It takes a lot of time and work to create a new application from the ground up. To avoid creating common functionality from scratch and reinventing the wheel, developers nowadays make use of a wide variety of tools, frameworks, and platforms.
When developing your application, are you unsure whether you should utilize third-party software? You’re at the proper location. Discover the definition of third-party software, the benefits and drawbacks of using it, and professional advice from our development team with ten years of market experience by reading this article.
A food delivery app developer creates seamless platforms for ordering meals, focusing on intuitive interfaces, efficient backend systems, and integrating features like real-time tracking to ensure a satisfying user experience.
Third-party software: what is it?
In its widest sense, third-party software is any reusable software components that are provided or created for a specific use by a different business or individual from the one who created the original product on a certain system (source).
There are many types of third-party solutions. Below is a summary of the most prevalent categories of third-party software:
1. Libraries
Because libraries provide the source code for a component, they are useful for creating online or mobile apps. They may be either closed-source/proprietary (where a purchase could be required) or open-source (accessible to everyone for free).
For instance:
Developers may increase productivity and do more with fewer lines of code by using the SnapKit (iOS) toolkit, which builds application layout from code.
You can find sample animations here. Lottie (Android) is a library for creating animations that developers may enhance with interactions.
Popular among iOS developers who want to save a few days of work, Moya is an iOS library for networking and backend communication.
2. Platforms
Platforms are pre-made, integrated solutions that developers may utilize to implement a particular feature, such chat, maps, or user logging. For a price (often monthly) or sometimes for free, developers may outsource certain functionality to these SaaS (Software as a Service) providers.
For instance:
Firebase offers pre-made login components, a database to store application data that may be used in lieu of an application backend, deep link functionality, remote feature setup (ideal for A/B testing!), and a Facebook direct connection.
With the help of the Auth0 platform, developers can quickly include authorization and authentication for web, mobile, and legacy apps, freeing up time for your primary business operations.
The Google Maps Platform is a collection of SDKs and APIs that let programmers obtain data from Google Maps and incorporate Google Maps into web pages and mobile applications.
3. Instruments
A range of tools that improve the quality of the finished result and, in many ways, boost the effectiveness of app development.
For instance:
An open-source program called SwiftLint is used to enforce Swift rules and style. During development, developers have the ability to establish and enforce their own code style guidelines. Xcode plugin, AppCode, Atom integration, and a command-line tool are all features of SwiftLint. It is thus always appropriate for any development environment. If we break the linting guidelines, it will display faults and/or warnings (see more here).
Many developers use Danger as a tool to automate routine code review tasks. It may be used to codify the conventions of your team, freeing up people to work on more difficult issues. Depending on the rules you provide, Danger inserts messages inside your pull requests.
Zeplin is a platform that helps UI designers and developers work together more effectively and save time. Among other things, it enables designers to instantly create development resources and distribute the design system to the team. Without you needing to ping them, everyone on the team has access to the most recent design materials and is informed of any changes.
Effective tools for app developers, like integrated development environments (IDEs), testing frameworks, and design platforms, streamline the creation process, enhance collaboration, and ensure app functionality across multiple devices.
Benefits of using third-party software for developing apps
We think that fair use of third-party software is:
enhances the quality of the final output, boosts process efficiency, and drastically lowers app development expenses.
The main benefits of third-party software are listed below.
Only pay for what you need.
Instead of having to spend a hefty upfront cost to construct the functionality from scratch, you pay a monthly price for the usage limit when you use a third-party solution. You may initially get away with utilizing the solution for free, but sometimes you have to pay the charge after exceeding a certain limit.
Quicker method of development
The biggest benefit of utilizing third-party software is that it saves developers from having to start from scratch. Your team may concentrate more on the aspects that make up the heart of your app and its competitive edge by using Auth0, for instance, if you want to add a login function. It significantly speeds up the app development process.
Significant financial savings
It is much less expensive to use third-party services, both initially and throughout the course of the app’s operation. Up to a certain point, certain third-party platforms may be free to use. After that, you’ll probably have to pay a monthly charge for the resources you utilized. Instead of paying a large upfront charge, you wind up paying monthly costs as a consequence of the expense of utilizing a service being spread out over time.
For instance, Pusher, an instant messaging application, provides 200k messages and 100 concurrent connections at no cost. You only spend $49.99 a month if you need to handle 500 connections and 1 million messages. Additionally, you might benefit from bigger plans if your conversation volume increases significantly. It would cost at least $50,000 to create the same conversation from scratch; for that, you could sign up for 1000 months of Pusher’s more affordable plan.
A quicker time to market
You may launch your application more quickly by speeding up development. Consequently, you may rapidly validate your concept, determine if it addresses the issue of your intended audience, and attain a product-market fit.
A reduced user feedback loop
By bringing the product or MVP to market sooner, you may immediately find out what consumers think of your application and confirm its worth. You may use their input to create an even better app.
Potentially improved capacities
Examples of mature software that may be too complex for the client’s first needs include platforms. They assist us in creating apps that have more features than are necessary while still providing genuine value for the application’s future growth.
Simple integration for developers
Many of the platforms that are now on the market come with up-to-date SDKs that make integration simple and quick. For instance, implementing the user authentication functionality with Auth0 often takes about two days, but creating the identical product from scratch might need many weeks.
Reduced upkeep
Another benefit of using third-party platforms is that their code doesn’t need to be maintained. The supplier, not the business using the resource, is responsible for this. Developers’ jobs are made simpler as a consequence of having less code to manage and care for.
It makes sense to use third-party solutions while developing MVPs.
Third-party solutions are an excellent fit for MVP development because of all the advantages we listed above, including a quicker time-to-market, an expedited development process, and a shorter user feedback loop.
When a customer comes to us with an app concept, we often suggest that they begin with a basic MVP that benefits users. Our teams concentrate on the most crucial components of the app while adhering to the agile software development technique.
Example scenario: Consider a car-cleaning app. The main concept is using the app to request your automobile to be cleaned. The competitive advantage of the app is derived from this. When creating an MVP for this app, it makes sense to concentrate on the main feature as other features don’t help the app stand out.
Third-party solutions can help with this. For instance, Auth0 may be used for authentication and login. The website provides a variety of ways to log in using phone numbers, passwords, two-factor authentication, and other methods.
Since the team doesn’t have to start from zero while creating this feature, the MVP may be tested in the market more quickly. Up to a certain point, you may utilize such a solution for free; beyond that, you can pay to use it, but not to have it developed.
Because of this, the cost of developing your app is far cheaper than if you were to start from scratch with similar capabilities. The development team will produce your MVP more quickly the more third-party platforms you employ.
You can now observe how third-party software reduces development expenses and expedites the app’s public release. Because you can test your concept on the market early and change course if needed, this is a major product victory.
Additionally, you may use your own code to replace the third-party solution if your app becomes popular and begins to make money.
Sports app development services focus on delivering real-time updates, interactive features, and seamless user experiences, helping sports enthusiasts stay connected with their favorite teams and events.
Cons of developing your app using third-party software
Reduced adaptability
There are, of course, some restrictions when employing third-party solutions. We typically have to put in a lot of effort to modify the solution provider’s product to suit our demands when we’re not utilizing the default techniques that they provide. Developers are able to achieve that, but eventually the cost simply becomes too high.
It may be tough to locate the ideal third-party solution if you want to create a feature that is really unique or personalized.
Before hopping on the third-party bandwagon, it’s a good idea to think about the migration expenses. For instance, using third-party software for authentication when developing an MVP is a frequent practice. However, it may turn out that the user demands and market specifics need a modification in the logging-in process. For example, we may need to include a new field for the user to enter their height, with a maximum of two meters.
You switch to custom code and solution at this point. Each scenario has a distinct cost for this migration. It is wise to examine this expense at the beginning of the project because of this.
Lock-in of vendors
It is inevitable that you will be reliant on the supplier while employing a third-party service. This puts your software’s stability at risk. Because of this, it is customary to create the essential aspects of an application from scratch and just utilize third-party solutions for the non-essential components.
Risk of cost increases
Being reliant on the provider also implies that if the supplier changes the price, the application’s expenses may increase. At a certain magnitude, third-party solution prices might sometimes increase significantly.
How can this danger be reduced? Steer clear of using third-party solutions to develop essential application functionality. In MVP development, when you want to confirm the concept before growing the software, this risk isn’t that significant, but think about if you can afford it.
Furthermore, the expenses of employing a particular third-party platform may rise significantly at a point in the application development process when the scale is quickly expanding. You can discover that a certain solution is no longer cost-effective for you as a result of scaling up.
When should your project’s third-party solutions be replaced?
When it no longer makes sense to pay for it
Using third-party solutions may become too costly as your application’s size increases. You may save a lot of money by creating your own solution from scratch when the platform’s use prices become too expensive.
When you want further adaptability and personalization
When we want more flexibility and the solution just does not provide it, it is also logical to forgo a third-party solution. It’s critical to carefully consider your features from a commercial standpoint and determine their relative importance. It might be an excellent chance to get a competitive edge by creating a special feature from scratch and setting your app apart from the competition if your rivals provide comparable functionality.
It’s important to consider what would happen if we were compelled to discontinue utilizing a third-party service for whatever reason. Having a backup plan that includes a list of all possible solutions is a smart idea. Along with estimating the cost of migration between providers and between a provider and your own solution, the plan should also outline how your own solution will be executed.
Think about the current feature.
Consider the following when choosing between writing up functionality yourself or using a third-party solution:
Is it a feature that is essential or not?
To what extent does my application need this feature?
What will be the frequency of usage if it’s a non-core feature?
Your responses will reveal whether using third-party software is safe.
Choose whether you’re creating a generic or particular project.
Using third-party software is worthwhile if you want to provide general functionality. However, don’t employ a third-party solution if you want something unique that it may not provide.
Keep in mind that some platforms permit the addition of unique components. Therefore, if a third-party platform is lacking a feature, consider if it could be possible to add it.
Analyze price and licensing conditions.
Developers often think about connectors and the SDK, but you also need to evaluate third-party software from a financial standpoint. To determine which platforms best fit your budget, do a cost study.
Examine the license conditions as well, paying particular attention to the scale. Think about what would occur if your user base grew dynamically. For instance, if you run an online store, the number of customers using your mobile application may equal that of your online store.
Examine the risks associated with the project.
When choosing a third-party service, find out about its data management policy, security features, and compliance with laws like the GDPR. At Linkitsoft, can be sure of the security of the platforms we employ in our development projects since they are reputable and well-known in the industry.
