App Migration: Migrating from Xamarin and Cordova in 2025

With Xamarin's support ending in May 2024 and Cordova's updates for crucial features and platform upgrades delayed. The urgency of migrating from these frameworks is apparent.

For instance, Adobe PhoneGap, the primary tool for building iOS and Android applications using Cordova, was discontinued in 2020, and it’s just one of many similar tools that have been phased out.  

The delay in Cordova's updates is a strategic move to decrease the framework's community and technical debt, making these frameworks less viable options for the future.

Let's contrast it with new frameworks like Flutter or React Native. Flutter is a framework created by Google for developing cross-platform applications using the Dart language. React Native is a framework developed by Meta (formerly Facebook) that allows you to build native mobile applications using JavaScript and the React library. Apps in these frameworks work smoother and more efficiently, but their performance is exceptional, opening up new possibilities for your projects.

In the fast-paced app development world, not moving forward and being competitive isn't an option. With Microsoft officially ending Xamarin, it's time to face reality and consider migrating to a more robust, future-ready platform.

This article dives more into considering migration as a long-term investment, answering the questions: "Is a strategic shift going to significantly reduce technical debt, boost performance, and cut your costs?" and "How much does migration cost?”

Is Maintaining Xamarin and Cordova Possible?

Microsoft's decision to discontinue Xamarin support marks wasn't surprising. Xamarin has long been a go-to for cross-platform development, but its end is now; its replacement, .net MAUI, is not better.

Transitioning from Xamarin to .NET MAUI is not straightforward. Xamarin, with over a decade of development, has matured into a stable platform boasting a robust ecosystem and extensive third-party libraries. In contrast, .NET MAUI is relatively new, still ironing out bugs and performance issues, and lacks a substantial community and compatible tools.

Meanwhile, Cordova needs to catch up with rapid technological advancements. Updates are sporadic, and Cordova needs solid backing to meet today's technological demands. Huge companies must pay for "supporting old tech" instead of new features and business advantages.

Continuing to build products based on outdated frameworks increases technical debts and gets worse and worse performance and scalability. That's a strategic misstep that generates a burn budget; instead of 2 months of fixing bugs in Cordova or Xamarin, you can develop 5 times faster new features in modern frameworks. It's always your choice. 

Should I Migrate? When is the Right Time?

When considering migrating your app from Xamarin to Cordova, consider the following questions:

• Are new feature developments draining your budget?
• Is bug fixing and maintenance delaying new feature releases?
• Do negative reviews occur in app stores due to performance issues?
• Is hiring new developers in your current framework difficult?

If you have doubts or, worse, answer "yes" to any of these questions, it's time to prioritize migration.

The longer you delay, the more complicated and costly the process will become, or you will need to "create" a new app in a rush, which is not good either.

Why Migration is a Strategic Move

To give a real life example, my company has many clients, and one has a legacy app written in Flutter. I tried to convince him to migrate many times, but our team couldn’t convince him.

In the end, we couldn’t handle maintaining the old legacy app, which we received from another company) — we terminated the contract with a 2-month notice period. To keep us, he said, “OK, let’s migrate.”

When I calculated today, he paid for completely rewriting the app, equivalent to 15 months of maintenance budget. He gained new clients, better user experience, and satisfaction, and now he has at least two times lower monthly maintenance bills. And let’s answer—did he have extra or lower costs thanks to migration?

Here are some reasons to consider a migration:

• Reduced Long-Term Costs

  In every business, avoiding unnecessary costs and gaining a competitive edge as soon as possible is crucial. Modern frameworks like Flutter or React Native enable more efficient development, making new features faster and cheaper. Maintenance becomes less painful, and you have more time to develop a product than fix it. When it comes to Cordova and Xamarin, expenses will increase month by month.

• Better Performance and User Experience

  Just like with cars; the newer models are faster and more efficient. Because of new technology, they are more optimized and adjusted to possibilities. They are easier to use and more effective at work. You will get higher satisfaction, better reviews, and increased loyalty.

• Easier Talent Acquisition

  The same as before. List people who want a ride with an old "Ford" or a new "Mercedes." The choice is easy. We like to use modern tools, which are easier to use and faster. If we can do it with much less effort and quicker, why don't we do that?

You can hire experienced experts who are more effective and at competitive rates regarding "old tech" when you pay, and someone will cry with code writing.

Why Flutter and ReactNative Stands Out Among Modern Frameworks

Flutter vs ReactNative: You can find a dozen articles about that, including mine: Flutter vs React Native.

When it comes to this comparison, these two frameworks are remarkable.

I like to give clients a rule: if you have React Native and a team of JS developers, go with React Native. If you need to build a team from scratch, go with Flutter.

Pros of these Frameworks: Modern architecture with a mature and still growing community, accessible entry-level, many specialists in the market, smooth apps with good performance, and cross-platform possibilities (desktop, web, mobile).

How to Migrate? Let's Check it Before You Start

1. At first, you should evaluate your "old app":
   1. List limitations and errors
   2. Get user feedback (what's work bad)
2. Set clear goals—what's the primary goal of migration? Reduce maintenance costs, create a better app, or increase? Determine how to do it well from the very beginning.
3. Plan migration
   1. Choose tech stack, people or agency
   2. Set milestones and timelines
   3. Establish a budget

Sometimes, migration can be challenging, but being prepared can make all the difference.

Common Challenges:

• Ensure data integrity during the transfer process.
• Ensure all essential features are replicated or improved in the new app. It has to be better, not worse.
• Plan user transition. Transparent communications about changes prevent bad reviews.

Migrate from Xamarin and Cordova to Stay Ahead

Technology is quick for everyone. Now, we are experiencing massive growth in AI assistance and tech complexity. It's more than evident that you need to follow tech news and trends. Migrating to a modern framework positions your product level higher.
So get started when outdated frameworks become a legacy.

Migration is a strategic move that will pay dividends in performance, user satisfaction, and profitability.

On the other hand, a lack of migration will pay off in bad reviews, higher maintenance costs, and a lack of new modern features.