Smartface

Smartface is a software sdk used to develop iOS and Android apps in the cloud by using JavaScript. We all know JavaScript is a very popular scripting language but it can’t be used to develop apps for mobile phones itself. That is, if you are not using a cross-platform program that lets you do so! Smartface is working pretty well for this matter and it also comes bundled with WYSIWYG design editor and many more perks. Let’s have a look at it.

FEATURES

Smartface works in a similar way as Xamarin but instead of using C# as a language, it uses JavaScript. It allows development of native apps by using JavaScript and this is not a conversion, it is real native. The fact that it is really native gives many advantages to software wrappers. The speed is boosted because you won’t have any software layers from your code to the native code needed to run the program in the target platform. It also increases security and stability a great deal.

By using Smartface IDE you can type your usual JavaScript programs and it will compile them to native Android or iOS. There is no interpretation at runtime so, the advantages are clear. The fact that they chose JavaScript is because it is a very popular language among programmers. JavaScript is a very popular scripting language for web applications but we all know the cool thing nowadays is not to develop for the web but to develop for mobile devices. So, a great deal of programmers got stranded there, with a lot of knowledge in JavaScript but the inability to port it to the mobile development trend.

With Smartface, these programmers are able to code in their favorite language while deploying native apps without wrappers. This is most suitable for enterprises and companies in need of a very stable, very fast and very secure software. However, the good things don’t come for cheap.

Smartface is not cheap at all. There is a free version but it will only allow you to post public projects and it is limited in time. The first usable version for your own projects come with a $99 price tag. This is not very expensive if you compare it to Xamarin or other similar applications but you will get very limited support and absolutely no training on it. Even though you know how to code in JavaScript, you are going to need some training with Smartface because the libraries used are not the same as well as the devices you are working with are not the same either. So, the next package where they include training is where they boosted the prices. A whopping $1490 price per seat and per year is what you need to pay in order to enjoy it. The option with real live support is not even priced in their website, you will have to contact then and ask. Basically they will review your company, your project and will see how much they can squeeze out of you. Not nice.

Besides the price tag, the rest is very neat. With Smartface you have one code and multiple deployments. You can code in JavaScript once and then deploy for both platforms by just compiling to one or another, and this is done in a native way. To put an example, if you code a tab, it will appear in the lower part as a native iOS tab for iOS and the same tab will appear in the top part as a native Android one. This improves the user’s experience because they are used to these UIs. Talking about them, UIs developed with Smartface are extremely responsive and bug-free.

The device testing task is made easier with Smartface. They have a whole database in the cloud and you can test your apps for almost any device in the market in a very swift way. However, the testing capabilities are capped for free users and even though you can deploy any app to their respective marketplaces, you will have to include their splash screen and name. On the long run, you will always have to pay but you may be lucky enough to have to pay for the cheapest one if you are smart enough to learn it by yourself.

And we say lucky because there is not much community support in Smartface. The way they sell their product is made for people to pay for support so they are not interested in a growing community at all. This will blast their business model and thus, don’t expect a nice community forum to answer your questions, if you want your questions to be answered, you have to pay.

PROS

• Native apps
• Native UIs
• Way faster than any wrapper
• Most secure
• Uses JavaScript, a very popular language
• Free option has no limits to the app you can make with it.

CONS

• The paid plans with support are expensive
• You will need support

CONCLUSION

Smartface is aimed for those developers who already have a high knowledge in JavaScript and want to move to mobile development. It allows them to create truly native apps with their favorite language without the need of wrappers. The software itself is great and the functionalities are very useful but if you can’t code in JavaScript there is nothing you can do with Smartface.

There is a huge lack of community in Smartface, probably because they charge for support and they are not interested in you to have that for free, who is going to pay for something they can get for free anyways? This is a curious business model that allows you to deploy your projects without any limitations if you are smart enough to catch everything out but you will need it in the long run because mobile development is not the same as web development. Despite that, Smartface is a very solid SDK that will allow you to use JavaScript as your programming language and, if you are not scared of the price tag, it is a great option for JavaScript developers.

Read more in smartface product page