What are top trending PhoneGap Alternatives After Its Shutdown?

Published on October 31st, 2023

PhoneGap, one a highly popular cross-platform mobile app development framework, was widely embraced by developers for its convenience in building apps for multiple platforms using familiar web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. However, in a surprising move, Adobe announced the shutdown of PhoneGap Build in October 2020, leaving countless developers in search of viable alternatives to continue their app development endeavors.

In this comprehensive and insightful article, we will take a deep dive into the world of cross-platform app development. We will explore various alternatives to PhoneGap, carefully examining their unique features, strengths, and weaknesses. By doing so, we aim to empower you with the knowledge and understanding needed to make an informed decision for your next app development project.

Whether you are an experienced developer seeking to expand your skillset or just starting your journey in the world of mobile app development, this article will serve as your ultimate guide in navigating the ever-evolving landscape of cross-platform app frameworks. Together, let’s embark on this exciting journey and discover the perfect alternative to PhoneGap that aligns with your specific needs and aspirations.

Quick Look at Journey of PhoneGap

Before we delve into exploring the best alternatives to PhoneGap, let’s take a closer look at the fascinating history of this popular framework. Originally created by Nitobi in 2009, PhoneGap quickly gained traction in the developer community due to its remarkable features and ease of use. Its acquisition by Adobe in 2011 further propelled its growth and integration into their renowned Creative Cloud suite, solidifying its position as a go-to choice for many app development projects.

Over the years, PhoneGap garnered immense popularity among developers for several reasons. Its user-friendly interface and robust capabilities allowed developers to effortlessly build applications for multiple platforms simultaneously, saving time and effort. This convenience and versatility made PhoneGap a reliable and efficient solution, enabling developers to reach a wider audience with their apps.

However, as technology evolved and cross-platform app development advanced at a rapid pace, more sophisticated alternatives emerged, offering enhanced features and capabilities. In response to these developments, Adobe made the difficult decision to shut down PhoneGap Build in October 2020. This announcement left many developers in search of a suitable replacement that would seamlessly continue their ongoing app development projects.

The closure of PhoneGap Build marked the end of an era for this once-dominant framework. As developers adapt to the evolving landscape of app development, they now have the opportunity to explore and embrace the innovative alternatives that not only offer enhanced features and capabilities but also cater to the changing needs of the industry. This shift opens up new possibilities and encourages developers to experiment with advanced tools and frameworks to create even more powerful and efficient applications.

Why did PhoneGap shut down?

The shutdown of PhoneGap Build was primarily due to the changing dynamics of app development. As the technology landscape evolved and more advanced alternatives emerged, developers started shifting towards these newer options. This gradual transition caused a decline in PhoneGap’s popularity and subsequently affected the revenue for Adobe.

Recognizing this shift, Adobe made the decision to discontinue support for PhoneGap Build, the cloud-based service. However, it’s important to note that PhoneGap as a framework will not completely disappear. Adobe has shown commitment to the open-source version of PhoneGap, allowing developers to continue utilizing it as a self-hosted solution.

By focusing on the open-source aspect, Adobe aims to empower developers with the freedom to customize and adapt PhoneGap according to their specific needs. This transition provides an opportunity for developers to explore the full potential of PhoneGap in a more flexible and self-sustaining manner.

10 Best PhoneGap Alternatives

Here are six of the best PhoneGap alternatives:

1. Flutter

Flutter is an open-source mobile development framework created by Google. It empowers developers to effortlessly build high-quality, natively compiled applications for both Android and iOS platforms using a single codebase. With its fast development cycle and hot reload feature, Flutter not only facilitates efficient app development but also enables developers to create visually appealing and performant apps with ease. By leveraging Flutter’s rich widget library, developers can customize the user interface and provide a seamless user experience. Additionally, Flutter’s extensive documentation and active community support make it a popular choice among developers worldwide.

Flutter with its features 

• Open-source mobile development framework created by Google
• Supports building apps for Android and iOS platforms with a single codebase
• Fast development cycle and hot reload feature for efficient app development
• Provides visually appealing and performant apps with ease
• Rich widget library for customizable user interface
• Extensive documentation and active community support

Who’s using Flutter?

Some renowned apps developed with Flutter include

•  Alibaba 
• Google Ads
•  Reflectly

2. React Native

React Native is a popular open-source framework developed by Facebook that allows developers to build native mobile apps for iOS and Android using JavaScript. It offers cross-platform compatibility, enabling developers to write code once and deploy it on multiple platforms, thus reducing development time and effort. React Native also provides a hot reloading feature for faster app testing and debugging. With its modular architecture and extensive community support, React Native has gained popularity among developers looking for an efficient PhoneGap alternative.

React Native with its features 

• Open-source mobile development framework created by Facebook
• Supports building native apps for iOS and Android with JavaScript
• Cross-platform compatibility allows code to be used on multiple platforms
• Hot reloading feature for faster app testing and debugging
• Modular architecture and active community support for efficient development

Who’s using React Native?

Popular apps developed with React Native include 

• Facebook
•  Instagram
•  Skype

3. Ionic Framework

Ionic is a popular open-source framework that uses web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build hybrid mobile apps. It offers a wide range of UI components and themes for creating visually appealing user interfaces. Ionic also provides easy integration with AngularJS, making it a preferred choice for developers familiar with Angular. Its robust command-line interface (CLI) tool allows for quick app testing and debugging. With its powerful features and extensive community support, Ionic is another strong alternative for PhoneGap.

Ionic Framework with its features 

• Open-source framework using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
• Offers a wide range of UI components and themes for visually appealing user interfaces
• Easy integration with AngularJS for developers familiar with Angular
• Robust CLI tool for quick app testing and debugging
• Extensive community support for efficient development

Who’s using Ionic Framework?

Popular apps developed with Ionic include

•  Sworkit
•  Untappd
•  Diesel

4. Kotlin

Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile (KMM) is a relatively new framework developed by the team behind Kotlin, a popular programming language for Android development. KMM allows developers to share business logic and code between iOS and Android platforms while still maintaining separate UI layers. This approach ensures better platform-specific performance and native user interfaces. KMM also offers easy integration with existing Android Studio projects. Although still in its early stages, KMM shows great potential as an alternative for PhoneGap.

Kotlin with its features 

• Developed by the team behind popular programming language Kotlin
• Allows sharing of business logic and code between iOS and Android platforms
• Maintains separate UI layers for better platform-specific performance and native user interfaces
• Easy integration with existing Android Studio projects

Who’s using Kotlin?

Popular apps developed with Kotlin include

•  Trello
• Pinterest
• Coursera

5.Swift

Swift is a general-purpose, multi-paradigm programming language developed by Apple for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and Linux. It has gained popularity in recent years due to its speed and safety features. Swift also offers easy interoperability with Objective-C, making it a great choice for developers already familiar with iOS development. While Swift primarily targets native app development, there are frameworks like Perfect and Vapor that allow building cross-platform apps using Swift. With its increasing popularity and support from the community, Swift presents itself as a viable alternative to PhoneGap.

Swift with its features in bullet points

• General-purpose, multi-paradigm programming language developed by Apple for various platforms
• Known for its speed and safety features
• Easy interoperability with Objective-C
• Popular frameworks like Perfect and Vapor allow building cross-platform apps using Swift

Who’s using Swift?

Popular apps developed with Swift include

•  Lyft
• LinkedIn
•  Khan Academy 

6. Progressive Web Apps (PWA)

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are web applications that use modern web capabilities to deliver an app-like experience to users. PWAs can be accessed through a browser without the need to download and install them from an app store. They also offer features such as offline functionality, push notifications, and access to device hardware like camera and geolocation. With the increasing adoption of HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript, PWAs have become a popular choice for building cross-platform apps. While they may not have all the capabilities of native apps, PWAs offer a cost-effective solution for businesses looking to reach a wider audience. In addition, PWAs are known for their fast loading times and responsive design, making them a great alternative to PhoneGap.

 Progressive Web Apps with its benefits in points

• Cost-effective solution for businesses looking to reach a wider audience
• Fast loading times and responsive design
• Offline functionality, push notifications, and access to device hardware

Who’s using PWAs?

Popular PWAs include

•  Twitter Lite
• Starbucks
•  Uber.

7. React Native

React Native is a popular JavaScript framework developed by Facebook for building native mobile apps for iOS and Android. It allows developers to write code once and deploy it on both platforms, saving time and effort. With React Native, developers can create apps that have the look and feel of native apps while using familiar web development tools like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This makes it an attractive alternative to PhoneGap for businesses looking to build cross-platform apps with a more native feel.

React Native’s key features

• Code once, deploy on both iOS and Android platforms
• Create apps with the look and feel of native apps
• Use familiar web development tools like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

Who’s using React Native?

Popular apps built with React Native include

•  Facebook
•  Instagram
• Airbnb.

8. Sencha Touch

Sencha Touch is a high-performance HTML5 mobile application framework that allows developers to build powerful and feature-rich cross-platform apps. It offers a complete set of UI components, data management tools, and built-in themes for creating visually appealing apps. With Sencha Touch, developers can write code once and deploy it on multiple platforms including iOS, Android, and Blackberry. This makes it a great alternative to PhoneGap for businesses looking to build complex cross-platform apps with native-like performance.

Sencha Touch’s key features

• Develop powerful, high-performance HTML5 mobile applications
• Write code once, deploy on multiple platforms including iOS, Android, and BlackBerry
• Full suite of UI components to build feature-rich apps
• Comprehensive data management tools for efficient handling of application data
• Pre-built themes to create visually diverse and appealing apps
• Delivers native-like performance, making it a strong PhoneGap alternative

Who’s using Sencha Touch?

Notable apps built with Sencha Touch include

•  Google Play Books
•  the Hangouts plugin for Chrome
•  the LinkedIn Sales Navigator app.

• Apache Cordova

Apache Cordova, formerly known as PhoneGap, is an open-source mobile development framework that allows developers to build cross-platform apps using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It provides a set of APIs for accessing device-specific features such as the camera, contacts, and geolocation. Apache Cordova also offers a cloud-based service called PhoneGap Build which enables developers to compile their code into native apps without the need for platform-specific tools or SDKs.

Apache Cordova and its features 

• Open-source framework for cross-platform app development using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• Offers a set of APIs for accessing device-specific features.
• PhoneGap Build service allows for cloud-based compilation of code into native apps.
• Supported by a large community of developers and contributors.
• Can be used with other frameworks such as Angular, React, and Vue.js

Who’s using Apache Cordova?

Popular apps built with Cordova include

•  Untappd
• FanReact
•  TripCase.

• Bootstrap

Bootstrap is a popular front-end development framework that offers pre-built components and layouts for building responsive web applications. It uses HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create user-friendly and visually appealing interfaces. Bootstrap also includes features such as form validation, modal windows, and tooltips. It has a large community of users and contributors, making it constantly updated with new features and improvements.

Bootstrap’s main features 

• Front-end development framework for building responsive web applications.
• Uses HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• Offers pre-built components and layouts.
• Includes features such as form validation, modal windows, and tooltips.
• Supported by a large community of users and contributors.

Who’s using Bootstrap?

Bootstrap is used by many popular companies and websites, including Netflix, Spotify, and Airbnb. It has also been used to develop web applications for government agencies such as NASA and the White House. Overall, Bootstrap is a reliable choice for those looking to build responsive and visually appealing web applications without the need for extensive coding knowledge.

Our Thoughts on PhoneGap Alternatives

As the popular saying goes, “all good things must come to an end.” This holds true for PhoneGap, a cross-platform mobile development framework that was officially shut down in October 2020. PhoneGap has been widely used by developers due to its ability to create apps for multiple platforms using a single codebase. However, with its shutdown, many developers are now seeking alternative frameworks to continue building their mobile applications. In this section, we will discuss some of the best PhoneGap alternatives currently available in the market.

Understanding the Advantages and Disadvantages of PhoneGap Alternatives

When discussing the alternatives to PhoneGap, it’s crucial to weigh their pros and cons.

Advantages of PhoneGap Alternatives in steps

• React Native:

• Cross-platform support, allowing developers to write code once and deploy on both iOS and Android.
• Built-in performance optimization for smoother and faster app experiences.
• Strong community support with a growing number of libraries and resources available.

• Flutter:

• Powerful UI design capabilities with the use of its own rendering engine.
• High-performance apps with minimal lag and fast refresh rates.
• Hot reload feature for quick and efficient debugging.

• NativeScript:

• Direct access to device hardware features and APIs for maximum functionality.
• Ability to use Angular, TypeScript, or JavaScript as programming languages.
• Support for both iOS and Android platforms, including specific native UI components.
• Ionic:

• User-friendly and familiar web development tools such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• Easy integration with popular frameworks like Angular and React.
• Large community support with a plethora of plugins available.

Disadvantages of PhoneGap Alternatives in steps

• React Native:

• Steep learning curve for developers new to JavaScript or React.
• Limited access to native device features, requiring additional modules and customization.
• Potential for compatibility issues with third-party libraries and plugins.

• Flutter:

• Limited access to native device features, requiring additional modules and customization.
• Limited support for iOS development compared to Android.
• Relatively new framework with a smaller community and resources available.

• NativeScript:

• Steep learning curve for developers not familiar with Angular or TypeScript.
• Limited access to native device features, requiring additional modules and customization.
• Lack of support for Windows mobile development.
• Ionic:

• Reliance on web technologies can result in less optimized performance compared to native apps.
• Limited access to native device features, requiring additional modules and customization.
• Potential for compatibility issues with third-party libraries and plugins.

How iTechnolabs can help to find best Phonegap alternatives after its shutdown?

iTechnolabs is a leading software development company that offers a wide range of services, including mobile app development. Our team of experienced developers is well-versed in various cross-platform frameworks and can help you find the best alternative to PhoneGap for your project. We understand that each business has unique requirements and can provide personalized recommendations based on your specific needs. Our goal is to ensure that your app development process is smooth and hassle-free.

• iTechnolabs is a leading software development company with expertise in mobile app development.
• Our team of experienced developers can provide personalized recommendations for the best PhoneGap alternative for your project.
• Our goal is to ensure a smooth and hassle-free app development process.
• We understand that each business has unique requirements and can tailor our recommendations accordingly.
• Our expertise in various cross-platform frameworks enables us to suggest the most suitable alternative for your project.
• We can help you seamlessly transition from PhoneGap to a new framework while preserving the functionality and user experience of your app.
• Our services also include ongoing support and maintenance for your mobile application.
• With iTechnolabs, you can be assured of high-quality and reliable solutions for your app development needs.
• Contact us today to find out how we can assist you in finding the best PhoneGap alternatives after its shutdown. In conclusion, our team at iTechnolabs has the expertise and resources to help businesses navigate through the shutdown of PhoneGap and find a suitable alternative that meets their unique requirements. With our personalized recommendations, seamless transition process, and ongoing support, we ensure that your mobile app development journey remains smooth and successful. iTechnolabs helps to  find the best solution for your business needs.

Are you looking for Best PhoneGap Alternatives to develop the mobile app?

In October 2020, Adobe announced that they would be discontinuing their popular mobile application development platform – PhoneGap. As a result, many businesses who relied on PhoneGap were left searching for alternatives to continue their app development projects. If you are one of them, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

• In October 2020, Adobe announced that they would be discontinuing their popular mobile application development platform – PhoneGap.
• This left many businesses searching for alternatives to continue their app development projects.
• It is important to consider not only the initial cost of a framework but also its long-term sustainability and maintenance costs when looking for alternatives to PhoneGap.
• With our expertise and experience, we can help you make an informed decision that suits your budget and business requirements.
• Some popular alternatives to PhoneGap include React Native, Xamarin, Flutter, and Ionic.
• Each has its own unique features and capabilities, so it is essential to evaluate them carefully before making a decision.
• Another option is to use individual services for specific development needs, such as Firebase for backend services and Apache Cordova for building hybrid apps.
• Whichever alternative you choose, we can assist you in seamlessly transitioning your projects and provide ongoing support.

While the shutdown of PhoneGap may have caused some initial inconvenience, it has also opened up new possibilities and options for mobile app development. With our help, you can find the best alternative that fits your needs and ensures the success of your projects. Contact iTechnolabs today to learn more about our services and how we can assist you in your journey towards finding a suitable replacement for PhoneGap.