These are the most sought-after mobile apps of today. jQuery Mobile app is jQuery’s native framework that can be used to develop a number of web based apps for mobile devices. Sencha Touch is another top-notch framework which can also be used to develop an array of web based mobile applications. Because of their extreme versatility on multiple mobile platforms, jQuery Mobile and Sencha Touch are widely being preferred by most of the web app developers.

Before designing web applications for various mobile apps using these frameworks, it’s important that you know the strengths, weaknesses and the differences between the two, as that will largely determine the success of your output. Let’s discuss both the apps in detail as follows:

JQuery Mobile 

Released in Oct 2010, JQuery Mobile is a relatively newer app for mobile devices. It’s compatible with iOS, Android, Blackberry, and a range of other web based mobile Operating systems. It has a neat user interface which is programmed using JavaScript for jQuery framework. It comprises a range of functionalities for both the desktop and mobile internet versions. Two things which you will really love about this framework are the ‘amazing enhancements’ and ‘elegant degradation’ that pave way for stunning designs.

Sencha Touch

While the JQuery Mobile app is powered by Javascript, the Sencha Touch for mobile apps is powered by HTML5. In fact, Sencha Touch is the first ever mobile app to be programmed using HTML5 code. The framework supports iOS, Android, Blackberry and a few other mobile platforms. If you are looking to develop amazingly fast web apps for various mobile platforms, then this should be a great choice for you. High-end performance and superior features are two great things you can leverage from this wonderful app. The latest version of Sencha Touch called Sencha Touch 2.1 is a popular mobile framework that encompasses some top-notch features such as: auser-friendly interface, infinite scrolling feature and much more.

JQueryMobile vs. Sencha Touch

jQuery Mobile App

• The User Interface is more of jQuery’s native framework, hence it encompasses great Ajax utilities and Ajax manipulation
• A simple hand-coding lets you design visually stunning widgets for various mobile platforms at ease
• Lets you re-use your already existing html code. So you can create simple mobile applications simply by tweaking your existing HTML code a bit, without having to use Javascript
• Easy-to-integrate on a range of mobile apps
• Is ideal for some mobile devices that don’t support Sencha Touch
• Coding is much more simpler and flexible than Sencha Touch

Sencha Touch

• Lets you design sophisticated UI and widgets for various mobile platforms, supports Ajax capabilities, and lets you incorporate DOM manipulation with ease – all these can be done using the same library
• In an independent framework, hence this framework is not influenced by other libraries
• Comes with inbuilt functionalities for the iOS and Android devices
• But is compatible with relatively fewer mobile platforms when compared to the jQuery Mobile app
• Lets you develop more powerful coding for the mobile apps
• Supports CRUD operations for the appropriate data
• The object model is much longer than jQuery Mobile, hence learning to use this framework could take more time

Which one to use jQuery Mobile or Sencha Touch?

If you are looking to design native apps with similar User Interface, then Sencha Touch is a great choice for you. It works best for iOS devices as that is the primary target of this intuitive framework. That said, Sencha Touch won’t be a great option for the Android devices, as it tends to deliver a more sluggish performance. Sencha Touch’s hardware specifications are also not the greatest of options for high-end Android devices like Samsung Galazy S3 and HTC One X, which actually require exceptional spec.

However, if you intend to design business-friendly web apps for various mobile platforms, then Sencha Touch would be a great option for you. For business apps on mobile platforms, this app offers great speed, performance, and encompasses a range of extensions and security options.

If your goal is to create a market-friendly app in a quick time, then you may choose to go with jQuery Mobile. It’s a lot simpler and has some attractive features.