Native Apps with PHP without Licensing Costs – NativePHP Opens Mobile Version
NativePHP is releasing its mobile framework. Starting with version 3, native iOS and Android apps can be developed with PHP and Laravel without licensing costs.
(Image: Romolo Tavani / Shutterstock.com)
NativePHP, a toolkit for developing native desktop and mobile applications with PHP, is opening its mobile framework to everyone. With the release of version 3, NativePHP for Mobile is available for free – released under the MIT license. Developers can use it to create native apps for iOS and Android without leaving their familiar PHP and Laravel environment and without having to plan for licensing costs.
Open Source as a New Direction
With this release, the project is making a fundamental strategic shift. Instead of a paid model, NativePHP will fully rely on open source in the future. The maintainers expect more community involvement and faster development from this. According to the project, the freely available core covers all the basic functions necessary for the development, testing, and operation of native mobile apps.
Existing applications can continue to be used without restrictions, according to the blog post.
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Modular Architecture for Additional Functions
In parallel with the opening, the team has revised the technical architecture. NativePHP for Mobile will be based on a modular structure in the future. The team calls the minimal free core NativePHP Air. Functions that interact more deeply with the iOS and Android operating systems have been outsourced into separate plugins.
These include, among others, biometrics, geolocation, push notifications, secure storage, and access to the camera, NFC, or scanner. NativePHP offers these functions as paid premium plugins, which are licensed once and can be used across projects.
New projects can use NativePHP for Mobile immediately and for free. For existing customers, the project announces transition arrangements depending on the previous license.
(mdo)
