Seven Cool Mobile and Web App Frameworks UI/UX Designers Use

Mobile applications have gained momentum in the recent past. Today, there are more than 1.5 millions of applications of different app stores; which speaks of the success of applications amongst the users and business community. This field, which has captured the major shares in the market, is definitely getting all the attention it requires.

There has emerged three sub-categories in app development; native, hybrid, and web. Hybrid apps are easy to build and are better than the native and web applications. Let’s have a look at some of the best hybrid mobile app frameworks that you can easily use while developing a cross-platform mobile app.

1) Famo.us

If you’re looking for an open source JavaScript framework to be able to create complex yet smooth mobile app then this is the best choice. This is one of the known frameworks for hybrid mobile app development, and can be easily used for the desktop web app development as well.

However, when you use this framework you won’t see the conventional app design rather would come across some animation or game system that may surprise you for a bit. This happens as this is the amongst the few JavaScript frameworks that has an open source 3D layout with a 3D physics animation engine that can be submitted to DOM, WebGL, or Canvas.

2) Ionic

Every app developer must be familiar with this framework since over the past few years this has able to establish itself as a leader in hybrid mobile app development. The team behind the Ionic keeps upgrading it with latest trends to maintain its stature in the app market.

Ironically, the competitors of Ionic are paid, whereas Ionic is free to use. This framework is quite maintainable and scalable, and uses clean and easy to understand markup. This also comes up with optimized mobile library of CSS, JavaScript, and HTML component.

3) jQuery Mobile

Responsive websites and applications is the need of the hour, and thus you need jQuery Mobile, which is an HTML 5-based user interface system. This framework runs on almost anything, with a condition that it should support HTML5 standard. With that, it can run on Windows, iOS, Mac OS, or Android, and would make it appealing. This was originally released in 2010.

4) Onsen UI

Ionic is facing tough competition from this relatively new framework. This framework, which is an open source, is available with Apache license. This uses Topcoat framework and Angular directives in most of its UI elements.

jQuery fans need not worry since it has that components as well. You have a choice to select jQuery instead of Angular while building hybrid apps. Onsen UI has a large collection of elements that would allow you to build mobile apps, apps for tablets and for desktops as well. You can also write apps in JavaScript and HTML5.

5) Kendo UI

This is a framework to be used for modern HTML UI. This follows the latest HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS3 standards and delivers all the things that you would need to fulfill client’s requirements. It has jQuery and is complete with AngularJS and supports Bootstrap. This not only has an open source edition but also has commercial set with enterprise features.

Since, this has two products, this product is available on two packages, Kendo UI Core, which is an open source, and the other one is Kendo UI Professional, for which you would have pay.

6) Sencha Touch

It’s one of the most popular enterprise grade products when it comes to developing cross-platform mobile applications using HTML5 and JavaScript and is a big name within the enterprise mobile application development arena. Sencha provides a wide plethora of products that work with Sencha Touch, but the only glitch is these products are priced quite exorbitantly!

However, for individual developers and freelancers working on a shoestring budget, Ionic is a much better choice but when it comes to enterprises, Sencha Touch is the best option. Ext.JS one of the most popular JavaScript frameworks at the core of Sencha touch platform which helps to create high-performance apps with almost near native experience. Sencha Touch integrates widgets with a native look and feel for all the major leading platforms – iOS, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry.

7) Mobile Angular UI

Mobile Angular UI is a popular mobile framework just like the above mentioned Sencha Touch or jQuery mobile. If you are familiar with Angular JS and Twitter Bootstrap it’s very easy to catch up with. Using Mobile Angular UI, you have access to the best of both Bootstrap 3 as well as Angular framework to develop HTML5 mobile applications. Angular UI is just like the extended version of Bootstrap 3 but minus any dependency on Bootstrap JS or jQuery.

While using Bootstrap 3 to build mobile apps you will not be able to access the directives used to build UI components such as switches, overlays, sidebars, scrollable areas and navigation bars that don’t bounce or snap while scrolling. Available as an open source and it can be freely used under the MIT license, you can derive the source code at – mobile – angular – UI.

Things are changing and there is an evolution happening in the digital world. Today, mobile apps and websites are important since people are shifting from desktop to mobile and other portable devices. This definitely means that UI/UX designers are well versed with the available framework in the market, that would further improve and ease their work.

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Feature Photo via venturebeat.com

From Jaxenter.com

via Ritesh Patil

Ritesh Patil is the co-founder of Mobisoft Infotech that helps startups and enterprises in mobile technology. He loves technology, especially mobile technology. He’s an avid blogger and writes on mobile application. He works in a leading android development company with skilled android app developers that has developed innovative mobile applications across various fields such as Finance, Insurance, Health, Entertainment, Productivity, Social Causes, Education and many more and has bagged numerous awards for the same.