7 Top JavaScript App Development Frameworks

  • Do you want to accelerate your app launch without compromising on quality?
  • Want to develop apps for multiple platforms at the earliest?

If yes, you must read on.

You need to learn about the JavaScript framework to speed up the development process without compromising quality. We have created a blog on top JavaScript app development frameworks that help you to build reliable app solutions in less time.
Know about 7 top JavaScript frameworks, features and benefits. Let’s get started.

7 Top Javascript Frameworks for App Development

Being a leading app development company in the USA, we have identified the top JavaScript frameworks that help you to build secured mobile app solutions. Below is a table describing the top Javascript frameworks you can use for your next project.

FrameworkWebsite LinkGitHub ProfileGitHub Stars
React Native

Star105k
Ionic

Star48.1k
Angular Mobile UI

Star22.5k
JQuery Mobile

Star2.5k
Onsen UI

Star8.7k
Native Script

Star21.7k
Meteor

Star43.1k

We have seen the top seven Javascript frameworks for mobile at a glance. We will discuss each framework in detail in the next section.

Understanding Top 7 Javascript App Development Frameworks in Detail

We just saw a glimpse of the best frameworks you can use to build dynamic websites. These frameworks can help build hybrid and native mobile apps too. In this section, we will discuss the leading JavaScript frameworks in detail. We will understand how they are used, the key features and the one core feature that sets them apart.

  1. React Native: Open-source Platform to Create Cross-platform Apps

    React Native is an open-source JavaScript framework that helps build reliable and robust cross-platform frameworks. You might be wondering – Is React Native good for mobile app development? Well, it ensures quicker development and accelerated launch with in-built libraries, pre-built templates, and components. You can use the framework to build multi-platform apps and web solutions.

    Key Features of React Native

    • Live reload
    • Code reusability
    • Modular architecture
    • Responsive and quick rendering
    • CocoaPods support
    • UI-centric framework
    • Node package manager for installation
    • Reusable components
    • API accessibility
    • Star screen for quick launch

    6 Benefits of Using React Native Framework

    1. Write the code once and use it across multiple platforms (iOS, Android, Windows)
    2. Easily access third-party libraries and APIs, accelerating app development
    3. Substantially reduces your development time with the reusable code and rendering
    4. Save on development costs with fewer resources and reusable components
    5. Backed by Facebook, you are assured of regular updates that adhere to compliances and offer better security.
    6. Easy to learn as it is built with top programming languages

      How to Learn React Native for App Development

    1. Learn React Native: This course will help web developers learn to build mobile applications with React Native and Expo.
    2. React Native-The Practical Guide: This course takes you through the fundamentals of React Native before offering hands-on experience in mobile app development.
    3. Getting Started: The website offers an introduction, courses, and requisite guides that help step-by-step development.
  2. Ionic: Platform to Develop Web, Mobile and Progressive Web Apps

    Ionic is a popular JavaScript framework that enables developers to build mobile and progressive web apps. It is the UI layer for cross-platform mobile apps that offers the foundation for further development. The ionic framework helps to build modern, high-quality cross-platform mobile apps from a single code base using Vue, Angular, and React. The capacitor runtime library combined with the Ionic framework provides access to API and code execution layers that helps deliver native-like apps for Android and iOS platforms.

    Key Features of Ionic

    • Reusable components
    • Cordova plugin for API access
    • Framework compatibility
    • Pre-built components
    • Native-like experience
    • Live reload to browser

    6 Benefits of Using Ionic Framework

    1. Developer-friendly framework as it is built on web standards technology
    2. Pre-built UI components allow quick prototyping
    3. Easy to customize mobile apps
    4. Availability of tools with native compatibility to build interactive UI
    5. Build a single codebase and share it on different platforms
    6. In-built testing tools that accelerate the launch of mobile apps with JavaScript

      How to Learn Ionic for App Development

    1. Ionic Training: Learn how to build fast, robust, reliable and powerful mobile applications with one of the best JavaScript frameworks. It also courses on how to use Cordova plugins
    2. Ionic-Build iOS and Android Apps: A guided course that takes you through the basics of the framework and gives hands-on mobile application development training.
    3. Ionic Framework Course: A detailed course that helps professional developers understand the framework, learn how to use pre-built components and develop applications
  3. Mobile Angular UI: Open-source Framework for Hybrid Apps

    Mobile Angular UI is an open-source framework developed using AngularJS and Twitter Bootstrap to develop HTML5 -based desktop and hybrid mobile applications. As it is built using Twitter Bootstrap, the framework is easy to customize, lightweight and compatible with most platforms and browsers.

    Key Features of Mobile Angular UI

    • Pre-built UI components
    • Switches and overlays
    • In-built libraries
    • Customized bootstrap
    • Responsive and touch-enabled interface
    • AngularJS compatibility

    5 Benefits of Using Mobile Angular UI

    1. Design native-like UI with pre-built components such as sidebars, navbars, switches, and overlays
    2. Developed using AngularJs, which results in a low learning curve
    3. No JQuery or BootstrapJS dependencies result in faster development
    4. UI-centric framework that offers highly interactive elements for super-responsive interfaces
    5. Using the declarative programming style of AngularJS allows you to develop complex apps with greater efficiency

      How to Learn Mobile Angular UI

    1. Getting Started with Mobile Angular UI: A detailed course that gets you started with using the framework for hybrid app development.
    2. Start Learning Mobile Angular UI: This guide introduces the framework, offers examples that will help you learn, and provides hands-on experiences.
    3. Mobile Angular UI Tutorial: A complete guide that takes you through all facets of development using this framework. It also helps you build your first mobile app.

    Want to Build a Hybrid App?

    Talk to us about your app idea. Space-O is a top hybrid app development firm in the USA, having built over 4500 mobile apps using cutting-edge technology.

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  4. jQuery Mobile: UI System to Build Mobile Apps

    This framework is developed using JQuery Core and utilizes the JavaScript library to develop cross platform native apps. It is a lightweight framework with a simple API and a strong theming capability that allows developers to quality and high-performing websites and mobile apps. With this framework, you can write fewer lines of code to complete Ajax and DOM queries in your application.

    Key Features of jQuery Mobile

    • Theming and UI widgets
    • Native-like experience
    • Minimal scripting
    • Ajax navigation system for animations
    • Responsive designs
    • Support for accessible rich internet applications

    6 Benefits of Using jQuery Mobile

    1. Instead of downloading entire pages every time, jQM finds for any domain local links and then fetches the content from there with Ajax. This reduces page loading time.
    2. Create your own theme using the ThemeRoller – a useful tool for creating themes without writing any line of code.
    3. Enables to access the web from any part of the world via a URL or link. The framework is platform-independent and is supportable with all the major platforms whether a browser or device.
    4. Using progressive enhancement, your website is able to be seen by the widest number of browsers and devices.
    5. Enables developers to create highly customized web applications with desired color schemes and various CSS aspects of UI.
    6. Layout grids made it easy for us to create the client’s product page, result page, and other custom pages.

      How to Learn jQuery Mobile for App Development

    1. JQuery Mobile Tutorial: Gives you complete beginner-to-advanced edition of JQuery mobile with easy documents and learning material
    2. Getting Started with jQuery Mobile: Complete guides that help you get started with the framework and create apps for the multiple platforms.
    3. Learning jQuery Mobile the Easy Way: The course takes you through all aspects of developing apps with JQuery Mobile. It also provides how-to guides and examples to guide you through the development.
  5. Onsen UI: Open Source UI Framework for Hybrid Apps

    Onsen is a simple DOM element that can be used to develop intuitive interfaces for native and hybrid apps. It has three layers- CSS, web and framework bindings- to develop mobile apps. This framework is a future-proof framework that supports all web components, is compatible with CSS layers, and offers tight integration with Vue and Angular frameworks.

    Key Features of Onsen UI

    • Grid layout
    • In-built enriched UI components
    • Platform, Rotation, Gesture Detection
    • Compatible with Monace to simplify tasks
    • Native UI elements
    • FastClick

    6 Benefits of Using Onsen UI

    1. Accelerates development of HTML5-based web pages and apps for mobile devices
    2. Onsen UI provides tabs, a side menu, and stack navigation that will change the appearance of the app based on the platform.
    3. Provides streamlined development with zero-time setup, using the technologies you like Javascript, HTML, and CSS.
    4. The animations are tuned and optimized for high performance across multiple platforms and devices
    5. Animations in Onsen UI have been tuned to perform well on a wide range of devices.
    6. Provides learning resources including official documentation, interactive tutorials and a community forum where your questions get answered.

      How to Learn OnsenUI

    1. Onsen UI Official Guide: The guides will take the developer through the basics of the framework. This video will help the developer independently build apps with JavaScript code.
    2. Onsen UI Modal CSS Components: Takes you through the scripting language and hybrid app codebase for better understanding
  6. Native Script: Open-source Platform for Cross Platform Apps

    Native Script is an open-source mobile app development JavaScript framework that works with all the popular JavaScript frameworks, including Angular, Vue and TypeScript. This framework uses JavaScript and CSS for rendering the animations and UI components, thus ensuring a native-like feel and experience.

    Key Features of Native Script

    • Bundle Workflow
    • Kendo Themes
    • Native API Reflection
    • Code Sharing

    4 Benefits of Using Native Script

    1. A low learning curve is required as it is based on CSS, JavaScript and Native UI markup languages
    2. Enables developers to develop and deploy on multiple OS platforms using single codebase
    3. An excellent community support that allows you to thrive with this JavaScript framework
    4. Access to all plugins, third-party libraries and templates available.

      How to Learn Native Script for App Development

    1. NativeScript Official Guide: A detailed guide on how Native Script works and how to build mobile app projects with the framework.
    2. Native Script Tutorial: Gives you a complete understanding from start to finish of the Native Script framework. Guide to help develop applications.

    Have an App Development Idea?

    Contact us to discuss your idea. Our tech experts will analyze to help you with custom mobile app development solutions.

  7. Meteor: Advanced Tools to Simplify App Development

    Meteor is an efficient and scalable JavaScript framework for mobile app development. You can use the extended and integrated environment offered by the framework to build usable apps with minimal coding.

    Key Features of Meteor

    • Isomorphic JavaScript
    • Database integration
    • Live reload
    • Front-end reactivity
    • Database integration
    • Custom package manager

    6 Benefits of Using Meteor

    1. It is best used for MVP development owing to the pre-built APIs, apps and components
    2. Developers can make adjustments to their code simultaneously across web and mobile with cross device support
    3. It cuts down on processing time owing to full-stack development support
    4. In-built packages can help develop your apps faster and launch it into the market
    5. You can convert the web applications into apps for mobile devices.
    6. It has a low learning curve

    How to Learn Meteor for App Development

  1. Build your Meteor App: A complete guide that helps you understand how to build a native app with Meteor framework
  2. Meteor Tutorial- Building Real-time Web Applications with Meteor: Provides an arsenal of learning material that ensures complete understanding of the framework.

Now that we have seen the top 7 JavaScript frameworks for mobile app development let’s answer a few frequently asked questions.

FAQ for Using JavaScript for App Development

Can you develop an iOS app in JavaScript?

Yes, you can build iOS apps with JavaScript. You will need to use the cross platform JavaScript frameworks such as React Native to achieve the same.

Can you develop an Android app in JavaScript?

Yes, you can easily deliver Android apps with JavaScript. To achieve this, you can use JavaScript wrappers or popular frameworks that support hybrid development.

Is JavaScript only for web development?

No, JavaScript is meant for web, PWA, and mobile app development. You can choose the framework that suits the purpose of using JavaScript to proceed with the development.

Ready to Use JavaScript Frameworks for App Development?

This guide was designed to help identify the top seven frameworks mobile developers can use to accelerate software development.

Before proceeding with the development, you can check if the framework is compatible with the operating system and mobile browser. Check the key features, and go through the learning guide before building hybrid apps.

With a solid development team and years of experience, Space-O Technologies is a leading mobile application development company. We offer capable mobile and web app solutions to meet your niche requirements. Connect with our team for your mobile/web app requirements.

Bhaval Patel

Written by

Bhaval Patel is a Director (Operations) at Space-O Technologies. He has 20+ years of experience helping startups and enterprises with custom software solutions to drive maximum results. Under his leadership, Space-O has won the 8th GESIA annual award for being the best mobile app development company. So far, he has validated more than 300 app ideas and successfully delivered 100 custom solutions using the technologies, such as Swift, Kotlin, React Native, Flutter, PHP, RoR, IoT, AI, NFC, AR/VR, Blockchain, NFT, and more.