polished and native experiences. But you pay the price in more than just money. You pay it with time and developer sanity!
Imagine building the same house three times… just using different types of bricks each time. It would get even more frustrating when you learn that the same people will go from one house to the other.
Multi-Platform Development: The Smarter, Modern Approach
With multi-platform app development, you still care about quality and native feel, but you’re not reinventing things again and again. Instead:
- You share the core logic across platforms. This includes things like data models and networking.
- You only customize the UI layer for each platform
- You save time without sacrificing the native vibe. Things still look cool.
- You reduce bugs since you’re not duplicating logic in three languages
It’s like building one house that everyone can live in. There will be harmony. Every floor will just be a little modified. However, everyone will love it, and there will be minimal bugs. You can easily fix those with maintenance!
What are some Good Multi-platform app development frameworks?
So, here are some good multi-platform app development frameworks that you can add to your software development kit (SDK):
1. Uno Platform
Uno brings your C# and XAML skills to the web and desktop. It doesn’t stop there. It also includes iOS and Android, you name it.
It’s based on the WinUI framework. This is why it lets you write pixel-perfect apps across platforms with one codebase. It can even be great for MVP Development.
It is Perfect if you’re a .NET developer looking to go truly multi-platform.
2. BeeWare
This one is for the Python lovers out there. BeeWare lets you write native apps in Python. It’s still maturing, but it’s an exciting option.
It’s more interesting if you’re deep in the Python ecosystem and want to build mobile + desktop apps with familiar tools.
Basically, it’s so simple that you write once in Python and deploy anywhere.
3. Tauri
What if you want something that’s lightweight and crazy fast? Also, no compromise on security. Well, let us introduce you to Tauri.
It lets you build desktop apps using web technologies like HTML and CSS. However, it works with Rust. If you know about Electron, then it’s a great alternative to it.
It is ideal if you want tiny and fast desktop apps. It is a bit similar to Flutter cross-platform app development.
4. Avalonia UI
This one is very recent. It just came out in April 2025. Avalonia is a beautiful UI framework for building desktop apps with .NET and C#.
It even offers cross-platform support for Windows and macOS. The plus point? Linux included. It has web support on the way.
Like Flutter cross-platform app development, Avalonia is also open-source and modernized for the cross-platform world.
5. Tabris.js
There was a worldwide survey involving 87,585 software developers. Amazingly, 63.61% said they used JavaScript more than HTML/CSS.
So, this one is for the JavaScript developers. Meet Tabris.js. It is a framework for building native mobile apps. It uses plain JS or TypeScript, without a DOM.
Tabris gives you access to native widgets and performance, without the React Native overhead. Flutter app developers might want to give this a try, too. It’s perfect to add to your software development kit (SDK).
What are the benefits of multi-platform app development?
88% of a user’s mobile time is spent in apps, and it’s not in browsers. So why not give them a seamless experience no matter which platform they’re on? Let’s look at the benefits and learn why you should choose multi-platform app development:
Easier Maintenance & Upgrades
With a shared app logic, you only need to fix bugs or push updates once. You don’t have to do it three times for every platform. You get less hassle and more stability.
More Room for Experimentation
Want to try out new features or test bold UI ideas? Well, multi-platform lets you build and iterate faster. This way, you can experiment without triple the dev time or risk.
Stronger Dev Collaboration
Teams working from a common codebase or shared modules bridge the gap among themselves. This means better communication between frontend/backend and mobile/web. This even includes design/dev.
Save Time and Money
Native apps normally cost somewhere around $150k to $200k per platform. Now multiply that by 2 or 3. Scary. Multi-platform development cuts costs dramatically by reducing code duplication.
Why Multi-Platform Development is the Future of Mobile and Web?
The future isn’t about choosing between iOS and Android. It’s about meeting your users wherever they are. You just need to do this without doubling or tripling the workload.
Here’s why multi-platform development will be leading the charge:
Basic Updates. Fewer Problems.
Instead of fixing bugs and rolling out updates on three different codebases, multi-platform tools let you tweak logic once.
You’ll automatically watch the improvements ripple across all platforms. Less chaos, fewer delays, and a happier dev team.
Mature Tech. Simpler Solutions.
Frameworks like Flutter app developers and .NET MAUI aren’t experimental anymore. They’re proven and backed by big names,
You don’t need to fight with outdated tools or custom hacks to get things done. New tools are coming out every now and then, too.
Build Once. Grow Globally.
Maybe you’ll want to grow your app in new markets worldwide? Multi-platform lets you launch consistently across devices and languages. It doesn’t cut out regions.
You won’t even have to rebuild from scratch. One codebase can take you everywhere. It’s full of benefits, so why would you risk it?
Launch Faster. Win Faster
Time is everything in tech. With multi-platform development, you get to MVP development faster. That way, you respond to user feedback quicker.
So, you get to ship features at a pace that traditional dev teams just can’t match. Speed = market advantage.
Do What Users Want. Generate Heavy Revenue
Your users want the same smooth experience across all their devices. And when you deliver that? They stick around longer and convert more.
It’s the key to making them come back often. A good multi-platform user experience will easily result in serious long-term ROI.
Multi-platform app development simplified: Build powerful apps with Linkitsoft!
You can already tell that multi-platform apps have strong reasons to be the future. Why stick to traditional development then? They offer an even better solution than cross-platform apps! All you need by your side is a good development team.
You don’t need to worry about building apps on different platforms anymore. With everything so much more simplified, you’ll actually be pretty chill. Start with MVP Development and continue with multi-platform.
This way, you’ll not only save time and money, but you’ll even be able to work on what really matters. That’s your core values. Well, this is where Linkitsoft is here for! We’re here to help you develop all kinds of apps.
Multiplatform or not, our tech expertise and creativity will blend together. We’ll deliver amazing apps that perform well. You won’t have to worry about any bugs later on, either. We’re here for you long after the launch. So, let’s connect!